Job Discussion Forums

[Tiger Beer]

I'm just trying to do a comparison with Korea. In Korea, they are of course illegal. So there is some risk involved and you can charge people anywhere from say the low end of 30,000 won (3000yen) to 60,000 won (6000yen) an hour.

How about in Japan? Since the visa situation is different, and you can teach anywhere and privates aren't illegal, I have a feeling that the price might go down because of that?

Regardless, how much are private teaching sessions in Japan?

[drifter13]

[ironopolis]

[Glenski]

Private lessons in Japan can go by the hour per student, or on a sliding scale such that as the class grows in size, each student pays less per hour.

The average per head hourly rate is anywhere from 2000 to 5000 yen. As mentioned, you'll find people getting more, and sadly there are those who undercut the market and ask even less.

[drifter13]

[Tiger Beer]

Interesting responses.

I didn't realize the YEN has dropped so much compared to the WON. That is equally interesting to keep in mind.

Regarding getting students. Here in Korea, you have to be careful with getting students because of immigration. So forgive me if this question is kind of silly...BUT

In Japan, can you just throw up flyers or advertise that you are an English teacher and try to attract students in such a manner? (Strange question, but in Korea, you could easily be BUSTED for doing this and subsequently deported).

[drifter13]

I don't think there's any laws against throwing up ads in papers and such advertising your lessons. Like I said, I got a feel for the per lesson rate by looking in magazines and seeing the ads. I've seen a few flyers here and their to.

The big thing now is that it just might not be easy to get clients. I know more than a few Nova teachers gave out buisness cards in the last few days to thier students, many of who requested private lessons since the company was going down, and a lot more are grabing up the students they still can.

So while it's legal to advertise priavate lessons, I don't really think it's profitable in the current Japanese English Language market.

[Glenski]

People advertise all the time, whether on bulletin boards, with flyers, or on the Internet.

Profitable? Depends on what you feel your time is worth. Doing private lessons can get really old if there is a lot of traveling involved or if the students are a pain. Private lesson students are often flighty here and will quit at the drop of a hat.

[Yawarakaijin]

I was on that findateacher.net or whatever for a while before I basically gave up on it. After meeting around 16 people the average rate these people were asking for was 2,000 yen. Sorry, 2,000 yen is chump change. After working all week, if I am going to spend my weekends working I want to get paid for it. I don't think many private students take into account that you have a regular job and that you are doing this on your "free time."

I do have to say thanks to the little old lady who had her english class closed down because the local eikawa went under. She was paying 5,000 yen an hour for a private class. Half went to the school, I guess half went to the teacher who did the class and she knew it. She offered to pay me 5,000 an hour if I promised to give her a good class. That was one private I didn't mind doing. A sweet old lady with actual opinions and beliefs as well as a fair bit of cash.

[flyer]

yes I agree with the above

ie mostly between 2000yen (I wouldn't do it this low) to 5000yen

I once had a private lesson for 10,000 per hour (but only 1!)

about 4 years ago

[gaijinalways]

It does depend. I have taught privates for 2500 to 4500. Groups are definately better, and generally more fun, but of course you need the space for it.

[ironopolis]

[Khyron]

For the love of god, who teaches privates for less than 3000 yen? Stop it!

Tigerbeer, you're right. You won't be getting as much for privates here, but at least you don't have to worry about immigration nazis setting up traps for the unsuspecting waygookin.

Japanese don't seem to through money around as much as Koreans from my experience. Could've just been where I lived, though. I wasn't in Seoul.

[flyer]

[cornishmuppet]

When I worked in Italy, I talked to several private teachers in the town I lived in, who said their private rate was something like 25 euros an hour (or there abouts). At the time I thought that was pretty expensive, and they agreed, but said it was like some kind of unwritten rule to charge that much or more in order to keep the market prices up, which I could understand. I wish there was something in Japan like that, as these people charging 2000 yen an hour (and I know several) because they 'need the money' are bringing prices down for the rest of us. I get offered classes for 1500 an hour sometimes, and get told, 'but its an easy class' as though that's going to convince me. The problem is, that sooner or later someone comes along and takes them up on it, which makes the organiser think that's a perfectly acceptable rate.

What irks me even more is these eikawas and exchange programs or whatever that put out group list emails asking for a teacher for a day Halloween/sakura/xmas party or a weekend camping trip and offering some bum token payment like 3000 yen for five hours or 10000 yen for two days. These people are basically taking people for mugs, but the problem is there are always enough wide-eyed JETs or other underemployed teachers who actually believe the splurge that its a 'great cultural experience and a good chance to meet people' rather than just an job that they think they can get away with not paying someone a decent amount to do.