Job Discussion Forums

Miyazaki · Joined: 12 Jul 2005 Posts: 635 Location: My Father's Yacht

Private lessons are a HUGE pain in the ass!

Better to go for a lucrative corporate class in the evening rather than sitting in a crowded, noisy or smokey coffee shop.

I tried it. Finally gave up.
Travelling and cancellation of classes - not worth it.

Mahik · Joined: 12 Sep 2007 Posts: 89

Just curious, but are you all referring to rates for 1-on-1 lessons or group lessons? Because as a group lesson for 2,000 a head per hour, it doesn't seem that bad. But then I have no experience in the business.

drifter13 · Joined: 27 Mar 2007 Posts: 124 Location: Fujisawa

seastarr · Joined: 22 Sep 2006 Posts: 76

When I was in Japan teaching in 2006, I was making 3000 for an hour and 2000 for a half hour lesson. One was a conversational group (of 3)that was about 2 hours and the students would usually take me for lunch afterwards to a nice place and pay. The other class was a kids lesson. Her family was fantastic to me and very flexible if I had weekend plans or couldn't make it....which was great for me, but this also went the other way if they had plans, I wouldn't get paid. This was fine with me, but I was also working full time and the money I got from my private students was fun money. I really liked my students for the most part and enjoyed the meals and treats that came along with them. With that said, unless you have other full or part time employment, I would think twice before planning to come to Japan and finding enough private students to pay your bills.

matador · Joined: 07 Mar 2003 Posts: 281

I charge between 8000 and 10000 an hour for private business students. Only 3 students a week and they were introduced to me via my employer.

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

I agree re: the unreliability of private students. I had about 8 going at one point but they have a tendency to cancel constantly, or take 3 or 4 lessons and seem all enthusiastic but then suddenly quit or take long breaks, or want me to hang out with them but not take a lesson- i.e. English practice for free.

I used to make okay money out of it (3,500 to 5,000 per lesson- I was never really willing to put in the effort that the 6,000 yen plus students would have expected) but although it was fun at first I got tired of it after a few years- especially cafe classes, and it just wasn't worth it any more. I was on findateacher for a while and kept getting offers to teach kids group classes for 3,000 yen an hour, which is laughable.

Eventually I stopped trying to find new students when some quit or moved away and gave the rest to friends. I'd rather have my Saturdays and evenings free- maybe it's an age-related thing! I was happy to do it when I was 20, but I'm over 30 now... Laughing

dodgee · Joined: 01 Jun 2005 Posts: 47

After my first 6-months when I had become completetly sick of baby-sitting 3-year olds and being a diversion for the knitting-circle I only did corporate gigs at 12,000 yen an hour. Usually had 5-6 students in on each. 3 hours a week teaching business English. Easy money and organised through my local bank manager.

cornishmuppet · Joined: 27 Mar 2004 Posts: 642 Location: Nagano, Japan

If its low prep, and quick in/out I think its worth it for 3/4000 an hour. You just get a lot of time wasters. I had a student who used to invite me to her house (she lived with her parents so it wasn't like that!) to have class, but she would take so long to do the excercises that the class would drift...drift...drift..., I'd finally manage to stop her after an hour and 45, only for her mother to suddenly appear laden with food and I'd be cajoled into staying for dinner. Now, I appreciate the gesture, but I wasn't there to have a jolly family time, I was there to teach, earn and scoot. I moved the classes to a family restaurant but the same time lag thing would happen. Don't get me wrong, it was entirely my own fault for not being strict with the conditions and being lame with excuses of subsequent appointments, but my point is that a lot of privates will squeeze and squeeze to get as much for their money as they can, unless you are a real hardass with them. Taking you for dinner etc is not being nice to you, its squeezing a little more English practice out of you for a lower rate. Insist on speaking Japanese all the time and see how many times you get invited out from then on.