Job Discussion Forums

[friendoken]

Hello everybody,

I will graduate with a BA in Communication this July, then I am outta here, as they say. (Whoever they are)

Anyway, I have been reading this forum for a couple of years, but only recently joined. I also read the Korean forums regularly, which, after reading of seemingly mostly complaints about mistreatment, bad housing, rudeness by locals, xenophobic reactions, has pretty much dissuaded me from choosing that location, despite the better remuneration.

I have travelled throughout some of SE Asia (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam), as well as Korea and Japan. I am a summertime girl, thus great weather is a priority. I like to have fun and am very social and socialable. I like new foods and cultures. I seriously doubt that culture shock will be a factor due to my travels thus far.

So...give me your collective wisdom, play devil`s advocate, what is good according to you, what is lousy according to you. I am an extremely positive person so I always believe that even if things completely fall apart, there is always a silver lining.

[friendoken]

I forgot to add this. Is it possible to teach inter-cultural communication to those that have a good enough grasp of English already, or are the curriculums pretty dictated by the school?

Is there leeway to teach material other than that which is prescribed?

[Glenski]

Your degree is a pretty generic one, allowing you to get entry level jobs in Japan (where I am). Nothing fancy. Conversation school, dispatch agency placement as an ALT in a public school, or JET programme ALT.

You teach what they prescribe. Sometimes there is leeway, but the main point is to teach English language. Squeeze in some culture if you can, but language (and its use) is the main point.

What did you mean by inter-cultural communication, anyway? Most Japanese get language lessons from foreigners in order to speak conversational English. Is that it?

Also, how long were you planning to make this endeavor? Your mention of "summertime" makes me think you are interested only in a 3-month stint, which is very unlikely here. What is your timeline for coming? JET pays the best for newcomers, but the application process is a long one, and you missed it for this year.

Also, are you willing to come and job hunt, or would you rather stay at home and interview in your homeland? The former opens up far more jobs opportunities, but it costs a lot to stay before the first paycheck comes in (US$4000-5000, 2-3 months).

[friendoken]

Thank you for your response. By inter-cultural communication I mean the differences between cultures and why we are the way we are. Westerners are an individualistic, low context, society and Asian cultures tend to be collectivist and high context. Two of the courses I have taken deal with this phenomenon and as such, have made it infinitely easier to understand the thinking, norms and methodologies of other cultures. Thus, it would actually be an asset to someone learning English, because as you learn the words to say, you also learn why the same words in the same order in your culture may have entirely different interpretations.

I plan on leaving Canada for good. I will no doubt return to visit but I will not live here again. Simply put, I hate the weather. By summertime, I mean I want to live where it is summer 365 days a year.

Sadly, I have no family here. My father was killed in a car crash when I was 10, and Mom died of cancer when I was 12. I was an only child, and so were both of them. Thus, no serious ties to Canada to bind me. Friends can visit me, or I can return for visits occassionally.

I would prefer to have a job to go to when I bounce, although money is not an issue.

Most contracts are for 1 year I believe. That is fine.

Thanks again!

[tianjinj]

If money is really no object Thailand of course is the obvious choice---summer all year round, fascinating culture, friendly people and lots of (usually lowpaying) jobs. But I think money always does become at least a bit important. So I'd recommend southern Taiwan. The climate is virtually tropical, great infrastructure, nice folks and an intersting and pretty accessible culture. The jobs are pretty easy to come by and you'll likely make twice as much as in Thailand.

[friendoken]

Thank you. I have looked into Taiwan and it does look very nice indeed. I will investigate further. Cheers