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backbayboi
Joined: 15 Oct 2003
Posts: 8
Location: Biloxi, Mississippi, USA
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 Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2004 6:42 pm Post subject: Career Changers? or Not? |
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| I 'm not exactly a newbie to the board......but I am a lurker! Heres the thing: I'm a 40 year old with a teaching certificate and a degree in music Ed. Ive used it in the classroom for 17 years. Not a bad gig..but Im just not happy with my content anymore..although , I love teaching.I recently quit my job and am currently working in retail. Ive done a lot of research and am currently applying to one of the "big Four". This may NOT be what I want to do long term. Im more interested in how people teach and how people learn........maybe teacher training....or eventually a university gig. ...At this point in my life, I'm looking for an adventure and to meet folks with similar career changing expereinces...any suggestions from anyone!!! its mid January and I'm looking for the end of March. Unreasonable? many thanks |
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BuddhaRhubarb
Joined: 22 Jan 2004
Posts: 14
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| Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2004 11:36 pm Post subject: |
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hey backbayboi,
everyone or at least some people may tell you this...the big 4 are the doorway to japan...(i work for aeon)if you have bigger ambitions..and dont want to end up feeling stifled, you will stay with one of those schools for a contract 1 year or maybe a bit longer, then once you are in Japan there are many other opportunities.
it depends on what you want to do really...
this is coming up on the busy season for hiring..but it may take a bit longer to get here than march/april often it take 4-6 months to get the hiring then paperwork all sorted out...and as youve looked around already i dont have to tell you, have some small savings (at least 1000 usd) when you get here...it makes theings sooo much easier.
good luck - joe
oh ps yeah if you saty a while you can definitely get in to teacher training and whatnot esp. at the big schools |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2004 11:51 pm Post subject: |
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| My career was in biotech research before I came to Japan in 1998 to teach. If you have any specific questions, fire away. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2004 5:26 am Post subject: Re: Career Changers? or Not? |
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| backbayboi wrote: |
| . Im more interested in how people teach and how people learn........maybe teacher training....or eventually a university gig. ... |
depending on your ambitions and the size of your wallet there are a variety of choices for gaining extra training in the field.
1. The language schools will provide you with some training between a couple of days and a week. Mainly to orient you with their syllabus and teaching methods and the use of the standard text(s). usually the methods they promote are not really of much benefit outside that particular school or organisation
2. TEFL certificate in CELTA. internationally recognised and proven, practical course for budding EFl teachers. Will teach you the ropes and give you some practical skills you can use in the EFL classroom. In Japan they cost around 200-300,000 yen for a 120 hour course and will help you get high school type positions.
3. For those with deep pockets and seeking university-type jobs, Temple and Columbia universities have branch campuses in Japan and you can do a whole Masters degree, or pursue training by distance learning. Expect to spend 20-25,000 for a 3 year Masters course. Masters is a minimum qualification for university positions here. |
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backbayboi
Joined: 15 Oct 2003
Posts: 8
Location: Biloxi, Mississippi, USA
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| Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2004 5:00 pm Post subject: |
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| would a masters from one of those universitys be viable.or even recognized in the US should I decide to return and pursue a career in higher ed here?? has anyone else pursued higher education in Japan outside of the ESL,TEFL,TESOL degree programs??? |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2004 11:32 pm Post subject: |
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| backbayboi wrote: |
| would a masters from one of those universitys be viable.or even recognized in the US should I decide to return and pursue a career in higher ed here?? has anyone else pursued higher education in Japan outside of the ESL,TEFL,TESOL degree programs??? |
Temple is an accreditted university with the home campus in Philadelphia. Columbia is based in New York. The degree I got here from Temple Japan is identical to the one students in the US receive.
I am now doing a postgraduate doctorate with a university in the UK, by distance learning. I know several people in Japan now doing distance degrees.
For more links to such programs go to my page at
htp://www.teachinginjapan.com/continuinged.html
PS many UK and Australian graduate degrees, including doctorates are recognised in the US if they come from accreditted recognised brick and mortar campuses in those countries. My degree done in Japan was recognised by my university in the UK for the purposes of doing a PhD. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2004 11:35 pm Post subject: |
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P.S. The degree I am doing now is not in TEFL but in Applied Linguistics and it is purely research.
Higher degrees from Japanese universities though possible are not that highly regarded overseas. Just my personal opinion. |
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shmooj
Joined: 11 Sep 2003
Posts: 1758
Location: Seoul, ROK
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| Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2004 1:06 pm Post subject: |
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| PAULH wrote: |
| Applied Linguistics and it is purely research. |
Erm, forgive me Paul but if this is so, wherein is the "Applied" ? |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2004 11:33 pm Post subject: |
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| shmooj wrote: |
| PAULH wrote: |
| Applied Linguistics and it is purely research. |
Erm, forgive me Paul but if this is so, wherein is the "Applied" ? |
shmooj
I can only speak with reference to my particular field of study, but its a distance degree, no lectures and an 80,000 word thesis to write (about a 250 page book).
Research is based on collected data and analysis of the results collected in a field study using observation, surveys, interviews, data analysis etc. My topic is on the teaching of English to elementary school learners in Japan, as well as curriculum development of English in J. elementary schools.
Degree is done through Birmingham University http://www.bham.ac.uk
Does that answer your question? |
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shmooj
Joined: 11 Sep 2003
Posts: 1758
Location: Seoul, ROK
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| Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2004 11:53 pm Post subject: |
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Well, it was only really a rhetorical question - sounds like a degree that is practical to me i.e. not purely research. I think what you mean is that there is no teaching component. Is that it?
I know the Birmingham MA - I looked into it in a lot of detail and would have done it if I had had the dosh. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2004 12:01 am Post subject: |
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| shmooj wrote: |
I think what you mean is that there is no teaching component. Is that it?
. |
No practicum required (Im working full time in Japan anyway, have a wife and kids) and I need to attend the campus in the UK (about 8 months all up over 4 years, and I may require a longer spell there in the future, as I only get a few weeks off a year here). No teaching required but simply be able to collect sufficient data as well as do a literature review and do the residency.
| shmooj wrote: |
I know the Birmingham MA - I looked into it in a lot of detail and would have done it if I had had the dosh. |
Not cheap- I cant really afford it either but Ive started it so I may as well keep going. Tuition is about 600,000 yen a year. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2004 12:21 am Post subject: |
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P.S.
I dont teach kids either and am not sure exactly how I will apply it to anything once I graduate- just give me a lot of theoretical knowledge about teaching young learners and designing lesson plans for teachers etc
Nice thing to put on your resume though. |
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backbayboi
Joined: 15 Oct 2003
Posts: 8
Location: Biloxi, Mississippi, USA
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| Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2004 5:11 pm Post subject: |
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| I recieve an e-mail notification everytime a reply is posted on this thread .Frustrating that instead of recieving answers to the question that I asked ( in the appropriate place) all I get is you guys argung semantics........do that in PMs ( the appropriate place) |
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Celeste
Joined: 17 Jan 2003
Posts: 814
Location: Fukuoka City, Japan
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| Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2004 10:34 pm Post subject: Re: Career Changers? or Not? |
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| backbayboi wrote: |
| I 'm not exactly a newbie to the board......but I am a lurker! Heres the thing: I'm a 40 year old with a teaching certificate and a degree in music Ed. Ive used it in the classroom for 17 years. Ive done a lot of research and am currently applying to one of the "big Four". This may NOT be what I want to do long term. Im more interested in how people teach and how people learn........maybe teacher training....or eventually a university gig. ...At this point in my life, I'm looking for an adventure and to meet folks with similar career changing expereinces...any suggestions from anyone!!! its mid January and I'm looking for the end of March. Unreasonable? many thanks |
backbayboi:
You may well not enjoy working for the larger eikaiwas long term because as a seasoned education professional, the methodlogies adhered to will drive you insane. I would equate some of these jobs as being closer to the retail work you are currently doing rather than the teaching you did for 17 years.
For teacher training you will have to make a lot of contacts in the education system. If you farm yourself out to the public schools (either through JET or ALTIA - the 2 reputable agencies/programmes that I know of) you will have the chance to make these contacts. In a traditional eikaiwa setting, you will not be able to build up the rapport with school administrators and school board executives to allow you to do much teacher training.
Another thing that you might be interested in is teaching English at a music school. I saw an ad a few months ago for a music school in Fukuoka that was looking for English teachers with a background in music education. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2004 11:30 pm Post subject: Re: Career Changers? or Not? |
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| backbayboi wrote: |
| This may NOT be what I want to do long term. Im more interested in how people teach and how people learn........maybe teacher training....or eventually a university gig. ...At this point in my life, I'm looking for an adventure and to meet folks with similar career changing expereinces...any suggestions from anyone!!! its mid January and I'm looking for the end of March. Unreasonable? many thanks |
Well backbayoi.
what do you want to know?
Your question on how to teach (eikaiwa, high school? university? companies?) and how people learn (kids? high school? adults?) could fill a textbook and a one month CELTA course without a little more clarification.
I am at a university if you want to know about university teaching- have been doing it since 1990. |
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