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legomenon
Joined: 22 Dec 2008
Posts: 2
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 Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 2:26 am Post subject: Seeking Freedom, Judo, Nature (MA Asian Studies BA Linguisti |
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First of all, I would like to thank everyone who posts answers on this forum. I have been sifting threads unregistered for the past few days and have come out already a great deal more informed on some rather niche questions.
I�m a 23 year old MA student in Asian Cultures and Languages at the University of Texas; I have a Linguistics BA from the same place. (Some potentially relevant information for the thread: I haven�t/won�t publish academically; at present, I utterly lack knowledge of Japanese - as my specialty has been Sanskrit - though I may take a Japanese intro course next fall.) I�ve got two goals while remaining in Texas - to finish my master�s thesis and to earn blue belt in brazilian jiu-jitsu - which I ought to have bagged by end 2009.
At that point, I want to move to Japan and teach English for a several years. From what I�ve read the hiring season in Japan falls February-March, so I�ll probably emigrate in early 2010, just over a year from now. I have some rather specific goals for my time there: to develop skill in judo; to have plenty of time to read Western literature; to have scope to explore Japan�s natural wonders and countryside; and (in good time) to build competency in reading the poets (Basho etc).
While working toward these goals, I would like to teach English for approximately 20-25 hours each week. Given strong incentives, however, I might consider a 30 hour job. Meanwhile, the salary should be a good size (Y 250K/mo. seems fairly standard). The area would have a sound judo club that will accept a foreigner. Finally, I would like to live in a more rural area, preferably in the north or northerly west of Honshu, in any case couched in natural glory - forests, streams, mountains, and horses, where they�re found.
So, questions -
1) I would first ask the forum whether any particular place comes to mind where I might enjoy living. The moderate amount of research I�ve done so far has led me to court Hirosaki, for instance, as a possibility.
2) Given my background and intentions, what opportunities teaching English may I realistically expect starting out in Japan? I am open to a diverse sort, whether the work consist of teaching English at a local youths school or lecturing at a university level. I wonder specifically whether there are university positions in Japan that are absolved of publishing. (Meanwhile note that I have no TEFL certification; I wonder whether in my instance it could be worth the fuss.)
3) A final question regarding start-up cash to be brought from home. I have read posts advising a range of sums from Yen 200K to 500K. In my own case, I may be looking at something closer to Y 50K or roughly 500 bucks � what then? At the least I would assume this limits me to hire while stateside, to have provisions pat prior to flying over.
That�s about it for now� thanks gang. |
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wintersweet
Joined: 18 Jan 2005
Posts: 345
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
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| Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 3:49 am Post subject: |
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You know, I'm vaguely offended on behalf of your potential future students that you think even a certification in TESOL boils down to "fuss." A BA in linguistics, unless you focused on applied linguistics (rather rare at the BA level), doesn't qualify you to teach anyone how to use a language. Why do you consider yourself qualified to teach anyone how to use a language without going to "the fuss?"
Of course, there are plenty of jobs that don't require certification (whether you're really teaching anyone English at those jobs is another matter, but anyway).
If you check the FAQs and other threads on this board, you'll find that most of the university positions in Japan prefer both an English or linguistics-related master's (or PhD) and publications. Many also ask for EFL-teaching experience and enough Japanese to handle faculty meetings. I have both a master's in TESOL and a certification and honestly do not qualify for the majority of positions.
Your tone suggests that you are "open" to Japan doing you rather a lot of favors. I have a feeling veteran posters are about to suggest that you adjust your expectations. |
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GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 4:13 am Post subject: Re: Seeking Freedom, Judo, Nature (MA Asian Studies BA Lingu |
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| legomenon wrote: |
I�m a 23 year old MA student in Asian Cultures and Languages at the University of Texas; I have a Linguistics BA from the same place. |
Excellent starting position!
| legomenon wrote: |
(Some potentially relevant information for the thread: I haven�t/won�t publish academically; at present, I utterly lack knowledge of Japanese - as my specialty has been Sanskrit - though I may take a Japanese intro course next fall.) I�ve got two goals while remaining in Texas - to finish my master�s thesis and to earn blue belt in brazilian jiu-jitsu - which I ought to have bagged by end 2009. |
Not quite so good. In Japan, knowledge of Japanese is often the thing that gets you a job. That, and contacts. It's not what you know, it who you know, ya'know! The MA will definitely help, but maybe not as much as you might think. It's basically going to be looked at as an unrelated master's degree because you didn't concentrate on Japanese.
| legomenon wrote: |
At that point, I want to move to Japan and teach English for a several years. From what I�ve read the hiring season in Japan falls February-March, so I�ll probably emigrate in early 2010, just over a year from now. |
'Emigrate" implies leaving your country permanently. You are planning on just a few years, right? Also, do you know that this country is now in a depression (or recession?)?
| legomenon wrote: |
I have some rather specific goals for my time there: to develop skill in judo; to have plenty of time to read Western literature; to have scope to explore Japan�s natural wonders and countryside; and (in good time) to build competency in reading the poets (Basho etc). |
You can have time to do all of these things with most jobs as a newbie in Japan- so long as things like going out drinking and watching TV aren't also priorities (and that you have a school that doesn't give you a desk with no computer and says "There you are, teach English. [Your Japanese Teacher of English will do nothing other than criticize your classes negatively])" The issue will be getting that Western literature if you are out in the middle of nowhere. You could find yourself having to spend quite a bit to get down to Tokyo for a decent sized English language bookstore / section of a bookstore. And mail order would probably be more expensive than that.
Also, don't discount isolation as a factor that changes what you want if you are in a very rural area of Japan. There may not even be another foreigner in your town. There are many JETs who never see other foreigners except for the few times a year that there are JET conferences.
| legomenon wrote: |
While working toward these goals, I would like to teach English for approximately 20-25 hours each week. Given strong incentives, however, I might consider a 30 hour job. Meanwhile, the salary should be a good size (Y 250K/mo. seems fairly standard). |
You are describing full-time jobs here. And 250 is actually starting to become on the high side for entry jobs. Also, if you are out in the middle of a rural area, you likely won't have much choice. Have you thought about applying for the JET program. It sounds pretty much perfect for you.
| legomenon wrote: |
The area would have a sound judo club that will accept a foreigner. Finally, I would like to live in a more rural area, preferably in the north or northerly west of Honshu, in any case couched in natural glory - forests, streams, mountains, and horses, where they�re found. |
Judo clubs are available pretty much anywhere. "that will accept a foreigner" sort of sounds like you assume they will be racist before even stepping foot in the country. In my experience, they like having foreigners at martial arts. The problem will be that you speak no Japanese, and by the time you arrive will speak next to no Japanese. In rural areas, you basically don't have much choice. There will PROBABLY be a judo class at the local budokan (assuming there is one) but you may find that you end up doing something other than judo- unless you teach at a high school in which case you could probably join the school judo club.
| legomenon wrote: |
So, questions -
1) I would first ask the forum whether any particular place comes to mind where I might enjoy living. The moderate amount of research I�ve done so far has led me to court Hirosaki, for instance, as a possibility. |
Rural Japan is not just limited to the north, it's MOST of Japan. Don't limit yourself. And if you decide to go the JET program route (again, IMO ideal for you) then you won't actually have a choice of where you go, you will just get to make a request.
| legomenon wrote: |
2) Given my background and intentions, what opportunities teaching English may I realistically expect starting out in Japan? I am open to a diverse sort, whether the work consist of teaching English at a local youths school or lecturing at a university level. I wonder specifically whether there are university positions in Japan that are absolved of publishing. (Meanwhile note that I have no TEFL certification; I wonder whether in my instance it could be worth the fuss.) |
Honestly... probably starting out at as an ALT either through the JET program or another dispatch company. And yeah, if you want to teach English, getting training in how to do that might be a good idea, no? Just because someone can read and analyse literature doesn't mean that they can write it.
Honestly, almost every single person I work with has some sort of university or college graduate certificate or master's degree as well as at least intermediate Japanese or else a Japanese spouse who is fluent in English.
| legomenon wrote: |
3) A final question regarding start-up cash to be brought from home. I have read posts advising a range of sums from Yen 200K to 500K. In my own case, I may be looking at something closer to Y 50K or roughly 500 bucks � what then? At the least I would assume this limits me to hire while stateside, to have provisions pat prior to flying over.
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Entirely depends on your contract. I wouldn't advise showing up to Japan not knowing anyone or the language at all with $500 in your pocket. If you were in the JET program , then that amount might be okay, assuming that housing required no initial payment (it almost never does in the JET program). You definitely, definitely would have big problems if you had to get your own housing. You want to teach in a rural area. Rural areas usually only have a couple of jobs for foreigners, and those jobs are usually taken. Just showing up in a country with some cash can get you a job, but probably a very bottom end job in a big city, and then from there you have to make contacts etc. and work you way up. Don't just go to a rural area and think you can get a job. There's a reason why throughout the world, so many people leave the rural area in which they grew up to go to a big city.
Final note: Your post does sound like you may have watched "The Last Samurai" one time too many and somehow actually think that life in Japan could actually be similar to that, but with Judo, and that armed with your master's degree which is primarily in Sanskrit people will be falling all over themselves to give you what you want. That's basically just wrong. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 5:03 am Post subject: Re: Seeking Freedom, Judo, Nature (MA Asian Studies BA Lingu |
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| legomenon wrote: |
| I�m a 23 year old MA student in Asian Cultures and Languages at the University of Texas; I have a Linguistics BA from the same place. (Some potentially relevant information for the thread: I haven�t/won�t publish academically; at present, I utterly lack knowledge of Japanese - as my specialty has been Sanskrit - though I may take a Japanese intro course next fall.) |
You are a common candidate for entry level work, and since you have already sifted through threads, you should know that means ALT from JET or dispatch company, or eikaiwa work. If very lucky, you might get a business English job.
| Quote: |
| I want to move to Japan and teach English for a several years. From what I�ve read the hiring season in Japan falls February-March, so I�ll probably emigrate in early 2010, just over a year from now. |
Ok, not bad planning, but you could also apply to JET in the fall/winter of 2009 in order to get here in August 2010. And, just because the peak hiring season is March, don't rule out other times.
| Quote: |
| I have some rather specific goals for my time there: to develop skill in judo; to have plenty of time to read Western literature; to have scope to explore Japan�s natural wonders and countryside; and (in good time) to build competency in reading the poets (Basho etc). |
Spare time is what you make of it. Looking at your 2 potential types of jobs (see above):
ALT work offers you evenings and Sat/Sun free.
Eikaiwa offers early mornings free, plus 2 days a week (not necessarily consecutive, but depending on whether the eikaiwa offers shift swapping, you might do it)
Reading Western lit. Books and magazines cost a mint here, and the libraries are scant in their supplies. People use Amazon a lot (and Amazon.co.jp offers free shipping with orders over 1500 yen).
| Quote: |
| While working toward these goals, I would like to teach English for approximately 20-25 hours each week. Given strong incentives, however, I might consider a 30 hour job. |
Consider all you like, but the jobs are going to be 40-hours a week. Twenty to thirty of those hours will be in the classroom for eikaiwa. For ALT work, you are stuck in the school regardless of whether you are teaching or not. So, realize that up front. You have no choice on hours, and as a newcomer to TEFL, it is rather arrogant to think otherwise.
| Quote: |
| Meanwhile, the salary should be a good size (Y 250K/mo. seems fairly standard). |
It has been for decades, but in past years, some employers offer as low as 180,000.
| Quote: |
| The area would have a sound judo club that will accept a foreigner. |
Can't help you there. Use Google. However, for the big eikaiwas and JET, you get to request a place to work, but that is no guarantee you will be placed there.
| Quote: |
| 1) I would first ask the forum whether any particular place comes to mind where I might enjoy living. The moderate amount of research I�ve done so far has led me to court Hirosaki, for instance, as a possibility. |
Japan is not so small that rural life is unattainable. JET puts most of its ALTs there. Northern Honshu has few opportunities for foreign teachers, I believe. Good in the sense of competition, but bad in terms of percentages of finding work. A better question to ask is what sort of climate can you tolerate or not?
| Quote: |
| 2) Given my background and intentions, what opportunities teaching English may I realistically expect starting out in Japan? |
See above.
Dream on about university level. You have to have a master's degree, experience, Japanese level, publications, and contacts to get in FT. Even PT positions are highly competitive (20-100 applicants per job), and many ask for similar qualifications as above. BTW, "lecturing" is not the way English is taught by foreigners here. The idea is to get students to speak, not listen to the teacher.
| Quote: |
| 3) A final question regarding start-up cash to be brought from home. I have read posts advising a range of sums from Yen 200K to 500K. In my own case, I may be looking at something closer to Y 50K or roughly 500 bucks � what then? At the least I would assume this limits me to hire while stateside, to have provisions pat prior to flying over. |
$500? Stay home. That won't last you a moment here. Even renting a guest house on the lower end will cost that much, and that leaves you zilch for food, transportation, insurance, and anything else. The figures you will hear most often are the equivalent of US$4000-5000 in order to support yourself for 2-3 months, which is how long it will take to land a job and get that first paycheck on average. PM me if you want a detailed breakdown.
As for TEFL certification "worth the fuss", I'm with wintersweet here. The largest eikaiwa collapsed a year ago, putting 5000 teachers on the street. The country is in a recession to end all recessions. Competition for work is very steep (meaning not just inexperienced, uneducated, untrained newbies like you, but experience, trained, educated, language-proficient veterans). Want to stay here a few years? You'll be scraping by like many without certification, and even though it is not required by most entry-level employers, you should consider it as professional support/development for what you are going to face in the classroom. A linguistics major who doesn't publish? Seems very odd. One who shrugs off TEFL training for classroom work? Even odder.
Japan is 75% nature. You'll see it almost any place you go, but you are not going to have that much free time initially if you take your work seriously. Perhaps that explains a lot, though. |
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legomenon
Joined: 22 Dec 2008
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 7:11 am Post subject: |
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Sorry, I didn't mean to come off arrogant, if that's how I came across. I really appreciate your prompt help and in depth answers. Even after much reading, it seems one can still come away with misperceptions. I believed I remembered reading here and there of 20-25 hour jobs in some places, but in this case it seems memory has failed! - As per your collective advice, I will probably look into JET. From what I understand it can be a wonderful experience. Hopefully I can find an English school near a dojo neighboring a second-hand bookstore on a grassy knole  Thanks again, and merry christmas. |
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GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 9:10 am Post subject: |
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| legomenon wrote: |
| Sorry, I didn't mean to come off arrogant, if that's how I came across. I really appreciate your prompt help and in depth answers. Even after much reading, it seems one can still come away with misperceptions. I believed I remembered reading here and there of 20-25 hour jobs in some places, but in this case it seems memory has failed! - As per your collective advice, I will probably look into JET. From what I understand it can be a wonderful experience. Hopefully I can find an English school near a dojo neighboring a second-hand bookstore on a grassy knole Thanks again, and merry christmas. |
Those 20-25 hours are either contact hours (that means the number of hours in front of the class, it says nothing about the number of hours you are at work, but since that's a full time job, you can expect it to be 8:30 to 4:30 or 5:00 often PLUS every other Saturday, but possibly only half a day on those Saturdays) or else they are part-time jobs (going for much, much less than the 250 that you want). |
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G Cthulhu
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 1373
Location: Way, way off course.
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| Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 9:11 pm Post subject: Re: Seeking Freedom, Judo, Nature (MA Asian Studies BA Lingu |
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| legomenon wrote: |
Finally, I would like to live in a more rural area, preferably in the north or northerly west of Honshu, in any case couched in natural glory - forests, streams, mountains, and horses, where they�re found.
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You have no experience and an unrelated MA: you'll be up for the same entry level work as everyone else fresh off the boat. You wouldn't get a look in at a university.
Places. Tono, in Iwate ken might work for you. Bit further north, Kuji has a stronger Judo background, but is lighter in the other areas you wanted. Hirosaki in Aomori could work, but you're not gaining much over Tono. In or around Sendai or maybe over as far as one of the towns over in Akita.
About the limit of my suggestions for places. Everyone else will be along shortly to tell you about your other questions. |
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