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Brandoch Daha
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Posts: 3
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 Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 2:34 am Post subject: I've read the stickies, have questions |
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First I'd like to know if I'm relatively competitive for an ALT or eikeiwa job. I have a 4-year BA, a year's experience in a Korean public school, and a 120 hour TESOL certificate (which included live training). I know I'm not the top of the barrel, but am I competitive?
I found this in another thread:
| Glenski wrote: |
| A B.A. and a year's experience [in Korea] is pretty vanilla qualifications, and most Japanese employers don't see experience like that as being worth much. If it's not experience in Japan, they feel it's not real experience. Not all, but most employers, IMO. |
Does my certificate make a big difference? Hypothetically, would volunteer work in a TESOL-related field make a difference?
2) How is the job market in the Kansai region? I have friends there, and I've travelled there a bit. Before you say it, yes I'm aware it's a flooded market, and yes I'm willing to work elsewhere. I checked Gaijinpot but there didn't seem to be any ads for this region - are there any jobs?
3) I can speak French. Is this a teachable in private lessons? If yes, how's the demand? Can I command a higher price? And in general, are other skills teachable in Japan? Musical instruments, art, etc. I'm guessing yes, but that first you'd have to know a goodly amount of Japanese.
4) When I came to Korea I couldn't say much more than Hello, please, and thank you. (Since them I've learned a lot, my vocabulary is well over 500 words.) The point is I got on fine and improved quickly. But from what I've seen and heard Japan is less English-friendly, and it would be disastrous to come over with next to no skill in Japanese. How much should I know before coming?
Thanks in advance. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 7:23 am Post subject: Re: I've read the stickies, have questions |
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| Brandoch Daha wrote: |
| First I'd like to know if I'm relatively competitive for an ALT or eikeiwa job. I have a 4-year BA, a year's experience in a Korean public school, and a 120 hour TESOL certificate (which included live training). I know I'm not the top of the barrel, but am I competitive? |
Yes, you are. Highly competitive? Maybe not. What's your BA in?
| Quote: |
| Does my certificate make a big difference? |
Depends on the employer. Before NOVA collapsed into bankruptcy in Nov., 2007 and dumped 3000-5000 teachers on the market, I'd have said "no". Now that many of those people are out looking for jobs including ALT, employers are probably thinking how to separate the wheat from the chaff. Previously, eikaiwas would take people without experience. Not sure about ALT dispatch agencies. JET program's minimum requirement was just a bachelor's degree, but our resident JET expert Chulthu (sorry, never can remember the spelling!) would probably tell you that JET is leaning more towards people with actual teaching credentials and experience than before. That would mean that either type of ALT might fare better with certification. Might. It depends.
| Quote: |
| Hypothetically, would volunteer work in a TESOL-related field make a difference? |
I would think that any sort of teaching-related work would be taken into account.
| Quote: |
| 2) How is the job market in the Kansai region? |
Don't know, but I hear Kyoto is not a target-rich place to look.
| Quote: |
| 3) I can speak French. Is this a teachable in private lessons? If yes, how's the demand? Can I command a higher price? And in general, are other skills teachable in Japan? Musical instruments, art, etc. I'm guessing yes, but that first you'd have to know a goodly amount of Japanese. |
French is only a moderately popular language to teach. I knew of 2 teachers (one French and one Japanese) who worked at a private HS, and both were part-timers. You might want to look into what Berlitz has to offer.
Higher price? Don't count on it.
Other skills? Yes, of course, but in many/most cases you are going to have to rely far more on having Japanese language skills to teach things like music and art. So, yes, you guess right.
| Quote: |
| 4) When I came to Korea I couldn't say much more than Hello, please, and thank you. (Since them I've learned a lot, my vocabulary is well over 500 words.) The point is I got on fine and improved quickly. But from what I've seen and heard Japan is less English-friendly, and it would be disastrous to come over with next to no skill in Japanese. How much should I know before coming? |
Less English-friendly? I would have to say your sources are wrong. Big cities have bilingual signs on public transportation, for one thing. Of course, if you land in a rural area, you will be more hard-pressed. Most newbies come here with "next to no skill in Japanese", I believe. The locals don't expect it, and they don't often think foreigners can even learn Japanese! Plus, you are usually required to use only English in your classes anyway.
How much should you know?
Please.
Thank you.
I don't understand.
I understand.
Yes.
No.
Then, go from there and learn as you go |
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Brandoch Daha
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Posts: 3
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| Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 8:00 am Post subject: Re: I've read the stickies, have questions |
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| Glenski wrote: |
| Brandoch Daha wrote: |
| First I'd like to know if I'm relatively competitive for an ALT or eikeiwa job. I have a 4-year BA, a year's experience in a Korean public school, and a 120 hour TESOL certificate (which included live training). I know I'm not the top of the barrel, but am I competitive? |
Yes, you are. Highly competitive? Maybe not. What's your BA in? |
My major? That's the one thing I thought would make no difference at all. It's in political studies.
| Quote: |
| Quote: |
| Does my certificate make a big difference? |
Depends on the employer. Before NOVA collapsed into bankruptcy in Nov., 2007 and dumped 3000-5000 teachers on the market, I'd have said "no". Now that many of those people are out looking for jobs including ALT, employers are probably thinking how to separate the wheat from the chaff. Previously, eikaiwas would take people without experience. Not sure about ALT dispatch agencies. JET program's minimum requirement was just a bachelor's degree, but our resident JET expert Chulthu (sorry, never can remember the spelling!) would probably tell you that JET is leaning more towards people with actual teaching credentials and experience than before. That would mean that either type of ALT might fare better with certification. Might. It depends. |
Okay. I get it, it's a guessing game.
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| Quote: |
| Hypothetically, would volunteer work in a TESOL-related field make a difference? |
I would think that any sort of teaching-related work would be taken into account. |
I have a few months off now so I'll look into doing more. I've done about 100 hours of tutoring poor kids (I call it something flashier on my resume) - but when I applied to Korea no one cared about that. These days employers pay closer attention I suppose.
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| Quote: |
| 2) How is the job market in the Kansai region? |
Don't know, but I hear Kyoto is not a target-rich place to look. |
Yeah, I thought not. I should have scouted some when I was there in May. It was stupid not to. I liked Kyoto and Nara a lot -- do you know anywhere that has the same feel (if you know what I mean), but more jobs?
| Quote: |
| Quote: |
| 3) I can speak French. Is this a teachable in private lessons? If yes, how's the demand? Can I command a higher price? And in general, are other skills teachable in Japan? Musical instruments, art, etc. I'm guessing yes, but that first you'd have to know a goodly amount of Japanese. |
French is only a moderately popular language to teach. I knew of 2 teachers (one French and one Japanese) who worked at a private HS, and both were part-timers. You might want to look into what Berlitz has to offer.
Higher price? Don't count on it.
Other skills? Yes, of course, but in many/most cases you are going to have to rely far more on having Japanese language skills to teach things like music and art. So, yes, you guess right. |
I'll look into Berlitz. I apologize for my poor wording; I meant to ask if the demand for french (however small) outstripped the supply. Does that change your answer?
| Quote: |
| Quote: |
| 4) When I came to Korea I couldn't say much more than Hello, please, and thank you. (Since them I've learned a lot, my vocabulary is well over 500 words.) The point is I got on fine and improved quickly. But from what I've seen and heard Japan is less English-friendly, and it would be disastrous to come over with next to no skill in Japanese. How much should I know before coming? |
Less English-friendly? I would have to say your sources are wrong. Big cities have bilingual signs on public transportation, for one thing. Of course, if you land in a rural area, you will be more hard-pressed. Most newbies come here with "next to no skill in Japanese", I believe. The locals don't expect it, and they don't often think foreigners can even learn Japanese! Plus, you are usually required to use only English in your classes anyway.
How much should you know?
Please.
Thank you.
I don't understand.
I understand.
Yes.
No.
Then, go from there and learn as you go |
[/quote]
Really, that's all? I saw some people on these boards say one should know how to read Japanese before coming.
Thanks for responding. |
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Apsara
Joined: 20 Sep 2005
Posts: 2142
Location: Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 8:48 am Post subject: |
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Because of the thousands of kanji, it takes years of study to be able to read Japanese at a decently literate level, so don't wait that long. It does help to be able to read the katakana characters when you arrive, and perhaps the hiragana, but I know people who have lived in Tokyo several years and can't even do that much- they get on fine, although they tend to live in a bit of an expat bubble.
The more you know, the easier and more fulfilling life will be here, but it is quite possible to get by without any Japanese as well. This is the best place to learn it, anyway. |
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Brandoch Daha
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Posts: 3
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| Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 7:34 am Post subject: |
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Hmm I didn't know about all the different alphabets. Thanks.
I'm looking for a couple more perspectives. I know you deal with a lot of newbies on these boards. Please bear with me. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 2:44 pm Post subject: Re: I've read the stickies, have questions |
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| Brandoch Daha wrote: |
| My major? That's the one thing I thought would make no difference at all. It's in political studies. |
Depends on the employer these days. At least you know where you stand now.
| Quote: |
| Okay. I get it, it's a guessing game. |
No, do your research to find out whether it will be valued at one employer or not.
| Quote: |
| I'll look into Berlitz. I apologize for my poor wording; I meant to ask if the demand for french (however small) outstripped the supply. Does that change your answer? |
There are far fewer French teachers than English teachers, and I don't think there is much of a supply. Best answer I can give.
| Quote: |
| Really, that's all? I saw some people on these boards say one should know how to read Japanese before coming. |
For what? |
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