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Samurai Blur
Joined: 23 Aug 2009
Posts: 19
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 Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 12:00 pm Post subject: A Career After Teaching. |
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I'll try to make this as brief as possible so I don't drag on. I plan to teach in Japan after I graduate. I realize the market is tight, but I'll find a way to manage with patience, I'm sure. My degree is English/Linguistics and a minor in Japanese. I am nearing my senior year and will be taking 12 hours of linguistics on the MA level which include theory and practicum of TESOL which will give me a "Graduate Certification" (not to be confused with the state teaching license). My question here is, what good does this all do me in the end as opposed to an accounting degree with no minor? I know I have asked a similar question before, but my plans and major focus has changed a bit since then.
The More Interesting Question!
I'll understand if I don't get long detailed answers to the above question. I'm sure you guys have all dealt with it a hundred times each or more. You're probably tired of it. However, my big question is, what are some good options for someone with a degree in my field? I plan on studying more after school to get my MA in Japanese Linguistics. I'll have a minor by the time I get my BA (which requires three years total, of Japanese classes). I would really like to teach as a start, but my career intentions are to do some translating, and I don't want to live in the US to do it. Are there good options as far as translating goes? If so, can you make some suggestions as to what you think I might be able to make a long term career out of?
I'm trying to plan ahead and know my stuff as well as possible, even though I still have a ways to go, so your comments are really appreciated... seriously, I can't stress it enough.
EDIT: I've also considered working in Korea for a year after school in order to pay off my student loans and save money to start more comfortably in Japan. I'm not sure if I should begin in Japan or go to Korea first. As I understand it, teaching in Korea doesn't really count as experience in Japan anyway... Thoughts on this too? |
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Sadebugo
Joined: 10 May 2003
Posts: 524
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| Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 12:42 pm Post subject: Re: A Career After Teaching. |
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EDIT: I've also considered working in Korea for a year after school in order to pay off my student loans and save money to start more comfortably in Japan. I'm not sure if I should begin in Japan or go to Korea first. As I understand it, teaching in Korea doesn't really count as experience in Japan anyway... Thoughts on this too?[/quote]
I think Korea would be more profitable and would certainly make you appreciate Japan more once you got there. I have taught in both and found the latter to be far more enjoyable. Korea not counting as experience shouldn't be a problem since Japanese companies seem to hire a lot of new teachers without experience anyway.
Sadebugo
http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/ |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 1:10 am Post subject: Re: A Career After Teaching. |
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| Samurai Blur wrote: |
| I'll try to make this as brief as possible so I don't drag on. I plan to teach in Japan after I graduate. I realize the market is tight, but I'll find a way to manage with patience, I'm sure. My degree is English/Linguistics and a minor in Japanese. I am nearing my senior year and will be taking 12 hours of linguistics on the MA level which include theory and practicum of TESOL which will give me a "Graduate Certification" (not to be confused with the state teaching license). My question here is, what good does this all do me in the end as opposed to an accounting degree with no minor? I know I have asked a similar question before, but my plans and major focus has changed a bit since then. |
I don't know what your previous plans were, but my answer is this. What do you plan to do with that master's? If you want to teach here, you're going to have to start out with entry level teaching (eikaiwa or ALT) unless you are very lucky. To actually use the master's and get a university job, for example, you need publications and experience and some J language skills. If you see uni work as desireable, then that's probably the peak of academia jobs here. But, most uni jobs these days are PT work and/or contract work, not tenured, so you will still have to live on the edge.
What you do with the teaching experience here after you leave (presuming that's what you have in mind) is entirely up to you and to the spin you put on the experience when you interview elsewhere.
| Quote: |
The More Interesting Question!
...my big question is, what are some good options for someone with a degree in my field? I plan on studying more after school to get my MA in Japanese Linguistics. I'll have a minor by the time I get my BA (which requires three years total, of Japanese classes). I would really like to teach as a start, but my career intentions are to do some translating, and I don't want to live in the US to do it. |
University work is one thing, as I've described. If you get a teaching license and a couple of years of experience back home, you can get a job in an international school (teaching any subject, not just English).
Translating jobs are highly competitive and often genre-specific. What field would you plan to use your translating abilities for? Science? Law? Sales and marketing? General academia? There are indeed long-termers in that, but you'd have to talk to them to know more. MITA is one group. SWET is another. Look them up. |
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Samurai Blur
Joined: 23 Aug 2009
Posts: 19
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| Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 6:49 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
I don't know what your previous plans were, but my answer is this. What do you plan to do with that master's? If you want to teach here, you're going to have to start out with entry level teaching (eikaiwa or ALT) unless you are very lucky. To actually use the master's and get a university job, for example, you need publications and experience and some J language skills. If you see uni work as desireable, then that's probably the peak of academia jobs here. But, most uni jobs these days are PT work and/or contract work, not tenured, so you will still have to live on the edge.
What you do with the teaching experience here after you leave (presuming that's what you have in mind) is entirely up to you and to the spin you put on the experience when you interview elsewhere. |
Thanks Glenski! First off, I plan to use my masters to make a career out of translating.
I understand that I will have to take an entry level job to get to Japan, and I'm alright with that. Everyone has to start somewhere.
To be honest, I'm still not really sure where I would like to end up as far as retirement goes, but again, I know I would like to start out teaching in Japan and eventually find some work translating.
| Quote: |
University work is one thing, as I've described. If you get a teaching license and a couple of years of experience back home, you can get a job in an international school (teaching any subject, not just English).
Translating jobs are highly competitive and often genre-specific. What field would you plan to use your translating abilities for? Science? Law? Sales and marketing? General academia? There are indeed long-termers in that, but you'd have to talk to them to know more. MITA is one group. SWET is another. Look them up. |
English and foreign languages are my passion. I have a genuine interest in these subjects and really don't care for the idea of teaching math and science. Besides, my graduate certificate that comes with my BA does not certify me to teach in the US. Actually, I have little to no interest in teaching in the states, so the initiative is not there for me to get a degree in education and work here for a couple of years. If I had to stay here I'd probably just go on to get my MA Japanese Linguistics and work as a translator for a government office or something. My interest lies entirely in the cultural experience of Asia, and I do plan to live long term. I've spent quite a bit of time there (but have never been to Japan specifically) and really enjoy being immersed and forced to learn another language to survive comfortably.
As far as what field I'd like to translate in... I'm not really sure. In fact, I don't really even know what kind of job I can get as a translator. That's why I asked. It's not that I'm unsure, it's that I'm totally ignorant when it comes to what I could be doing. When I think about translating the image that comes to mind is doing private translating for tourists, but I can't imagine making any kind of comfortable living at all doing that... |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 7:38 am Post subject: |
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I would suggest doing a search on Google with "Japan translation jobs" as your starting point for keywords. One of the best hits is by Terrie Lloyd, who has this to say in part:
http://www.daijob.com/en/columns/terrie/article/303
He may have other articles. Read them.
Translation is probably the most under-appreciated profession in Japan. Not only are jobs hard to find, but most customers consider price to be more important than quality, even when it may make their products/services appear to be a joke to the target audience. The reason is, of course, because many of those clients are not bilingual, and thus not able to judge just how bad a bad translation can make a company look.
How do I know this? Because running a translation company was how I got started in Japan 20 years ago.
Other useful sites at a glance:
http://www.futureimplications.com/japanese_faq/japanesefaq.htm
http://www.hiraganatimes.com/hp/job/job-kiji3.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_2282623_become-japanese-translator.html
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20090715a8.html
http://www.gally.net/translation/gettingstarted.htm
Two areas that I personally know are in dire need of translators are movie & book translations. If you are into interpreting, think of hospitals and courts.
One more thing. You are going to have to learn to live with marketing and sales "Engrish" (see the FAQs at www.engrish.com), or at least the attitude that people in such fields have. If not, you will be hopelessly frustrated trying to change stuff like this:
http://www.engrish.com/category/booksmagazines/
http://www.engrish.com/category/clothing/
http://www.engrish.com/category/household-items/ |
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Samurai Blur
Joined: 23 Aug 2009
Posts: 19
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| Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 9:27 am Post subject: |
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Glenski, thanks so much for all the information. I've certainly got my reading/research cut out for me!
If I ever make it to Japan I'm going to have to get you a round of beers for all the help you've given me, and everyone else on this site! |
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norwalkesl
Joined: 22 Oct 2009
Posts: 366
Location: Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-China
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| Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 9:45 am Post subject: |
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If you translate then your degree is what you need.
If you work in an office or get any type of normal administrative work job anywhere, your degree is wallpaper. Build up your skills as you work towards translating. Become an expert at MS Office, whatever finance software is popular in Japan, take tax, finance and economics classes, learn how to operate all office machinery, work part time in an office at any position. |
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fat_chris
Joined: 10 Sep 2003
Posts: 3198
Location: Beijing
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