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cowboyjunkie
Joined: 06 Feb 2010 Posts: 4 Location: Honolulu, HI
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Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 1:58 am Post subject: First Time Teaching - Japan A Good Location? |
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Aloha,
I've been living in Hawaii for 5 years and love the Japanese culture. I have a M.A. in English but no teaching experience. I am considering leaving the restaurant management business to travel and teach. With my lack of teaching background, would it be smarter to go to a place like South Korea to gain experience? I am confident I will be successful as a teacher, I'm just concerned about finding adequate employment in Japan. Does a Master's degree help set me apart in the crowded market?
Thanks! |
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GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 2021 Location: Japan
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Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 3:58 am Post subject: Re: First Time Teaching - Japan A Good Location? |
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cowboyjunkie wrote: |
With my lack of teaching background, would it be smarter to go to a place like South Korea to gain experience? |
It would make you a better teacher when you arrived in Japan, but many Japanese employers wouldn't count it as experience, just because you weren't teaching Japanese students. If the won improves, then you would definitely be able to save a lot more money in Korea than Japan, where some of the full-time salaries are now very, very low. A better idea would be to start off by getting qualifications in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (if you do a search you'll see a lot of threads on what to look for in qualifications in this area. In a nutshell: the best is a university course [post-grad or masters] with an extended teaching practicum component teaching real students.)
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I am confident I will be successful as a teacher, I'm just concerned about finding adequate employment in Japan. Does a Master's degree help set me apart in the crowded market?
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It will help *A LITTLE* with the entry level market. The JET program is a good start to working in Japan, though the application to entry in Japan process is very, very long. Also, the number of JETs drops almost yearly as (shady) dispatch companies are expanding (leading to a drop in working standards for the ALTs). JETs arrive in late July and early August (because they want to get people just as they finish university) making it difficult to get jobs in Japan beginning immediately after a JET contract, and most JETs are in rural areas adding to the difficulties in getting employment afterwards. Finally, JETs have a reputation for being the laziest foreigners in language teaching in Japan with many employers- sometimes deservedly, sometimes not. It's a good way into Japan because it pays more than other entry level jobs and because they are way out in the middle of nowhere they tend to speak better Japanese than many other newbies (many of whom just sort of get in a group of foreigners and really only talk to Japanese people who can already speak English to a high level).
Nowadays, more and more people have masters degrees in TESOL and Applied Linguistics and that's leading to much higher competition for jobs- even at the high school level (with a masters degree in English literature you aren't qualified to teach EFL at the university or college level). University jobs are requiring publications. |
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Glenski

Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 11:32 am Post subject: |
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Yes, your MA will help, but as Ganbatte wrote, only a little. Without experience in Japan, you'll have to start on the ground floor -- eikaiwas and ALT work. Market here is flooded, so your degree might give you a leg up on some, but bear in mind that the majority of newcomers here have a BA degree unrelated to teaching and no teaching experience, and there are dozens of applicants per slot. Some employers want them as green as they come. |
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cowboyjunkie
Joined: 06 Feb 2010 Posts: 4 Location: Honolulu, HI
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Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 8:47 pm Post subject: |
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Thank you both for the information and insight.
I'm going to apply through some of the bigger programs in hopes of getting a year under my belt to gain experience. |
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womblingfree
Joined: 04 Mar 2006 Posts: 826
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Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 8:27 pm Post subject: |
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If you decide you like Japan and would like to stay it would be worth applying to some universities. Your MA isn't particularly relevant to language programs but some course directors will be impressed enough, and there may even be work at an English speaking doing something or other.
Not particularly likely, but still worth looking around for. Ironically an MA isn't actually going to be much help at all in getting an entry level job. |
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cowboyjunkie
Joined: 06 Feb 2010 Posts: 4 Location: Honolulu, HI
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 9:20 pm Post subject: |
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Did my research and a CELTA class is available here in Hawaii. I can afford the class and it's looks reputable. Would this be a good route to better prepare for the job market in Japan? Is CELTA one of the better papers to have? |
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ShioriEigoKyoushi
Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Posts: 364 Location: Japan
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Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 12:16 am Post subject: |
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Text deleted
Last edited by ShioriEigoKyoushi on Tue Mar 23, 2010 3:16 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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InTheKnow
Joined: 13 Jan 2010 Posts: 20 Location: greater Japan
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Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 10:51 pm Post subject: Re: First Time Teaching - Japan A Good Location? |
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cowboyjunkie wrote: |
I'm just concerned about finding adequate employment in Japan. Does a Master's degree help set me apart in the crowded market? |
The ESL market here in Japan is flooded with teacher applicants and companies are watching their bottom line more than ever.
If you're willing to accept a salary no more than someone with a BA (or no degree, which WHV-holders usually lack), you might find a job. Beware that you'll need a school to sponsor you (a growing problem in itself) and there will be 100-300 applicants for each full-time opening that sponsors the visa. |
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InTheKnow
Joined: 13 Jan 2010 Posts: 20 Location: greater Japan
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Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 10:53 pm Post subject: |
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cowboyjunkie wrote: |
Did my research and a CELTA class is available here in Hawaii. I can afford the class and it's looks reputable. Would this be a good route to better prepare for the job market in Japan? Is CELTA one of the better papers to have? |
Excellent move and a must for the serious ESL teacher these days. But it's hard slog with a lot of reading, writing, and preparing for lessons. It's very draining, so be prepared to really work through it. |
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cowboyjunkie
Joined: 06 Feb 2010 Posts: 4 Location: Honolulu, HI
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Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 10:14 pm Post subject: |
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InTheKnow wrote: |
cowboyjunkie wrote: |
Did my research and a CELTA class is available here in Hawaii. I can afford the class and it's looks reputable. Would this be a good route to better prepare for the job market in Japan? Is CELTA one of the better papers to have? |
Excellent move and a must for the serious ESL teacher these days. But it's hard slog with a lot of reading, writing, and preparing for lessons. It's very draining, so be prepared to really work through it. |
I love schoolwork! I've been logging 70+ hour weeks managing a restaurant with $10/mil in annual sales. Homework would be refreshing.
I had the chance to present to a college class this week and I felt the passion inside me bubbling. Teaching seems to be my calling and I need to make it happen.
Thanks for the insight. |
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Imseriouslylost
Joined: 09 Nov 2009 Posts: 123 Location: Tokyo
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Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2010 8:36 am Post subject: |
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Glenski wrote: |
Yes, your MA will help, but as Ganbatte wrote, only a little. Without experience in Japan, you'll have to start on the ground floor -- eikaiwas and ALT work. Market here is flooded, so your degree might give you a leg up on some, but bear in mind that the majority of newcomers here have a BA degree unrelated to teaching and no teaching experience, and there are dozens of applicants per slot. Some employers want them as green as they come. |
Off topic: if he has an MA in English wouldn't that secure him a job at a University? Maybe not in his first year but later on?
I have a friend who did a year in Japan after graduation with JET, went home and did her MEd in TESL at a local university. Now she's back in Japan and working at a university. She's really young too at age 24, however she speaks fluent Japanese and has a ton of Japanese friends which probably helped. |
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starteacher
Joined: 25 Feb 2009 Posts: 237
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Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2010 11:41 am Post subject: |
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Now she's back in Japan and working at a university. She's |
Not sure if I want to raise a new thread, but have there been, and are there, more female teachers now in Japan ?
Where I work and in a few neigboring places, there used to be an approx ratio of 2:1 male:female but in the past few years, this has reversed. Does this apply to all sectors, from eikaiwas and ALTs to Uni teaching ? |
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Glenski

Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2010 1:09 pm Post subject: |
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Imseriouslylost wrote: |
Glenski wrote: |
Yes, your MA will help, but as Ganbatte wrote, only a little. Without experience in Japan, you'll have to start on the ground floor -- eikaiwas and ALT work. Market here is flooded, so your degree might give you a leg up on some, but bear in mind that the majority of newcomers here have a BA degree unrelated to teaching and no teaching experience, and there are dozens of applicants per slot. Some employers want them as green as they come. |
Off topic: if he has an MA in English wouldn't that secure him a job at a University? Maybe not in his first year but later on? |
Read what I wrote in the quote. A master's alone usually is not enough. Unis usually want people with master's or PhD, plus experience in Japan, plus publications and a bit of Japanese language ability to start.
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I have a friend who did a year in Japan after graduation with JET, went home and did her MEd in TESL at a local university. Now she's back in Japan and working at a university. She's really young too at age 24, however she speaks fluent Japanese and has a ton of Japanese friends which probably helped. |
Contacts are always valuable. Your friend may have been able to rely on them, plus fluent Japanese is a big plus.
What is this "local university"? Lower level ones usually require lesser qualifications. |
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ShioriEigoKyoushi
Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Posts: 364 Location: Japan
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Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2010 1:14 pm Post subject: |
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Text deleted
Last edited by ShioriEigoKyoushi on Tue Mar 23, 2010 3:15 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Mr_Monkey
Joined: 11 Mar 2009 Posts: 661 Location: Kyuuuuuushuuuuuuu
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Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2010 1:23 pm Post subject: |
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InTheKnow wrote: |
cowboyjunkie wrote: |
Did my research and a CELTA class is available here in Hawaii. I can afford the class and it's looks reputable. Would this be a good route to better prepare for the job market in Japan? Is CELTA one of the better papers to have? |
Excellent move and a must for the serious ESL teacher these days. But it's hard slog with a lot of reading, writing, and preparing for lessons. It's very draining, so be prepared to really work through it. |
This is true. Moreover, there are employers in Japan who take it seriously and see it or equivalent qualifications (Trinity Cert. TESOL, some university accredited/run short TESOL courses) as prerequisites for employment. I suspect they'd also be better employers. |
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