Job Discussion Forums

[kathyaimes]

I am looking into going to Japan to teach, my teaching experience has been in France at a university level. I don't speak Japanese however, so I dont think I could work in a university in Japan. I have tried to see if I can find private academies that teach professionals and adults but I can't seem to find anything. Are these academies just not popular in Japan?
I thought if I could get a job there, I can go on teaching and pick up some japanese and apply for universities later but im torn between that and just learning japanese here and applying for JET next year. Any suggestions?

[Mr_Monkey]

For university level work, you usually need a master's degree in TESOL, Applied Linguistics or a related discipline. Many universities also ask for publications now as well. Alternatively, you need good connections.

Good Japanese is a definite help these days.

There are plenty of independent schools (called eikaiwa). They are a common entry route into Japan, but you need to find a school that will sponsor your visa. They advertise in places like ohayo sensei and Gaijinpot.

[Glenski]

You can't find private academies? What you are probably looking for is the conversation schools, called eikaiwa here. And, there are thousands of them. Correct me if I'm wrong about what you are pursuing.

Just being able to speak Japanese is not sufficient for university. What other qualifications do you have? Most FT uni work requires, as has been written extensively here before, a minimum of a master's degree in a specialized field related to EFL (like linguistics), some Japanese ability, some publications, and experience teaching here. The market is tight, and you should expect 20-100 applications for practically every uni teaching job.

Even for entry level work like conversation schools and ALT jobs, competition is equally high.