Job Discussion Forums

Piri-Piri · Joined: 23 Mar 2010 Posts: 24 Location: Osaka

I take comfort in the fact that even before I came here, the couple of acquaintances who had previously taught in Japan responded with mute awkwardness when I said I was going to teach in Japan. Word is getting out that this is a country where the EFL industry treats it's employees like turd, and the nation does nothing to prevent systematic abuse of foreign national's employment rights. You guys might want to check your first year contracts for a notice period, because if they don't have one that violates Japan's own anti-human-trafficking laws. That should give you an indication of exactly what you're getting yourself into.

It seems straightforward before you come here; it can't be that bad, people are already here. You really want to be in the country, and what difference does a little dodgy dealing make if you go into it with your eyes open.

The reality of realising your dream is balanced precariously on the commercial ambitions of companies that behave illegally, brazenly, and that the nation you adore doesn't actually give a *beep* about that, and that you can't really speak the language enough to do anything about it... let's just say that reality feels a little different when it's the end of another 9hr day plus travel and you're getting home after 10pm and tomorrow you have to leave home before 9am.

Word is spreading about the reality of teaching English in Japan, and when it does these companies are going to have the shock of their lives. Times are already changing. I predict a major reshaping of the entire industry within five years.

PS. You do realise even 250k a month equates to the standard rate for an administrative assistant in an office? That's from the Japanese recruitment websites.

OneJoelFifty · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 463

aynnej · Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2010 4:41 pm Post subject:

One thing to keep in mind -- your tax responsibility and health insurance premiums will likely increase pretty significantly during your 2nd year. So, if you do decide to accept a low-paying position for your first year, you'll definitely want to find a way to increase your salary for your 2nd year (if you decide to remain in Japan).

You don't begin paying community tax until your 2nd year. The community tax varies from ward to ward, but I pay around 15,000 yen/month (Nakano-ku, Tokyo). If you enroll in National Health Insurance (Kokumin Kenkō Hoken), your first year premiums are ridiculously cheap -- around 1000 yen/month. Then the second year is based on your previous year's salary. My premiums now are around 23,000 yen/month.

If you enroll in the employer-sponsored health insurance program (Shakai Hoken), I believe your 2nd-year premiums will stay more or less the same, but the rates are high right from the beginning. If the position at Heart is considered part time, it's unlikely your employer will enroll you in Shakai Hoken.

Just some things for you to consider. Good luck, whatever you decide to do.

razorhideki · Joined: 19 Jan 2010 Posts: 78

Piri-Piri: I totally agree with your diagnosis but not your prognosis, to wit: the Japanese EFL industry, very unfortunately, will NOT change within 5 yrs. Why? Very simple: the saps will keep coming over to take crapola jobs. At the rate things are going, even JET will be toast within a decade. You heard it here first, folks.

It's funny(not the ha-ha kind). A decade ago, EFLers in Japan would be sheepish in admitting they made only the mythical quarter million "visa minimum". Now, you have guys taking it as a badge of honour that they make 190,000 & work like dogs; living a spartan, ascetic, monkish type of existence, all for the great privilige of living in ''wonderful'' Japan.

And Joel Fifty: You ARE referring to Japanese teachers, right? It's culturally expected of them to put in those kinds of hours. Do you think they're making 205,000/mo.?!

Even more importantly: Are there any JETs at the school(s) you're at? Are you aware of their salaries? Benefits? Subsidies? Vacation time? Organizational support? The life of Riley, my friend.

If I was a dispatch co. ALT working at a public school with a JET(esp. if I was doing the same job-hell, maybe even doing a better job! Wink

- as a JET ALT)I'd feel like the biggest sap in E. Asia.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Piri-Piri · Joined: 23 Mar 2010 Posts: 24 Location: Osaka

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

extradross · Joined: 23 Apr 2010 Posts: 81

It has to be said that either the teaching/classes Japanese students get are just plain lousy or that they have some inbuilt resistance to aquiring/using the English language-why is it that when I travel around Asia visiting places like Bali on vacation, [a popular destination for the Japanese...] these guys have great trouble communicating in English. Even the koreans seem more capable! Could this be related to the wretchedness of the EFL industry in japan? We talk about direct hire vs dispatch for teachers but isn't the truth that either way-the japanese educators/policy makers just don't really give a damm?

seklarwia · Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2010 9:49 am Post subject:

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Tomes have been written on the reasons why Japanese don't learn to speak English well.

1) Too many phonemes, and they learn them too late to pronounce them well.

2) Cr@ppy high school education that forces them to shift gears from an enjoyable, productive, grammar-filled junior high to a mindless, test-oriented grammar-translation fixated set of 3 years.

3) Despite having 6 years under their belts, they still don't see the point in learning it. Nobel prize winners from Japan are mixed on their opinions, which doesn't help. Companies may send people overseas and demand a minimum of 710 TOEIC to do it, but once they return to Japan, they are brainwashed back into the eastern mentality of the nail that sticks up gets hammered down.

4) Repeated attempts and failures at taking TOEIC don't exactly encourage confidence. Despite a plethora of "textbooks" on how to take TOEIC, they are essentially clones of each other, and do little more than drill, drill, drill instead of teach strategies.

5) A revolving door on prime ministers and their education ministries keeps any sense of consistency going more than a year and a half.

6) Do you want more reasons?

PO1 · Joined: 24 May 2010 Posts: 136

My girlfriend took the TOEIC numerous times, basically getting the same score. Once I told her some test taking strategies, her score jumped up. Tests really don't accurately assess English ability. They assess how well you are at taking tests.

I found the best English speakers in Japan were housewives that studied for hobby (including watching movies and reading books in English) or students that took formal classes in college.

I honestly believe some students think coming to eikaiwa class for 50 minutes a week will make them fluent in English. I took Japanese classes for about one hour a week and my Japanese is still very basic. I didn't expect some kind of osmosis miracle learning however.

fujisan · Joined: 24 Jun 2010 Posts: 42

ssjup81 · Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2010 10:14 pm Post subject:

With the exception of the lower pay (and that's my fault, you know, since I willingly took it...I'm also not full-time either, which is another reason why I'm not complaining), I haven't had any problems with Heart yet. The company has actually been very helpful to me. I'm still curious as to what's so wrong with this company.

When I was looking up Heart after applying to JET back in 2008, I always saw some negative things about Heart, but people usually never specified why outside of pay. I've never come across anyone complaining about actual work conditions or even being paid late or not being paid at all...so aside from the wages, what's actually wrong with Heart?