Job Discussion Forums

Frish85 · Joined: 13 Jul 2010 Posts: 3 Location: Montreal, Canada

Within 2 days I got positive answers from both Peppy kids club and ECC Japan. I've never been to Japan and I am a newbie at the ESL game. I have been looking through internet reviews of each company and it's becoming harder to make a choice. I don't want to sound whiny and complain about getting offers but I almost wish one had said no so that I wouldn't be face with the possibility of regretting my choice.

Thank you for any advice or insider notes on PKC and/or ECC, it would be much appreciated!

Bread · Joined: 24 May 2009 Posts: 318

They have similar reputations. If you want all kids' classes, do PKC and if you want some adult classes go to ECC. Otherwise, choose the one with the better pay, contract, and overall impression that they've given you. The only PKC that I know of have been way out in the countryside, but I've actually never seen or heard of ECC outside of the internet.

I know a PKC teacher way out in the middle of nowhere who seems to work about 15-20 hours a week for full salary, but I have no idea how common that is.

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

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

ECC is a real place. One of the top 3 or 4 eikaiwas in terms of enrollment. Trust that aspect.

Other than the type of students, you have to sort out the differences yourself. We can't help without knowing details like salary, time off, schedule, freedom of teaching format, office paperwork, rental situation, location and your preferences to climate there, etc.

genmakenx · Joined: 23 Sep 2009 Posts: 17

You are extremely lucky. Take the best one, and give the other offer to me Wink

Thereandbackagain · Joined: 03 Nov 2007 Posts: 20 Location: Osaka, Japan

I don't know much about Peppy Kids Club other than what has been posted on other forums and on their website.
But, I do have some experience with ECC.

If you compare their websites PKC's (http://www.ittti.com/work/index.html) and ECC's (http://recruiting.ecc.co.jp/supporting/index.html), three of the biggest differences are vacation days, working hours and bonuses.

At ECC, you have approximately 5 1/2 weeks of vacation time, one week for Golden Week, two for Obon (summer vacation) and two for New Year's. Plus you have five paid days off to use at your discretion and ECC is closed on national holidays.
According to the PKC website, you receive 12 paid holiday days.

At ECC, you will work 29.5 hours per week. Your hours are based on the time you are scheduled to clock in and clock out. Your hours are not based on teaching or contact time, but the hours that you have to be at your school. Most shifts are six hours long and will include between 5-7 lessons with ten to fifteens minutes between lessons designated as organizational time.
PKC's website says that you will teach "20 lesson hours per week (average)".
Beyond that, I believe that at PKC you are responsible for the students as soon as they enter the building until they leave the building.
At ECC, there are staff members for each school which take care of the students and their guardians outside of the classroom. The staff will often help prepare materials for your lessons, but this varies greatly between locations.

The last is bonuses. ECC does not offer any kind of a bonus.
According to the PKC website, PKC offers "up to �130,000 per year".

ECC is a large company that offers classes through its prep school division, ECC Jr (lessons taught mostly by housewives at their own home all across Japan), ECC Foreign Language Institute and a couple of other divisions.

I hope this information has been helpful.
Goo luck with your choice!

southofreality · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Posts: 579 Location: Tokyo

Teaching kids can be fun. It can be hell.

But, it's always tiring.

Kids' parents can be irrational in their demands and make your life suck if they're truly 'Monster Parents'. Well, let's face it... it's the moms that tend to make things difficult.

If you really want to focus on teaching kids, become an ALT. Teaching kids full-time in an eikaiwa school setting is a recipe for disaster unless you're one of those people that has more natural energy than a human being should have and walk around grinning like an idiot all the time.

You should go with the ECC job and it's not even close.

PhilDuval · Joined: 27 Apr 2007 Posts: 11

''ECC requires 5-7 lessons per shift''. How long is a lesson? thanks

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

LadyK · Joined: 25 May 2009 Posts: 55 Location: USA, FL

As others have said, it depends on your preferences. Teaching kids is rough unless you have what it takes. I only have 4 kids classes, but those wear me out. Teaching adults is more fun, in my opinion, because you can have actual conversations and get to know them. Your students can become your friends and show you sides of Japan you'd never see otherwise. But, if you love kids, that might be more rewarding for you. I actually declined an offer from ECC, but I've heard from people who have worked for both ECC and Aeon that ECC is easier. I don't know much about PKC, but I have one friend who works there and loves it. Good luck!

Frish85 · Joined: 13 Jul 2010 Posts: 3 Location: Montreal, Canada

I accepted PKC finally because ECC asked for a year and a half and started later. I plan on doing my Masters when I come back so PKC was a better fit. Also, I am placed near a friend I can keep in touch with and I won't be too isolated living about 40 minutes from Nagoya.
I'll let you all know how it goes!

ironclad80 · Joined: 10 Sep 2009 Posts: 53