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Glenski

Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2010 11:55 am Post subject: |
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| barashkov1 wrote: |
| My main goal in going to Japan is not to save money. I really want to learn Japanese most of all. |
Perhaps attending a language school on a student visa, then getting permission to teach PT would be a better way to accomplish that goal. |
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lila_bet
Joined: 10 Nov 2010 Posts: 4 Location: Michigan, USA
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Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2010 6:30 am Post subject: |
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I taught for Heart school and was placed in a town where i taught at the nursery all the way to the Junior High. I was pretty happy with both my school and the placement company, but didnt really learn much practical Japanese. Everyone in my town went home and never left once they got there...no learning if you don't have someone to talk to.
I agree with Glenki's post, I would go as a student and proactively learn Japanese there and if you're interested in teaching try PT around your class schedule. Just because you are an ALT living in Japan doesn't mean you learn Japanese. |
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barashkov1
Joined: 17 Dec 2008 Posts: 26
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Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2010 1:46 pm Post subject: |
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The problem with going there as a student and working PT is I'm worried I wouldn't earn enough to cover my living expenses, accomodation, cost of the language lessons, etc. Although I have savings, I don't really want to use that money.
Obviously I will not be able to learn as quickly as if I attended intensive language courses but I think if I put a lot of free time into studying Japanese, I should be able to learn it. |
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Glenski

Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2010 10:14 pm Post subject: |
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| barashkov1 wrote: |
| The problem with going there as a student and working PT is I'm worried I wouldn't earn enough to cover my living expenses, accomodation, cost of the language lessons, etc. |
To get a student visa, you have to prove you can pay all of that up front anyway. Working PT is a bonus.
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| Although I have savings, I don't really want to use that money. |
Why not?
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| I think if I put a lot of free time into studying Japanese, I should be able to learn it. |
Really, really think hard about this. Your statement makes it sound as if you are learning how to play chess, not a complex foreign language. It's not that simple. |
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barashkov1
Joined: 17 Dec 2008 Posts: 26
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Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 4:52 am Post subject: |
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I think I would go through my savings too quickly in Japan because of the high cost of living.
I'm not saying learning Japanese will be easy. I know learning foreign languages is not easy but I already know a few foreign languages fluently, including Korean. From the Japanese I have already studied, the only major difference between Japanese and Korean that I can see which could cause a problem is Kanji. |
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Glenski

Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 5:18 am Post subject: |
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| barashkov1 wrote: |
| I think I would go through my savings too quickly in Japan because of the high cost of living. |
Well, as far as I know, you're not going to get a student visa without showing some signs of financial support for the tuition, etc. If you're not willing to use your savings, then find other funds or forget the visa.
As for kanji causing "a problem", I hope you aren't underestimating that. |
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barashkov1
Joined: 17 Dec 2008 Posts: 26
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Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 6:03 am Post subject: |
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| I'm not interested in going to Japan on a student visa. If I go there it will be to teach English and to try to learn Japanese in my free time. |
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