Job Discussion Forums

[indianajake]

I'm interested in applying to the JET Program for 2005, but I'd like to see what my prospects are for getting accepted into it. My situation at the time I apply will be as follows:

Age: 24

Sex: Male

Education: Bachelor's of Science and Master's of Science from Purdue University, very high GPA's on both.

Japanese Skills: I have no experience in speaking or reading Japanese, but I have taught myself to count in Japanese numbers.

Certifications: I will have a license to teach Social Studies at the secondary level (Grades 6-12) within the state of Indiana, the license is also considered good in most of the other U.S. states. In pursuing this license I have taken a large number of courses about teaching methodology.

Experience: As a graduate student, I have two and a half years of instructing mostly conversational college classes called recitations, I have favorable references from their course directors. By the time that I would be ready to begin the JET program I will also have 10 weeks of student teaching experience which is essentially an internship where I am responsible for teaching a social studies class under the supervision of another teacher.

Thanks for taking a look at my post, if anyone could give me a realistic suggestion of what my chances are or any advice on how I could improve my prospects I would greatly appreciate it.

[Glenski]

Your age and education are no problem. You don't need a degree in Japanese Studies to get in.

Your lack of Japanese skills is also not a problem. Even people WITH some such skills don't get in. You won't be expected to use Japanese at work anyway. (But don't stop studying because it will be invaluable for daily life.)

Your teaching license could be good or bad. JET wants people to be ambassadors of internationalization, NOT teachers, although they say that some teaching experience is good. Since ALTs work with Japanese teachers of English (who do the majority of lesson planning and execution), you won't need teaching experience, but it might help to make you more aware of how to do things. Then again, some places might balk at someone who has several years of teaching experience because they might figure you will try to change their system. (Not a real problem in your particular case.)

I rate your chances as good as anyone else's. Show a serious interest in Japan (that is, not to women or manga or anime), a sense of adaptability to living in a foreign environment, and a lot of energy.

[PAULH]

[PAULH]

From the MOFA website on JET

All applicants must:


* hold a Bachelor's degree in any subject by July of the year of departure;
* be a citizen of the country where the recruitment and selection procedures take place;
* have excellent skills in the designated language (both written and spoken). (For English-speaking countries this is English, and for non-English speaking countries it is English or the principal language);
* have a keen interest in the country and culture of Japan;
* in principle, be under 40 years of age;
* not have lived in Japan for 3 or more of the last 8 years, nor be a former participant in the programme for the last 10 years.
For ALT applicants in English-speaking countries:

* TEFL qualification is helpful, but not required.

[guest of Japan]

I won't speak of the JET program per se, but there will be certain aspects from your teacher training which should be very valuable in teacher large class EFL.

Lesson planning - Your experience in doing this should help you to make clear enjoyable lessons.

Time management - You will become more effective in the use of your planning time as well as pacing in the classroom.

Teaching techniques - A good history teacher will usually do lots of cooperative learning in class. This same technique can proove quite valuable in teaching communicative English, although there will be huge differences in goals, technique and students.

Classroom management - Obvious similarities.

Educational psychology - You will have a greater understanding than the Japanese teachers, unfortunately you won't be able to do much with it.

Important Note: Don't make negative comparisons about Japanese education to the Japanese teachers. They are sensitive about this.

[Glenski]

Sorry, but I just have to take issue with what guest of Japan wrote.

[PAULH]

Guest of Japan is forgetting an obvious fact:

not only does the OP not speak Japanese, he is also not certified to practice as a teacher in a high school classroom without japanese certification nor with a Japanese teacher present. JET are not by any stretch of the imagination considered proper teachers when they arrive here. The teacher he will work with has a four year degree, a teaching licence, completed a practicum years of experience in the classroom and also speaks the students language.

To think that a newly graduated university student with no teacher training and no language skills in the students language can walk into a classroom in a foreign country and start imposing foreign educational models and teaching technicques from another discipline on his students is being rather optimistic at best.

[guest of Japan]

Glenski and PaulH,

I was not speaking directly on the JET program. I was stating similarities between large class EFL and history teaching and training in the US.

As for the JET program it seems that many teachers have very different experiences. Some are human tape recorders while others do plan lessons or at the very least activities.

As for a few points of contention:

Japanese ability: I consider myself failing in my endeavors everytime I use Japanese in the class. Certainly it is a handy tool, but sometimes it causes more harm than good.

Teaching License and training: The OP has stated that he will be coming after finishing his student teaching. If the OP makes the most of his student teaching opportunity he will be considerably more able than the fresh out of university lad that is described.

Classroom management: When you have effective classroom management classroom discipline will become less a problem. Simple things like walking around the classroom, knowing how to keep students on task, and projecting yourself as being in control of the class are invaluable techniques of classroom management. Taking attendence is a duty not a technique of classroom management.

[Glenski]

Ok, guest. Having my son sit on my lap while I read and type is obviously not the way to go. I didn't see that your comments were not directed at JET ALTs. Sorry.

[guest of Japan]

Apology accepted Glenski.

I think will we have to continue to disagree with the similarities of teaching between the two fields.

For what it's worth, I was a high school history teacher in the US and many of the skills I developed there have been a great help to me here.

I am not trying to take anything away from specialization in the TESOL field. I am very aware of where the limitations are and do try to improve my skills and plan to pursue a Masters in TESOL.

PaulH, if I wasn't overly optimistic I wouldn't still be here or in education.

[Gordon]

[Icebeaver7]

compared to a lot of prospects, i had tutoring and teaching experience, though not at the professional level. but i have worked with a lot of international students, children, and am bilingual in English and Chinese. i thought i had an excelent shot of getting in, in fact, i put all my marbles in one bag. even the guy at the embassy said i have a great shot of getting in. but voila, i didn't get in, and i ended up looking for other jobs, although i eventually did get into Japan. but not to be racist, but i really do think JET looks for caucasian rather than others first, because i was qualified and ready to go. but maybe i'm just naive and i was a bad candidate, i dunno.

[indianajake]

[Glenski]

Don't focus so much on being someone trained in teaching. They really just want energetic, enthusiastic people who fit a certain mold of naivete about Japan. Of course, you will have to show some sense of being able to survive in such a foreign land, because you might get placed in a very rural area. But, I know of a few people who got hired just because the Japanese recruiter thought they looked attractive.

[GambateBingBangBOOM]