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sifu_sensei
Joined: 25 Nov 2004
Posts: 25
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 Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2015 1:38 am Post subject: Coming to Japan with a PhD |
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Hi everyone
I am new to the Japan forum and am in my mid-forties, with over 20 years of experience as an EFL teacher. I am just finishing my PhD in Applied Linguistics, which should be awarded next month, and am keen to find work in Japan. I also hold an MEd in English Language Teaching, a BA in Linguistics, the RSA CELTA, and the Trinity TESOL Diploma.
I have experience of working in Europe, South-east Asia and The Middle East, but have never worked in Japan, and I do not speak Japanese. Given my age and lack of Japanese language ability, would it be possible for me to find a reasonable job at a university in Japan?
Thanks in advance for any help or advice. |
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kzjohn
Joined: 30 Apr 2014
Posts: 277
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rtm
Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 1003
Location: US
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| Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2015 3:16 am Post subject: Re: Coming to Japan with a PhD |
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| sifu_sensei wrote: |
| Given my age and lack of Japanese language ability, would it be possible for me to find a reasonable job at a university in Japan? |
Yes, but without Japanese language ability you will likely find that most options are fixed-term positions, limited to anywhere from 1-5 years (e.g., 1 year contract, renewable 2 times; 2 year contract, renewable once; etc.). These would at least get you an 'in' and some experience in Japan (and an opportunity to learn some Japanese), which would make you more competitive for more permanent positions after a few years. Your age is not likely to be a problem at most universities.
As kzjohn said, the JACET and JREC-IN sites are where most university positions are advertised online. The Japanese version of JREC-IN has many more listings than the English version (around 4-5x as many, at least).
You should be aware that the academic year in Japan runs April-March, so you have missed much of the hiring for this year. There is a smaller uptick in positions that start in the second semester (around Sept-Oct, with ads starting to come out now), but the majority of positions start April 1 (with hiring process happening anywhere from October-March). |
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nicenicegaijin
Joined: 27 Feb 2015
Posts: 157
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| Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2015 8:32 am Post subject: Re: Coming to Japan with a PhD |
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| sifu_sensei wrote: |
Hi everyone
I am new to the Japan forum and am in my mid-forties, with over 20 years of experience as an EFL teacher. I am just finishing my PhD in Applied Linguistics, which should be awarded next month, and am keen to find work in Japan. I also hold an MEd in English Language Teaching, a BA in Linguistics, the RSA CELTA, and the Trinity TESOL Diploma.
I have experience of working in Europe, South-east Asia and The Middle East, but have never worked in Japan, and I do not speak Japanese. Given my age and lack of Japanese language ability, would it be possible for me to find a reasonable job at a university in Japan?
Thanks in advance for any help or advice. |
No problem, I would certainly select your resume as a candidate as one of the hiring committee. The only reason we may select another candidate over you when it came to final selection for interview is that
1. they were in Japan
2. they had Japanese university teaching experience
3. they had references from Japanese universities
4. they could speak Japanese
but there are universities that do like to recruit from abroad and prefer candidates from abroad as they are less jaded, so try to find those and apply. Unfortunately they do not pay as well. |
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currentaffairs
Joined: 22 Aug 2012
Posts: 828
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| Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2015 12:07 pm Post subject: |
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I think it will take a few years to get a cushy permanent lecturer gig somewhere.. at least in Tokyo, anyway. You would have a better chance of a full-time permanent position in Nagoya or Sapporo, etc.
I know someone with a PhD in a language related field and his Japanese level is at least at level 2 of the Japanese proficiency scale... He is teaching part-time at various private universities in Tokyo and has been for around 10 years now. |
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nicenicegaijin
Joined: 27 Feb 2015
Posts: 157
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| Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2015 1:25 pm Post subject: |
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| Well he must be choosing to be part-time then. There is no reason why a PhD would not get hired for a full-time position especially with that kind of experience. I am PhD and full time and have been for a long time. I am on 8.5 million as I got an increase this academic year plus a 300.000 research budget. My university isn't in Tokyo, but it is pretty close by. Your friend is selling himself short. Some of my colleagues are Ma and full-time. |
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currentaffairs
Joined: 22 Aug 2012
Posts: 828
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| Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2015 1:56 pm Post subject: |
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| nicenicegaijin wrote: |
| Well he must be choosing to be part-time then. There is no reason why a PhD would not get hired for a full-time position especially with that kind of experience. I am PhD and full time and have been for a long time. I am on 8.5 million as I got an increase this academic year plus a 300.000 research budget. My university isn't in Tokyo, but it is pretty close by. Your friend is selling himself short. Some of my colleagues are Ma and full-time. |
He went for a number of interviews and nothing came up.
I know of some full-timers with just a MA but they are in the minority now. Mostly old timers who were employed 10 years ago. If you look at the university job listings they are now almost all asking for a PhD for full-time positions.
Also, it is one thing to be employed on a fixed contract full-time (3-5 years) and quite another to have tenure which seems very rare. A lot
of part-timers can make more than a lot of the full-time jobs advertised.
Are you a tenured lecturer or on a fixed, renewable contract? |
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nicenicegaijin
Joined: 27 Feb 2015
Posts: 157
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| Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2015 2:13 pm Post subject: |
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He musn't be any good at interviewing then as he has the quals they want and then some due to the PhD.
I don't agree with you that the majority of candidates have a PhD. I am on the hiring committee so can tell you first hand the PhDs are the exception. Most of our applicants are MA +3-10 years experience and not all are TESOL. We even get some BA applications that we throw in the trash. Give it 10 years and there will be the new wave of PhD online people that will be the norm, but at the moment it is the online MA guys who are the norm. I was hired on contract but when I went up for associate I got tenure, too. Not that I even wanted it, as I am thinking of leaving the uni I work at. |
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currentaffairs
Joined: 22 Aug 2012
Posts: 828
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| Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2015 2:24 pm Post subject: |
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Okay, to clarify...
The full-time university positions that are advertised are almost all on a fixed contract of 3-5 years. Yes, a MA in TESOL/Education will often be enough to get in the door with experience and good quals. They often ask for 3-4 years of university teaching experience or something like that. Then, you have the published articles that they want as well. Some universities may be flexible but others a lot more demanding.
Tenured jobs are very rare and mostly given to people like yourself who are already working at the university. |
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sifu_sensei
Joined: 25 Nov 2004
Posts: 25
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| Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2015 10:46 pm Post subject: |
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| Thanks everyone. I will prepare myself by taking some Japanese language courses and give it a go. |
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RM1983
Joined: 03 Jan 2007
Posts: 360
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| Posted: Wed May 13, 2015 9:44 pm Post subject: |
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| Would the DELTA perhaps be enough to find a uni job? Im finishing up mine soon and looking to get a better job next year. |
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Maitoshi
Joined: 04 May 2014
Posts: 718
Location: 何処でも
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| Posted: Wed May 13, 2015 10:20 pm Post subject: |
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| RM1983 wrote: |
| Would the DELTA perhaps be enough to find a uni job? Im finishing up mine soon and looking to get a better job next year. |
DELTA and MA should be enough for PT, but will likely need publications for FT. |
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spetial_guy
Joined: 08 Jun 2006
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2015 3:04 am Post subject: |
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Hi,
What would be the best method for getting started quickly (August or September) in Japan if you have a TESOL Masters, a CELTA, several years of teaching experience, and nearly no Japanese language skills? My ultimate goal is to secure part-time uni work because I don't have anything published.
Thanks
Just to add, I am 42 and am wondering what impact that may have. |
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Shakey
Joined: 29 Aug 2014
Posts: 199
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| Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2015 7:40 am Post subject: |
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| spetial_guy wrote: |
Hi,
What would be the best method for getting started quickly (August or September) in Japan if you have a TESOL Masters, a CELTA, several years of teaching experience, and nearly no Japanese language skills? My ultimate goal is to secure part-time uni work because I don't have anything published.
Thanks
Just to add, I am 42 and am wondering what impact that may have. |
Part-time teaching positions are advertised now for September or October 2015 starts. It's a roll of the dice for you regarding part-time teaching positions, and it always helps if you know someone already teaching at the school that can recommend you, but you might get lucky. For instance, you might have a fellow American, Canadian or Brit on the hiring committee that wants to give one of his fellow countrymen a start or someone who went to the same university as you, etc. It can and does happen.
Without any Japanese language proficiency and without any publications, you likely will not be hired for even a full-time non-renewable contract teaching position at a university. You can try, though. I have seen a lot of strange choices made with regards to who gets hired and who does not.
42 is getting to be too old, also. At least for full time teaching positions. Again, unless you have very high Japanese proficiency, know people on the inside and have a lot of publications, you are on the wrong side of the target hiring age for full time university TEFL positions. Many universities will not hire someone older than 35 and they used to explicitly state this in their job postings. However, I don't think it is legally permissible anymore for schools to indicate that they discriminate against those applicants older than 35. That, or sites like JREC, JACET and JALT refuse to run adverts that specify age limits for positions.
You'd probably have better luck getting a full time university teaching position in Korea or China at 42 and without any publications or language proficiency. But if all you want to do is to string a number of part-time teaching positions together, then you won't really need many publications or Japanese language proficiency.
The problem, however, with trying to make a living off of part-time university teaching is that it takes a long time to fill a weekly teaching schedule. Many schools hire teachers for certain days and times, so even if you are offered several part-time jobs, you will have scheduling conflicts and so have to decline some offers. And to really make it work as a part-time teacher, you would have to be based in the Kanto area, essentially Tokyo or a big city like Osaka or Nagoya. This involves a lot of wasted life riding the train from Kanagawa up to Saitama and then back into Tokyo or even Chiba, sometimes even in a single day. It can get tiring.
Many of the people who I have met who have been successful at stringing together several part-time university jobs have been here for 15 - 25 years. Some of them earn a good living, but they are teaching up to 20 - 25 koma week. That's a lot of teaching! And it took them a long time to fill their schedules, so it doesn't just happen in a few months usually. |
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rtm
Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 1003
Location: US
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| Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2015 9:09 am Post subject: |
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| spetial_guy wrote: |
| My ultimate goal is to secure part-time uni work |
I really hope that is not your ultimate goal. It might be OK as a realistic short-term goal until you can get some experience, do some networking, learn some Japanese, and publish some articles. Living on a cobbled-together schedule of part-time gigs, not knowing for sure how much work you will have each semester, is not really a great way to go through life.
Shakey is right that part-time positions starting in the fall are being advertised now -- that is, the ones that are even advertised at all. Many are not, and are filled through word-of-mouth.
There are some full-time positions that start in the fall. You can/should apply for those also. Check JREC-IN and JACET. The Japanese and English versions of JREC-IN are not the same -- the Japanese version has MANY more listings. Both full-time and part-time positions are listed.
| Shakey wrote: |
| 42 is getting to be too old, also |
Age may not matter a lot. Many public universities determine salaries partly based on age, and I think 40 is a cutoff. I've seen it happen before that someone younger than 40 was hired over someone over 40 because the latter would be more expensive. But, that was for a full-time position; I don't think age affects anything for part-time. Also, I think most private universities don't factor age into salary, and many public universities might not care.
OP, since you are aiming for part-time positions, I am assuming you already have a visa (spouse visa?). If that is the case, do you have a set place where you will be living (e.g., place where you are currently living, spouse's hometown, etc.)? If so, you may want to try to make some local contacts. Maybe contact the local JALT chapter. Getting the recommendation of someone who is currently working at the university could help a lot. |
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