Job Discussion Forums

[sildentokyo1]

Does anyone know how to get into curriculum development in Japan? I love teaching, but think I need something a little different next... Any advice you've got would be great.

[PAULH]

[sildentokyo1]

Well, anything would be fine, really--- any kind of ESL curriculum. I heard about someone who did curriculum development for Gaba not long after starting work there, and I read on the Aeon website that there are oportunities for teachers to get into curriculum development there, but they didn't have any specifics. I was just wondering what was out there and if anyone who was involved in it could give me some pointers. Thanks!

[bearcat]

You usually have to work for one of these langauge schools for a while and then demonstrate the ability to develop it. As well they have to have a need.

However, many of the bigger ones, have Japanese staff handle this with Native "input" as its being worked on. Perhaps a smaller mom n pop type eikaiwa might bring you on as one of a few teachers for them but eventually let you develop curriculum for em.. especially if they dont have the know how themselves... but dont expect to get compensated for it as they'll just say its part of your "teaching duties" meaning you still just get your 250,000 a month.

[shmooj]

[guest of Japan]

I've developed the curriculum in both private high schools I've worked in. It's just a part of my job. Most Japanese teachers don't even plan their lessons, so curriculum development isn't high on the list of priorities in a high school. It's just something you do in addition to teaching.

With AEON there is the possibility that you can work in their textbook developing department. It has a very lengthy and tedious application process. The salary isn't much better than that of a teacher. When they have a position they advertise both inside the company and in the Japan Times.

[canuck]

[sildentokyo1]

Right--- I wasn't thinking so much about specific class planning, but more like developing the books/CDs/materials that are used during the class. Would that involve working for a publisher, do you think?

[guest of Japan]

Canuck, perhaps we've had different experiences. When I worked in an eikaiwa the lesson planning time compared equally between the Japanese staff and the foreign staff.

In both private high schools I've worked in the Japanese teachers have never put in more than 15 minutes effort to prepare for a class. Many don't even know what page from the text they are teaching from until they walk into the classroom. The reason isn't that they are lazy. They are just too busy or poor at time management. I've only worked with one foreigner in a high school and he puts considerable effort in to his planning, as do I.

Maybe you're comparing only the Japanese teachers to their foreign counterparts in Japan. Given that so many of the foreigners are hired to be human tape recorders or know so little about how to teach, it's no wonder that your sample doesn't compare favorably. I also have the luxury of being able to compare Japanese teachers to American teachers back home. Lesson planning is given a far greater priority in the US. If a first year teacher in the states had put forth the same effort to lesson planning as every Japanese teacher I've worked with in Japanese high schools there would be no second year for that teacher.

To the OP - AEON provides the opportunity for what you want, but it is not easy to get. There are only about one or two position openings a year and the competition is fierce. It would seem working in textbook publishing is the direction you want to go in. I'm sure that would require considerable qualifications and/or the right connections.