Job Discussion Forums

blueboy · Joined: 02 Jul 2004 Posts: 27 Location: Seattle, Wa

Just finished a year in Taiwan teaching Kindergarten and Elementary aged kids, and I'd like to get a CELTA and hit the market in Japan. The thing is I would probably be teaching adults after the switch. Now don't get me wrong, I've taught adults before in the US and I've loved it. The only thing is that they were all refugees who weren't paying for my services. Teaching bussinesspeople is a different story all together. I did some teaching to professionals in the US and found it incredibly cold and sterile. Is this the case in Japan as well?

wangtesol · Joined: 24 May 2005 Posts: 280

Yep, I have also started off my teaching career with refugees and undocumented workers. They are the best students sinec they are so thankful for the opportunity to learn. Some of my students had to quit school when they were just tots, and 40 years later they finally find themselves in a classroom again.

Yes, a significant number of businessmen are rather cold. That is they suffer from alexithymia.

I also taught in Taiwan then did the CELTA program. It really helped me how to teach, but I don't know if it helped me get a job in Japan or not. CELTA is more recognized in British insitutions such as those in Europe. There are a couple of British owned English schools in Japan though that would like to see a CELTA Certificate such as Shane, the biggest one.

If you want to continue with helping refugees and immigrants PM me.

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

I have taught businesspeople in eikaiwa and private lessons. None were stiff or cold. In fact, they were attending classes to raise their TOEIC scores so they could get promotions or overseas job assignments. That means they were serious about learning (even if that was delusional about attending eikaiwa).

If you have private lessons for groups at their company, be prepared for attendance problems, no matter how enthusiastic the students are. It's just because of their work schedules.

kitano · Joined: 18 Nov 2004 Posts: 86

Like you I used to teach mostly kids and really didn`t want to teach business people but now that I actually teach a lot of business people I love it and much prefer it to teaching kids. At companies and factories I have found people to be really kind and enthusiastic and no behavior problems!