Job Discussion Forums

[Mark]

First off, sorry for yet another contribution to the JET vs. everything debate, but here goes:

As I understand it, the advantages to JET are:
1) higher salary
2) dirt cheap rent
3) lots of free time

The disadvantages are:
1) you're likely to be placed in the countryside, so no Shinjuku for me

Also, given that JETs are well-paid, have low overhead and lots of time for privates, they can save close to the same amount that people typically save in Korea.

So, given all these things, I really can't see the advantages to choosing Nova et al or Korea over JET.

Am I missing something?

Thanks,

Mark

[BenJ]

well if I want to work in Japan next month, I can go with Nova. If I am happy to wait a year to apply in my home country, Jet would be better.

[april]

I'm not going to Japan to make money. I am particular about where I want to live and Geos is giving me what I want, and so did Nova. I also like the freedom of transfering branches and having some say on my schedule.

[PAULH]

Mark,

1. not everyone who applies for the JET program gets accepted on the first try. JET also has an age limit for applicants as well.

Those who get turned down for JET can apply to NOVA or the private schools as a 'consolation' prize.

2. With JET the application process takes about 6-8 months, and you only really get one shot at it. If you miss the deadline or fail the interview you have to try again the next year.

3. The nature of the beast is that with JET you are more or less a speaking assistant to the Japanese classroom teacher, a cultural ambassador or sorts, and your job may require you to work with a captive audience that may have 30 or more students of the same age and level, and a homeroom teacher that may have no real interest in his students becoming communicative in English. For many JET teachers, you are just the 'pet gaijin' for want of a better word. With NOVA at least, you have smaller classes, a greater variety of students and motivated students who want to be there. Its all a question of which style of teaching appeals to you and whether you rise above the 'what's in it for me?' mentality that many JETs have, as though working on the JET program was like some paid vacation.

[Lynn]

Every JET is different. Some Jets have to make a lot of public appearances. You might have to partcipate in community events, even on Saturdays or National Holidays.

You might be featured in the newspaper shaking the mayor's hand. You might be on the local news.

When my boyfriend came to visit me we just stayed in my apartment the whole weekend, and we entered and existed seperately. There is no rule about having guests in your apartment; there is just a lot of gossip to deal with.

[Glenski]

Another negative to JET is that after 3 years, you are finished. With NOVA or other jobs in Japan or Korea, that is not the case as long as you get your visa renewed.

[Sherri]

I didn't apply for JET because I didn't want to teach kids or teenagers. If you prefer teaching adults, JET is not for you. Also I wanted to be in control of my own classroom, not share a class with a regular teacher.

[lajzar]

Well, let's compare my Korea income with my curent Japan income.

Korea: 1.8 million won a month income, saved about 2/3. In GBP, that was 600 a month. Japan: 250 thousand a month income, save about 3/5. In GBP, that is 750 a month. Bear in mind that I am not a big spender. Most people won't be able to save so much.

But, well, Hmm. Difficult decision here.

[cheryl]

[Gordon]

Lajzar wrote:

[Celeste]

[Mark]

Hi all,

I guess I should clarify something. When I put "lost of free time" as a benefit of JET, I didn't mean I'd have an easy time and have a free vacation.

My main goal in going to Japan is to learn Japanese and mix into the culture as much as I can. I think that it'd be harder to do that teaching back-to-back classes all evening at an eikawa.

Also, I'm a bit worried that teaching at someplace like NOVA would end up being frustrating, though perhaps Aeon or ECC would be better.

I teach adult ESL in Vancouver, and even here I'm frustrated at Japanese students' lack of progress. I've seen students come here as low-intermediates and stay for six months or a year and still not be able to understand native speakers when they go home. They improve, mind you, but they never really learn to listen to stressed English. Many of them come here having no idea that English even is a stress language.

I think it's because schools generally avoid exposing students to English as a stress language and there's often no space in the curriculum for it. Also, since many schools intake weekly, we always have new students in class, and can't really build on anything we taught last week. So, it's difficult to teach this material in class. Also, given the shyness of many Japanese students, they don't go out and find English-speaking friends, so they're not exposed to native speech in that way either. It's funny, I'll ask a Japanese student who's been here for months and months something about Canadians, and the answer will be, "I don't know any Canadians."

So, with big 4 students who really want to learn, it would be frustrating to know that I could give them a couple good listening/speaking books, have them to do the exercises for an hour a day, give them some individual help, and their ability to understand natural spoken English would dramatically improve as the months went by.

The point of all this is that I'm a little worried that teaching in a language mill where students pay a lot for lessons but don't improve as quickly or as much as they otherwise could, would be rather frustrating.

Also, in a HS or Jr HS, most of the staff and students wouldn't really speak English, so I'd be forced to try and use the Japanese that I was learning.

The main downside to JET is that I'd have to wait a long time to go. So, I'm thinking of applying to one of the private ALT agencies. I've heard about the payment problems with Interac, but I think there are other agencies. I hope there are others. I won't have the money to fly over and look for work, so I need to be accepted from overseas.

So, yeah, just a point of clarification. I'm not looking for an easy ride. I'm looking for the best way to learn Japanese and experience the culture. And while I'd prefer to teach adults, I'm not so sure I'd enjoy doing so in an environment where the curriculum limited their ability to really improve.

[april]

[shmooj]

[Mark]