Job Discussion Forums

Berzerker · Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 28

From Gaijinpot classifides:

SUPER CHEAP ENGLISH LESSONS Ichigaya, Nov 16

Only 1,300 for the first hour and 350 for each additional 30 mins. One drink included. Contact me for more information

Interested? Contact Y.

It's MOD EDIT like this who are causing some of us to lose private students, and causing our students to ask for discounts or that we pay our own train fare. A 2 hour lesson for Y2000. MOD EDIT

gonzarelli · Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 8:00 am Post subject:

Depends on how good the benefits are. Wink

shuize · Joined: 04 Sep 2004 Posts: 1270

MOD EDITWhy? Are you really concerned that you can't deliver a better lesson than someone willing to work for a free drink and some change?

I've always sort of thought that anyone who spends any amount of time in this profession and is still losing work to backpackers is probably doing something wrong.

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

"Losing to backpackers" is not always tied to talent. People are cheapskates everywhere, or didn't you know?

That ad is pure tripe, and the guy is probably filling his schedule, but the turnover must also be pretty high.

Really cuts into the market.

shuize · Joined: 04 Sep 2004 Posts: 1270

Caliroll · Joined: 02 Mar 2008 Posts: 23

Is this person charging that much for a private lesson or is the advert aimed at a group where, say 4-5 people would each pay 1300 per hour? If it's the latter, then they are on par with what they should be charging.

Mr. Kalgukshi · Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 4:52 am Post subject:

Some postings have been deleted, and I would suggest that the language be toned down before the thread goes bye-bye and sanctions are issued.

azarashi sushi · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Posts: 562 Location: Shinjuku

The English teaching market is wide and varied. I think there is a market for that kind of thing, that is, people who just want a bit of a chat over a drink.

I don't think though, that this person is competing for the same students as someone who is offering a well thought out lesson for 3 or 4000 yen or whatever.

People aren't stupid ... I can't imagine someone who was after a serious lesson staying with this teacher for too long.

cornishmuppet · Joined: 27 Mar 2004 Posts: 642 Location: Nagano, Japan

People like this are undercutting the market. When I lived in Italy a few years ago a private teacher told me it was like an unwritten rule that no one would charge less than 25 euros an hour, even though I thought that seemed quite high for a private class (at the time it worked out about 3000y an hour, but the price of living was much lower, and an average full time eikawa salary was about 10man). Her response was that it kept the prices up, and people could obviously afford it because even though salaries were low school lesson fees were still pretty high and there was no shortage of students.

Recently a friend of mine who hasn't really done privates before wanted to set himself up on findateacher at 1500 a class, which would have undercut everyone else in the area by at least 2000 yen. I managed to convince him not to for the reasons above (which was hard, as he has a new baby and seems intent on martyring himself as much as possible in the name of being a 'good' father. Case in point - he does a one hour plus train journey - each way - in order to do a one hour private, in the middle of a saturday afternoon). With getting to the class/back to his house from the stations it works out at about four hours for 6k. Not my cup of tea.

It is nothing to do with the quality of teaching, as someone else claimed. There are a lot of cheapskates even in this padded, overfed country, and many people will take the cheap option regardless of the teaching quality. I've had people in the past try to bring me down from 3k, even without taking a free demo. These days its a set 4k, take it or leave it, and that's in a pretty rural area and probably still not high enough.

Nabby Adams · Joined: 08 Feb 2008 Posts: 215

But on the other hand, what does a teacher do who knows he is not very good? I mean if I knew my lesson was below the average wouldn't it be fair or at the least good sense for me to charge less?

I have met somebody who wants a 1 hour conversation class. Nothing more. No prep needed. Is willing to come to my house. I mean, what do you think I should ask?

Mahik · Joined: 12 Sep 2007 Posts: 89

My problem is just that. People complain that prices are going down when all they continue to offer are conversation "lessons". This isn't aimed at any who actually teach, just those who sit down and talk for an hour and call it teaching.

Would you pay $50 for a Japanese lesson where you just sat down and tried to speak as much Japanese as possible? Why should the Japanese have to?

Sure it sucks that prices are going down for an easy gig. We can complain about it until we're blue in the face or learn techniques that will convince students that we're worth the price tag.

I've had numerous great Japanese teachers in this country, and it boggles me that the Japanese pay up to 5 times that amount for a fraction of the quality. The English teaching market will only continue to stagnate unless the real teachers step up and start shaking things up.

I admit to being part of the problem. I teach at an Eikaiwa where I basically sit and talk for 40 minutes and call it a lesson. But I've seen it and want out. I think things could be better, that they should be better.

Just because the system runs this way doesn't mean it's right.[/i]