Job Discussion Forums

[Vega62a]

Hi all, I'll be graduating in a year or two, and am fairly well flexible on my schedule. I'd like to teach in Japan for a year after graduating but before starting work. (which basically tells me that I've got one shot at getting a job, because if I delay work another year it's going to start to strain my finances.) My primary goal is to meet and connect with people in Japan, both students and colleagues--it seems, perhaps, a little silly, but I'm not really concerned with living there so much as living there and not making friends--and to that end after doing the research as to an ALT's day over there, I think the best choice for me would be to teach at ONE high school (or middle school; I don't think I'd be talented with elementary school students) for the entire year.

Now, if I can get into the JET program, there's no worries, because that's exactly what I'd be doing. (As an aside, that's more or less my ideal experience.) But there's a 66% chance that I won't, at last count, (discounting qualifications, anyway) and so my question is this: Since I don't really want to teach at an eikaiwa (I don't really like the idea of a juku to begin with, and though I certainly won't fault them for anything, I don't think it's really for me.) what's the likelihood that another company would actually just dispatch me to ONE school and not shuffle me around? (I'm not really sure how the dispatch companies work, to be honest, shady or no.) ARE there other companies that do that? Should I just swallow my misgivings and apply to some Eikaiwa anyway as an alternative to JET? I would certainly rather go than not go, if that makes sense.

Thanks for your help, all!

[markle]

I think at the moment, with the market as saturated as it is and an influx of won refugees on it's way, it is unwise to discount any option. If one of your goals is to cultivate some contacts in Japan, then eikaiwa (juku is something different) tend to attract a broad cross section of people, which might be more useful than a bunch of high school students.

[Vega62a]

It's not really about contacts so much as friends, though. My major is in Engineering, so I'm not worried about cultivating my career teaching in Japan, that's just something I've always wanted to do. The students bit is more just being able to participate in someone's schooling in a normal school environment (rather than at a juku where the focus is on STFU AND CRAM.)

[Glenski]

By sheer virtue of its name, a dispatch company sends its contracted teachers to whomever it has as clients. As far as I know, most if not all ALTs have multiple schools to take care of.

JET, too. (Oh, and JET is not a company.) By the way, you wrote:

[Vega62a]

Actually, I'm graduating in december, so the timing works out.

So you're saying that JETs also frequently deal with multiple schools?

[Khyron]

[Khyron]

[parrothead]

[fluffyhamster]

Hmm. Eikaiwa are obviously better for making or rather maintaining contact with fellow foreigners, but you aren't assured of having friendly students (or if you do, that can actually be or become a problem sometimes e.g. some employers don't want you to socialize with students outside of class); as for public schools, I'd've thought that having a few more schools rather than fewer or just one would, providing the schools were somewhat regular ones, actually increase your chances of making some interesting contacts (that is, you may find that a single or main/base school may in fact turn out to be a pretty boring/unfriendly place to be - much depends on the personalities of the JTE(s), vice-principal, principal etc).

[citylightsruralcalm]

[Vega62a]

[Khyron]

Eikaiwa:

-used by parents to send their kids to in order to 1. have a babysitter while they go grocery shopping; 2. help their kids improve their future chances in life by learning English; 3. help their kids get involved in something else.

-used by housewives to 1. socialise with their other housewife friends; 2. learn English for fun, especially if they enjoy travelling abroad; 3. meet a nice young foreign gentleman like yourself.

-used by working adults to 1. improve their English for their job; 2. improve their TOEIC score in case they want to look for a new job; 3. satisfy their interest in foreign languages.

-used by young adults to 1. compliment their studies; 2. learn English for fun/travelling; 3. meet a foreign boy/girl.

Eikaiwa teaches English to students, and occasionally offer other language classes as well.


Juku:

-parents send their kids here for 1. improving their chances of passing entrance exams and getting into a good middle school/high school/university; 2. babysitting.

Juku offers extra work in various school subjects and usually do not employ foreigners.

[Vega62a]

[fluffyhamster]

[G Cthulhu]