Job Discussion Forums

AmorFati · Joined: 29 Jan 2008 Posts: 33

Considering that Japan is in a recession along with pretty much the rest of the world, do you think the outlook isn't that good?

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

Anybody's guess. If there was anyone here with near-100% certainty, they'd be in the palm-reading or stockmarket business, making money hand over fist.

The government waffles over education policies with every prime minister (which we've changed half a dozen times in the last 10 years (three times in just the past 3 years).

Eikaiwas close.
Universities close or merge.
Birth rate is negative.

Yet, globalization is here to stay, and with Nobel laureates taking U.S. citizenship, not knowing enough English is becoming an embarrassment to Japan. But it is a dinosaur with inbred politicians taking forever, almost too long, to make important decisions.

Who can say?

steki47 · Joined: 20 Apr 2008 Posts: 1029 Location: BFE Inaka

I reckon that eikaiwa in a downward part of the cycle now. It won't go away completely, but the numbers (money, students) will drop. How much, for how long-who knows?
Overall, the industry will chug along. English will still be seen as important by parents and businesses. Grannies will still need an excuse to get out of the house and lonely crazy Japanese will still need an outlet for their mental illness.
That's where I come in. Ahh, 'tis better to be used than useless.

Brooks · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1369 Location: Sagamihara

well Berlitz is done with hiring for Tokyo for April.

I know a chain called Nichibei. They have schools in Tokyo and Kansai. They have a hiring freeze. That means no new teachers will be hired for April.

I think a lot of people are cutting back and some people think the English lessons are important. Once this recession is over, things will get better.

Nabby Adams · Joined: 08 Feb 2008 Posts: 215

Doesn't anyone think that it's pretty amazing how so many Japanese people have paid for eikaiwa for so long? I've worked in a few and always thought that 90% of the students I taught were never going to get much better and wouldn't use any English they picked up anyway. It was, more or less a hobby.
Good for them of course, but how many people in America, UK, NZ etc would be willing to pay 2500 (group) 6000 (individual) for a weekly class? 20 years after the bubble burst and things are never going back. The days of new gomi on the street, buskers getting 10,000yen from a drunk salary man for playing The Beatles and the masses paying so much for their weekly pastime have gone.

I also think the Japanese are finally getting some confidence about their own culture. Japanese know their anime, food and fashion is now world class. It's even starting to be the case that models are more likely to be coming out of Japan and working abroad whereas a decade ago only the reverse were true. The Japanese no longer revere the west and it's language like they once did.

The golden age of eikaiwa is over.

flyer · Joined: 16 May 2003 Posts: 539 Location: Sapporo Japan

Yes, I imagine the short term won't be good ..... (like virtually all industries, so, I guess thats not really saying anything)

but who knows what will happen in a few years time? things could turn around? I can't imagine any big sudden changes but ....

another thing, the Japanese people seem to often go in for crazes or fades. A few years ago there was an eikaiwa craze, that novelity has worn away, but its just a matter of time when it comes again!

And another thing, as the job market gets tougher, more people will want to add feathers to their bow (to get the few jobs that are there). So from that point of view one could say that there might be some room for optimisim? but ..... hhhmmm?

reasonJP · Joined: 17 Jul 2008 Posts: 48

elkarlo · Joined: 08 Dec 2008 Posts: 240 Location: Maryland

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

2012? A lot of people would say that the eikaiwa "Bubble" was over by the mid-late 90s- it was then that salaries really started to dive. The Bubble had well and truly deflated by the end of 2007, with the crash of Nova, but Japanese people will always want to learn English.

Given the history of Japan and China and the precedence of English in the business world I don't see Chinese taking over from English at any point. There will always be jobs in eikaiwa, but we won't ever see salaries and an abundance of jobs like in the 80s and 90s again.