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Rooster_2006
Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 984
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 Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 3:34 pm Post subject: How do I teach adults? |
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I've been teaching kids for nearly two years in Korea and Taiwan.
I'm sick of it. Despite my best efforts, I feel like I'm a bad teacher, and I think it'd be best both for the kids and I if I stopped teaching kids and left it to someone else who likes children more than I do.
I've subbed for some adult classes at my buxiban in Taiwan, and was truly amazed -- I actually cracked up the class quite frequently, we had some interesting discussions for a change (not the usual "today I go to school") and one of the students (a 34-year-old chemical engineer) sent me a note saying that he thought I was a great teacher. Heck, they even taught me some things, like the age of the lighthouse on Cijin Island and how much money I can get if I recycle my biandang boxes!
When I move to Japan next year or the year after, I'd really like to teach adults instead of kids.
How can I accomplish this? What is the shortest path to teaching adults in Japan? Is it feasible to teach adults only with no MA TESOL?
I have CELTA, will have a Bachelor's of Science soon (I've been able to teach in Taiwan so far through the AA + TEFL combo, allowable by Taiwanese immigration), and when I move to Japan, I'll have a little over 1,000 hours teaching experience (mostly kids). |
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iverin
Joined: 26 Jun 2008
Posts: 111
Location: Ontario
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| Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 6:04 pm Post subject: |
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| I worked with Aeon and taught mostly adults. My youngest student was 14 and then the rest were over 18. I only have a 4 year HBA and some experience in a classroom. Aeon allowed you to give preferences about adults or kid teaching. I was lucky and got an adult school |
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Mr_Monkey
Joined: 11 Mar 2009
Posts: 661
Location: Kyuuuuuushuuuuuuu
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| Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 6:14 pm Post subject: Re: How do I teach adults? |
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| Rooster_2006 wrote: |
| How can I accomplish this? What is the shortest path to teaching adults in Japan? Is it feasible to teach adults only with no MA TESOL? |
It's quite feasible. I wouldn't expect your teaching experience to count for a great deal, though - it is, as you say, largely with children. However, with a CELTA and a BSc/BA, you meet the visa requirements, and should be able to land a job with an eikaiwa teaching adults - your CELTA will differentiate you from many teachers who don't hold a qualification. Nevertheless, many eikaiwa also run children's classes, and you may be expected to teach kids as well. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 9:54 pm Post subject: |
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You're going to have to get that bachelor's before you can get a work visa here, or work one more year outside Japan. Immigration policy.
Adult students may be found in some eikaiwa (conversation schools) but not all. The trend these days is to have kids' lessons. See who the eikaiwa clients are and whether you can teach online with the eikaiwa (because you are likely to have older than elementary school age kids there).
Business English agencies (see the FAQ stickies) will also have adult clients. You just have to satisfy the agency's requirements to be a teacher; that often includes having some background/experience working in the field that the clients are in. |
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silver_butterfly
Joined: 02 May 2008
Posts: 11
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| Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 3:06 am Post subject: |
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I plan to do the same thing (coming from Korea to Japan next year) and am extremely interested in teaching aults also.
I'll have 3.5 years middle school teaching in Korea under my belt by then, I also have a CELTA and by June I will also have an MA in Applied Lingusitics and TESOL - planning to start working in Japan next September.
I'm guessing with teaching adults there isn't really a particular hiring time like with public school - or am I wrong?
I'm interested in findinig out more about AEON from other people's experiences etc (as mentioned by the poster above who I will PM), and any other good set ups which include teaching adults that anyone else could advise me of would be most appreciated.
Thanks in advance! ^^ |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 12:51 pm Post subject: |
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| silver_butterfly wrote: |
| I'm guessing with teaching adults there isn't really a particular hiring time like with public school - or am I wrong? |
Eikaiwas hire year round but the peak is in Feb and March. Most eikaiwas will teach adults, but you'll have to filter out those that also teach kids.
Business English agencies teach adults exclusively. See the Japan FAQ stickies for links. |
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Fina1
Joined: 19 Oct 2009
Posts: 22
Location: Philadelphia, PA
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| Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 5:40 pm Post subject: |
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As Glenski said, you'll need a Bachelors degree first. You don't need a TEFL certification or anything like that to teach English in Japan at an eikaiwa.
If you want to teach adults then look around at the different eikaiwa schools in Japan. I don't know what country GEOS is recruiting in right now, or whether you can apply from Taiwan.
So look into ECC (I don't know what ages they teach to be honest) and AEON.
However, with AEON, if you are selected to attend a group interview they will tell you that 85% of their schools teach a mix of adults and kids and that there is a very high possibility that you will teach some kids classes.
They'll also tell you that 10% of the remaining 15% that are "only adults" still sometimes teach kids and there is a chance you'll have to do that.
If you're given a personal interview after the group interview they will ask you whether you want to teach kids/adults, or just adults.
If you choose kids/adults (they may ask anyway...even if you don't) they'll ask how many kids classes a week, maximum, you will feel comfortable teaching.
So, even if you go to a kids/adults school, you can still be teaching mostly adults.
However, AEON is doing a lot of kids teaching so if you want to get a job you'll probably need to be flexible and willing to work at a kids/adults school teaching a couple kids classes a week.
Or you can hold out and hope for an all adults school. |
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Rooster_2006
Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 984
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| Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 3:24 pm Post subject: |
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| seklarwia wrote: |
The OP is in Korea so likely does not have Japanese spouse, so will need full visa sponsership.
The OP will soon have a Bsc, so is unlikely to have any post grad qualifications. |
Actually I'm in Taiwan now, but yeah, I don't have a Japanese spouse, so I will need sponsorship.
The darn thing is, I love languages and have studied all three major Asian languages in college, so it's not the field of languages that I hate, it's just teaching kids. I took Korean really far and got a KLPT Level 5. In theory, linguistics as a field is really fun, but all my pearls of wisdom about word frequency, language acquisition methods, how to use the computer to improve language acquisition, fascinating trivia about the history of the English language, etc. are lost on kids who are being forced by Mom and Dad to be there, and I'm "responsible" even if they don't give a sh-- about learning anything. The few adult classes that I've been allowed to teach (mostly as a substitute) have been thoroughly awesome. They are often actually interested in linguistics and language acquisition techniques, much like me. Or at least some of them are.
In Taiwan, I interviewed for an adult teaching position and the manager really liked my teaching demo and said lots of encouraging things. Trouble is, the next guy who was interviewing had been in Taiwan since '82 and knew the manager personally. Gee, guess who got the job? Still, even with that setback, I feel I could be a good teacher of adults.
My bachelor's of science is coming up, giving me the theoretical ability to teach in Japan, even though I probably can't be picky at first. If I'm lucky and skillful with my ECE and DSST exams, I'm thinking a July graduation, but it's all up to how many exams I can pass in a short period of time/how quickly I can pass those exams. In the mean time, I'm getting official, legal experience in Taiwan complete with a work visa. The days of doing it under-the-table in Korea are gone, thank God (I'm able to teach in Taiwan legally with my AA+CELTA and have been doing so officially for three months now). I should graduate with my bachelor's about a month before hitting the one-year mark as a teacher in Taiwan. Nifty concept, eh?
Still, in Taiwan, I can't be picky and choosy (even though nobody knows or cares about the difference between an AA and a BA). I always get miffed when people say "if they offer you less than 700 NT an hour, just walk away" -- if I always "walk away" like they suggest, well, I'll be job hunting for a looooong time.
I'm expecting that Japan has reached the level of "badness" of Taiwan in terms of saturation. That's all I read about every time I log into these forums.
Hate teaching kids, but years away from having the qualifications to teach adults full-time. Maybe I can put up with kids for one more year. Certainly the more liberal visa situation will help. At least it won't be the situation that I have in Taiwan of "do a good job with teaching the kids, because if you don't, you'll have seven days to find a new job before getting the boot from Taiwan." I'm holding onto my current job but it ain't fun -- my boss' middle school-age daughters (in one of my advanced classes) are trying their best to get me fired, and I know it's only a matter of time before they succeed. Guess I'd better find another profession like proofreading or work on improving my JLPT from its current pitiful Level 4, otherwise it's going to be the same old when I reach Japan... |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 10:30 pm Post subject: |
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| The few adult classes that I've been allowed to teach (mostly as a substitute) have been thoroughly awesome. They are often actually interested in linguistics and language acquisition techniques, much like me. Or at least some of them are. |
What makes you think all adults are interested in learning a language seriously, let alone in linguistics and language acquisition techniques?
Here in Japan, most conversation school adult students are either housewives/retirees with time to kill and a little thrill in seeing a foreigner, or they are disillusioned businessmen who think a once-a-week night class will boost their TOEIC level so they can get a promotion or an overseas assignment. Most come to socialize, not really, truly learn. |
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Rooster_2006
Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 984
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| Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 6:53 am Post subject: Re: kids rooster 2006 |
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| mrbbkk wrote: |
| There are lots of jobs there. Most just come in for a few years to save up some cash. How long can a sinle guy last without booze or the opposite sex. |
In reference to the Middle East, GREAT QUOTE!
BTW I've already been CELTA-certified for over two years, it's the degree that's the bottleneck here. I have my AA but I'd estimate my BS is about another eight or nine months away (once again, depends on how many DSSTs and ECEs I can finish).
Honestly I'm still trying to decide whether to go straight to Japan, or whether I should "see the world" first and hit the Middle East, Europe, etc. first for a couple of years. I've lived in three East Asian countries (Korea for five years, Hong Kong for three, and Taiwan for just about five months) so I know East Asia pretty well, but maybe I should broaden my horizons a bit before going to Japan.
Availability of a position teaching adults right off the plane in Japan is a major deciding factor. If it's simply impossible to do anything other than eikaiwa/JET work, then maybe I'd better build up my adult teaching resume and see the world in another country that's more conducive to that kind of thing, first. |
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Revenant
Mod Team
Joined: 28 Jul 2005
Posts: 1109
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| Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2009 2:34 am Post subject: |
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| mrbbkk has left the building. I'll leave the thread unlocked for now since it was cleaned up. |
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kimsmith
Joined: 21 Feb 2009
Posts: 14
Location: Brighton
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| Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2009 1:28 pm Post subject: |
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| Glenski wrote: |
| Quote: |
| The few adult classes that I've been allowed to teach (mostly as a substitute) have been thoroughly awesome. They are often actually interested in linguistics and language acquisition techniques, much like me. Or at least some of them are. |
What makes you think all adults are interested in learning a language seriously, let alone in linguistics and language acquisition techniques?
Here in Japan, most conversation school adult students are either housewives/retirees with time to kill and a little thrill in seeing a foreigner, or they are disillusioned businessmen who think a once-a-week night class will boost their TOEIC level so they can get a promotion or an overseas assignment. Most come to socialize, not really, truly learn. |
I have to agree with Glenski. Most of my adult students don't even write down any of the vocabulary that I write on the board and they don't bother to take home the handouts I make. This was not my experience with adult students in other countries. Also, it can be quite difficult to keep the classes student-centered when you teach one-on-one. A lot of the time they seem to want to listen to the teacher, and are not so keen to have the onus put on them to produce. They want to relax, not to work. While I still prefer adults to children, I'd say that I find my classes here a lot less interesting and far less rewarding than in some other countries where I have taught. |
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