Job Discussion Forums

[globalcitizen]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone could provide me with info on the following: What is the English teacher training situation like in Japan? Where should I look for TEFL/TESL Trainer or English Education positions? Are there any?
I am female (45), Canadian, have been teaching ESL since 1998 and been a TESL Trainer for the past 3 years. Have a MEd in TESOL and taught in Japan for a year (and other Asian countries for 4 years)
Any advice is appreciated.

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

If you mean to train English native speakers how to teach English (like in a TESOL certificate course), then there are very few positions doing that. Most English native speakers who want to get training in Japan either go to Temple University (in Japan- which of course does hire people to do teacher training, but you normally need a PhD to do those kinds of university jobs), or do a masters degree off-campus from the UK or Australia. Or they leave the country, do teacher training and then come back. You might be able to find something on an American military base, if they cannot find an American to do it. You may also luck out and find some sort of language school that has a TESOL certificate course (maybe in Yokohama where there are significant numbers of foreigners). I would imagine that that kind of thing may be slightly more likely to be found at Japanese language schools (schools for foreigners to learn Japanese) because their target market is already foreigners, and foreigners often start teaching EFL after finishing (or dropping out of) JSL classes. But I don't know of any that offer that kind of program offhand.

If you mean to teach Japanese people who want to become English teachers to Japanese kids, then you are looking at a university position in Japan. Do you have publications? You would need three. How much Japanese do you speak and read? Japan requires publications as proof of active involvement in TESOL, probably because they have an education system in which it is virtually impossible to fail- even if you don't show up- and so a masters degree really means 'actually learned what you were supposed to have learned at the undergraduate level, so you got into graduate school' in the same way that an undergraduate degree means 'passed the entrance exam for the university' and very little else.

When some employers read that you have over a decade of experience and a MEd in TESOL they will like that, but then some may say that only one year of that decade plus was in Japan, and therefore the rest doesn't really count so much ("We Japanese are different" is a major problem), or even that having spent only one year quite a while ago (unless it was very recent) may indicate that you didn't really like it that much.

[rtm]

[Mr_Monkey]

There is one centre for the Cambridge CELTA in Japan. One. Yes, one.

There is information here about TESOL certs in Japan - the British Council in Tokyo no longer offers the course (hasn't done for a couple of years), so the list is clearly outdated.

The almost total lack of availability of ITT in Japan is a joke, although Japan has historically brought in foreign experts to work in skill areas they have lacked. It is possible to do the Trinity Diploma TESOL by distance here, and Cambridge have rolled out a distance CELTA, so both organisations may be looking for trainers to do the observation components for those courses. I'd be inclined to contact them directly for information.

[globalcitizen]

Gamba.., rtm, Mr Monkey, thank you for your replies. I meant training Japanese who want to become English teachers in Japan. I am an instructor in a 3-month TESOL Diploma program here in Canada and most of my students are from Japan, Korea and South America - they are all international students who will return to their countries and teach there.
I have found similar programs in Latin America in language schools, not at university, and was wondering how the situation is in Japan. Thanks again.

[Mr_Monkey]

OK - thanks for clarifying.

Public or private institutions?

[G Cthulhu]

[G Cthulhu]

[rtm]

[globalcitizen]

Hi, I have asked my Japanese students, this is what they say. Having our TESOL diploma helps them find English teaching positions at private schools. They also said that they would probably need high TOEIC scores as well. Some students are planning to change their carriers and are thinking about teaching English. They could not really tell me why they are taking this particular program. Some would like to teach in the public school system, but had no idea whether this program would be of any use.

[Glenski]

[rtm]

[Glenski]