Anyone who has taugh english in japan?

Question

I am 17 years old and very interested in talking to someone who has taught english in japan before, that has not been part of the JET or NOVA programs. I have heard a lot of mixed messages, that it's extremely hard to get an apartment and find a job, then I've heard that work is plentiful and it's an amazing experience.

I want to talk to someone about how I should go about getting a job independently.

Please leave email or AIM screen name, thank you.

Answer 1

You can't right now you need a degree. even if jet would be your employer, you must follow the laws.
Jet will not help you find private clients ( you would be taking away their profits) you have to find your own clients in a
rarely will you find a stable income from doing so.
and if Jet finds out about your extra work without their consent you may be fired and deported.
What they will do is send you to schools and local goverment agencies.

* hold a Bachelor's degree (in any subject); required for
a visa to work
* be a citizen of the country where the recruitment and selection procedures take place;
* have excellent skills in the designated language (both written and spoken). (English or for non-English speaking countries English or the principal language);
* have a keen interest in the country and culture of Japan;
* in principle, be under 40 years of age;
* not have lived in Japan for 3 or more of the last 8 years, nor be a former participant in the programme for the last 10 years.

# Prospective participants must submit a detailed application including a statement of purpose and self-reported medical form, usually in November or December of the year before their departure.
# Those who pass stage one of the process are invited to interviews which are conducted in major cities, usually in February. Interviews are conducted in English or in the language of applicant's country and, in some cases, in Japanese, by JET alumni, embassy or consulate representatives and people from the business community. Interviewees are then offered a position, rejected, or become "Alternates" (who may participate if positions become available).
# Once offered a position, applicants must formally submit their acceptance or rejection of the offer. In addition, they must provide the results of a recent physical examination, performed by a physician within the last three months. Finally, they must submit detailed contact information so that the programme can send them materials and information as the departure date draws nearer.
# Participants usually learn their placement details several months before their departure in late July or early August. Alternates may receive very short notice, sometimes only a few weeks, if a placement becomes available. It should be noted that applicants who withdraw from the program after receiving placement notification are ineligible to reapply the following year. Applicants are required to depart in a group from the city in which they were interviewed. This is usually the Japanese embassy or consulate that serves the applicant's home town, though it could theoretically be any site in the same country that the applicant submits on his or her application. Airfare is arranged by the programme

Answer 2

Since most of the basics were already covered by the others, I'll help you with the JET vs. NOVA/AEON/GEOS issue. Going with the JET program has the advantages of a general higher salary and you work in the actual schools. The main disadvantages are that you don't get to choose where you go and you have to go in July. I've heard lots of bad stories from people who have done JET and got stuck out in a remote town in rural Japan. If that's what you're looking for, JET is the way.

If you want to be in a metropolitan area, Eikaiwa (NOVA, etc.) is the way to go. I used to work for AEON and had a great experience. These are private English schools so you could be teaching anyone from age 2 to 72. However, the teaching style is very rigid and strict meaning you have to do it their way. If you want more freedom with your lesson plans, it's not the best choice. Both JET and Eikaiwa will set you up with an apartment and in AEON's case, help subsidize the cost. It is a great experience and if you're interested I highly recommend it.

Even with a Bachelor's Degree, I would say getting a job independently is very challenging because of the work visa. Many companies hire people in Japan who already hold working visas. If you were able to come here on a tourist visa, get a job from a company who would sponsor you, leave the country and come back with your working visa, you would be the first person I've heard of who has done that. My advice would be to first get a job with JET or Eikaiwa from your home country, get the visa, work your one year contract and then decide if you want to continue or find a different company. Good luck!

Answer 3

I don't teach English, but I'm living in Japan and I go to school here, and almost all of our English teachers are from America or Britain, and I've talked to them a lot. The schools recruit English teachers with at least a bachelor's degree. You don't actually have to speak very much Japanese when coming here, but it's a good idea to, because coming into high school, most students don't speak very much English.

It's hard to get a job totally independantly, but one of my teachers answered an ad in a newspaper and was on his way to Japan just a little while later. The cost of living and housing is really expensive in Japan, and English teachers don't generally make lots of money, and many of them work at a few different schools.

What you might want to try before going to college and being a teacher is being an exchange student to Japan. Rotary is by far the best program, and you only have to buy your insurance and plane ticket. You can go to another country for the year after high school, or even during it.

http://www.rotary.org

Answer 4

Misao is right. You do need a degree to get a working visa to teach English here in Japan. I have been teaching here in Japan independently for over 15 years. I was never on the JET or taught for Nova or Geos or Aeon. I hit the streets, went to a ton of small English schools (they are everywhere) and got a lot of part time stuff at first. When I showed what I could do, I landed a full-time job. Now, I teach at a university and am tenured. Life in a nutshell.

Answer 5

You are very young and if you start working to get your degree, you will land a better job opportunities.
You have to invest first..like those professional Language Teachers that work hard to get these opportunities and not all have the same luck. If you want to work there, you might want to save money now. then and attend school in Japan while you are studying, you can get an extra hours of work, just for experience.
..
Now, see yourself for the next ten years..do you really want to teach or just experience Japan because of what you've heard..there are pros and con.. it is not a paradise for everyone..but a degree is something that would take you anywhere and get a high paid job while work what you enjoy to do and support you.
It takes a lot of effort and hard work to get a degree and they deserve to get a high paid job opportunities.. do it while you are young and having the opportunity..Don't rush to work if you really don't need to, when you are ready and graduated, work will follow you. Employment is always open there. You can get a job, be experienced and accept those challenges even without degree, but it would be a long way..Some language teachers have better working benefits, others have to depend on what is infront of them if you want to work independent, you have to pay for all your expenses and start looking for your students.
Good advices have been given with other answerers above too. Investing yourself a higher education would be your key to success if you want to see yourself more than what you want to do and be wherever you wanted to go.

Answer 6

I went thru JET and liked it. They found my job and apartment. My twin sister went thru NOVA. They jokingly called it NO VAcation. She worked odd hours, sometimes until 9pm. They have little holidays, vaction, and sick time. JET worked fine for me. They paid for my way there and back. Nova only paid to get there. I work Mon.-Fri. 8-4. I had plenty of time to meet new people, join new events, and go sight-seeing. I don't know how to get a job independently.