How does Berlitz and Interac compare?

Question

I am consdering both these companies to launch my Japanese ALT experience but need some practical advise from experienced people on how these two companies compare in working condition, treatment of employees, salary deductions and benefits etc.

Any help is appreciated.

Answer 1

I worked for both outfits at one time or another so here's what I think. Berlitz is a franchised organization so any given Berlitz branch is really only as good/bad as the franchise holder. Working at Interac is not necessarily a picnic but being an outsourced ALT should be a more stable job than anything any Berlitz can offer. That being said, Interac has been known to be late paying it's employees from time to time. I think that reflects cash flow problems more than fundamentals-but it's a private company so who knows? The ALT business has to be very lucrative for them. If you have a choice between being an Interac ALT and an Interac corporate instructor it would be hard to say what is best for you. An ALT's day would be 8 to 4 or so, but company classes tend to be in the evening. On the other hand ALTs don't get to go drinking with their students on the company's tab! As an ALT you would have a lot of days off. Between national holidays, school holidays and things like exams where the ALT usually just has the day off it's actually pretty cushy that way. There are quite a few members of the LDS church who work for Interac but it's not owned by the church as some people think. Overall I had a pretty decent experience with Interac.

Answer 2

As far as I know Berlitz doesn't employ "ALT"s. Interac, however does.

ALT is the official title to an Assistant Language Teacher, usually in the public school system. The JET Programme coined the term and created the position. When some cities decided it was too expensive to get ALT's from the JET Programme, they hired people to do the exact same job via contractors such as Interac.

Interac provides that service, but also has language instructors working in a variety of settings, mainly providing English classes for businesses who want their employees to learn English. Berlitz does this as well, but unless things have changed recently, doesn't hire ALTs.

Berlitz also has "eikaiwa" type classes, like NOVA, ECC, GEOS, etc. Interac doesn't. These are classes open to the general public.

An ALT is more of a steady full-time job. You would have little contact with Interac or whatever business hired you out, and would basically be working for a city's board of education. Working conditions and treatment vary extremely in both ALT or eikaiwa positions.

A Berlitz position may require you to be running all over town if you want to be doing full-time work. You may have a few scattered classes at the offices, then be sent out to various companies in the evening. You won't be paid for the time between classes.

You can make similar salaries of around 250,000 yen/month at both, but I would think most people would prefer the ALT position as it's more settled. However, that depends on you. Maybe you hate kids. Maybe you prefer to be always on the go.

I'd still say ALT is better because you're seeing Japanese society from a good perspective - the kids'! You'll feel a lot more a part of Japan. Working in an eikaiwa can be fairly alienating. At least at a public school you can see what kids go through outside of just English class.