Teaching Resource for Japan
Help for Ex-Nova Teachers
Gaba One-to-One English
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education in Japan since our founding in 1995. Through a
distinct focus on offering quality one-to-one lessons in
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Teaching in Japan
Options for Teachers in Japan
Here is a rundown of the major types of teaching gigs available in Japan:
Private Students
Teaching private students can be very lucrative business. The rates vary immensly (somewhere from around 1,500 yen/hour - 10,000+ yen/hour, however it seems like the going rate has settled somewhere in the 3,000 - 5,000 yen/hour range.
Many teachers take on private students to supplement income from their regular teaching jobs which, depending on the particular school and contract signed, may be permitted or not. Even when teaching private students is specifically forbidden, many (most?) teachers still seem to take on a private student or two.
How to get private students
Many Japanese don't feel comfortable calling up someone whose name they just saw posted in an advert, so most students seem to be initially picked up through either the introduction of a friend, passed from teacher to teacher, or introduced through a service specifically geared to handle these kinds of introductions.
Qualifications
No special qualifications are generally required to teach private students, students often choosing their teacher due to chance (i.e. an introduction). However, you will probably only be able to retain your student if the student feels that she is benefitting from the lessons (either linguistically or socially).
Private English Schools
Private English schools are where the majority of English teachers land their first teaching jobs. The rates have been falling a bit over the last few years, so teachers are starting somewhere around the 250,000 - 300,000 yen/month range.
Part-time work is also available on an hourly basis usually somewhere between 2 - 6,000 yen/hour. Private English schools cater to a number of different markets including: children and high school students who attend them to supplement their education (JUKUS); business people who take voluntary/mandatory classes either during or after work; and housewives. Working conditions/hours vary greatly from school to school. Check the forums for recommendations/warnings on particular schools.
How to get a job at a private English school
As you have probably already realized, fewer and fewer private English schools accept applicants from overseas. This is primarily due to the fact that it involves much more risk/cost for the language school to bring someone over than to hire locally. Some language schools have had the bad experience of having teachers sign and having them not show up, or that once they actually brought the teacher over, it didn't work out. A few of the large English chain schools in Japan such as AEON and NOVA do hiring in foreign countries such as the US and England and then arrange for placement in Japan.
A downside to these large schools is that many people complain of the working conditions and you may not have much choice as to where you are placed. On the upside, they do get you here, set up your visa, and help get you situated.
After completing your contract, you'll probably have a good chance to move into something more lucrative if you so desire. Apart from the schools that hire from overseas, many people end up coming to Japan without a job and then try to find one before either their visa or your money runs out. This seems to be a common, but not necessarily comforting way to go. Definitely check into getting a working holiday visa if is available (varies by country).
Qualifications
Requirements vary, but a minimum will be a university diploma (BA/BS or equivalent). This is not necessarily for scholastic reasons, rather that you need one to qualify for a visa. So, if you already have a visa (spousal or other) many schools won't care whether you have graduated from a university or not.
Elementary/High Schools
Teaching in the public educational system will likely be much better renumerated than at a private English school. However, be prepared for large classes of 30 - 40 students often forced into studying a language that they don't want to learn. The official teaching method doesn't necessarily work wonders for student motivation either, often forcing them to memorize phrases and words with little communicative meaning in order to pass university entrance exams. That said, a good teacher would do them a load of good! If you are able to land one of these jobs, hit it hard and with determination and it may well be a very rewarding experience.
How to get a job at an elementary/high school
A common path of entry is through the JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme) program sponsored through the Japanese government. For more information on this program, please visit the JET official website.
Trade Schools(SENOMON GAKKO)/Colleges(TANDAI)
These are generally 2 year programs for students who have completed high school education, but for one reason or another have not entered a normal university. Teachers are often required to have more qualifications than those of private English schools and may enjoy slightly better pay scales. Otherwise, the information given for private English schools applies.
Universities (The "gravy train")
This is really the top of the ladder. Perks vary, but professors generally enjoy enormous pay increases vis-a-vis other teaching positions, lighter work loads, lots of benefits, and long paid vacations.
Part-time work is often available and, depending on the school, payment is made year-round (even the 5 months or so that you are not teaching).
How to get a university job
As these jobs are so cushy, they tend to often move through contacts/introductions and not be advertised. To land a university position from abroad, you would most likely need a kind of sister school relationship with your university there and a university in Japan. However, if you are quite recognized in your field with lots of publications you would probably have a good chance to land a job by sending your resume directly to the departments of the Japanese universities.
Many university teachers start out as teachers in language schools, move into a part-time university position, and then finally land their full-time university gig.
Qualifications
Generally a masters degree or equivalent and a minimum of 2 academic publications is required for full-time work. Part-timers are often required to have the masters, but not the publications.
Teaching in Japan: Other Sources
Forums
Questions/comments? Go to the Teaching/Education Forum
Links
Resources for Teachers
- ELT News. Excellent resource for English teachers in japan.
- Dave Sperling's ESL Cafe. One of the largest ESL resources on the net.
- The English Resource. Lots of English teaching materials available for purchase online.
- Japan Association for Language Teaching (JALT). A professional organization of people interested in promoting excellence in language learning and teaching.
- Let's Japan!. "The site dedicated to debunking eikawa". One of the most popular discussion forums for English teachers on the Net. Especially good for probing or peeking at the underbelly of English teaching in Japan.
- Apricot Plaza available online: Teaching materials on English education for children.
Finding a Teaching Job
- O-Hayo Sensei. Free electronic newsletter reports currently available teaching positions.
- ELT News Teaching Jobs. Excellent resource for English teachers in japan.
- Teaching English in Japan. A guide to getting a teaching job.
JET
- JET official website. Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme.
- ALT.online. The JET Program Resource Guide.
Finding a Teaching Job
Teacher's / Labor Unions
- General Union. A legally registered Japanese labour union open to all nationalities. Primary mission is protecting workers' rights and improving working conditions.
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