My current dream right now is to move to Japan and become an English language teacher. I know the pay is fairly mediocre and getting visas and crap can be hard as hell, but this is my dream, if this doesn't work out for me then I'm pretty sure I have nothing left. For instance what college degrees should I get, what jobs should I look into, and what skills should I pick up? Japanese language proficiency is a given but what else should I be looking at as far as skills go?
Japan - 6 Answers
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1 :
Yakuza
2 :
I have a friend or 2 that have been teaching English there now for about 6 years. They both had degrees in obscure majors. It was a bachelors degree and I think that is all the company's that hired them are concerned about. Although you could possibly teach english there without a degree but it would be somewhat hard. Neither spoke a word of Japanese when they got there. As far as the work permits and visa are concerned the teaching company that hires you will help you with that part. As far as skills are concerned...I think maybe learning how to eat with chop sticks and bowing would be a good start. I left you a site to look at that might answer more of your questions. Good luck
3 :
Fred, the more English / teaching skills you have, the better chance you have of being hired. More qualified people are applying for these jobs, so the competition is getting tighter. The JET program is one of the most popular, but you are limited as to how many times you can renew the contract. But that doesn't mean you can't be hired by another school. This isn't really an easy job, as many people get burned out ( or home sick ) after just a year or two. Repeating the same thing day after day can get to many people. You could major in English, and minor in something else. It's always best to have something as a backup in case plan A doesn't work out. Knowing Japanese isn't needed to teach English as many schools don't want Japanese to be spoken in the classroom. Knowing Japanese won't hurt though.
4 :
Currently you need a degree and be a native English speaker. You will get a better job if you have recognised TEFL certification (like CELTA) and experience. Most jobs available at the moment are teaching kids. Of course, things may change, it depends of the foibles of the Japanese government. Have you ever been to Japan? Why do are you so keen to come here?
5 :
Teaching English at a conversation school is a job but not a career. If you get special certifications than you have more of a chance working in some private high school or somewhere, or if you really want to go for the gold you can get a Doctorate and become a university professor. But few ever receive any kind of tenure.
6 :
In most cases in order to work full time in Japan you need to have a University degree and you also require the backing of a company in Japan to sponsor your visa. Most recruiters usually require the following for teaching English in Japan 1. Native English Speaker 2. Full Bachelor Degree (in any field) 3. Basic Japanese Ability They also prefer teaching qualifications like TESL and ESL as well as some teaching experience. A lot of major language schools now operate recruitment offices overseas, so you can get in touch with them and set up interviews before even visiting Japan. Working in Japan http://japan-australia.blogspot.com/2010/06/working-in-japan.html
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