This song is about teaching English in Japan. It
goes a little something like this...(sing it to what-
ever tune you like)...

Choices. You have a lot of choices. Like, for
example: should | get a job before | leave? Or
should | just go and get a job when | get there?
Of course getting a job before you leave is very
convenient. If you find yourself a good program
or company, then they can secure your visa and
find you an apartment to live in. If you decide to
go on your own, there are a few things you
should know.

First of all, you have to have a lot of cash. Japan's
an expensive country to live in. When looking for
an apartment, damage deposit can mean paying
three months worth of rent in advance. That's just
to secure the place, and then you have to pay
rent on top of that. Some places charge a whole

“The English

year's worth of rent as DD.

After the apartment hunting and the purchasing
of all furnishings, your chances of finding a job
are pretty good, IF you've got the skills. Look in
English publications or the internet. You'll find a
lot of openings for English teachers, proof-read-
ers, and translators. Of course, you'll need some
bilingual capabilities to do translation work, but
any ability in the native language can up your
earnings potential and marketability. Most English
teacher jobs are open for those with some sort of
experience so keep this in mind if you think you
can just waltz in here with a fine art degree and
begin teaching. With the current state of English
education in Japanese schools seeing English pro-
grams implemented at the elementary school level
now, it's a good bet that you'll see a lot of posi-
tions open for teaching kids. Do you like kids? |
hope you do... be prepared to do some babysit-
ting.

Average rates for English teaching jobs seems to
hover around the 250,000 yen range, sometimes
with bonuses, and usually without accommoda-
tions. Factor in about 60-70,000 yen for rent if
you're living in a city like Tokyo or Yokohama,
and your potential is about 200,000 yen per month.

eo

There are two types of English teaching positions
available - the private company or the high
school/private school ALT (Assistant Language
Teacher). They both have their good points and bad
points. Federally run ALT programs pay very well, up
to 300,000 yen per month, but are perhaps the most
competitive to enter. Many private high schools and
municipal governments also advertise ALT positions.
Private English conversation school companies
(Eikaiwa) are big business in Japan and are the other
option. It all depends on what you want, and you
should understand the difference between the two
types before you dive into your first contract.

First of all, you're dealing with different types of stu-
dents. ALTs work in high schools so you're dealing
with a lot of kids and teens. But you're also working

as an assistant, so the students are not directly your
responsibility. In a private Eikaiwa, the students can
range from kids to housewives, to high school or col-
lege students, to businesspersons. There is a large
mixture of the society represented in these classes.
The thing to remember with the Eikaiwa student (or
parents in the case of kids) is that they are all paying
tuition, so therefore are self-motivated in learning to
speak English. Compare this to the high schoolers,
whom, if you can remember how you were when you
were in high school, may not be motivated. High
school classes in Japan usually number about 30-40
students, which is quite a lot. Private Eikaiwa classes
probably don't get any bigger than 10. If interaction
with students is important to you, you may want to
consider these differences. If you're one of those
types of people who would enjoy being around a lot
of adolescents in school uniforms, you should know
that private interaction with students will most likely
be discouraged by the school. And if you're thinking
about - you know, it's illegal. Getting to know stu-
dents is much easier in an Eikaiwa, though some
schools also discourage student teacher interaction
away from the school (for obvious reasons). But, since
most of these students are older, you'll have opportu- .
nities to go for drinks, karaoke, clubs, etc. with your
students.

You should also consider the lifestyle you want and
your own personal reasons for wanting to do English
teaching. The type of work and the hours are quite
different for each situation. It is important to have a
life other than work when you are in Japan, and
teaching as an ALT is perhaps the most desirable and
preferable as it gives you regular hours (think school
hours) and less workload than a private language
school. Also, because you are working as an assistant,
you have a lot less responsibility to each individual
student. On the other hand, the private language
school usually operates into the evening, and also on
Saturdays, to attract business and professional clientele
who'll have no time to come other than after work or
on the weekend. This translates into working later
hours, although you wouldn't start until late morning

Teacher’ > pt.7 The 9 Month

or noon. The disadvantage of this is that you wouldn't
have a whole lot of time to do anything during the
day other than to go to work. But on the upside, it
can keep you from spending a lot of money, which
you otherwise could be spending if you had a lot of
free time. Also, starting later means that you can
avoid the dreaded Japanese morning commute.

It's also good to think about just how long you plan to
stay once you arrive. Even though one whiff of the
95% humidity summers in Japan is probably enough
to change a lot of minds, there are a lot of people
who came for a year only to stay for three. In the long
term, earning potentials may favour the private com-
panies, who usually offer salary increases and bonuses
for each successful year of service. Also, you can have
an opportunity to build long-term relationships with
students, especially in a school that doesn't discourage
student interaction away from the school. But, on the
other hand, as a teacher in a private language school,
it can be distracting to have to deal with the business
aspects of the company, where profitability and sales
can interfere with the job of teaching.

To travel across the Pacific, to an archipelago the size
of California; where 50 year old businessmen in com-
muter trains read comic books from right to left;
where people drive souped-up station wagons and
This song is about teaching English in Japan. It
‘goes a little something like this...(sing it to what-
‘ever tune you like)..

Choices. You have a lot of choices. Like, for
‘example: should | get a job before | leave? Or
should | just go and get a job when | get there?
Of course getting a job before you leave is very
convenient. if you find yourself a good program
‘or company, then they can secure your visa and
find you an apartment to live in. If you decide to
‘go on your own, there are a few things you
should know.

First of all, you have to have a lot of cash. Japan's
an expensive country to live in. When looking for
an apartment, damage deposit can mean paying
three months worth of rent in advance. That's just
to secure the place, and then you have to pay
rent on top of that. Some places charge a whole

There are two types of English teaching positions
available - the private company or the high
school/private school ALT (Assistant Language
Teacher). They both have their good points and bad
points. Federally run ALT programs pay very well, up
to 300,000 yen per month, but are perhaps the most
‘competitive to enter. Many private high schools and
municipal governments also advertise ALT positions.
Private English conversation school companies
(Eikaiwa) are big business in Japan and are the other
option. It all depends on what you want, and you
should understand the difference between the two
types before you dive into your first contract.

First of all, you're dealing with different types of stu-
dents. ALTs work in high schools so you're dealing
with a lot of kids and teens. But you're also working

‘You should also consider the lifestyle you want and
your own personal reasons for wanting to do English
teaching, The type of work and the hours are quite
different for each situation. It is important to have a
life other than work when you are in Japan, and
teaching as an ALT is perhaps the most desirable and
preferable as it gives you regular hours (think school
hours) and less workload than a private language
school. Also, because you are working as an assistant,
you have a lot less responsibility to each individual
student. On the other hand, the private language
school usually operates into the evening, and also on
Saturdays, to attract business and professional clientele
who'll have no time to come other than after work or
‘on the weekend. This translates into working later
hours, although you wouldn't start until late morning

“The English Teacher” > pt.7 The 9 Month

2 a

year's worth of rent as DD.

After the apartment hunting and the purchasing
of all furnishings, your chances of finding a job
are pretty good, IF you've got the skils. Look in
English publications or the internet. You'll find a
lot of openings for English teachers, proof-read-
ers, and translators. Of course, you'll need some
bilingual capabilities to do translation work, but
any ability in the native language can up your
earnings potential and marketability. Most English
teacher jobs are open for those with some sort of
experience so keep this in mind if you think you
can just waltz in here with a fine art degree and
begin teaching. With the current state of English
education in Japanese schools seeing English pro-
grams implemented at the elementary schoo! level
‘now, it's a good bet that you'll see a lot of posi-
tions open for teaching kids. Do you like kids? |
hope you do... be prepared to do some babysit-
ting.

‘Average rates for English teaching jobs seems to
hover around the 250,000 yen range, sometimes
with bonuses, and usually without accommoda-
tions. Factor in about 60-70,000 yen for rent if
you're living in a city like Tokyo or Yokohama,
and your potential is about 200,000 yen per month.

@-

as an assistant, so the students are not directly your
responsibilty. In a private Eikaiwa, the students can
range from kids to housewives, to high school or col-
lege students, to businesspersons. There is a large
mixture of the society represented in these classes.
The thing to remember with the Eikaiwa student (or
parents in the case of kids) is that they are all paying
tuition, so therefore are self-motivated in learning to
speak English. Compare this to the high schoolers,
whom, if you can remember how you were when you
were in high school, may not be motivated. High
school classes in Japan usually number about 30-40
students, which is quite a lot. Private Eikaiwa classes
probably don't get any bigger than 10. If interaction
with students is important to you, you may want to
consider these differences. If you're one of those
types of people who would enjoy being around a lot
of adolescents in school uniforms, you should know
that private interaction with students will most likely
be discouraged by the school. And if you're thinking
about - you know, it's illegal. Getting to know stu-
dents is much easier in an Eikaiwa, though some
schools also discourage student teacher interaction
away from the school (for obvious reasons). But, since
most of these students are older, you'll have opportu-
nities to go for drinks, karaoke, clubs, etc. with your
students.

or noon. The disadvantage of this is that you wouldn't
have a whole lot of time to do anything during the
day other than to go to work. But on the upside, it
can keep you from spending a lot of money, which
you otherwise could be spending if you had a lot of
free time. Also, starting later means that you can
avoid the dreaded Japanese morning commute.

It's also good to think about just how long you plan to
stay once you arrive. Even though one whiff of the
95% humidity summers in Japan is probably enough
to change a lot of minds, there are a lot of people
who came for a year only to stay for three. In the long
term, earning potentials may favour the private com-
panies, who usually offer salary increases and bonuses
for each successful year of service. Also, you can have
an opportunity to build long-term relationships with
students, especially in a school that doesn’t discourage
student interaction away from the school. But, on the
other hand, as a teacher in a private language school,
it can be distracting to have to deal with the business
aspects of the company, where profitability and sales
can interfere with the job of teaching.

To travel across the Pacific, to an archipelago the size
of California; where 50 year old businessmen in com-
muter trains read comic books from right to left;
where people drive souped-up station wagons and