Aspiring English Teacher

[meet_me_at_midnight]

Konnichiwa minna san!

Just a quick question and hoping to get an answer.

I am a undergraduate of BS course (i wasn't able to finish my thesis, that's the reason). I have a permanent residence visa, N3 JLPT certificate and planning to get a TESOL.

Heres the question:

Do I have a chance to teach English? Am I qualified? If I'm not, what else should i need to do?

Thanks in advance!

[KansaiBen]

Konnichiwa minna san!

Just a quick question and hoping to get an answer.

I am a undergraduate of BS course (i wasn't able to finish my thesis, that's the reason). I have a permanent residence visa, N3 JLPT certificate and planning to get a TESOL.

Heres the question:

Do I have a chance to teach English? Am I qualified? If I'm not, what else should i need to do?

Thanks in advance!

IF you have PR then technically you dont need sponsorship. That said many employers will ask for a degree regardless.

Just tell them you dont need a degree/sponsorship.

[meet_me_at_midnight]

ThAnk you so much for your fast reply.

[Pedro Pedovar]

I too am hoping to teach English in Japan, especially kids classes. I have a degree but no experience teaching the kids. What do you think my chances are?

[sideways_gun]

I too am hoping to teach English in Japan, especially kids classes. I have a degree but no experience teaching the kids. What do you think my chances are?

As good as anyone else. Just apply to the places that sponsor visas and teach kids. All of the large eikaiwa companies and ALT dispatch companies. You may as well try them all. Here are some: Interac, Borderlink, Altia Central, Heart English School are for ALT work in Japanese public schools. Peppy Kids Club, ECC, AEON, Amity, Berlitz, Jibun Mirai Associe (NOVA) are eikaiwa. And, of course, anything you can find on Gaijinpot's job forum. But for the large companies it's best to apply through their website if you are not in Japan, as you can't apply to a specific position necessarily. If you're overseas AND need visa sponsorship you'd be looking at coming out for September start so apply now! It's advisable to apply 3-5months before the date you'd have to be in Japan to start work because of how long it takes to get your working visa finalised. So that means RIGHT NOW. Go Go GO!

[Japan.bound]

I too am hoping to teach English in Japan, especially classes with no kids. I have a degree but no experience finding teaching jobs with no kids. What do you think my chances are?

[Glenski]

I too am hoping to teach English in Japan, especially kids classes. I have a degree but no experience teaching the kids. What do you think my chances are?

What is your nationality, Pedro?

I too am hoping to teach English in Japan, especially classes with no kids. I have a degree but no experience finding teaching jobs with no kids. What do you think my chances are?

What are your qualifications and nationality? What age kids do you NOT want to teach?

[KansaiBen]

What is your nationality, Pedro?

What are your qualifications and nationality? What age kids do you NOT want to teach?

He lacks experience in looking for a job, not in teaching classes with no kids.

Give advice on job-hunting instead.

[Japan.bound]

What are your qualifications and nationality? What age kids do you NOT want to teach?

I have a 4 year non-teaching related Bachelor's Degree and was born in the US. Ideally, my target audience would be overachieving, high GPA students who care more about being overachievers than bonding with me, or businessmen who work so much that they have no time to spend with me in a non-work related activity. I don't want students who will kiss my ___. I want one on one teaching because it means I deal with 8 students a day at most, while teaching entire classes would have me dealing with possibly over 200 students a day as a worst case scenario.

[KansaiBen]

I have a 4 year non-teaching related Bachelor's Degree and was born in the US. Ideally, my target audience would be overachieving, high GPA students who care more about being overachievers than bonding with me, or businessmen who work so much that they have no time to spend with me in a non-work related activity.

Good luck finding GPA students, as no such thing exists here.

Businessmen will be so busy they will skip classes as they have overtime to do, or no time to attend regularly. You can then read the newspaper instead.

[Glenski]

He lacks experience in looking for a job, not in teaching classes with no kids.

Give advice on job-hunting instead.

Sorry, but you didn't read that right, KB. There are 2 people here looking for work. Pedro is the one that admitted to having "a degree but no experience teaching the kids." Besides, I asked about nationality because of visa concerns.

Ideally, my target audience would be overachieving, high GPA students who care more about being overachievers than bonding with me

Very few Japanese are like that! Besides, the concept of GPA is just barely getting started in Japan. You need to do better research on what the market is like here.

I want one on one teaching because it means I deal with 8 students a day at most, while teaching entire classes would have me dealing with possibly over 200 students a day as a worst case scenario.

I'm sorry, but you need to get real here. Very few places have one on one teaching. The market is crowded here, and employers need customers in groups, not individual seats, to make it pay. Your ideal is ok for private lessons but not so much for FT work.

Eikaiwa classes will give you 4-8 classes per day with 2-10 students per class.
ALT work will give you about 4-5 classes per day with 20-40 students per class.
That's life.

[Japan.bound]

Very few Japanese are like that! Besides, the concept of GPA is just barely getting started in Japan. You need to do better research on what the market is like here.

Then what the hell do they care about as far as advancing in school?

I'm sorry, but you need to get real here. Very few places have one on one teaching. The market is crowded here, and employers need customers in groups, not individual seats, to make it pay. Your ideal is ok for private lessons but not so much for FT work.

Eikaiwa classes will give you 4-8 classes per day with 2-10 students per class.
ALT work will give you about 4-5 classes per day with 20-40 students per class.
That's life.

I noticed that GABA offers one-on-one teaching. I also noticed that almost everyone on this board seems to hate that particular employer. Is that not a viable option for acquiring and maintaining a work visa?

[KansaiBen]

Then what the hell do they care about as far as advancing in school?

If they want to get into a university, or a TOEIC score is required by an employer for a promotion ro pay raise then it provides an incentive to study. For the vast majority there is no incentive to improve in English for its own sake.

I noticed that GABA offers one-on-one teaching. I also noticed that almost everyone on this board seems to hate that particular employer. Is that not a viable option for acquiring and maintaining a work visa?

Only if you want to spend a majority of your waking hours in a company that pays no health insurance, no paid vacations, no transportation costs and makes you buy your own suit for work. If you are that desperate for a work visa we won't stand in　your way.
Seems a incredibly high price to pay though.

[Japan.bound]

If they want to get into a university, or a TOEIC score is required by an employer for a promotion ro pay raise then it provides an incentive to study. For the vast majority there is no incentive to improve in English for its own sake.

Then why would the vast majority even take English at all? If there is no reason to learn something, it's just pointless busy work that serves no purpose. May as well say hi to everyone you see, it's all the same.

Only if you want to spend a majority of your waking hours in a company that pays no health insurance, no paid vacations, no transportation costs and makes you buy your own suit for work. If you are that desperate for a work visa we won't stand in　your way.
Seems a incredibly high price to pay though.

So what other employers would have one on one besides GABA?

[KansaiBen]

Then why would the vast majority even take English at all? If there is no reason to learn something, it's just pointless busy work that serves no purpose. May as well say hi to everyone you see, it's all the same.

English is required to enter university here but it doesn't test spoken or communicative language or ability to actually use English. Japanese know they cant speak English but they at least go through the motions of trying to study it. What they learn at high school is pointless but its THEIR system and we just learn to work around it. Some need it for work and their companies, others want to learn some English so they can travel overseas. Unless you have a clear reason for doing something and a particular goal to work towards most people simply won't motivate themselves to do whats needed.

So what other employers would have one on one besides GABA?

Most commercial language schools have man-to-man lessons but they are EXPENSIVE. Anything between 5-8,000 yen per 60 minute lesson. Because many people nowadays dont want to spend that kind of money during a bum economy they will spend it on other things. English lessons are a luxury few can afford these days.

[Shakes Spear]

Then why would the vast majority even take English at all? If there is no reason to learn something, it's just pointless busy work that serves no purpose. May as well say hi to everyone you see, it's all the same.

You're a quick study!

[Glenski]

Then what the hell do they care about as far as advancing in school?

Like I wrote earlier, you need to learn more about the real situation here. A lot of kids these days are able to get into university with no entrance exams (suisen students, on recommendation; my uni has a boatload of them). GPA is a new concept to this country, and most Japanese (including administration and teachers) can't understand it, so how can you expect students to? Advancing? Not in most university majors. The culture here is to take courses, make lifelong networking contacts, and have your advisor vouch for you in an interview to get a job. Grades are unimportant (until GPA does finally sink in), and employers want to mold students into their own type of worker anyway. TOEIC is used by >60% of employers nowadays (hiring, promotions, overseas transfers), but it's my experience that most uni students who don't have the luxury of a school that streams them with TOEIC scores are oblivious to what TOEIC even is, let alone the reason to have a good score. The economy is such that fewer and fewer J students are studying abroad (where they falsely think is the only place they will need English) because they eventually want jobs in Japan, and they don't want to afford the lost job hunting time/opportunities by being out of the country. On top of all that, you must realize that students will sleep through many courses and then go crying to the professor at the end begging for a "report" to do so that they pass the course (and often/usually get precisely that option because the teachers are too weak-spined to hold onto their syllabus and make the kids actually work to earn the grade).

Lifetime employment is not as widespread nowadays, and kids know it. They are doing freeter jobs and part-time work and no work at all rather than what it takes to land a nonexistent job for life. They just don't see that sort of option as viable anyway, sort of like the rebellion of youth in the U.S. in the 60s and 70s.

Then why would the vast majority even take English at all?

It's required.

I noticed that GABA offers one-on-one teaching. I also noticed that almost everyone on this board seems to hate that particular employer. Is that not a viable option for acquiring and maintaining a work visa?

Yes, it's viable, but do more research to learn why people frown on it.

[Japan.bound]

Lifetime employment is not as widespread nowadays, and kids know it. They are doing freeter jobs and part-time work and no work at all rather than what it takes to land a nonexistent job for life. They just don't see that sort of option as viable anyway, sort of like the rebellion of youth in the U.S. in the 60s and 70s.

Aren't there full time jobs that pay decent wages without a college degree? In the US, certain civil service jobs or even trades can potentially earn more than a college educated individual. Possibly even a six figure USD salary with overtime, and no degree required.

[Effected After]

Not really. When hiring people in this country they essentially just look at what university they were able to get in to.

[KansaiBen]

Aren't there full time jobs that pay decent wages without a college degree? In the US, certain civil service jobs or even trades can potentially earn more than a college educated individual. Possibly even a six figure USD salary with overtime, and no degree required.

IF you have a trade you have to do an apprenticeship and also attend a trade school. You are comparing apples and oranges. There has to be a demand for your skills in order to get a good salary as well as someone willing to hire you or take you on as an apprentice.

People working for the government usually have a degree and have to take the national civil service examination.

40% of the Japanese working population are now working for dispatch companies, are part time or are considered casual labor, on contracts.

[vallient]

Not really. When hiring people in this country they essentially just look at what university they were able to get in to.

The biggest focus in a young persons life is getting into university. They spend 12-13 years working and studying to get the best scores they can on their university entrance exam, because that determines how good of a university they get into. The actual university education is irrelevant and unimportant, and most students see university study as a break from the previous 12 or so years of school. Employers in Japan care WHERE you went to university not, how you did, assuming you graduated.

[Effected After]

Were you trying to agree or disagree with my comment?

[Japan.bound]

The biggest focus in a young persons life is getting into university. They spend 12-13 years working and studying to get the best scores they can on their university entrance exam, because that determines how good of a university they get into. The actual university education is irrelevant and unimportant, and most students see university study as a break from the previous 12 or so years of school. Employers in Japan care WHERE you went to university not, how you did, assuming you graduated.

So someone with poor grades from an "Ivy League" type of school is in a better position than someone with high grades in a public school?

[KansaiBen]

So someone with poor grades from an "Ivy League" type of school is in a better position than someone with high grades in a public school?

If you are talking about Japanese universities, public universities in general are much harder to enter than a private one. Tokyo University, Kyoto University, and Osaka University (Handai) are among the most difficult universities to enter. In Japan, its the "getting in" that's hard. Once you are accepted it's almost impossible not to graduate. To get in you must first pass the entrance exam and thats what separates the sheep from the goats.

There are no real "Ivy League" colleges in the American sense of the word, though some are prestigious. Private universities, if you have the brains, can pass the entrance exams and can afford the tuition you are in. It also helps if family members are alumnae.

Employers will also tend to hire people that went to the same school as them, regardless of their grades or major.

[sideways_gun]

Wow there's a lot of deep consultation going on on GP forums these days I'm picking up a lot of general knowledge! Some of y'all should start charging for your advice!

[ttokyo]

So someone with poor grades from an "Ivy League" type of school is in a better position than someone with high grades in a public school?

Exactly. The real hurdle is to get into the university, and grades are pretty irrelevant. Check out, how many Prime Ministers have graduated from Tokyo University, Law Faculty and be surprised. Almost every single one.

Then why would the vast majority even take English at all? If there is no reason to learn something, it's just pointless busy work that serves no purpose. May as well say hi to everyone you see, it's all the same.

I see that you have not mentally prepared yourself for Japan, the beautiful country of useless things such as calligraphy, golf or tea ceremony in the sense of 'The journey is the reward'. You could have your tea much easier with a kettle and tea bag, but the whole idea around the tea ceremony is to enjoy the elaborate procedure around it. A friend of mine has been taking weekly English Lessons for almost 20 years without any noticable impact or progress. For many people such as him, attending classes is like a no-end goal or the tea ceremony. They don't go their primarily to learn to speak fluent English (or drink tea), but rather enjoy themselves by spending their time and be entertained. For him it's like a hobby similar to stamp collection or scale model building (BTW, this conept is called 'o-keikogoto' お稽古ごと)

[Japan.bound]

For many people such as him, attending classes is like a no-end goal or the tea ceremony. They don't go their primarily to learn to speak fluent English (or drink tea), but rather enjoy themselves by spending their time and be entertained.

That's a goal: to be entertained.

I personally don't care about the journey. I hate traveling. I just want to reach my destination in the quickest most efficient way possible.

[BackDoor_Man]

Aren't there full time jobs that pay decent wages without a college degree? In the US, certain civil service jobs or even trades can potentially earn more than a college educated individual. Possibly even a six figure USD salary with overtime, and no degree required.

Actually there are. but not for foreigners. People seem to think that all Japanese are required to be University graduates but they are wrong! Many civil servants are just high school graduates. A lot of people working at Government Agencies like the Finance Ministry, The Ministry of Justice and even the Foreign Ministry are high school / vocational school graduates. Staffers at Immigrations, Police departments, Cities halls and Tax offices, are high school / vocational school graduates (rank and file) with some holding high positions. Why there are some universities where the staffers are high school graduates and they are telling the university graduated foreign staff what to do. So really this thing about being a Japanese xitizen and a University graduate, is in reality a myth propagated to keep the foreigners in their place. The requirement put in place by immigrations requiring an University degree was put into place sometime in the late 80`s, it used to be there was no such requirement. All a person needed was a company who was willing to sponsor and make a contract with said person.

[KansaiBen]

I personally don't care about the journey. I hate traveling. I just want to reach my destination in the quickest most efficient way possible.

If thats the case you will be driving around in circles for a long, long time. In Japan there is actually no destination to reach towards.

[Glenski]

That's a goal: to be entertained.

I personally don't care about the journey. I hate traveling. I just want to reach my destination in the quickest most efficient way possible.

Doesn't matter what you want. In terms of English education, many/most Japanese either think that they just want to socialize in eikaiwa, or learn instantaneously without putting in some effort, or they are simply forced to attend and do the minimum to pass. Very few Japanese actually put in the effort to learn.

[Ken44]

.... Employers in Japan care WHERE you went to university not, how you did, assuming you graduated.

Right.

I`m always surprised at those gaijins J-uni teachers who can`t grasp this even after years of teaching here.

If thats the case you will be driving around in circles for a long, long time. In Japan there is actually no destination to reach towards.

Nicely put.

[KansaiBen]

Aren't there full time jobs that pay decent wages without a college degree? In the US, certain civil service jobs or even trades can potentially earn more than a college educated individual. Possibly even a six figure USD salary with overtime, and no degree required.

The biggest myth that has been perpetrated on society is that in order to be successful you have to go to college, even if it means spending 40-50,000 dollars on a degree, going into major debt and taking 10-15 years to pay off your loans. People expect a quid pro quo, that if you spend a lot of hard earned money on your education you will be rewarded with a high paying job and a job for life. Those days are now longer over.

In the US the level of debt from student loans is approaching one trillion dollars while the average income in the US now is about $26,000. No one ever questions whether spending $100,000 on a college education is actually good value for money. Most people simply accept it as the price of admission if you want to be successful. People judge you by what school you went to, your occupation, but what they don't look at as closely is the cost of acquiring your education in the first place. IN NZ there are about 50 people who owe over $150,000 in student debt.

Not everyone can be a plumber or an electrician or a craftsman, though those are necessary jobs and someone has to do them. Those jobs also enjoy rises and falls in supply and demand depending on the state of the economy at any given time. Nowadays there is an oversupply of empty houses in the US and anyone connected with the building industry is hurting. No one can actually predict with any accuracy whether going to college, or going to learn a trade will provide you with the life that you want.

[Chromedome]

Konnichiwa minna san!

I am a undergraduate of BS course.

No you're not.

[KansaiBen]

No you're not.

BS stands for bovine sh-it.

[Japan.bound]

If thats the case you will be driving around in circles for a long, long time. In Japan there is actually no destination to reach towards.

Maybe not for the Japanese, but my destination has always been retirement to a life of solitude. Once I retire from America, I'll go to Japan and work towards PR. After PR, retirement and a life of solitude with no one trying to force pointless relationships into my life. This life is impossible to achieve in America, the land of mandatory dating. But the Japanese tend to keep to themselves and not talk to strangers unless necessary. I like that. I sure as hell don't want to live in a country where it's expected of you to become bestest best friends in the whole world with your neighbor. I never said "hi" to a neighbor before in my entire life. I will NOT be starting now. Neighbors are irrelevant. The people I encounter in the gym are irrelevant. Co-workers are irrelevant. I don't need these people in my life if they're just going to force an unwanted lifestyle onto me and not help me achieve my dream of no bimbos. If knowing you just brings countless bimbos into my life trolling me for dates, then knowing you is pointless. If knowing you means bimbos will never say a goddamned thing to me ever, then you are a valuable asset.

[vallient]

If thats the case you will be driving around in circles for a long, long time. In Japan there is actually no destination to reach towards.

Very well said, and true.

[vallient]

Maybe not for the Japanese, but my destination has always been retirement to a life of solitude. Once I retire from America, I'll go to Japan and work towards PR. After PR, retirement and a life of solitude with no one trying to force pointless relationships into my life. This life is impossible to achieve in America, the land of mandatory dating. But the Japanese tend to keep to themselves and not talk to strangers unless necessary. I like that. I sure as hell don't want to live in a country where it's expected of you to become bestest best friends in the whole world with your neighbor. I never said "hi" to a neighbor before in my entire life. I will NOT be starting now. Neighbors are irrelevant. The people I encounter in the gym are irrelevant. Co-workers are irrelevant. I don't need these people in my life if they're just going to force an unwanted lifestyle onto me and not help me achieve my dream of no bimbos. If knowing you just brings countless bimbos into my life trolling me for dates, then knowing you is pointless. If knowing you means bimbos will never say a goddamned thing to me ever, then you are a valuable asset.

You are very confused, and misinformed. Japan is all about relationships and family. Japanese are VERY social people, and many of the major challenges in a japanese persons life, involve cultivating relationships. Being a foreigner, your life would be very difficult by yourself, just getting PR would be impossible without knowing the right people, or getting married. Lastly, Japanese woman can be very assertive.

[KansaiBen]

You are very confused, and misinformed. Japan is all about relationships and family. Japanese are VERY social people, and many of the major challenges in a japanese persons life, involve cultivating relationships. Being a foreigner, your life would be very difficult by yourself, just getting PR would be impossible without knowing the right people, or getting married. Lastly, Japanese woman can be very assertive.

And all this in a country where you have a population a third the size of the US living in a country the size of California. It is very hard to escape running into people in this country even if you are in a rural area. Maybe go and live in the mountains or something.

[Glenski]

I sure as hell don't want to live in a country where it's expected of you to become bestest best friends in the whole world with your neighbor. I never said "hi" to a neighbor before in my entire life. I will NOT be starting now. Neighbors are irrelevant.

Tell that to the neighborhood association when they come to collect dues or ask for your participation in a local event.

What's with the life of a hermit concept anyway?

[Japan.bound]

Tell that to the neighborhood association when they come to collect dues or ask for your participation in a local event.

You say that as if I want to be a part of any neighborhood association. I intend to live in an environment where participation with the community is not required or expected. Not every neighborhood requires those things. I sure as hell am not part of any neighborhood association now, nor was I ever part of one. I am fortunate enough that my current neighbors NEVER speak to me. I like that. Unfortunately, this is the only place I can find where people in the neighborhood don't say "hi" to me. That limits where I can live, and I need to own a home instead of renting so I can have a home gym and not have to put up with people bothering me when I'm clearly busy with something important. Anywhere else and people will say "hi" to me, which is why I will never move out of here until I have what I need to move to Japan.

What's with the life of a hermit concept anyway?

Convenience. I'm not interested in other people's lives. Other people complicate my life. I don't want to get involved.