New uk graduate! Jet program!

[vallient]

Your just the kind of person JET is looking for. Leave the CELTA off the resume. They are not looking for teachers, they are looking for young, decent looking people for "show and tell" except you are the show and tell. Your day will be mind numbingly boring, you are often little more then a human tape recorder. Its a great gig, that pays well, and that is why the numbers are falling, it's just expensive to host a JET ALT, compared to a dispatch ALT. When I was a JET I loved the experience, but there was very little actual "work" involved.

You can easily make 10,000 to 15,000 RMB in China at a university or private school, with just a degree and no certification. The contract also typically includes airfare, and housing, so you have very low expenses. It's true though that once you leave you find out your savings are really very small.

[Lloyduss]

Yes, true. You get Sat/Sun off as a JET ALT, not to mention lots of Mondays as national holidays and whatever the school gives for various other days off during the year. Contact JET to find out exactly what is the average.

KansaiBen,
Lloyduss is not "Joe Suzuki". He is looking at JET. I believe that JET ALTs get more than 4-5 days off at New Year.

Odds are you'll have plenty of time off. When I was a JET I got all Saturdays/Sundays/National Holidays and school holidays off. Officially, my stamp had to appear in the school attendance book during school vacation, just no one cared if I did not show up for 3 weeks at a time during summer to stamp it.
Depends on the school though. A buddy of mine JETing in the next town had to show up every day during school vacation. He was adopted by the soccer club and spent the summer as "assistant coach".
Overwork is not something you'll hear JETs complain of often. At least not back in my day.

Your just the kind of person JET is looking for. Leave the CELTA off the resume. They are not looking for teachers, they are looking for young, decent looking people for "show and tell" except you are the show and tell. Your day will be mind numbingly boring, you are often little more then a human tape recorder. Its a great gig, that pays well, and that is why the numbers are falling, it's just expensive to host a JET ALT, compared to a dispatch ALT. When I was a JET I loved the experience, but there was very little actual "work" involved.

You can easily make 10,000 to 15,000 RMB in China at a university or private school, with just a degree and no certification. The contract also typically includes airfare, and housing, so you have very low expenses. It's true though that once you leave you find out your savings are really very small.

Wow, thanks guys that was really informative!

Yeah, I am so confused regarding my CELTA qualification; do I leave it on, or not that is the question? I wonder if it would really give me an edge over the other candidates, or would they mark me down for it. I start the CELTA course this september (part-time).

[Marley's Ghost]

Wow, thanks guys that was really informative!

Yeah, I am so confused regarding my CELTA qualification; do I leave it on, or not that is the question? I wonder if it would really give me an edge over the other candidates, or would they mark me down for it. I start the CELTA course this september (part-time).

I'd leave it on. Why not? It's related to the position you're applying for, though you won't be teaching adults. I can't imagine any interviewer knocking a point off for having one.

[Lloyduss]

Do you think a years worth of part-time Japanese language classes would improve my JET application? At least then I could be polite and courteous in Japanese.

[Glenski]

Leave the CELTA on. It's not a negative point, and some schools actually want people with such certification. They tell JET/CLAIR and hope for a relatively decent match. Will Japanese classes be any advantage? Heck yeah! You may be asked to demonstrate your level of ability in the interview (I was), again just to see where you might fit best even if you are not allowed to use it in the classroom. Many (most?) employers don't want to feel like they have to hold a teacher's hand too much on daily survival issues anyway, and since JET posts its teachers mainly in rural areas, you won't see that many English signs around.

See the JET FAQ for these related Q&As:

11.1
Do JET participants receive any training?

Yes, JET participants take part in both obligatory and voluntary training seminars and conferences. To learn more about some of these, visit the conferences section. Also, JET participants are able to take Japanese language correspondence courses provided by CLAIR.

11.2
What types of language support do JET participants receive?
JET participants are encouraged to enroll in correspondence courses that are provided by CLAIR to JET participants free of charge as long as they keep up with course work. Also, JET participants who spend more than one year on the Programme will be eligible to apply for one of two special courses focusing on translation and interpretation or linguistics and pedagogy.

The JET Handbook has 9 pages devoted to studying Japanese. (caution: slow download)
http://www.jetprogramme.org/document...IH2012_eng.pdf

[KansaiBen]

Do you think a years worth of part-time Japanese language classes would improve my JET application? At least then I could be polite and courteous in Japanese.

some Japanese is always better than none, especially in a rural area. No one expects you to be fluent but they will appreciate it if you make the effort. They will usually work around your limited Japanese.

[timeflies]

There is only one teacher in the classroom and that is the Japanese English teacher. You are the assistant, Tonto to his Lone Ranger.

You are in charge of the class but its HIS class and his students.

The main concern of students at high school is to pass entrance examinations though in recent years the BOEs have been trying to introduce communicatve competence into the school entrance examinations.

JET program is not looking for professional "teachers" but people who will fit into Japan, are team players and play their role ( human tape recorders mainly)

I know this is a lot of peoples experience, human tape recorder, but personally I have never been subject to this form of mental abuse.

[Lloyduss]

Thanks everyone! Very informative! Now fingers crossed I get into JET

[Andun]

Thanks everyone! Very informative! Now fingers crossed I get into JET

Yes, you can!