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+--- Thread: Bachelors in Germany, teaching in Japan (/thread-13528.html)
Bachelors in Germany, teaching in Japan - Josiah - 2016-01-16
I have some questions about going to school in Germany. Right now I am working as an au-pair and will be for one year. What I need help with is finding a place that I can get a bachelors where the course is in English. I would have to go to a one year preparatory course due to me having only a high school graduation. I'm only 19 and was wondering if I would be better of getting my bachelors in teaching in the U.S. I intend to live in Japan once I am finished with schooling so only answers that will help further this goal please.
RE: Bachelors in Germany, teaching in Japan - vix86 - 2016-01-16
My recommendation would be to pick a different major. The only worthwhile teaching positions in Japan are at international schools and they require at least 2-3 years of experience teaching in your home country and a valid teaching license from your country/state. Teaching at a university is about just as good, but requires a master degree. Any other kind of teaching position (ALT/Eikaiwa) is a dead end position that is only slightly better than working at McDonalds. This is advice from someone that was and ALT for nearly 3 years in Japan.
RE: Bachelors in Germany, teaching in Japan - Josiah - 2016-01-17
So you are saying if I was to teach for 2-3 years in my home country it would work out better? I have no interest in changing majors and I will still go to Japan to teach. I will think about putting off going to Japan for a couple years after I graduate though. Thank you for your advice.
RE: Bachelors in Germany, teaching in Japan - Baanchan - 2016-01-18
Hey Josiah,
I don't know what vix86's experience as an ALT was like, but I've been working as an ALT on the JET Programme for almost 4 years, and many people really enjoy it.
Is being an ALT a dead end job? Yes. On the JET Programme you can only recontract for up to 5 years, but you probably don't want to, anyway. Potentially you could get a master's degree while you're here and then move on to a university position, if you can make some contacts as well.
Is it comparable to working at McDonalds? I've worked in fast food and hated it, and worked in retail and wanted to kill myself. By contrast, working as an ALT might not be a very challening job, but at least at my school, it's actually FUN. And whereas McDonald's would pay CAN$10/hour in my home province, I'm making about CAN$21/hour as an ALT. As a first-year JET, Canadians would start out at about $18/hour. (These amounts are assuming that the Canadian dollar were as high as 100 yen. It's not. It's currently below 85 yen, though of course that will change. Americans are unfortunately shortchanged by the current exchange rate, but at least they don't have to pay Japanese income tax for their first 2 years.)
So I guess my point is, if you really want to go to Japan, don't ditch that desire because you're afraid of being an ALT. You can always quit if you hate it, but for most people on the JET Programme at least, it's a pretty easy life and a great opportunity to live in Japan with money to spare for travel.
RE: Bachelors in Germany, teaching in Japan - Josiah - 2016-01-18
Thank you for you information, I only intend on being an Alt for 2 or so years. After that I want to become a primary school English teacher somewhere then eventually I might attempt working at high school or opening up my own eikawa school.
RE: Bachelors in Germany, teaching in Japan - Baanchan - 2016-01-18
If you want to become a full-fledged teacher, then you really will need a teaching certificate (probably from your home country), but you can get that after being an ALT if you return home to study. Starting an eikaiwa, you could do it without the extra education but that would involve its own kind of extra setup.
RE: Bachelors in Germany, teaching in Japan - Josiah - 2016-01-18
Thank you for all of your help! I think now I'll go to Japan for 2-3 years and afterwards I'll go back to the U.S to get my teaching certificate and soon after come back to Japan looking for a "permanent" teaching position.