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for all the teachers on this site - thegeezer3 - 2007-10-01
OK its not kanji related but it is general.
I'm looking to return to japan soon and to work as an English teacher. I used to work for GEOS for 2 and half years and id prefer to try someone else though i did leave with an excellent reference. Teaching in high schools seems good as does corporate lessons. Ill also have to apply from outside of Japan which I guess might limit my choices. Does anyone have any recommendations, opinions or advice on this?
I was thinking of signing up with any ole outfit i.e. nova to get a visa and then immediately applying for some ALT positions once in the country and ditching nova once signed up. Problem is i guess that could look pretty shitty. Any thoughts on that strategy?
for all the teachers on this site - synewave - 2007-10-01
You could try Interac. I worked for them for a year. Placement was pretty good. The only problem was the 250,000/month which they then reduced during my summer holiday.
That said, I did get the school holidays off and they don't interfere with you once they put you in a school. In a word, job - good; wages - nothing special.
for all the teachers on this site - thegeezer3 - 2007-10-02
cheers synewave, can you tell me how long your holidays were in total? and what was the wage during those times (roughly).
And do you know anyone who did the "nova" approach to get into interac?
for all the teachers on this site - resolve - 2007-10-02
Nova may not be around next month.
http://www.letsjapan.org/
for all the teachers on this site - synewave - 2007-10-02
thegeezer3 Wrote:cheers synewave, can you tell me how long your holidays were in total? and what was the wage during those times (roughly).My understanding is that holidays vary from city to city. But I had about 5 weeks off in the summer and 2 in the winter as well as 1 at the end of March. Wages were 60% in the summer. At the place I worked the board of education paid Interac about 5,000,000 yen a year per teacher and Interac gave us about 3,000,000. When I worked for them (4 years ago) the going wage for an ALT was about 250,000/month. I would say you don't really want less than that and if you can get more, go for it.
thegeezer3 Wrote:And do you know anyone who did the "nova" approach to get into interac?Interac hire plenty of teachers from overseas. I was in London when I got my job. At the orientation, they gave the impression that they have really high standards to get in. But basically, if you can speak English, you've made the grade!
Interac's main hiring period is towards the end of each year for starts in late March/early April.
If you're looking to get here sooner it's probably worth getting in touch with them anyway. As I said before, in my experience, they weren't bad. I just wanted more money!
for all the teachers on this site - Mighty_Matt - 2007-10-02
As a current Interac employee I can confirm what synewave said is still basically true. Although, I got 6 weeks off in the summer. It works by if the kids don't have to be in school, neither do you. It's true that the wages aren't the best. I know JETs get paid more a month, but then they have to go to school even when the kids aren't there, so it kinda evens out.
for all the teachers on this site - narafan - 2007-10-02
Being an ALT, do you make up your own lesson plans or follow a teaching curriculum? :/
for all the teachers on this site - Mighty_Matt - 2007-10-02
I work in Elementary schools and so there isn't a national curriculum yet. My town has made it's own though, which lists what should be learnt each week for the every class for the entire year. This way I just have to plan games and activities to help them learn the stuff. Also, because they don't have exams in English at elementary schools it doesn't matter if I move stuff around, don't do it etc. As long as the kids are enjoying English then it's all good.
for all the teachers on this site - synewave - 2007-10-02
My experience of elementary school is the same as Mighty_Matt. Although, I only go to elementary school for 3 weeks every year! The rest of the time I'm at a junior high school where, in all honesty I do very little actual work. That said I do spend plenty of time in classes (just not doing very much!). It does give me time to do flashcard reviews and sometimes even read books in class.
No doubt there are junior high schools where ALTs do have to plan lessons, lead classes, etc. Even where I am I sometimes plan lessons for elective classes. However that's not quite the same as planning/leading normal English classes day in day out.
On the whole, because the main (I think it's fair to say) goal of junior high schools is to get students into "good" high schools the focus inevitably falls on following the 文部省 curriculum, i.e. "doing a textbook". In reality they don't really need native speakers to do that.
Prior to coming to Japan, I was warned by my EFL 先輩 that ALTing (along with any kind of 英会話 type job) is not a good career move if you are interested in a "real career" in EFL. Particularly, when returning to the UK, any "experience" you have from Japan will count for very little, simply becuase the job of the gaijin teacher in Japan is not considered particularly highly by the EFL trade in general.
EDIT: my point basically being that if you are more interested in coming to Japan than having a "career", ALTing may well be what you are looking for.
for all the teachers on this site - yorkii - 2007-10-02
yes, i agree 100%. My opinion is that the ALT job is not a career in any regard. there is nothing that you can move onto above it (at least within the dispatch company that you work for) and the wage that you get as a starting salary will pretty much be close to the salary what you would get after 10 or 20 years doing the same job. it is literally dead end.
for all the teachers on this site - johnzep - 2007-10-02
yorkii speaks the tr00f
for all the teachers on this site - Mighty_Matt - 2007-10-02
Yeah, I wanted to come to Japan for longer than just a holiday, and being a native English speaker was the only skill I had to offer. Hence I became an ALT.
This is my second year in Elementary school and I couldn't cope with another. If I don't get a Junior/Senior HS next year I'll be going back to the UK. My Japanese isn't good enough to get a different job and I now understand how I don't have to be in a country to learn the language.
Of course, then I'd have to tackle the issue of what job I'd want in the UK, but that's one of the reasons I'm here in the first place!!
for all the teachers on this site - synewave - 2007-10-02
I'm not knocking ALTing, I am one! But I think in general, what I wrote above is a fair description of what or jobs are about.
On the subject of what to do when one goes home. I'm going to look at primary school teaching. Or do something Japanese in the UK (nothing to do with the language though).
for all the teachers on this site - kyotokanji - 2007-10-02
Since being in Japan, my jobs have moved through three stages. The big schools, doing just privates and now ALT. By far the best of the three is the ALT. I am very lucky with the schools i've been given, a mix of junior high and elementary. The hours are fixed, when I go home I don't have to think about the next day's work, actual teaching hours are low, you can see some progress with the elementary kids, good opportunity to speak japanese, gets me up in time for a correct meal pattern, long holidays. Quite a few advantages I think.
Only big disadvantage is that it's a dead end but what jobs in Japan aren't dead ends? But i'm not a career man at all anyway. The higher up the ladder you go, the higher the stress and the amount you have to deal with. Never been into forward planning, which is why i've been here eight years I imagine. A rather stagnant situation but it7s fine with me. Like Matt though, this will be my last year, some planning has to be done or i'll end up being 60 and still an ALT!! How terrifying.
for all the teachers on this site - kyotokanji - 2007-10-02
To synwave, you don't have to go home. There's the EU and many other countries. I'm not going back to the UK unless I have to for my family.
for all the teachers on this site - synewave - 2007-10-02
kyotokanji Wrote:I'm not going back to the UK unless I have to for my family.I know where you're coming from. At the same time I don't want my next trip home to be for a funeral!
And as far as ALTing goes, I think it's great. Glad to see I'm not the only loser here! No offence.
It is comforting in these times of office jobs, loads a money and bling to know that there's still people out there enjoying just going with the flow.
EDIT: missing comma!
for all the teachers on this site - kyotokanji - 2007-10-03
Indeed so, people take life so seriously and focus in on such unimportant things that are so petty. I thought that living abroad, I would meet many people who just go with the flow but I am suprised to find otherwise, depends on wher you are ofcourse.
I don't mind a trip back to England for a season or so bit I couldn't think of living back there properly unless a family member got sick etc. I've lived in USA, Thailnd, India and now Japan. At the end of the day, I don't mind where I am as long as i'm learning new things and i'm growing in some way. I feel that I need some other place to stimulate me now, so I feel this is the last year here. Anyawhere is ok for me realy. Sounds like a contridction but you know what I mean.
for all the teachers on this site - narafan - 2007-10-03
I read that you have to have a degree to become an ALT in Japan? TT_TT
for all the teachers on this site - kyotokanji - 2007-10-03
Yes, only the most highly educated can get through. An MA or Phd is the usual but a standard degree from Oxford, Cambrdge, Yale ,Stanford etc will siffice if your grades were up to scratch.
for all the teachers on this site - resolve - 2007-10-03
Someone's liable to think you're being serious, kyotokanji.
for all the teachers on this site - synewave - 2007-10-03
I can't find Oxbridge on the map
for all the teachers on this site - narafan - 2007-10-03
resolve Wrote:Someone's liable to think you're being serious, kyotokanji.lol....
for all the teachers on this site - PParisi - 2007-10-03
Anyone intending to apply for work in Japan (and I wish to God I were in a position to do so right now) should consider the impending meltdown of Nova: a lot of English teachers are about to lose their jobs and will likely try to find work in Japan rather than return home. As a result, the demand for English teachers may temporarily cool until those teachers are absorbed by other schools or leave the country.
I don't want to talk anyone out of applying but rather to encourage people to be persistent. Also, Nova may survive (but see the recent article on the situation entitled "Advice for Teachers" in the Living in Japan section of the Japan Times website).
for all the teachers on this site - Jarvik7 - 2007-10-03
narafan Wrote:I read that you have to have a degree to become an ALT in Japan? TT_TTYou need a degree to get a work visa in Japan.
-edit-
69 posts, oh yeah
for all the teachers on this site - thegeezer3 - 2007-10-03
dont make the same mistake as i did and actually consider returning to live in the UK. Its an absolute shit hole and a mess of a country. Especially when you still got japanases vision going on. Thats why i want to get out. Id go anywhere but my girlfriends japanese (yes ive got the tshirt as well to prove it) and the whole visa thing makes it messy. Its either she comes here again (god she got a shock) or i go over there. I think the later is way better. Though as you say, alting wont progress me anywhere so i may just be stalling answering the ultimate question which is "ads what the f are you doing with your life!" - still better life than being a career monkey in london coming home to watch another f'ing episode of "property ladder"- or so i tell myself repeatedly. ;-)