alyks wrote:

I do not want to go to a language school for foreigners.

Why not?

alyks wrote:

I don't actually know a whole lot about what they're like, but why would I go through all the work getting to Japan to go to a school filled with people who aren't Japanese and don't speak the language?

It's a good point but I wouldn't dismiss the option completely. It depends on your level of Japanese but I think language schools are great when your speaking ability is low. It can be hard to squeeze yourself into completely Japanese social groups when you can't speak Japanese very well. Jokes and conversation will go way over your head and Japanese people tend to be quite reserved so you've got to be pretty positive and assertive. In the long run it's good to be thrown in the deep end but it can be difficult at first.

Language schools provide an environment where you can meet people with similar interests and the same motivation that you need to get out of your home country. If the nationality mix is varied enough then the common language will hopefully be Japanese. My classmates were from all over the world and I'm still friends with many of them now, several years later. In fact, I'm going to a Korean friend's wedding next week.

You obviously don't want to stay in a language school long term but I think it's a good place to start from and most people use it as a spring board to a Japanese university or a job. It can be easier to do that rather than apply straight from your home country, especially if there are Japanese tests involved in the application.

In relation to the main topic... (sorry for hijacking synewave)
For ALTs with school holidays, a language school course can be a good use of your time.

I am not a native speaker of English, but have, however, a BA in English Language and Culture and an MA in American Studies, for the latter I studied at the University of New Hampshire for half a year. My Japanese is somewhere between JLPT 4 and 3, but I have not yet taken a test. (I guesstimate this based on what I have covered whilst studying Japanese in Japan the past three months.)

What are my chances of becoming an ALT?

Last edited by aaronvanvalen (2009 February 24, 4:10 pm)

It's not about the requirements for the job, but the requirements for the work visa!
ALT jobs usually require an "instructor visa" which you only can get if you have been educated in that language for at least 12 years.

There are some ALT dispatch companies where you can work with a specialist in humanities visa, though, and that you can get with your qualifications (I know what I'm talking about, I'm not a native speaker myself and it was difficult to get that visa, but in the end I managed to get it ).