Ask your superior.

~J

Based on my armchair theorizing, I would also probably think it'd be best to leave such things to specific channels, as long as time isn't an issue and it wouldn't inconvenience the 'out group'. In such a case, surely you could speak both as a coworker and as a spokesperson for your 'in group'. I guess it goes back to what Tobbs said, formality is nice but would it be something you'd stick to in situations where they 'need' to know. But really I have no idea, I always assumed things were close to but more flexible than what's presented in foreign books about doing business with the Japanese. (I'm reminded of that Seinfeld episode where they bring a bag of oranges to a meeting with Japanese executives.)

In general, if official channels exist, the more formal the relationship the less acceptable it would be to go outside of those channels. This is cross-cultural; the cultural aspect is the formality of the relationship, which I can't speculate on.

~J

I would tell the school immediately.  The official way sounds terrible.  I'm sure the Japanese would just pretend they didn't know until they were 'officially' informed.

If there's no one you really talk to at school, don't tell them.

If there are people you talk to on a regular or semi-regular basis, tell them.

You'll move on and probably never see them again and vice-versa.

Such is the way with foreign English teachers...usually.

Last edited by theasianpleaser (2009 March 01, 8:01 pm)

I work for two High Schools now, but am quitting April 1st.  My company had instructed me to not tell the schools if I was quitting - which I thought was pretty silly and didn't quite understand.  Anyways, most of the teachers asked me if I would be around the next year so I just told them I wasn't going to be - that I was finishing in April.


I had a discussion about it with one of the teachers at a school I work at.  She explained that for Japanese teachers at the high schools, they do not tell anybody (except, of course, administration) they are quitting until right before it happens.  This prevents any awkwardness between you, the other teachers, and the students .  We talked about the differences between this system and how it would be handled in the United States.  I think in the US, we prefer the sentimental, drawn out goodbyes where you enjoy every last minute you have with each other.  (quite a romantic way of putting it, I suppose).   In Japan, it's the opposite - they want to avoid that and continue like it's business as usual. While this seems to kill a lot of the sentimentality of it, it also avoids situations where there are hard feelings. 

I know that another Japanese teacher I work with is planning on moving to a knew school for the next school year.  She said that only the administration at the two schools new that she was leaving and she wasn't allowed to tell anyone until right at the end of the school year.  I'm not really sure why she told me...heh.


And smujohnson - I think you're completely wrong.  They won't see you as being suspicious or shifty.  They'll just carry on like normal.  It sounds like you're projecting Western assumptions onto Japanese people there.    It's a "natural thing in life" if you're living in the west.  Obviously, it's not in Japan.

In my case, when I was asked, I told people.  I didn't go around broadcasting it, but when directly asked, I don't like to lie - so I would just tell them.  Since you're a foreigner, it is kind of a special situation and the normal rules don't exactly apply.  Just do what you think feels right.

Last edited by Ben_Nielson (2009 March 01, 7:02 pm)