Teaching in the JP 2.0

[joker8880231]

I hate to tell alot of you guys this but teaching English in Japan isn't a career you can do the rest of your life. Teaching English is usually a one to two year commit and thats it. Most people dont even stick with it that long anyway most give up and go home. English teachers dont get paid enough to make a living out of it. There is no way you can support a family on an English teachers salary. Good luck finding a job to since NOVA went out of business there are alot of unemployed English teachers who are fighting for what little positions there are. Since the demand for a job is high in teach English they can pay you whatever they want. The housing they offer through JET is crap. JET usually puts you in the cheapest place they can find and dont be surprised if its infested with something. Most people only teach English when they get out of college because they havent really decided what they wanted to do with their lives yet at least that is the reason my friend did it.

[joker8880231]

Most of the ALT dont actually get to teach they have really teachers for that they will usually use you for paper work or as human recorder lol. I have a bunch of friends who went over to teach English in Japan trust me they got a rude awakening when they got there. If you want more information on teaching English in Japan there are a few books out there former English teachers have written on their experiences. My opinion is get a Master degree and if you really are serious about teaching in Japan for a career.

[lixz]

Does JET help ALTs to get accommodation or ALTs have to arrange for it by themselves?

Any places that i can keep a lookout for, with decent accommodation or 2LDK that's about 50,000 to 70,000 yen a month? i'm confused over the numerous prefectures, districts etc.

[MiraHirana]

Hello. I'm a senior in high school and just started a Japanese course. I plan on teaching High School level in Japan and am a native English speaker whom lives in the U.S. What is your advice?

[biginjapan]

Originally Posted by MiraHirana

Hello. I'm a senior in high school and just started a Japanese course. I plan on teaching High School level in Japan and am a native English speaker whom lives in the U.S. What is your advice?

Go to college first, its pretty hard to find a job there without a BA degree.

[biginjapan]

Originally Posted by joker8880231

I hate to tell alot of you guys this but teaching English in Japan isn't a career you can do the rest of your life. Teaching English is usually a one to two year commit and thats it. Most people dont even stick with it that long anyway most give up and go home. English teachers dont get paid enough to make a living out of it. There is no way you can support a family on an English teachers salary. Good luck finding a job to since NOVA went out of business there are alot of unemployed English teachers who are fighting for what little positions there are. Since the demand for a job is high in teach English they can pay you whatever they want. The housing they offer through JET is crap. JET usually puts you in the cheapest place they can find and dont be surprised if its infested with something. Most people only teach English when they get out of college because they havent really decided what they wanted to do with their lives yet at least that is the reason my friend did it.

Whoa, dude. Did you really have that bad of an experience there? I've heard nothing but good things about teaching English in Japan. The situation with NOVA is very unfortunate. However, I'm not exactly sure it's as hard to find a job as you make it out to be. I know people who got accepted into schools and they did pretty lousy in school.

The pay may not be able to support a family, but if you are just starting out from college it's pretty good pay in my opinion.

Are there really that few positions? I find it hard to believe that with 126 million Japanese people there are so "few" opportunities. Please explain that to me. Who is teaching all of these people?

[SSJup81]

Originally Posted by lixz

Does JET help ALTs to get accommodation or ALTs have to arrange for it by themselves?

Late response, but worth answering never the less. Yes, JET helps you find accommodations. It seems that the Eikawas and stuff leave that type of stuff up to you.

[SSJup81]

Originally Posted by biginjapan

Whoa, dude. Did you really have that bad of an experience there? I've heard nothing but good things about teaching English in Japan. The situation with NOVA is very unfortunate. However, I'm not exactly sure it's as hard to find a job as you make it out to be. I know people who got accepted into schools and they did pretty lousy in school.

The pay may not be able to support a family, but if you are just starting out from college it's pretty good pay in my opinion.

Are there really that few positions? I find it hard to believe that with 126 million Japanese people there are so "few" opportunities. Please explain that to me. Who is teaching all of these people?

Something that wasn't mentioned in that long post by joker8880231 was that ESID (Every Situation Is Different). Not everyone has a bad experience doing JET or teaching English in Japan. Some actually enjoy it. Not all participants of JET get bad housing, some get good places and even houses as opposed to lived-in apartments. Some ALTs aren't used as "human tape recorders" and actually do have opportunities to teach.

As for the family support thing, seems that most who are in things like JET are usually single. For a single person, the pay is pretty decent, as you mentioned.

[typing]

Edited to toan down the anger.

Originally Posted by jasonbvr

Excellent Q/A from the old thread. Enjoy.



This means that you are given 10 days you can ask to receive as holidays. You will get some national holidays off and they should be paid for as well. There will be most likely other holidays that are unpaid around like the New Year holiday.

Acctually since the original question asked about NOVA

You get 10 days off in the year.

You get your regular 2 day weekend, but for any extra holidays you are looking at "Shift Swaps" (So trading your weekend with someone else so you maybe work two weeks streight but then get 4 extra days off) or you get your 10 days vacation. However because you have to request those days off, in writing, a month in advance, and it's only a maybe if they'll say yes.
Oh once your contract is coming up they have to say yes, or pay you for 10 extra days of work (I'm not sure but I think you can choose, you can also "Rollover" your 10 days but you can only do this once and you can't take the full 20 days in one hit)

At most other schools (GEOS, English Center, ALT work.) You get national holidays off and 10 paid vacation days and usually 5 sick days. But with certain schools they'll either make your days off on a Sunday and Monday (So the majority of National Holidays land on your holiday anyway so you get nothing) or they don't give you any national holidays (I think AEON and Berlitz are open on national holidays)

I'm sure this has been corrected already but I saw it and had to point it out.

[typing]

Originally Posted by joker8880231

I hate to tell alot of you guys this but teaching English in Japan isn't a career you can do the rest of your life. Teaching English is usually a one to two year commit and thats it. Most people dont even stick with it that long anyway most give up and go home. English teachers dont get paid enough to make a living out of it. There is no way you can support a family on an English teachers salary. Good luck finding a job to since NOVA went out of business there are alot of unemployed English teachers who are fighting for what little positions there are. Since the demand for a job is high in teach English they can pay you whatever they want. The housing they offer through JET is crap. JET usually puts you in the cheapest place they can find and dont be surprised if its infested with something. Most people only teach English when they get out of college because they havent really decided what they wanted to do with their lives yet at least that is the reason my friend did it.

Well I wouldn't go that far...

Teaching in general can be a bit like Babysitting at times. And teaching English simply because you can speak English makes it moreso like that.

Which is why it can seem like a job that you can't do forever. A lot of people do work at these jobs for 10-20 years or their whole life. You can make a living off of it and support your family off of it (One of my ex-co-workers has taught at an Eikaiwa for 10 years and has just bought a very nice house, he supports his only part time working wife and three children)

It depends on what you want.

If you're coming to Japan to make a quick buck and to see an exotic country then yes, teaching is going to just be a stepping stone in your life and you'll quit within 6 months to a year. Possibly 2 years if something goes wrong or you simply enjoy it.

If you're coming with the desire to, you know, teach. Chances are you'll be able to find a school or Eikaiwa that is perfect for you and your goals, and will be able to support yourself just fine.

When it comes to money though you have to be a little more careful in Japan than you might be at home. Because you're far away and in a new place wanting to experiance things it's easy to spend money like it isn't yours. I pay for my cell, an apartment and my food costs and I still send home 100,000¥ (1,000$) each month at minimum. But it's just as easy that I can accidently blow that money. Go out to the bar or a club? 100$ Pull an all nighter in Roppongi? 200-300$ decide to have an Akihabara day? 100-200$
If I decide to just go out every weekend and have a good time I'm looking at 400$ per month at minimum.

Even not going there, if I decide to be lazy and just eat out for every single meal I'm looking at a whopping 20-30$ per day.

Once you get used to living here you'll be able to save, and live just fine. But once again it depends on you and your own priorities.