If you're so dead set on becoming an English teacher in a foreign country then there are plenty of oppurtunities in China, Russia, and South Korea too among others.

Those that are complaining about JET are pretty narrow minded if they think that's their only option to travel.

I wouldn't say narrow-minded, but if someone is literally studying a certain language in hopes of going to said country, makes more sense to me that one would try and go to that country as opposed to others at the moment to actually improve upon the language that he or she has put in so much time studying. That's like my studying five years of Spanish and not going to a Spanish speaking country to improve on it, and going to...Germany instead with no prior knowledge or having even barely a beginner's level in German.

My friend is also black I'm sure this played a large role in him not being accepted.

It seems a lot of people didn't carefully read the post and are thinking that I am complaining about myself not getting accepted. I NEVER wanted any part of JET because I hate how you cannot decide where to live. I don't want to be placed in the middle of nowhere. This was about my friend, not me.

What basis do you have to say that? I know black JETs, Asian JETs, Hispanic JETs, etc, etc. Where the heck do you get the notion that racism was the reason he wasn't accepted?

True.... fair point

I highly doubt this. Maybe if there were absolutely no black JETs, which isn't true since there are black JETs, then you'd have something to base it on.

I mentioned earlier that I have teaching experience (not as much as I'd like, but I do have some), tutoring experience, I've worked with an autistic child, I've taught children how to read and improve upon it, going to school for education, study Japanese language and culture, and a bunch of other things, but wasn't granted an interview. Who knows why, though. Maybe I had a mediocre SoP. Maybe someone did better than me by like 1%, so I got tossed. I'm not sore about it, a little curious maybe, but I'll just reapply next year with a more polished up application.

There are only so many positions. There are more people applying than there are positions, especially since Japan is cutting back some because of economic issues.

Did your friend make it to the interview process? Maybe he didn't come across as flexible or maybe he came across as arrogant or maybe he did something else that caused the interviewers to believe that he wouldn't be a good candidate for the program. Unless you're an actual interviewer, you don't even have the right, or basis, to say they turned him down because of his race.

Seriously, you are going to go there? Take this in the spirit is in intended when I say "Pull your head out."

If thinking this makes your friend sleep better at night, fine. But you know, and I know, and anyone with any intelligence in 2009 knows that the JET Program does not discriminate by race. Comments like this do not belong in an intelligent discussion.

I actually did study four to five years of Spanish in all, but, I was never in a position or situation where I could actually go to a Spanish speaking country to improve upon it. I really did want to someday become fluent in the language. Unfortunately, I barely remember any of it. So, right now, I'm studying Japanese. I would like to someday be immersed in the culture and such, so that I may strengthen my language skills. Can't do that, for me anyway, unless in Japan. Also interested in teaching someday, so learning some techniques from different sources, would benefit me in the future.

There are other countries I'd like to visit someday, maybe live there for a while, Spain being one of them, but for now, I'm going to concentrate on Japan.:)

You do have some influence over where you want to live, and I have never heard of anyone who chose "metropolis" being sent to the countryside. I do know several people who chose "countryside" or "small town" and then winded up regretting it because they thought city life was riding like sardines in trains and sleeping in capsule-sized rooms.

I think everyone here knows you were talking about your friend, but YOU are the one that posted it, not him, so comments are directed at you.