Cities are starting to teach English in the elementary schools. Most classes have an average of 8 lessons per semester in the area I work in. Elementaries are a lot more fun, but they require more imagination, energy and basic Japanese ability.

JET or not?
 

:confused: I am a senior in high school planning on going into teaching English in japan i was wondering once i finish with my teaching degree and such do you think it would be a wise idea to apply for the jet program for the experience before going onto another program because while i would like to choose where i will be teaching ( preferably Tokyo) i am not as sure how things would work and jet seems to be a more coddled group so the experience might be helpful before i join a program i can choose where i would work ? any advice would be helpful ^_^
--Thanks :vsign:

The thing with JET is that you'll be a teaching assistant, not an actual teacher. You'll just do whatever you ELT tells you to do. I've heard stories that some don't use their ALTs much at all, but as MMM and others would say, "ESID".

I can't think of any other groups right off to suggest, aside from NOVA, but that's bankrupt now.

IMO, I think it'd be a good idea to apply for teaching jobs in your own country after getting your degree, and after that, then apply to an actual school in Japan and hope you get it, but, if you really want to try something like JET, where you will get exposure to their education system, then go for it. :)

I am going to say no. If you are a licensed teacher from the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand or Australia, don't even bother with ESL unless you can't find a job at an international school. There are tons of private schools especially in Tokyo where the students are primarily foreign nationals. The pay and benefits such as paid vacation are ten times better. Okay, not literally ten times but they are good. Remember however you must be licensed. Just graduating as an education major will not do.

how would i go about getting a license then?

Koutougakou (High School) are fifteen to eighteen (public HS rarely hires non-JET ALT's, some hire only teachers with a master's degree in TESL, private schools are the best paid non-JET ALT's)
Daigakou (college) are eighteen to twenty-one (No ALT, master's required, cushiest job in all of Japan)[/quote]

What is TESL???
Also what is non-JET ALT's?? is it like a company or something??

Teaching English as a Second LanguageNo. Non-JET ALTs are ALTs who don't work through the JET program. An ALT = Assistant Language Teacher. JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) is a Japanese government run program that brings over native speakers of English to Japan to assist ELTs (English Language Teachers). There are two other positions JET offers to apply for: Coordinators for International Relations (CIR) and Sports Education Advisors (SEA).

The thing to remember is that high schools are almost like community colleges in the States. (Sorry, didn't check where you are from.) But yeah, most Japanese will graduate from high school then go to a trade school. That means that high school level English is the highest level most will attain, and therefore the program is a lot more in depth than say elementary schools and junior highs.

Non-JET ALTs are either ALTs that indirectly work for the board of education or are hired direct by the BoE. Direct hiring is much less common than ALTs that work indirectly. The most common form of indirect hires come from eikaiwas (conversation schools) in the local area. Some BoEs hire indirectly for reasons such as indirect hires are usually cheaper. Eikaiwas bid against one another to win contracts so the lowest bidder usually wins. Another reason is that BoEs are partly responsible for taking care of their JETs so hiring them from a company shifts responsibility to the company. A third reason could be that indirect hires are much easier to replace if the school gets a dud and most eikaiwas can provide substitutes in the event of unforseen circumstances.

The way to go if you want to be an ALT is JET. However if you are looking to move to Japan quickly, easily and want to get a certain area, go the indirect route. If you want to work for a high school, get your TESL masters and go for a private high school. Also always remember that with a teaching license from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada or the US, there are a plethora of international schools to work for. I've met PE teachers that have better benefits than ALTs.

In the States to get a teaching license you must pass an exam. The requirements differ from one state to another and country to country. The best thing to do would be to ask a high school advisor or the career department at your college or the college you hope to attend. In some states you may need a post-graduate degree. In others you could need three years of teaching experience and just a passing score on an exam.

hi, I've been a lurker for sometime...I hope you still reply back on here. Your information/advice is greatly appreciated. Although it's late in the game, I am trying to apply for several alt positions to start in Sept. (will use a tourist visa due to time constraint) Since you seemed to have had a decent experience at fifth wings, I too would like to apply there. But I would like to know if you had received an interview or the job contract before arriving in Japan? It seems that the interview will take place in japan, and i am hoping to obtain an interview/job before arriving.