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How to get an English Teaching Job in Japan
Want to take a break from "real life" and teach English in Japan for a year or much more?
It's easier than you may think and can be extremely lucrative with wages going up to . . . and can easily exceed . . . £2500
(with an accommodation allowance provided and bonuses with the better establishments)
Teaching in Japan can be a ton of fun or your worst nightmare.
Preparation, and knowing what to expect makes all the difference. Keep in mind the experience is what you make it. And more importantly, despite what you may have read elsewhere, it’s not a paid vacation or a get rich quick scheme.
Having said this, there is a lot to consider in finding jobs in Japan.
BIG CITY : small city
Do some research and decide on which part of Japan you would like to live in.
Big cities offer more “action”, more imported foods and often more energy and vibrancy.
Large cities will have shopping malls and movie theatres.
Finding other foreign teachers will be easier and you won’t stand out in a crowd as much. It’ll be easier to build contacts and have a bigger social life.
Finding work teaching English is easier too. Most schools are in the big cities of course. If you wish to work in a commercial company as a teacher and translator or interpreter, the city is the place.
Ask us for some advice, if you wish.
WHERE TO LIVE?
Large English schools usually have laid-on accommodations for their teachers. Generally they pay the key money and will handle communications with your landlord if anything breaks.
Often they will rent several units in 1 apartment house, so you’ll have friendly faces just 2 doors down. It can be very convenient (not to mention make things a whole lot easier), to have colleagues next door to point you in the right direction or help get you connected.
Smaller English schools sometimes don’t offer accommodations because they prefer to hire from within Japan. There is less risk and they simply don’t want to fork out the key money. This means you'll have to find your own place to stay. No easy feat! This can often require bond money up front.
WHAT TO TEACH?
Large English schools often won’t have any flexibility in their curriculum. You will teach what you’re told to teach. If you don’t have experience in laying out lesson plans and would prefer not to do it, then working for a large ESL school won't be bad.
Large ESL schools tend to see their teachers as expendable. With their massive recruiting budget and connections, they can replace teachers in the blink of a young girl’s eye. This results in a colder atmosphere and causes faster turnover in the staff, which again adds to a colder atmosphere because long-term bonds never get made.
Smaller English schools will often be more flexible with their curriculum, (if they even have one). So you'll be planning your own lessons.
Some schools will allow you to choose your textbooks also. This can give you the chance to experiment with new ESL games, activities and texts. Ultimately it may make you a better teacher.
If you’re chained to a single teaching method, when you change schools, you may struggle with new texts and teaching methods.
AN ALTERNATIVE
An alternative method is to let English Real Fast, ERF, do this job for you.
EnglishRealFast.com works closely with established language schools in East Asia and parts of the ASEAN region. ERF has a very large selection of English language videos which it uses and makes available to assist its teachers in their activities.
As ERF is already in contact with a large number of institutions requiring native English language teachers, it may ease your job search significantly by using its services.
ERF can act as your agent to make contact with potential placement bodies and offer up your services. This is a considerable advantage and prevents you finding yourself being rejected after applying yourself to a number of institutions.
It is extremely important that you only apply for openings for which you are qualified. If you are under qualified, you may receive encouraging and on-going communications only to be dismissed as 'not qualified' at the end of the process. At that time of course it may be too late for you to start new applications. Find out more, here!
ESL / EFL CERT.
Believe it or not, getting started teaching English in Japan is easier than you think but teaching in Japan is not for everyone.
Get the answers you need to make a decision about working in Japan right here on this website! You can ask us anything you like to assist you make your decision.
One of your first steps in starting your career as an ESL teacher is getting some qualifications.
You can give yourself a competitive edge with an online TEFL certificate.
We can guide you to the simplest way to gain an ESL / EFL certificate. We can put you on to the industry leader to help you nail down your first job in Japan.
MULTIPLE APPROACH
Treat this like any other job search.
You may have to send your resume to several places before you find the right fit.
Don't be hesitant to ask prospective employers a lot of questions about their university, your responsibilities, and so on.
You are considering moving to a foreign country for this job!
Make sure they will help you with all the necessary paperwork, like; visa, residency permits, medical exams, etc.
BUY A PLANE TICKET
The earlier you buy one, the cheaper it will probably be. You will probably have to connect through Hong Kong, Beijing, or Shanghai if you are flying on to a smaller Chinese city.
You will probably just want to buy a one way ticket because you might not be sure exactly when you will want to come home.
Many schools will arrange to meet you at the airport when you arrive.
It's a good idea to arrive at least a week before you start teaching so you will have some time to get settled, get over jet lag, and explore your surroundings.
ARRIVING IN JAPAN
Get a visa! The school or university where you will be teaching will send you a letter of invitation so that you can get an entry visa from a Japanese embassy or consulate in your country.
Once you arrive in Japan, you will get a residency permit in your passport, which will serve as a multiple entry visa for as long as you are working there, so you will only need a single entry visa.
Visit your school or teaching establishment first to make yourself known. If they are providing you with accommodation, they will take you there now and introduce you.
Before starting your teaching duties , it's a good idea to get to know the locality.
LEARNING JAPANESE
There are many reasons why Japanese is such a fun and rewarding language to learn. For you it's more so because you're already here and interested in learning it. If you're still undecided or afraid that it's too hard, don't be! It can be one of the easier languages to learn in ways that will surprise you.
So here's what you need to do to teach yourself Japanese and how to do it by using this site.
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Learn Hiragana and Katakana (the Japanese "alphabet").
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Learn vocabulary (with Kanji) and grammar with help from the either the Complete Guide or the Grammar Guide.
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Practice listening, speaking, reading, and writing with material that is interesting to you.
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Learn how to use various tools such as online dictionaries.
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Repeat steps 2 and 3 with progressively more advanced topics.