Teaching English In Japan

Teaching English in Japan may sound like a fun and exciting thing to do, but if you are considering it, you’re advised to do your research before making your final decision. It’s important that you can be confident about the salary and job prospects you will gain whilst you are out there and most importantly whether you will fit in or not.

Depending on the age group, teaching in Japan can often be very difficult so you have to certify that you have the patience, and variety of techniques available in order to teach and successfully transfer English language skills to your Japanese students. The Japanese unlike other cultures value their language and culture very highly so teaching English there isn’t as easy as you might think.

When you’re looking into something like this, all of the schools and companies with available teaching positions may not require the same experience. Certain schools will accept applicants with just one to two years teaching experience, whilst others will only take you if you have three to four years experience and a valid Masters Degree in ESL/EFL. So before replying save yourself the rejections by doing some thorough research, it will save you time and effort.

In saying the above don’t get totally discouraged because if you think you can do well in Japan then there are many schools that will consider taking you on under a trial contract. This can be a great way of getting your foot in the door and many TEFL teachers have used this method to their advantage. Simply find out which schools are in need of English teachers and do your best to show them your enthusiasm about teaching English in Japan, it’s worked for others and could well work for you.

The average English teacher in Japan can earn anything around 250,000 yen (£1200) each month. So depending on your financial situation and your outgoings each month, it could be the deciding factor when deciding to pursue or not. The salary will vary depending where in Japan you apply, the bigger cities will have a bigger budget for English teachers so will be able to provide more whereas the smaller parts won’t be able to match. Being paid less in the smaller cities is no big deal because you will still be able to live comfortably as the cost of living will also be less.

Where you teach in Japan sometimes also has to do with the amount of experience you have in the field. The big city schools and companies may only take on the teachers with several years of experience and that masters degree, whilst the smaller city’s will be more receptive to low experience applicants. Again everyone has to start somewhere so do your research and apply appropriately.

When considering teaching English in Japan, there are a few personal traits which will make you stand out, some of these include a positive attitude, a will to succeed, a bubbly, outgoing personality and most importantly a good understanding of their culture and its history. The trick to keeping your class interested is to keep them entertained, but teach them while you do so. You can do this via a number of practical teaching methods and this can really help them gain confidence and a level of trust in your English teaching skills. It’s a difficult part of the world to teach English but never the less if you succeed it can be highly rewarding.