Japan - TEFL in Japan

Japanese Flag

Japan has one of the lowest scores on international English tests and has taken steps in recent years to improve English language teaching at schools. From 2011 compulsory English lessons will be given in state schools to 10-12 year olds. Japanese teachers, while often lacking in skills and confidence to teach English, will be working alongside native English speakers.

Jobs are more scarce than they used to be and in recent years it is becoming harder to find work in the popular cities like Tokyo or Osaka. Jobs can still be found, but you may well have to try harder for them and offer more.

Qualifications

There are quite a number of foreigners in Japan right now so schools are becoming more picky with regard to their teachers.

By law you need a degree to obtain a visa to teach in Japan. A TEFL Certificate such as the ICAL TEFL Certificate will also increase your chances of getting work as there is more competition for work than there was a few years ago.

Some countries have an agreement with Japan which entitles their citizens - aged 30 or younger, to a working holiday visa regardless of whether they have a degree or not. Check with your embassy to see if your country is one of those who have undersigned this agreement with Japan.

In some cases it is possible to bypass the requirement for a degree. For this, you will need considerable teaching experience and visa sponsorship from your employer.

Jobs

Many of the big companies like NOVA, JET Programs, GABA etc. pay an extra $30 or so a month if you have a TESL/TEFL Certificate. Work there is quite hard (average working hrs: 30 -35 a week) and there's a lot of it, but it's a good way to get your foot in the door.

By the way, speaking some Japanese will make a big difference and can get you the job over a slightly better qualified but non-Japanese speaking competitor. Likewise looks mean a lot so being pleasant and well dressed makes a difference.

There are a high number of Eikawas or Conversation Schools in Japan where the emphasis is on the spoken word. However, you will still be required to have a good understanding of English grammar in order to teach here. There are also more "traditional" language schools which look at all the language skills.

You may also be able to find work - especially if you are not fully qualified or have less experience - in a company in-house course. Some large companies offer their employees English lessons as perks; sometimes they will take on English native speakers without qualifications for these positions.

Visas

To work in Japan you will need a work visa. This are common for teachers and your school will often act as a sponsor for this and, generally speaking, it's a fairly straightforward process. Although officially you must obtain your work visa before going to Japan, in practice you can often get it only once you have a job which you may get while you are there; most schools will only hire you if you are already in the country.

What often happens in practice is that teachers go to Japan on a 90 day tourist visa then have interviews at different shools (telling immigration you are there as a tourist, of course). Once you have a job the school will help you change your visa to a working one.

Although you can sometimes get the visa in Japan, often it will mean a quick trip out of the country to Singapore of Hong Kong (good for shopping) and then coming back on the new visa. Sometimes the school will help pay for this. It can take from a couple of weeks to a few months to change the visa.

Money

Take at least $4,000 with you. It may be a month before the first paycheck comes in so you'll need to have enough to tide you over.

Pay is around 2,500 USD (1,800 EUR, 1,600 GBP) which is enough to live on reasonably well but from this you'll likely have to pay a lot in accommodation. Eating out can be expensive so it pays to manage your money well till you are familiar with costs and expenses.

Private or hourly lessons can pay between 10 - 35 USD per hour (7.5 - 26 EUR, 6.5 - 22 GBP).

Cultural Notes

• In Japanese society listening and silence is highly regarded and thus students are far less ready to speak as they are in say British or American schools. Thus it can sometimes be difficult to motivate students to talk. Likewise, it is considered impolite to raise your voice and display highly demonstrative behaviour.
• Greeting is by a slight bow of the head or, when shaking hands, to hold with a light grip and avert the eyes.
• Avoid hugging or body contact.
• Do not stare; it is considered rude or intimidating.
• Do not stand with your hands in your pocket which is considered rude.
• Keep your mouth closed when yawning or laughing (you can see people covering their mouth when laughing).
• Blowing your nose in public is considered rude.

In general Japanese people tend to be quieter and more reserved than Westerners.