Why is it so hard to get a job teaching ESL in Japan?
douglas j asked:
I have been teaching for five years in South Korea. I thought it would be easier to get a job in Japan based on my experience. So why is it so hard to get a position? Since it will be my first year in Japan I am not too concerned about where or what kind of school it is.
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I have been teaching for five years in South Korea. I thought it would be easier to get a job in Japan based on my experience. So why is it so hard to get a position? Since it will be my first year in Japan I am not too concerned about where or what kind of school it is.
March 16th, 2009 at 8:25 am
I dont no why its hard but why dont you try jet progamme?? i heard its really good and they help ppl getting those kinds of jobs. Also if that doesnt work out why not try being like a english cram teacher thing?? anyways go here it lists places that want a esl teacher. and heres the jet programme website.
Hope this helps!
March 18th, 2009 at 1:01 am
It’s the economy, finding a job in Japan in ESL is alot harder than it used to be.
Plus with the failure of the NOVA last year there are a lot of out of work esl instructors.
March 20th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
1. Most schools managed by Japanese don’t want to take the pain with all visa and accommodations paperwork and prefer ELTs already living in Japan with working or spousal(married to Japanese national) visa.
2. Because of the current crisis, most Japanese are cutting expenses and lessons /hobbies go first.
3. Because now many young Japanese, genuinely interested in improving their English skills, study abroad, and the strong yen has made this even easier.
4. Because the collapse of NOVA not only left 4000 ELTs without jobs, but also undermined the credibility of English language schools in Japan. You know, some time ago the owner of a cram school in one of the biggest cities in Japan told me the following: “What do you think, we are juku (cram school), not some EL school!”
March 21st, 2009 at 5:51 am
Economy sticks, people are losing jobs, companies are cutting back on English classes.
Also, not too recently ago the biggest language school in Japan went bust, leaving thousands of Teachers unemployed, those teachers needed to find new jobs and obviously moved and saturated the market.
March 22nd, 2009 at 3:56 pm
I know lots of people teaching ESL in Japan who had previously worked in Korea, as well as a lot of people who have got ESL jobs in Japan in the past few months (despite the poor economy). You’re probably just having bad luck because it’s usually not terribly hard. Having experience doesn’t really make it easier though; most ESL companies don’t care about that. Sad but true.
March 26th, 2009 at 12:05 am
It is not because of ESL but recession of circumstances, dude.
Your experience!? What experience??? Teaching English is just like shit as the backyard of fast food. You’d better go back where you came from soon.
March 28th, 2009 at 6:36 pm
just go to “shane english”
there are lots of bad points to working for them (its better to not live in thier own accomodation to avoid having large chunks taken out of your salary) but its really easy to get a job there with your experience you may only have to do a phone interview
its kinda crap workin for them somtimes tho but then lots of schools are here
March 30th, 2009 at 5:18 am
I don’t know why, but my friends have been getting hired by English schools. Maybe you need to check out gaijinpot.com?
They are constantly looking for ALT’s, which I think is better because you are working in an elementary thru high school as opposed to an eikaiwa.
Good luck in your search.