Teaching ESL in Japan: Opportunity for Diversity

Since Japan’s economic boom of the late 1980’s, the historically closed-off country has become an
attractive English teaching destination, opening new opportunities for instructors.  One of the distinguishing attractions of teaching English in the “Land of the Rising Sun” is the population’s general lack of proficiency in English conversation.  The country’s education system is famous in the EFL industry for a teaching style that favors standardized test-based planning.  As a result, while many Japanese students appear proficient on paper, the average tourist might be surprised by the limited English conversational skills of even the younger generations.

Among the most accessible options for those who want to teach English in Japan are the “Big 5” privately owned EFL mega-companies, or eikaiwa.  These businesses are famous for scouting native English speaking countries for prospective instructors with four-year degrees in any subject, providing one-year visas to those who pass through an interview process of three to five steps.

These companies sell individual sessions to the public and often offer specialized English services such as on-site business English instruction, writing correction or standardized test tutoring.  The full-time eikaiwa instructor expects to teach five to eight forty-minute lessons each day, five days a week.  The advantages of choosing such a company include the availability of positions and the lack of lesson planning responsibilities (for those who prefer less autonomy in the classroom), and yet the size of these companies rules out both a personal relationship with management and the opportunity for creativity in the classroom, as rigid lesson plans are mandated.

On the other hand the ALT, or Assistant Language Teacher, functions as a secondary English instructor in elementary, junior high and high schools, supplementing lesson material organized by the head teacher, who is Japanese.  Each head teacher assigns a different level of involvement for his or her ALT: some use them merely as “living recordings” of native pronunciation, while others allow their assigned ALTs to conduct entire lessons.  Often an ALT is treated as a general ambassador from his or her home country, and schools may expect participation in extracurricular cultural and language activities.

The most popular ALT positions are assigned by the Japan English Teaching (JET) Programme, established in 1987 by Japan’s government to engender international cultural and language exchange.  JET sends ALTs to public schools throughout the country, and while its limited lesson-planning requirements and provision of resources for comfortable living (housing, transportation and health insurance) make JET one of Japan’s best known EFL teaching options, it is known for its rigorous and unpredictable selection process.

Other opportunities include international schools and non-profit institutions, though these usually require teaching certification and some years of experience.  These schools may be contacted directly or through EFL teaching agencies (such as TeachAway), and are ideal for those who prefer traditional classroom settings, predictable schedules and a secure income.  In addition, those with graduate degrees can enjoy the benefits of university positions.

There are even companies that hire part-time teachers for casual one-on-one private lessons conducted in neighborhood cafés, which are appropriate for those who have already acquired work visas and desire supplemental income.

A valuable resource for jobs available in Japan is GaijinPot.com, a site that intermediates between employers and job seekers and provides general relocation resources.  Even for those who do not plan to teach in Japan, the landscape of its EFL industry is worth researching for its diversity of business and education models.  Famous for safety, orderliness, cultural richness and social consideration, Japanese culture offers a rewarding experience for novice and veteran EFL teachers alike.

Mycah Banks studied literature and history at university, and then moved to Japan to teach English.  Settling back into the eastern U.S., she is now an aspiring librarian.