First Steps to Teaching English in Japan

What are the First Steps Teachers should take?

by Kevin Burns

Jobs in Japan for Americans: the unique American situation

First Steps in a Nutshell

*Get a University Degree--any degree is fine.

*Get some TEFL or other training

*Research Japan or whichever country you decide to go to.

*Can you get a working holiday visa?

What will you be paid? More on Salaries in Japan.

Learn more about the visas offered.
*Save your money and research living cheaply in your chosen country.

*Study the native language of your chosen country--Japanese in the case of Japan.

*Volunteer teach in your hometown to get some valuable experience.

Pictured: Cherry blossoms along the road by Richard Baladad

More in Depth Advice

First off, why are you interested in teaching English in Japan? What stereotypes do you have of this exotic country? Are they true, or merely a facade?

I cannot answer that question for you. You need to answer that for yourself by doing some research on modern day Japan.

What is she really like?

A good Lonely Planet Guidebook on Japan would be a great place to start--as would Wikipedia and any book by Edwin Reischauer and Alan Booth.

Why Japan over other countries? Why do you want to teach in Japan specifically?

Why not Korea or China for example?

For some the culture is intriguing--manga, anime, sony, the temples, ikebana, sumo and origami to name a few. For others the pay is better in Japan than in many countries. It is very safe. It is clean and the food is healthy. There are many reasons for choosing Japan. What are yours?

For me: I had met many Japanese in Vancouver and thought they were great people. I had, had a Japanese-Canadian friend and had been exposed to a certain extent to Japanese culture through his family. My brother had taught in Japan and he told me all about it. Then I talked with more people who had done the same thing, and I read all that I could. That convinced me that Japan was the correct choice.

But you need to find out for yourself.

In some countries the currency is weak or the work situations are often negative.

I won`t mention any countries by name but some of them are infamous for bad working conditions.

Generally in Japan, the work situations are good. However you need to be careful. Hopefully this website will help you! Read all you can! I can`t say this enough. You will never regret the time you spent reading about living and working here.

Get a University Degree

Although there are people who do teach without a university degree, the jobs they get tend to be not as good as those of university graduates. Therefore, the first step to teaching English in Japan, is to get a university degree.

Get your TEFL or Other Training

Getting a TEFL certificate or equivalent will help you to get hired.

It also gives you valuable training. CELTA or TESL are other possible certificates you can study for. They will help to prepare you to teach, and they will show potential employers that you are serious about teaching English in Japan.

Beautiful photo of clouds in Japan by Richard Baladad

Do Some Research

At risky of sounding like your grandfather, repeatedly telling you about that huge storm back in `52, I will repeat:

Read everything you can about working in Japan. Not only at How to Teach English in Japan, but other websites and books from your local library. Almost everyone knows someone who has taught in Japan.

Ask them for advice and pepper them with questions about what it was like.

Become an expert on English schools and what it is like to live and work in Japan. You will regret it if you don`t! You may get into an undesirable situation if you don`t do the research.

No one said this would be easy. You are taking a huge step by leaving your home and your family, but let`s make it a positive and exciting step, rather than a nightmare!

Okane--Money: Japan is Expensive, you need to Bring Some Cash!

I brought 300,000 Yen with me when I first came to Japan.I wanted to have a cushion to get started with. It is crazy to come with hardly any money. Bring some cash. Get a bank loan if necessary. That`s what I did. Then I paid it back over the first year.

Now that I have told you Japan is expensive. I have done my duty. I have warned you.

The reality though, is Japan can be expensive. When I go back to Canada, I think Canada is so expensive. In truth, I nolonger know how to live in Canada cheaply. I look at the restaurant bill, then realize I have to add a tip on top of that and think, Oh my God, this is gonna cost a bundle!

You will learn to live cheaply in Japan

Japan can be amazingly cheap. If you cook for yourself, you can eat well and cheaply. If you want to eat out sometimes, go for lunch. Lunches are very large and very cheap at restaurants. Many if not most, have lunch specials.

There are many "recycle shops" where you can furnish your apartment on the cheap. Japanese take care of their thingssurprisingly well, so buying used is a great deal.

Japan is home to the best dollar shop in the world--Daiso. They sell everything and most of it is 100 Yen--about one dollar.

I could go on and on, but you will learn how to live cheaply here. But come with some cash to tide you over for the first 6 weeks or so--the time it takes to receive your first paycheck.

Nihongo -- The Japanese Language

Start studying Japanese. Many local community centres in NorthAmerica offer night classes in basic Japanese. Start learning before you go. You can also learn on the internet through some of the recommended sites in the Learn Japanese section of this website.

You may be able to do some language exchange via skype or by meeting Japanese people in your area.

Volunteer

Volunteer to help at some local schools. If possible teach some ESL classes voluntarily to get your feet wet. You may be able to do some volunteer ESL teaching at a community centre or your local library.

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