On Chozen English School

Chozen is NOT Hiring at the Moment!

On Chozen English School - Japan

From an OLD Chozen ad

Our school, Chozen English School is a growing institution dedicated to teaching English and English conversation. Our instructors are all native English speakers currently from America, England, and Australia. Our devoted and enthusiastic staff is constantly focused on helping our students achieve their goals.

On Chozen English School -- Locations

Our school is located in Kitaibaraki-shi, Ibaraki-ken, which is two hours north of Tokyo along the Pacific Ocean. The school is only a five minute walk from Isohara Train Station (JR Line).

On Chozen English School -- Instructors

We are seeking lively, energetic, and highly motivated instructors to teach conversational English to Japanese students of all ages. Instructors will gain one of the largest ranges of experience possible as they teach business people, Japanese university students, high school students, elementary/primary school children, kindergarten children, and young infants. Those who are interested in a rewarding overseas experience and enhancing their teaching skills should apply for this unique and rewarding opportunity.

On Chozen English School -- QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

* Must be native English speakers.

* Must have graduated from university with bachelorís degree or higher degree

* Must have a current passport from an English-speaking country.

* Must be comfortable working with all ages including infants to adults.

* Must have computer skills with at least basic understanding of MS Office.

On Chozen English School -- QUALIFICATIONS PREFERRED:

* Best to have classroom teaching experience.

* Best to have EFL/ESL teaching certificate.

* Best to have elementary/primary/secondary teaching credentials.

* Best to have at least 500+ hours of actual classroom teaching experience.

On Chozen English School -- CONTRACT PERIODS:

TWO YEARS Late January/Mid February 2008 (for approx. 24 months) Note: all contracts are renewable

On Chozen English School -- SALARY:

250,000 yen per month. One of the best benefits for Instructors of our school is the location with an enormous difference in living expenses of other cities. Compared to larger cities, Kitaibaraki has very low rental/utilities fees which allow instructors to save much more than if they were residing in an expensive area such as Tokyo.

On Chozen English School Miscellaneous

Housing is provided

* Furnished single apartment provided (rent of 40,000 yen month.)

* Shared apartment provided (rent of 25,000 yen month.)

* Working visa is sponsored

* Summer and Winter vacations

* 30-35 teaching hours a week

* NOT REQUIRED to currently reside in Japan

* NOT REQUIRED to have Japanese language ability/skills

Application Deadline: January 2008

On Chozen English School

Apply by e-mail with letter of introduction. Note: Address email to Human Resources Department with CV/resume, (copy) diploma(s), dates of availability, and photograph. Contact Maryanne Kumada. Chozen English School, 865 Ishioka, Nakago-machi, Kitaibaraki-shi, Ibaraki-ken, 319-1558 Japan Telephone:+81- 293-42-2829 Fax: +81-293-42-2918, email: chozen@sky.plala.or.jp maryanne-k-73 at hotmail.com

On Chozen English School -- Wondering about signing?

A prospective teacher wonders about whether to choose Chozen.

Greg wonders about signing that contract?

Past Mistakes

All schools make mistakes. Teachers do too, don`t get me started. Chozen English School knows that in the past mistakes have been made regarding the care and employment of teachers.

On Chozen English School -- I found one review about Chozen.

It is a pretty negative review about Chozen.

The reviews where the poster doesn`t use his/her real name, I hold in very low esteem.

If it is true I think you should give your name and stand behind what you say. People know this website is written by me. My name is at the bottom of every page.

Why cringe behind a pseudonym? What are you afraid of?

Keep in mind that people who like Chozen English School probably don`t bother to post about it. Anger is the great motivator for comedy, for writing, and for posting about English schools!!!!

On Chozen English School -- Found this about Chozen at Jobvent.com:

"From Kitaibaraki City Ibaraki Prefecture — 02/20/2010

Category Rating

Pay -5

Respect -3

Benefits -5

Job Security 3

Work/Life Balance -5

Career Potential/Growth -5

Location 3

Co-worker Competence -5

Work Environment -5

This is a typical Private English language school (Eikaiwa) in a rural area that is exploiting & abusing not only its employees(Teachers) but also, its clientele(Students) who are none the wiser. The pay is $2400/mth which is pretty pathetic but standard at entry level however, even if you have experience, top rate credentials/qualifications or immaculate teaching skills like myself the base salary stays pretty much the same. I've talked to many Teachers past & present who've complained that they've tried to improve the school & the way it's run but they've got no respect & it's like talking to a brick wall because even though the head teacher is nothing more than a native English speaking burnt out housewife with no teaching skills, qualifications or managerial skills she & the useless Japanese husband school owner make all the decisions without taking any of their employees opinions into account. There are zero benefits except for the paid night out once in a blue moon(I'm still owed $30 for a night of drinks I had to pay for) There are no monetary or career growth incentives so, the teachers have no motivation & thus turn up late, drunk in some cases & are often ripping of the students who are paying for the teacher's time where every second counts.

This does not exclude the head teacher who has been caught drinking cans (That's plural) on the premises & then teaching a class at 8pm/9pm drunk (Usually adults) There were even cases where I was put on the spot & had to cover for my incompetent supposed superior on numerous occasions due to her drunk state, tardiness, slackness or her overall administrative incompetence. over 4 teachers have bailed mid contract (2 since I left) 1 teacher was busted for marijuana possession & pushing. The work environment is a bit dirty as they only clean the premises once or twice a year & you have to obey an owner or superior who are as useless & incompetent as each other with no teaching or admin/managerial skills/qualifications. They force you to do 30-35 contact hours (Technical loop-hole in contract allows it but illegal ) but actually make you teach 35-37 & expect you to use your own time plus the 3 hours remaining of the 40hr legal work weekwhich as we in the ELT industry all know is illegal but this technicality loop-hole of 40 office hours a week is often exploited & crammed with 37-39 hours of actual teaching contact hours which can be especially physically draining if you teach 90% kids!!! The pay is awful as I mentioned at the top & on top of that any parties(Halloween, Christmas, gatherings with students etc) The school week is Mon-Sat so, the parties or gatherings are usually held on your only day off (Sun) & are all volunteer with no extra pay so, all you get is the base salary no matter what & the once in a blue moon paid drinking night out!!! So, even though I feel guilty & disappointed for leaving my students out in the cold (Many quit & lost faith in the school & some I even teach) I'm still glad I left & have upgraded my career & financial wealth. I now work 4 days/wk for a multinational corporation (teaching English/Interpreting & translating) as well as for my own private school I started up after I left. I'm also, teaching 2 night's/wk at a local high school for $90/50min lesson which is 2-3 fold of any English classes in Tokyo or Osaka. So, now my total salary per annum is around $75,000(which is probably the higher echelon of English teaching salaries in Japan ,anyway)!!! My advice to anyone in the ELT/ESL industry especially in Japan but also elsewhere is first of all cut out the middle man & never work for dispatch/temp companies always deal with direct contracts & ideally don't work for anyone but yourself or if your lucky deal with private high schools or corporate firms which have huge bonuses & financial incentives for not being sick or tardy. I get $1500/annum just for doing what I'm professionally required & expected to do(Not be absent/sick or late)!!! Although, the location is rural I think it's a nice place so, I give this job a rating of -4!!!"

More anonymous job reviews at Jobvent.

On Chozen English School in Reply to a Teacher`s Question about this school:

Teacher: Why would they need teachers in June?

You make a very good point about Chozen needing teachers in June. It could be as you seem to suggest that teachers terminated their contracts.

It could of course be because teachers were fired--didn`t pan out. Hiring is an extremely difficult art. I have been doing it for 20 years now and still feel it is very difficult and stressful. People do their best to hide who they really are. They simply want the job.

Yet I want to find out who they really are. I want to find out who we are really getting. If my BS detector goes off, I usually shy away from that candidate as I feel they are hiding something or just trying to tell me what they think I want to hear.

One of our teachers left early because her mother had cancer. Some leave to seek better offers elsewhere. Some leave to follow a boyfriend orgirlfriend.

One left as he wanted to be in Tokyo so he lefta bit early, and he was hoping to make more money. (Yet with Tokyo rent and cost of living in general, I think he probably didn`t)

You should ask Chozen why these teachers left.

Of course they may come up with some stock answer.

I would trust your gut instinct

As you seem to be doing. I turned down my first offer in Japan. It was a school up in Saitama that wanted me there 8 hours 7 hours a day 5 days a week. I asked around and found I could probably do better.

It is good to be cautious and take your time, and to read about working in Japan and know the situation you want before signing that contract.

If you can, you may want to come to Japan first to line up your job. I took out a bank loan to come. Yet I did have a job lined up, but I think I could have done better. Yet I was afraid to come without a job, so got many hours for very low pay at Nunoike in Nagoya.

In 1989 Nunoike was paying below industry standard for above standard hours. I needed a job.

Nunoike was actually very good in many ways though. Anyway you want to know about Chozen.

Chozen makes a good point about the cost of living in their areas. I bet you can save more. I would check on the work hours. Were it meand I was a young guy again (sigh), I would shootfor 20 hours a week for 250,000 Yen--no office hours. I come in, I teach, I go home. I would hold out for that. Those jobs may be difficult to get though. I didn`t get that right off the bat in Japan either.

Positive People don`t Post as often as Negative People

Anger is the great motivator.

Keep in mind that people who like this Chozen probably don`t bother to post about it. Anger is the great motivator for comedy, for writing,and for posting about English schools!!!!

If Chozen Wishes to Comment

We will gladly print comments by each English school reviewed at our site!

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