RResidents in Japan

What’s your strategy to fend off the “Teach me English” people?

I get so goddamn tired of Japanese people asking me to teach them English.

Yes! The reason why I spent so many extracurricular hours to learn Japanese, use my resource to come live in Japan and learn the Japanese culture was to come here and teach you English! Yes, I definitely want a relationship with you based solely on what I can give you! Wow, you’re so smart and what a unique request that I’ve never heard before! /s

When someone asks me that, I automatically file them under a person I will avoid at all costs. I think they can tell I’m unhappy that they asked that since Japanese people can be kind of in tune with that shit. Sometimes it’s people who I work with, so I don’t know what a good way to maintain a working relationship with that person is without them feeling angry that I’m not going to be their personal English teacher.

I’ve passed N1 so it’s not that my Japanese is bad either.

Anyway, just curious to hear ya’ll’s strategies.

20 comments

  1. I’ve been living here almost 4 years and I’ve never once had this experience or request. I don’t know if it’s the energy certain people give off or what.

    Are you an English teacher perhaps?

  2. Look at it as a compliment. They think your Japanese is good enough. Just say I’m a shit teacher, sorry, and move on.

  3. 　　tell them you do NOT speak English ?
    Or simply say you have a busy life between work and gf/wife
    Should be simple

  7. maybe they are hitting on you, because you are beautiful.
    If you are not beautiful, i am sorry and wrong.

  8. Just be honest and tell them you are not an English teacher. Then recommend them to find someone who specializes in that. Throw the teachers out there looking for private lesson students a bone while getting them off your back. 😀

  9. Once had a woman sit down at my table in a food court and say “Oh good. I get a free English lesson.”. I ate my meal in silence and left.

  10. Why so bitter? This literally happens to any Japanese living in a western country as well. Just tell them sorry you don’t know how to.

    Damn, of all things to be upset about. Also no idea why your Japanese level matters here.

  15. So it was like 10 years ago, in my field it’s mostly dudes and I was asked that very question at lunch by a group of 4 (male) coworkers. They wanted to set weekly 1h sessions of me teaching them English after work. I told them I only teach foreign language (I’m French) to hot women and none of them qualify.
    It’s a sexist locker-room kinda thing to say and I’m a bit ashamed now but it fit their stereotype of French people so they laughed and never bothered me again.

  16. OP, this thread isn’t representative. Those “teach me English for free” happens even more during dates. Just know that this had happened to many people and it is okay to feel like you do. I would probably just proceed the conversation in Japanese tho.

  18. “That would be great! I’ll email you once I look through my schedule. It’s a bit busy in the short term but sounds fun!”

    And then you never email them.

  19. At first I thought: “Damn you’re right”.

    Then I thought: “Wait, when was the last time anyone asked me to teach them English? What did I reply? How did that work?”

    Then I realised that I probably just nodded along in a slightly insecure manner the way I normally do around people I don’t know very well. I didn’t really end up teaching anyone any English. Perhaps I corrected a few odd sentences here and there, but I definitely never gave any lessons. It could just be a form of breaking the ice talk, you know how people say “we should totally go out one day”, and then never do so.

  20. I’ve lived here for over a decade and rarely do I get asked that
    Maybe I’m not as friendly as you are

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