A bit of background; I’m currently approaching the tail end of my honours degree in Education within a fairly recognisable University in a major English speaking country. That said, I have heard a few contrasting opinions on what my next best steps are. Some people recommend going and starting to work in Japan ASAP, and others are advising me to get a few years experience here first.
I left a prior degree in Biomedicine to pursue my passion in pedagogy and EASL. Because I chose to leave med school in my later years, I am approaching twenty eight soon at the completion of my degree. Time is of the essence for me, is the extra experience worth losing another 2-3 years or am I better off getting there first as an ALT and figuring it out from there? I’m looking to stay long term, anyone else struggling with the choice?
EDIT: Since many people brought it up. I am fully licensed, I got my N2 in JLPT, and my Masters degree would only take one year (is it worth going for though?)
EDIT 2: I have lived in Japan on exchange in my previous course. I still do want to live there long term
FINAL EDIT: Thank you all so much for your input, I think Ive come to a solid plan in what to do. Since I am finishing my honours degree and my Masters qualification will only take one year instead of two, I will teach in an IB school while completing my Masters. After that I’ll apply directly to International School instead of becoming an ALT, also leaves the door open to pursue a PhD thesis to be able to work for Universities. Special thanks to u/Ristique that went through something similar, really helped a lot.
13 comments
Do you want to teach at an international school or Japanese public school?
Edit: will your degree net you a teaching license as well?
I suggest doing a few years of teaching in your country. I’d rather find out if I like something in my country first before going to another country. Unless you know that teaching is for you. I just got my masters and license in two teaching areas, and I have been subbing for two years. I want to get some teaching experience here first.
I’ve also never been to Japan, but I would love to visit various cities and rural areas first as a tourist. So thats my perspective. I’d love to hear the perspective of other people.
If you’ve been to Japan, love the culture, and understand the work culture will be different, I think it can be worth to try right away. I’m still debating with myself because I don’t speak the language and I don’t know if I would like the work culture that is described compared to the teaching work culture in my city.
Have you been to Japan before and would you like to live there, or you are wanting to have a teaching experience there?
What path you take depends on what you want to teach and where.
If EFL, participate in the JET Program for a year. While you’re on your JET year, job search for placement or recruiter companies and direct hire offers from private schools on the Japanese curriculum. If you haven’t already gotten your N2, do it pronto. Private highs prefer candidates with Japanese communication skill.
Salaries can vary a lot from comparable to the JET Program salary to 30%+ . It’s not a fabulous lifestyle, but it’s adequate.
International school teaching on foreign curricula isn’t my area. International school teachers, chime in.
I’m going to ask you the same question I ask everyone: why Japan?
My advice for serious educators who are hell-bent on working in Japan is to get an MA and try find either a direct-hire position at an international school, or to find a university position at a university that has a solid ESL program.
You should also understand that salaries are shrinking, finding a job at a decent school/university is VERY competitive, and thanks to the chipping away of labor rights, you will be on five-year limited term contracts forever – in other words, there is no job stability. This may be similar or different compared to where you are, but keep in mind the number of jobs open to you will be limited merely because you are not Japanese.
This question comes up a lot here, and the reality can be pretty confusing with gaps in reliable information, especially for people who want a legit career in teaching English in Japan.
The biggest thing to know for someone like you is that there is a massive gap in requirements/qualifications between the English business/ALT industry and actual teaching. Basically anything that’s “Eikaiwa” or ALT work is entry level, low pay, no advancement, and all you need is a bachelor’s and to be a first language speaker of English.
That doesn’t sound like what you want to do, since in those environments the teaching methods and environments, as well as the supporting staff, are usually quite insufficient. Your options for actual teaching where you have any choice in the pedagogy, or it’s at least not 20-30 years behind, basically narrow in to 3 options. College, certified international school, and direct hire at a private school with either the special or provisional teaching license. College takes an MA, publications, and usually experience in Japan. International school takes a license, experience in one of the official curriculums the int’l schools here adopt, and usually a few years experience in your home country PLUS a few years experience in another country. Int’l schools in Japan are quite hard to get in to, and there’s a surplus of English teachers trying to get in to them.
The last one is pretty fuzzy on how to pull off. Basically outside of int’l school Japan does not recognize foreign licenses. The only way to become a full teacher that’s reasonable is to get a special license that’s issued by the prefecture. The rules and procedure to get said license varies by prefecture and are not given out often. The board of education could require as much as 3 years experience in Japan in an assistant/teaching adjacent role (like ALT), a testing process, observed teaching hours, and a sponsorship by the admin of a school. The info on this license and how to get it is a bit scarce and unclear even in Japanese.
Basically, anyone can hop over here and get into Eikaiwa/ALT, but very few can upgrade out of that work because any of the next “steps” requires an MA, licenses, years of experience and professional development, and a more serious vetting process for hiring. Combine that with little to no support or clear paths to attain nearly any of those while in Japan, and you can see why there’s a big gap between teaching “jobs” and teaching “careers” here.
Don’t come to Japan as an ALT – it is basically a dead end job with no career progression. Some people have big plans to learn Japanese and move into a better career but the sad truth is that many just get stuck in low paying ALT or eikaiwa work. If I were you I’d get my licence and teaching experience back home and then plan on coming to Japan.
I wouldn’t start at age 30 as an ALT. ALTs are a young person’s game. You’ll be earning an entry level salary doing entry level work at age 30. It also won’t advance your career in any way. Doing ALT work for a couple years when you’re younger is fine but it would be a poor career/financial decision at your age
Hey, from your comments I’m very similar in background to you. 27, Aussie, grew up in another country before Oz, and now I just started teaching in Japan in an International school.
If you have any specific questions you’d like to ask, feel free. However to answer your post, I’d 100% say international > ALT of course. Especially since you’re already licenced, ALT will be considered a “step back”.
As for pay, think of it like this: average International school jobs here pay a ~40% reduction of what starting teachers in Australia get (at your current experience level). Meanwhile, ALTs get on average half that (so like a ~70% pay reduction). CoL is lower here but on ALT salary you will be “ok” as a single person without debt, but you’ll have to manage your finances carefully. Meanwhile the salary I get as an international school teacher is enough to sustain a family of 3 comfortably (many colleagues do so), so it’s very good as a single person without debt.
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ALT work might offer some benefits but you also get international school snobbery that refuses to hire anyone who was an ALT. Get your teaching certificate and experience. Going back from Japan and finding work will be harder because you won’t have any connections and you won’t have local experience.
Being an ALT before learning how to teach properly is like watching someone writing computer code without having studied
it. If you are trained and experienced and end up doing ALT, you can learn how things get done in a Japanese school and see how others teach. (This is not necessary but at least you get something out of it). Doing ALT first is bad advice.
Skip alt all together, look for international schools, private schools, or IB schools. The pay will be better from what I understand. Even direct hiring is better.
Go for masters if you want a career in higher Ed.
Phd can help with getting tenure, but if you are good at what you do, it’s not 100% necessary (unless you are teaching future English teachers/students in English specialized fields).
>recognisable University in a major English speaking country
Unless it’s UCLA, MIT, Stanford, and maybe Cambridge, most Japanese people won’t know your university off-hand without you explaining.