I intend to teach English in Japan. There is no need for quotation marks.
Not everyone here is an ALT.
No. I intend to go back home eventually.
Nope, will move on once I’m happy with my time here or hit a plateau in salary.
While it’s a decent gig, I don’t see this as something I could keep doing until retirement. The conundrum is I love Japan and don’t really have much desire to move back to my “home” country (haven’t lived there is a long time), but I have no qualifications or experience *other* than English teaching, so it’s either stay here and keeping doing this for as long as I can, or move back and do something else. (and as wonderful as Permanent Residency would be, I don’t think I’ll be eligible. One of the requirements to apply for PR is having a multi year visa. I’ve been here for 13 years and have only ever been able to get single year visas, despite applying for 3-5 year ones. Even tried applying with an immigration lawyer, still the same result/situation)
What subject?
I thoroughly enjoy teaching Business English and differences in the business culture around the world to my Japanese students online. I don’t see myself stopping this any time soon, especially since I receive my salary in dollars. I wish more English teachers had this option here.
I understand teaching English is not for everyone and for most people it’s just a way to get into the country and then move on to something else, but, in my case, I was born to teach and I can’t imagine doing anything else as a full-time job. Sometimes I feel it’s a sin to say that on any japan-related forum.
16 more years to go.
If I can get a decent paying job teaching English at a private school, then I definitely could, but otherwise, it’s not financially sustainable as a career. I want to have kids, buy a house, and be able to save money, and you can’t do that on an ALT/eikaiwa salary.
That is my intention, yes. Been at it for 16 years now. From JET ALT to homeroom teacher at a technical college to a direct hire at a public high school to finally becoming a licensed teacher with tenure at a private JHS/SHS.
Currently working as an ALT and actively working on getting a teacher’s license, which I should have by February.
Also self-studying web development and hoping to get a software engineering job, which I would prefer to working in education. If that doesn’t work out I’ll have teaching to fall back on. I like to keep my options open!
[deleted]
Just landed a tenured university position last year. I can’t say I’ll be here “forever,” but this is not a job I’d give up easily.
I have a teacher’s license so I’m essentially doing the same job either way.
When you say English teaching, does that just mean eikaiwa/alt? Or are you considering English professors to be English teachers as well?
I’m hoping to break into as an independent artist, not only for Japan but international as well… I’m not looking to get rich or anything but just enough to get by and live and have my own visa without having to marry I’ll eventually renounce my US citizenship after my 10 years and stay here indefinetly..
I like my job, and I’m fine with the pay. However, my parents are getting old and it’s starting to have a psychological impact on me, so I plan to leave Japan eventually.
Naaaah.
Despite being a registered teacher in Australia I stayed for 5 years (small town, got married…etc). Would do it all again, but in hindsight the pay’s shit and I probably shoulda moved on earlier as it harmed my mental/physical health being there ‘too long’.
Not saying I’m rich, but once you get a better job/salary I think it’s virtually impossible to justify the idea of ‘teaching in Japan’ forever. IMO it’s a ‘gap year’ (or 5 in my case – all totally worth it), not a career.
There are teachers, and there are “teachers.”
Teachers take teaching seriously, do it because they love it, and put a lot of effort into it. So of course, for them, teaching is a lifelong career.
“Teachers” are doing it for the visa. That’s about it. Obviously, it’s just a job for them; not a career by any means.
Very different groups.
Wouldn’t say forever, but certainly haven’t been treating it as a short term exchange either.
Liscensed in my home country, I came over as a ALT, worked on getting a TESOL, landed a nice direct hire gig. I’m happy for now, but working on my Masters as we speak. When the time comes I’ll move on.
Unless the English school market changes significantly in the near future I’m planning to keep teaching/running schools until I make enough to retire.
I’m probably at the top of the food chain in regards to an “ALT’s” salary/benefits with a workload of less than, I presume, 80% of all dispatch ALTs and yet I still hate this job.
If I can stay in good gigs like the one I have now, then yes… but realistically, we have kids and they have grandparents and cousins and family, and we will probably want to go back to the US someday.
Likely. Pay is about the same as Aussie schools but cost of living is much cheaper. Buying a house is actually achievable.
No, but I would have. Stuck around for over 5 years and honestly enjoyed teaching and my students/their families and my school/area; but the way the company treats employees is discriminatory and abusive and no one can live like that for long.
Starting at a different company now, (with 5+ years of experience) will drop my salary to even lower than when I first started at my old company so cannot say I’d be looking to go back to the industry.
In japan, yes. If I move back to my home country, nope.
Plan to teach in Japan but idk if I’d call it a career. I’m married to a Japanese guy with an extremely secure job, we own our house outright, and are only having one kid, so my income is just supplemental really. I can afford to putter around part time.
I intend to teach in Japan (no need for sarcasm quotes) until I get a better offer to teach elsewhere. Since I am not actively looking for work outside the country and since I’m not so fabulously amazing that headhunters stumble into my apartment with job offers, I expect that means I’m in it for the long haul. I’m not married to being in Japan, but it could well become a common law spouse in the near future.
No. I’m very close to being able to give it up entirely, but I can’t just yet and it’s so frustrating.
This sub really idealises furthering your career. Doing MAs and getting proper teaching jobs is hard work, not that fun and exhausting. I know people who have done it and then gone back to conversation school for the easy life. I think we should try to remember that not all of us are motivated by the same thing and getting an MA and a legit teaching job is not the end game for everyone.
Big nope from me.
I’ve been doing it for 8 years and I’m ready to say goodbye to teaching.
Thinking about what job to do next since I have a spousal visa now as of last month.
Yeah, I got a permanent position for an institution that I really feel values me. I was a teacher back before I came to Japan and love the work; now I can continue doing what I love, with coworkers I like, and I can continue to develop my skills professionally.
Why would I do anything else?
forever is a big word. i wouldn’t say I’ll be doing it forever so short term yes.
36 comments
Planning my escape as we speak
I intend to teach English in Japan. There is no need for quotation marks.
Not everyone here is an ALT.
No. I intend to go back home eventually.
Nope, will move on once I’m happy with my time here or hit a plateau in salary.
While it’s a decent gig, I don’t see this as something I could keep doing until retirement.
The conundrum is I love Japan and don’t really have much desire to move back to my “home” country (haven’t lived there is a long time), but I have no qualifications or experience *other* than English teaching, so it’s either stay here and keeping doing this for as long as I can, or move back and do something else.
(and as wonderful as Permanent Residency would be, I don’t think I’ll be eligible. One of the requirements to apply for PR is having a multi year visa. I’ve been here for 13 years and have only ever been able to get single year visas, despite applying for 3-5 year ones. Even tried applying with an immigration lawyer, still the same result/situation)
What subject?
I thoroughly enjoy teaching Business English and differences in the business culture around the world to my Japanese students online. I don’t see myself stopping this any time soon, especially since I receive my salary in dollars. I wish more English teachers had this option here.
I understand teaching English is not for everyone and for most people it’s just a way to get into the country and then move on to something else, but, in my case, I was born to teach and I can’t imagine doing anything else as a full-time job. Sometimes I feel it’s a sin to say that on any japan-related forum.
16 more years to go.
If I can get a decent paying job teaching English at a private school, then I definitely could, but otherwise, it’s not financially sustainable as a career. I want to have kids, buy a house, and be able to save money, and you can’t do that on an ALT/eikaiwa salary.
That is my intention, yes. Been at it for 16 years now. From JET ALT to homeroom teacher at a technical college to a direct hire at a public high school to finally becoming a licensed teacher with tenure at a private JHS/SHS.
Currently working as an ALT and actively working on getting a teacher’s license, which I should have by February.
Also self-studying web development and hoping to get a software engineering job, which I would prefer to working in education. If that doesn’t work out I’ll have teaching to fall back on. I like to keep my options open!
[deleted]
Just landed a tenured university position last year. I can’t say I’ll be here “forever,” but this is not a job I’d give up easily.
I have a teacher’s license so I’m essentially doing the same job either way.
No, I’m not gonna become a [Bruce](https://www.reddit.com/r/japanlife/comments/ekq1l1/what_makes_longterm_expats_so_bitter/fdd2rop?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share&context=3)
God I hope not.
When you say English teaching, does that just mean eikaiwa/alt? Or are you considering English professors to be English teachers as well?
I’m hoping to break into as an independent artist, not only for Japan but international as well… I’m not looking to get rich or anything but just enough to get by and live and have my own visa without having to marry I’ll eventually renounce my US citizenship after my 10 years and stay here indefinetly..
I like my job, and I’m fine with the pay. However, my parents are getting old and it’s starting to have a psychological impact on me, so I plan to leave Japan eventually.
Naaaah.
Despite being a registered teacher in Australia I stayed for 5 years (small town, got married…etc). Would do it all again, but in hindsight the pay’s shit and I probably shoulda moved on earlier as it harmed my mental/physical health being there ‘too long’.
Not saying I’m rich, but once you get a better job/salary I think it’s virtually impossible to justify the idea of ‘teaching in Japan’ forever. IMO it’s a ‘gap year’ (or 5 in my case – all totally worth it), not a career.
There are teachers, and there are “teachers.”
Teachers take teaching seriously, do it because they love it, and put a lot of effort into it. So of course, for them, teaching is a lifelong career.
“Teachers” are doing it for the visa. That’s about it. Obviously, it’s just a job for them; not a career by any means.
Very different groups.
Wouldn’t say forever, but certainly haven’t been treating it as a short term exchange either.
Liscensed in my home country, I came over as a ALT, worked on getting a TESOL, landed a nice direct hire gig. I’m happy for now, but working on my Masters as we speak. When the time comes I’ll move on.
Unless the English school market changes significantly in the near future I’m planning to keep teaching/running schools until I make enough to retire.
I’m probably at the top of the food chain in regards to an “ALT’s” salary/benefits with a workload of less than, I presume, 80% of all dispatch ALTs and yet I still hate this job.
If I can stay in good gigs like the one I have now, then yes… but realistically, we have kids and they have grandparents and cousins and family, and we will probably want to go back to the US someday.
Likely. Pay is about the same as Aussie schools but cost of living is much cheaper. Buying a house is actually achievable.
No, but I would have.
Stuck around for over 5 years and honestly enjoyed teaching and my students/their families and my school/area; but the way the company treats employees is discriminatory and abusive and no one can live like that for long.
Starting at a different company now, (with 5+ years of experience) will drop my salary to even lower than when I first started at my old company so cannot say I’d be looking to go back to the industry.
In japan, yes. If I move back to my home country, nope.
Plan to teach in Japan but idk if I’d call it a career. I’m married to a Japanese guy with an extremely secure job, we own our house outright, and are only having one kid, so my income is just supplemental really. I can afford to putter around part time.
I intend to teach in Japan (no need for sarcasm quotes) until I get a better offer to teach elsewhere. Since I am not actively looking for work outside the country and since I’m not so fabulously amazing that headhunters stumble into my apartment with job offers, I expect that means I’m in it for the long haul. I’m not married to being in Japan, but it could well become a common law spouse in the near future.
No. I’m very close to being able to give it up entirely, but I can’t just yet and it’s so frustrating.
This sub really idealises furthering your career. Doing MAs and getting proper teaching jobs is hard work, not that fun and exhausting. I know people who have done it and then gone back to conversation school for the easy life. I think we should try to remember that not all of us are motivated by the same thing and getting an MA and a legit teaching job is not the end game for everyone.
Big nope from me.
I’ve been doing it for 8 years and I’m ready to say goodbye to teaching.
Thinking about what job to do next since I have a spousal visa now as of last month.
Yeah, I got a permanent position for an institution that I really feel values me. I was a teacher back before I came to Japan and love the work; now I can continue doing what I love, with coworkers I like, and I can continue to develop my skills professionally.
Why would I do anything else?
forever is a big word.
i wouldn’t say I’ll be doing it forever so short term yes.