Hi! I’m currently teaching English to adults at two eikaiwas in Osaka and am moving to Tokyo at the end of October.
I’ve been looking for similar full-time teaching jobs in Tokyo on craigslist, jobsinjapan, daijob, and gaijinpot, but pretty much every job I’ve seen is either: teaching children (nooo), part-time, or ridiculously low pay (like ¥1500 an hour).
Are there any other methods or online resources where I can find an eikaiwa job teaching adults? I’ve also looked through facebook groups but most of the jobs there are for hotel housekeeping.
Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you 🙂
14 comments
It’s really hard now to find jobs teaching adults without having to teach kids, in my experience. I moved to a big eikaiwa 4 years ago and made crystal clear in the interview that teaching kids was a zero on my scale of interest. I even said if there was any possibility I would have to then the job was not for me. The interviewers swore it was no problem and I’d never have to. Cut to the pandemic and I was transferred against my will to a big kid-heavy school. I now teach kids daily and hate it. So, I hope you can find something but don’t always trust that they won’t screw you over!
Honestly, most eikaiwa jobs these days insist that all their teachers teach kids. I think you’ll have to look far and wide to find one that does not.
Ohyao Sensei is the only job-hunting site that you haven’t yet mentioned; alternatively, do a google search, go to the company website, and see if they have an application portal or at least an email address.
For what it’s worth I think it’s utterly ridiculous to force people who don’t like kids to teach them, but these days the adult market is dwindling and the kids market is booming, so eikaiwa have had to take on kids lessons to survive. Teachers may not have any alternative than to resign themselves to teaching kids.
You could also try business English teaching, which is far less stable but never involves kids.
How’s your Japanese? Do you have any experience teaching business English?
Use the power of the force
All eikaiwas teach kids now. A lot of schools are 1:1 adult-kid ratio. If you find something let me know. Haha
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The best bet I can think of is to target the booth-type eikawas (like Gaba) where it’s all one-to-one. You might need to go freelance but could put together a schedule. Business English as well and would probably be similar route(?).
Thinking about it now I do know of quite a few that have only adults but they’re not big name ones. Again, you’ll be unlikely to get a full time contract but they pay alright. At risk of doxxing myself I can’t name them but search for smaller, independent eikawas.
I think that kind of pay is pretty standard for eikaiwa these days. Also unfortunately all the big eikaiwa teach kids now. I hate children and every kids class I have I can feel myself losing the will to live.
>teaching children (nooo), part-time, or ridiculously low pay (like ¥1500 an hour).
That is what the job is, what it always has been and what it always will be. Be ready for even lower like 1,100, the current minimum wage in Tokyo. Anyone that tells you they make a livable wage and only teaches adults is making it up. Adult learners are generally only available for a two hours in the evening and weekends. There just isn’t enough hours of available time for a full time job. The full time “English guy” job at big companies was always a bit of a myth and now the few of those that do exist are outsourced to haken companies that pay between 1,100 and 1,400 an hour as a temp worker.
There’s a company i work for called 7ACT that does online teaching to adults, you kind of give “sample” lessons to people and if they like you, you give them lessons regularly. Prob not a full time guaranteed position right away but allows you to not have to teach children if you don’t want to.
Edit: you are paid for the sample lessons
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Search for places offering “business English.” You might also look into doing it yourself. Find a small office space to rent, or a quiet cafe, etc., and just start advertising yourself.
Erm, I don’t recommend GABA what a craphole of a company. Times are tough. Like someone mentioned, you absolutely need to network. Tokyo is ground zero for Gaijins with side hussles, the Instagram neon filter photographer for example.
As I’m hoping you’re already aware, a company like GABA only pays you for your lessons and that’s it. No Teiki, health insurance etc. I too hated teaching kids until I started teaching at a proper international school. Teaching children in a booth is both murder for the instructor and the student.
You’re probably going to have to look at private tutoring. Find something in the meantime to help you get settled in Tokyo, then get private students on the side. Charge them more, and charge them for lessons in groups of ten. You’ll get fewer students, but the ones you do get will be serious. And that’s what you’ll need if you’re going to move on to private tutoring.
Out of curiosity, you’re not moving for work – why are you moving to Tokyo?