so I have decided I am going to move to Japan. I found that the easiest way to make my way to Japan is the teaching route. which I do not mind! Sadly the most schooling I have gotten, of course, is regular school here in America. I haven’t taken any college courses. I was wondering if I did the 140 hour TEFL course, will it do the trick to get a job in teaching? 🙂
I am confident in my English skills. I am a “native” English Speaker. I can have basic conversations in Japanese, but I refuse to move to Japan until I am almost fluent.
The amount of “I” in this is alarming lol
8 comments
Unless you’re getting a familial visa or (maybe) your parents are Japanese, you cannot get a visa without a university degree.
If you have no college degree and still want to go to Japan just join the marine corps and roll your dice. A third of them (especially aviation units) are deployed in or can rotate to Japan.
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As others have mentioned, you need a 4 year degree to apply for a visa.
I hope you don’t mind my saying, but you sound a little bit naive. You must know that countries often have strict entrance requirements for immigrants, and people can’t just move abroad on a whim because they feel like it.
In addition, you need to read though the other posts on this forum – teaching ESL in Japan without a MA in TESOL is not a bed of roses, since the only jobs really worth moving abroad for require one. And unless you have a particular interest in teaching ESL, you may find yourself stuck in a low-paying job you hate.
Honestly, it’s a bit like making all the effort to move abroad for taking a retail job: long hours, low pay, no appreciation from management, being asked to work nights and weekends, having to tolerate poor treatment from a company that sees you as just another cog in a wheel, no promotions or pay raises, no way to move up and out, and – big one – does absolutely nothing for your resume if you decide to leave. It’s hard to switch careers mid-life, and the people who want to wind up needing to go back to school.
In addition, you might think you know something about Japan because you’ve studied Japanese, but reading about a country and living there are two different things. If I were you, I’d come to Japan on holiday first.
I asked this question just because I have gotten and read so many different answers. I reckoned I was not able to move to Japan without a degree, but just wanted to ask before I gave up.
You can’t get a job without a degree = no visa = you cannot move. Plus you said you want to get fluent before moving to Japan? That’s probably harder than going to college in your own country tbh especially if you aren’t in a Japanese speaking environment?
If you are financially able to move to Japan (I assume you mean more than just the price of a ticket), you might be better off going to community college for education.
If you get a Master’s in TEFL/TESOL (for your future plans) that would give you a much better path in Japan.
What about applying to do a degree in Japan with a scholarship. That would get you a student visa and you can study Japanese at the same time. Good luck paying for all this. Japan can be very expensive.