It really won’t make much of a difference if you have one or not. I believe most JETs don’t have a TEFL.
Frankly, if you are getting it just for JET, there are better uses for your time and money.
That said, it won’t hurt to have…but it won’t elevate your application all too significantly.
Don’t feel you need a TEFL to produce a good application. Focus on writing a good SoP, secure solid letters of rec, and be able to explain/defend your weaker areas should they come up in the interview.
Very little. I think it may get you some points on the paper application but vast majority of JETs don’t have it and JET doesn’t ask for it
In general JET isn’t looking for professional seasoned teachers. That’s not the job
Source: have been on panel several times
I mentioned it in my SOP however as others say I don’t think whether or not you have it will have much bearing on your selection. With that said, I don’t regret it now that I’ve been selected as I think knowledge gained can help with the actual job and I always go back to things I saved to refresh my memory (haven’t actually started yet so we will see though).
Not at all considering I got accepted without it. If JET pays for it I might get one while I’m on the program (depends on the amount of desk warning) but it’s not necessary.
I spent time and money getting mine, but it ended up not making too much difference. Most other JETs I met did not have any kind of certification.
No TEFL, no teaching experience, no direct experience but for published creative writing. Got me over there.
I was under the impression it’s very much personality based, and they wanted people who the students can approach, chat to, and warm to more so than learn from… but of course the latter is important.
Either way, most people there with me didn’t have a TEFL!
Not at all! I personally have some teaching/tutoring experience but some of my JET colleagues had nothing to do with teaching when applying! It really is a personality and overall professionalism selection.
Close to zero.
I think the most important things you need to be able to show are:
1. A documented interest in Japan – easiest way to get this on paper is to take an language course in university. You don’t need to show mastery of the language or anything like that. Just have something on paper that shows that yes, you are in fact interested in Japan. 2. Strong communication skills – in the application stage, this means following all directions and writing the best statement of interest you can. In the interview stage it means excelling in the interview. Read the room and if it appears the Japanese interviewers don’t understand your native-level English, tone it down a bit.
That’s pretty much it I guess. TEFL would show documented interest in teaching English but it isn’t really required for the program. It could give you some minor bonus points so it could still be a good investment if you have the time to pursue it and really want to be a teacher post-JET.
Not very.
It doesn’t really help your application at all. It can give you some good knowledge and experience that can help you with your job on JET though. None of it’s super revelatory; it’s just the basics. Not super necessary if you have teaching experience, but if you don’t have much teaching experience it can help you feel more confident in the classroom. JET may not require a TEFL and it’s not looking for seasoned teachers, but it’s still a teaching job at the end of the day, so preparing yourself for that is a good idea
not
What’s a TEFL? 😂
None at all.
Honestly, TEFL is like getting a basic google analytics qualification. It certainly can help you understand techniques for english facilitation but you’re really not gonna be teaching a standard eikaiwa/ESL class because you’re teaching a school curriculum that even in it’s revised state is still centered on university entrance exam success. And so many of the lessons I’ve watched by alts with a tefl qualification have been well below standards because they themselves have bad teaching manners and don’t have any concept of classroom management.
You are not here to be a teacher, you’re here to explore Japan and promote it overseas while working a low skilled job.
It’s not.
Mind ya, ESID and high schools in particular can be a shot in the dark with regards to responsibility, but in elementary school, Japanese language ability is BY FAR the most useful thing you can bring.
You’ll realize or be told after about a month of “teaching” in Japan that the point of English language education here is just to get the kids interested in it, i.e. help them to not develop an aversion to English language and foreign-ness in general.
Develop a good relationship with your co-teachers, follow the lesson plans provided by the textbook you use and innovate where applicable so that you can offer both a fun and informative experience to the kids in your school. 🙂
I didn’t have it but it’s definitely a good thing to have. Edited to say, you need it to work at a high school level
I don’t think having a TESL certificate influenced my application at all. Of course, no one will say that it’ll hurt to get it, but I wouldn’t go out of your way for it.
In all honesty, I think JET is looking for unique, passionate, and interesting people who seem to be able to survive at least a year abroad. You can send the best person for the job on paper, but if they breakdown during the first month, they might as well be useless.
I applied to JET twice; both times I had a CERTESL, B. Ed, and B. A in languages. I didn’t even get to the interview the first time. I applied again with an essay that I spent much more time on and I had a different reference (since my original reference wasn’t available). I’m not sure what made the difference. They never tell you exactly why you’re here or why they chose you over anyone else. When I showed up and asked about it, they just said something along the lines of they “got what they were given by the prefecture”.
I don’t think I’ve needed to use a single TEFL skill in my 3 years here. Depending on competition it might be good to have, it could also be helpful, but it’s not necessary.
Having the piece of paper on your application might make the difference between two very similar candidates but it was absolutely useless for teaching here. The level is too low and most of the curriculums aren’t the international standard.
In the long run, not at all and none of the teachers here will care you have one.
In your application, if you and someone else are about the same, it ___might___ give you the edge. ***BUT your SOP and references are more important***
Doesn’t really matter. If your goal is getting accepted, just spend that time on overcoming nerves and good body language, and spend the money on a nice haircut. They’ll help you way more
So thr first year I applied I made it to the interview but was rejected. The second year, I had 120 hour classes through International Tefl Academy which sponsors JET under my belt and was accepted for early departure.
I can say, TEFL certifications of at least 120 hours are super helpful since they usually* require a longer period of a practicum (student teaching).
For me, I needed 20 of those 120 hours teaching or volunteering for ELL. That eventually landed me a job at the same place I volunteered for which ultimately looks good on my resume. I have had a lot of other JETs ask me for help with lessons since many don’t have a TEFL certification or much teaching experience and would panic since they didn’t know what to do and their JTE just sort of expected them to know upon arrival.
In short, it’s not necessary to get accepted, but it is extremely helpful to utilize in the long run so you aren’t caught off guard as much. In many situations, when you arrive, a JTE expects you to know how to teach a lesson even if they don’t make you teach a lesson.
ETA: I teach middle school so it definetly helped, but for elementary school it’s usually excessive. But keep in mind you won’t know what level you got until you are about to leave. So again, it’s helpful to have if you have never taught or only have a small background in teaching.
If you don’t have any experience living in Japan or haven’t studied abroad before having applied, then yeah it would help a lot and show that you are capable of commitment.
But I will be be honest with you, they’re more concerned about people being able to handle culture shock, Japanese working culture, and people who aren’t going to cause problems or give any indication that they are going to jump ship partway through a contract than they are about teaching qualifications.
Everyone I knew personally in JET had lived in Japan for some time and studied abroad prior, which is usually seen as a clear indication that you can handle living in Japan. There’s no real vetting process regarding skill level when it comes to hiring ALTs.
TEFL is good, but showcasing a strong interest in and familiarity with Japanese culture and society with 100% optimism, enthusiasm, and commitment is going to do far more for you than a teaching certificate.
My application was extremely strong and the bulk of it was me banking on my essay because I lived in Japan and studied for a year, so that’s basically all I talked about. I knew people in my area that had applied and their literal job was English teaching and they had TEFL and literal teaching degrees and they didn’t even get an interview.
I have no teaching qualifications whatsoever and I ended up being a 5-year JET.
Doesn’t matter. There are people that have not studied a lick of Japanese much less teaching anything and have been accepted. That said, I didn’t have a TEFL certification and I made it thru the application and interview process on my first attempt.
Instead of looking at your application for 2 seconds they will look at it for 3 seconds because that’s how long it takes to read the tefl on the application.
Everything helps but the tefl isn’t the game changer. Volunteering, work experience, but generally as long as your personality fits the bill that’s what matters most.
While I agree with everyone here that basically “not that important” is the right answer. There’s always nuance.
I hadn’t finished mine when I wrote my application, so I wrote that it was in progress. Whether or not the TEFL itself actually mattered, well, probably not. But they checked to see that I’d finished it and asked what I’d taken from it in interview. So it definitely counted for something. More just a personality test. I’m sure if I’d said I was still doing it at that point they’d have marked it against me, and likewise if I’d really fumbled what I’d taken from it.
If you’re showing that you’re trying to grow through JET, both before and during, I think it’s probably a small positive, but plenty of other aspects are far more important, I would guess.
TEFL will prove that you’re serious about education, but not as well as actual experience teaching people does.
You should focus on proving to yourself that you can actually do the job and handle the transition and life in Japan, and that you will be a positive influence on the people around you during your time on JET. If you’re convinced of that, convincing the people who interview you should be fairly straightforward.
If you’re someone who holds unrealistic beliefs about Japan, or wants to get the job just to pursue your special interest, it’s going to be very hard to pass the interview because ultimately what they want is someone who will make the JET program look good so it doesn’t get abolished, and someone who can handle their term on JET and won’t be damaged by the process, even if they get one of the more problematic placements. (A lot of people worry that history of mental illness can be a disqualification, this is not my experience, I think that it’s only relevant if you’re not managing your mental health stuff and it seems like you might have a bad time as a result of that.)
As such, if TEFL shows that you care about education, and it’s clear that you didn’t just get it to cover some other flaw in your application, then it will proy help a lot. No extenuating factor will help an application that gives the people checking it tons of red flags.
28 comments
None at all 😂
It really won’t make much of a difference if you have one or not. I believe most JETs don’t have a TEFL.
Frankly, if you are getting it just for JET, there are better uses for your time and money.
That said, it won’t hurt to have…but it won’t elevate your application all too significantly.
Don’t feel you need a TEFL to produce a good application. Focus on writing a good SoP, secure solid letters of rec, and be able to explain/defend your weaker areas should they come up in the interview.
Very little. I think it may get you some points on the paper application but vast majority of JETs don’t have it and JET doesn’t ask for it
In general JET isn’t looking for professional seasoned teachers. That’s not the job
Source: have been on panel several times
I mentioned it in my SOP however as others say I don’t think whether or not you have it will have much bearing on your selection. With that said, I don’t regret it now that I’ve been selected as I think knowledge gained can help with the actual job and I always go back to things I saved to refresh my memory (haven’t actually started yet so we will see though).
Not at all considering I got accepted without it. If JET pays for it I might get one while I’m on the program (depends on the amount of desk warning) but it’s not necessary.
I spent time and money getting mine, but it ended up not making too much difference. Most other JETs I met did not have any kind of certification.
No TEFL, no teaching experience, no direct experience but for published creative writing. Got me over there.
I was under the impression it’s very much personality based, and they wanted people who the students can approach, chat to, and warm to more so than learn from… but of course the latter is important.
Either way, most people there with me didn’t have a TEFL!
Not at all! I personally have some teaching/tutoring experience but some of my JET colleagues had nothing to do with teaching when applying! It really is a personality and overall professionalism selection.
Close to zero.
I think the most important things you need to be able to show are:
1. A documented interest in Japan – easiest way to get this on paper is to take an language course in university. You don’t need to show mastery of the language or anything like that. Just have something on paper that shows that yes, you are in fact interested in Japan.
2. Strong communication skills – in the application stage, this means following all directions and writing the best statement of interest you can. In the interview stage it means excelling in the interview. Read the room and if it appears the Japanese interviewers don’t understand your native-level English, tone it down a bit.
That’s pretty much it I guess. TEFL would show documented interest in teaching English but it isn’t really required for the program. It could give you some minor bonus points so it could still be a good investment if you have the time to pursue it and really want to be a teacher post-JET.
Not very.
It doesn’t really help your application at all. It can give you some good knowledge and experience that can help you with your job on JET though. None of it’s super revelatory; it’s just the basics. Not super necessary if you have teaching experience, but if you don’t have much teaching experience it can help you feel more confident in the classroom. JET may not require a TEFL and it’s not looking for seasoned teachers, but it’s still a teaching job at the end of the day, so preparing yourself for that is a good idea
not
What’s a TEFL? 😂
None at all.
Honestly, TEFL is like getting a basic google analytics qualification. It certainly can help you understand techniques for english facilitation but you’re really not gonna be teaching a standard eikaiwa/ESL class because you’re teaching a school curriculum that even in it’s revised state is still centered on university entrance exam success. And so many of the lessons I’ve watched by alts with a tefl qualification have been well below standards because they themselves have bad teaching manners and don’t have any concept of classroom management.
You are not here to be a teacher, you’re here to explore Japan and promote it overseas while working a low skilled job.
It’s not.
Mind ya, ESID and high schools in particular can be a shot in the dark with regards to responsibility, but in elementary school, Japanese language ability is BY FAR the most useful thing you can bring.
You’ll realize or be told after about a month of “teaching” in Japan that the point of English language education here is just to get the kids interested in it, i.e. help them to not develop an aversion to English language and foreign-ness in general.
Develop a good relationship with your co-teachers, follow the lesson plans provided by the textbook you use and innovate where applicable so that you can offer both a fun and informative experience to the kids in your school. 🙂
I didn’t have it but it’s definitely a good thing to have. Edited to say, you need it to work at a high school level
I don’t think having a TESL certificate influenced my application at all. Of course, no one will say that it’ll hurt to get it, but I wouldn’t go out of your way for it.
In all honesty, I think JET is looking for unique, passionate, and interesting people who seem to be able to survive at least a year abroad. You can send the best person for the job on paper, but if they breakdown during the first month, they might as well be useless.
I applied to JET twice; both times I had a CERTESL, B. Ed, and B. A in languages. I didn’t even get to the interview the first time. I applied again with an essay that I spent much more time on and I had a different reference (since my original reference wasn’t available). I’m not sure what made the difference. They never tell you exactly why you’re here or why they chose you over anyone else. When I showed up and asked about it, they just said something along the lines of they “got what they were given by the prefecture”.
I don’t think I’ve needed to use a single TEFL skill in my 3 years here. Depending on competition it might be good to have, it could also be helpful, but it’s not necessary.
Having the piece of paper on your application might make the difference between two very similar candidates but it was absolutely useless for teaching here. The level is too low and most of the curriculums aren’t the international standard.
In the long run, not at all and none of the teachers here will care you have one.
In your application, if you and someone else are about the same, it ___might___ give you the edge.
***BUT your SOP and references are more important***
Doesn’t really matter. If your goal is getting accepted, just spend that time on overcoming nerves and good body language, and spend the money on a nice haircut. They’ll help you way more
So thr first year I applied I made it to the interview but was rejected. The second year, I had 120 hour classes through International Tefl Academy which sponsors JET under my belt and was accepted for early departure.
I can say, TEFL certifications of at least 120 hours are super helpful since they usually* require a longer period of a practicum (student teaching).
For me, I needed 20 of those 120 hours teaching or volunteering for ELL. That eventually landed me a job at the same place I volunteered for which ultimately looks good on my resume. I have had a lot of other JETs ask me for help with lessons since many don’t have a TEFL certification or much teaching experience and would panic since they didn’t know what to do and their JTE just sort of expected them to know upon arrival.
In short, it’s not necessary to get accepted, but it is extremely helpful to utilize in the long run so you aren’t caught off guard as much. In many situations, when you arrive, a JTE expects you to know how to teach a lesson even if they don’t make you teach a lesson.
ETA: I teach middle school so it definetly helped, but for elementary school it’s usually excessive. But keep in mind you won’t know what level you got until you are about to leave. So again, it’s helpful to have if you have never taught or only have a small background in teaching.
If you don’t have any experience living in Japan or haven’t studied abroad before having applied, then yeah it would help a lot and show that you are capable of commitment.
But I will be be honest with you, they’re more concerned about people being able to handle culture shock, Japanese working culture, and people who aren’t going to cause problems or give any indication that they are going to jump ship partway through a contract than they are about teaching qualifications.
Everyone I knew personally in JET had lived in Japan for some time and studied abroad prior, which is usually seen as a clear indication that you can handle living in Japan. There’s no real vetting process regarding skill level when it comes to hiring ALTs.
TEFL is good, but showcasing a strong interest in and familiarity with Japanese culture and society with 100% optimism, enthusiasm, and commitment is going to do far more for you than a teaching certificate.
My application was extremely strong and the bulk of it was me banking on my essay because I lived in Japan and studied for a year, so that’s basically all I talked about. I knew people in my area that had applied and their literal job was English teaching and they had TEFL and literal teaching degrees and they didn’t even get an interview.
I have no teaching qualifications whatsoever and I ended up being a 5-year JET.
Doesn’t matter. There are people that have not studied a lick of Japanese much less teaching anything and have been accepted. That said, I didn’t have a TEFL certification and I made it thru the application and interview process on my first attempt.
Instead of looking at your application for 2 seconds they will look at it for 3 seconds because that’s how long it takes to read the tefl on the application.
Everything helps but the tefl isn’t the game changer. Volunteering, work experience, but generally as long as your personality fits the bill that’s what matters most.
While I agree with everyone here that basically “not that important” is the right answer. There’s always nuance.
I hadn’t finished mine when I wrote my application, so I wrote that it was in progress. Whether or not the TEFL itself actually mattered, well, probably not. But they checked to see that I’d finished it and asked what I’d taken from it in interview. So it definitely counted for something. More just a personality test. I’m sure if I’d said I was still doing it at that point they’d have marked it against me, and likewise if I’d really fumbled what I’d taken from it.
If you’re showing that you’re trying to grow through JET, both before and during, I think it’s probably a small positive, but plenty of other aspects are far more important, I would guess.
TEFL will prove that you’re serious about education, but not as well as actual experience teaching people does.
You should focus on proving to yourself that you can actually do the job and handle the transition and life in Japan, and that you will be a positive influence on the people around you during your time on JET. If you’re convinced of that, convincing the people who interview you should be fairly straightforward.
If you’re someone who holds unrealistic beliefs about Japan, or wants to get the job just to pursue your special interest, it’s going to be very hard to pass the interview because ultimately what they want is someone who will make the JET program look good so it doesn’t get abolished, and someone who can handle their term on JET and won’t be damaged by the process, even if they get one of the more problematic placements. (A lot of people worry that history of mental illness can be a disqualification, this is not my experience, I think that it’s only relevant if you’re not managing your mental health stuff and it seems like you might have a bad time as a result of that.)
As such, if TEFL shows that you care about education, and it’s clear that you didn’t just get it to cover some other flaw in your application, then it will proy help a lot. No extenuating factor will help an application that gives the people checking it tons of red flags.
Wasn’t relevant to my application. I had no formal teaching experience. You can read my SOP here: [https://medium.com/@rahil.chadha7/my-jet-programme-statement-of-purpose-adea1b03b318](https://medium.com/@rahil.chadha7/my-jet-programme-statement-of-purpose-adea1b03b318)