Teaching in Japan help?

Question

My friend just had a conversation with a man who taught English in Japan for 5 years. Apparently the man said that all you really need to be able to teach in Japan is a qualification of some sort, doesn't even have to be in Japanese or teaching. Before hearing this, I was going to study Japanese and try and get a 'TESOL' (I think it's called that).. I'm a bit curious about this; I know there's a lot of English teaching jobs in Japan, but do I actually need any certain qualifications to be able to teach in Japan? Or do I really just need to show them that I'm willing to work and progress with a good attitude and any sort of certificate that shows them I have the willpower to do this?

Here's some additional information regarding my position.
I'm 17, currently studying art, music and design in my last year of high school and live in South Australia.

Any help would be MUCH appreciated! :)
Extra points if anyone could help me with a few more questions ;3

1/ If I end up going with my friend, are we able to live together or at least in the same town?
2/ Should I bother taking any Japanese courses before I go or would they prefer it if I didn't know Japanese yet?

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

Hello Jack, In most cases in order to work full time in Japan you need to have a University degree and you also require the backing of a company in Japan to sponsor your visa.

Most recruiters for English jobs in Japan will require the following:

1. Native English Speaker
2. Full Bachelor Degree (in any field)
3. Basic Japanese Ability

The market is really competitive now so they also prefer teaching experience and qualifications such as ESL, TEFL or CELTA.

Source(s):

Japan Australia is a blog dedicated to Japan Travel and Culture
http://japan-australia.blogspot.com/

Answer 2

You need a BA / BS degree to get a work visa, period.
1 ) Can't happen until you get a degree. And there's no guarantee you can find work in the same area.
2 ) Knowing Japanese can come in useful.

Answer 3

If you want to a stable and well-paid job, you'd better be well qualified.
There was once the leargest private english school called NOVA, which employed several thousands foreigners who ware vary poorly paid. The NOVA ended up being closed down all at once.

Answer 4

You need a 4 year degree to teach. Whether TESOL or any other program is beneficial is questionable. But you have to have a degree. Find a job, the company will sponsor you for your visa. So if you are planning on coming now, you can forget it.

1- No guarantee. That's like saying if you and your friend move to San Francisco can both of you get a job in the same industry. Maybe so. Well, I assuming that your friend will also want to work. If not, your friend will be limited as to how long he/she can stay in Japan, but free to stay where he/she likes.

2- You should know Japanese to get around. Which may tie into your work. Say you get a job where the company is sending you out to different places to teach. If you don't speak some Japanese, getting around can be very difficult. Most places don't require any Japanese skill to teach though. But you'll need some basics in order to live here.

Yes, it is SO useful to have a degree in something like English literature when teaching a beginning student to say This is a pen, That is a pen, These are pens, What are those, What is this. So incredibly useful. I can't begin to count the number of teachers I hired to teach English. The best one had a degree in Physics and has since moved on to become a doctor. The number of teachers hired with degrees in English? Zero. General intelligence, the ability to teach and a good personality are the major traits desired. You need a degree in English literature about as much as a fish needs a bicycle.

Answer 5

In general you'll need a degree and a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate to get a visa and work abroad teaching English.

The degree can be in almost any subject as it is usually required for the visa only so you will find teachers with a degree in Engineering or Sociology. Having said this, to help get the job it's obviously better to be English or language related, for example a degree in English literature.

The TEFL certificate can be taken either in-house or online at your own pace which is a much cheaper option (see http://icalweb.com).

Source(s):

Getting started in TEFL: http://teflworldwiki.com/index.php?title…
TEFL in Japan: http://teflworldwiki.com/index.php?title…