Two breeds of English Teachers, Part I
There are two types of English teachers in Japan. In this post I’ll talk about the eikaiwa teachers.
The English conversation, or eikaiwa teachers don’t need to have any qualifications other than being a native English speaker. This is a bit lenient, I think, since I know a few ‘dur’ type people who can’t be understood by other English speakers, never mind the Japanese. You may hear about bachelor degree requirements, but this is only required for the visa, not the job. You would also need to be under 40, depending on the visa you apply for.
It is not a job that is often taken seriously, either by the teacher, their employer or the student. The teachers are sometimes treated as a novelty by the Japanese. So it’s not a job to consider if you are already highly qualified or experienced as an English teacher. There are many stories of teachers feeling frustrated that their classes are not getting through to the students.
However, if you’re not qualified, not too concerned about whether your students are getting the best they can and just looking for an easy way to live in Japan for a short while (like 1 year) then this is something you can seriously consider. It is also a good way just to get a foot in the door of Japan, before moving on to bigger things.
Next post: the REAL English teachers.
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