| Q |
First off Matthew,
what do you actually do in Japan at the moment? |
| A |
I'm a "Trainer" at one of the biggest "eikaiwa",
(English Conversation School) in Japan, which means I teach and manage the
branch I work at. It's probably the equivalent of a Director of Studies
position in a large Thai English school. I oversee a dozen teachers and log
a fair amount of class time myself. |
| Q |
How much is going in
your back pocket at the end of each month? |
| A |
Well, I pulled a bit of overtime last month, so just
over 400,000 thousand yen (146,000 baht) went into the front pocket, but
that isn't necessarily what a newcomer could except, as good as Japan is.
Just arriving you would probably be on 250,000 yen per month (91,000baht).
As for the back pocket, anybody should be able to save a thousand US a month
once getting set up. |
| Q |
What kind of lifestyle does that amount
of money give you in Japan? Are you dining out in the finest restaurants, or
pressing your nose against the window and watching how the other half live? |
| A |
You can press your nose against the window and save, or
you can live the high life. It all depends on what you want and what you're
willing to give to have it. |
| Q |
When I think of teaching in Japan, I
think of NOVA, and their locations at Japanese train stations. Is NOVA
pretty much the bottom of the barrel for an ESL teacher? |
| A |
Errr... Ummm... (lots of nervous coughing), NOVA is the
biggest player in the business. To be fair, they set you up with visa,
accommodation, and even a loan (in some cases). If you are willing to play
the game, then you benefit from ample vacation time, shift-swaps and
flexibility, plus a decent paycheck. Bottom of the barrel? Well, NOVA has an
anti-socialization policy, but it could be worse - some schools actually
expect you to socialize with students (drunk lessons?) |
| Q |
For anyone coming to seek their fortune
in Japan, how much would they need in the way of set-up costs? |
| A |
The round trip airfare just to do the interview, if
you're living in Thailand. Like I mentioned, some schools extend loans, but
you'd still probably want two or three thousand US before touching down.
|
| Q |
Japanese students, from my experience,
can be excruciatingly dull. Any comments? |
| A |
From what I've read on the TiT board the descriptions
of Thai students could be superimposed onto Japanese students, but in a
word, or two, yes - dull. |
| Q |
How is the subject of ‘teaching in
Thailand’ viewed by the TEFL old-hands who are currently living in Japan? |
| A |
In my five years, I've never once heard anyone talk
about moving to Thailand, but we all holiday there. |
| Q |
I knew a guy who taught in Japan for
eight years and had an incredible number of notches on his bedpost. Is
fending off dewy-eyed female students one of the…….er…drawbacks? |
| A |
Like you say, Phil, it's a big... ...er... drawback. |
| Q |
So what about the visa and work permit
issues? |
| A |
Pretty much you have to have an undergraduate degree.
For those in 'Oz, New Zealand or Canada there is the working holiday visa
option, but you can only go part time, and that for 18 months. That's what
you need, but pretty much all off the big guys will do the paperwork for
you. It's a relative cakewalk compared to what I read about Thailand. It
should be mentioned that the visa and work permit are one in the same. |
| Q |
Does Japan attract its
share of losers and cowboy teachers? I imagine it would be hard for them to
survive given the cost of living? |
| A |
Not too much for the complete freelancer over here. As
for losers, we are chock full of them, so if you have the credentials, join
the crowd, but you're going to need to make at least 150,000 (54,000) a
month to stay afloat, and you won't be partying too hard on that. |
| Q |
Which rung of the
Japanese social ladder does the foreign English teacher sit on? Revered or
reviled? |
| A |
Revered. The immigration people seem to like us. I'm on
a three year visa, twice going. The last time I applied the woman at the
desk asked if my company had any more promotional toys (I just smiled and
said nothing). |
| Q |
You’re thinking of
making a move to come and teach in Thailand. So what does Thailand have that
Japan doesn’t? |
| A |
My girlfriend. I can envision the smirks and hear the
laughter. |
| Q |
Are you checking out
the ajarn jobs board in secret? |
| A |
Not in secret, my friend. Not in secret. |
| Q |
I suppose a major
question might be ‘what kind of person makes a success out of teaching in
Japan’? |
| A |
If you can keep your head down and
play the game, then you can pocket an extra thousand US a month. By the way,
the big guys are starting to crack down on absenteeism, so suck it up and go
to work hungover. |
| Q |
What for you has been
the best and the worst of the Japanese lifestyle? |
| A |
Best - I'm coming to Thailand with
money to invest. Worst - You think you're an outsider in the Land of Smiles?
Remember, Japan is an island. |
| |
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