Want to be a Native English Teacher in Japan? 5 expectations for your first 5 months.

1. If you're not Asian, you will stand out.

This is a given because the population is 98% Japanese. It is important to realize, before relocating, that you will be a minority. Other people will not be used to seeing someone like you. They will stare. They might cough. Your presence alone may offend them. This is even more prevalent in rural areas, where you may be the first Westerner your neighbor has ever seen.

2. Your students will be smart.

The sound of broken English is often associated with low intelligence, but this could not be further from the truth. People who make an attempt at learning a second language are actually enhancing their brainwaves. You will be teaching people who have a life-time of knowledge and acquired skills. Language learners are taking lessons to increase their intellectual abilities, not to be treated like a baby.

3. Your English fluency will not make teaching easy.

A native speaker of English does not know how they originally learned grammar points, vocabulary, or sentence structures. Our learning just sort of happened after we were born. This makes teaching the language extremely difficult. To use only English to teach English means that one must choose their words and phrases carefully. The slightest of rambles, especially in beginner-level classes, can lead students to confusion.

4. You will have to utilize your mornings.

The schedule of a typical Native English Teacher is commonly between noon and 10pm. This means that your mornings are the only time you have to pursue other interests. The majority of your day consists of lesson planning and teaching. Waking up early is a must if you want to sustain a balanced lifestyle.

5. You can (and should) travel for cheap.

During your holidays, you will have an opportunity to see a new city and it is absolutely worth it. The Japanese culture prioritizes hospitality and no matter where you visit, the service is among the best in the world. Even a small capsule hotel adventure is an experience worth partaking in. The restaurants are affordable and accommodating. The public transportation system is easy to use. The staff are welcoming to all customers, and most importantly, traveling through any foreign country will give you memories that are invaluable. Memories that will last a lifetime.

-JS

Comments

Small World

Moving to Japan hits you in stages. I think I'm past the initial "culture shock" stage and have moved into the “gratitude” stage. I'm fully aware that I've moved across the world and stick out like a sore thumb, but at the same time I know that this place has everything I could possibly need. I’m aiming for consistent daily growth. Japan is the ideal country to spend my 24th year. It sort of feels like a bubble, though. The people here are disciplined and seem to have this killer instinct to protect the countries pureness. Almost like they know that the rest of the world is toxic. What has been the most unbelievable to witness are the universal similarities between the people of our world. We all eat, sleep, and have our inner thoughts. It's terrifyingly beautiful how similar we are. Children are explorers. All kids bask in their wandering minds. Everyone has emotional struggle and success, it’s just a matter of which wave you’re currently riding. The...

Take Your Time

I arrived at the bottom of Mt. Fuji at 7am. Before starting, a man said that I had 12 hours to complete the trail, in order to catch the final bus home for the night. Otherwise, I would have to sleep on the mountain. I thought 12 hours was a sufficient amount of time, but it caused me to rush at first. After a half-hour, I was exhausted and contemplated quitting. The ground felt like sinking rocks the size of tennis balls. The trail was steep. What should I do? I asked myself. Go back down? Rest? Go only half-way up? Then it occurred to me, go slowly. A motto for life, perhaps. Life may feel fast, but if one takes their time, slowly and steadily, they can enjoy it more. Moving forward, the next 4 hours consisted of a slow ascent up the mountain. I was literally stepping about 6 inches at a time. This allowed me to keep my breath, something I lost at the beginning. Eventually, I found myself at the 8th station, the final stop before the summit. It was 1pm. 6 hours befo...

How Music Helps English Learners.

During my first six month s as a Native English Teacher, I've made a conscious effort to create musical class activities. I've been crafting lesson plans that incorporate music as a language learning tool. Here is a list of English topics that are teachable through music. Not all of my ideas have worked so far, but these most definitely have. Emotions It was a special day when I implemented this with my Kindergarten class. First, I instructed each student to draw 5 different facial expressions on paper circle cutouts (happy, sad, angry, excited, and calm). I then played 5 different excerpts on my viola and had the students hold up a paper face after each excerpt. They were matching a facial expression with the music they heard. The results were incredible. Nearly all 14 kids (with the exception of a few pranksters) agreed that the Israeli National Anthem was sad, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star was happy, the Allegro from the Telemann Viola Concerto was exciting, Amazi...

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