Part Four
Positions for Language Teachers in Japan

Contents

Opening Remarks
Now that we have some background on teaching language in general and of education in Japan, we can take a look at the possiblilites of employment in Japan as a language teacher. There may of course be variations to these basic groupings, but most people will find jobs that fit into the following divisions 1.

1. Language Schools
A lion's share of the work for non-native teachers of English in Japan is at language school. These range in size from husband and wife schools with only a few teachers to the nationwide corporations that have branch schools near many of the main railway stations spread across the four main islands. This hugh disparity is matched by the difference in the philosophy of each school. Some are mere money making machines that place little emphasis on the quality of language education that the students receive. Others have extensive education departments that conduct extensive training programs for their teachers and generate a great deal of original material.
Language schools are not unique to Japan and can be found in almost all developed countries. What is unique in Japan is the popularity of these institutions and the amount of money that people spend to attend them. The following excerpt points to one reason for this popularity2.

Before, there was only a demand for foreign language ability among the trading companies. Now, even general Japanese companies are doing business with foreign companies. For the capable businessman or businesswoman, English is no longer a special skill, but a prerequisite for employment. In a very real sense, language proficiency has become an important factor in determining job position and wage levels.
While there are language schools who cater to all comers, most have a specific audience. On one end of the scale there are schools who gear there curriculums for pre-schoolers. On the other end are schools taking care of the language needs of businessmen and women.
Most of the work at these schools is in the evening when business people and students finish their regular commitments and go in for their recommended weekly allowance of English lessons. There are of course some morning and afternoon classes, but the evenings are when these establishments make their real money.
One of the first questions that you need to get answered is if the school hires full-time, part-time or both . The number of schools that hire full-time and thus have to provide benifits such as health insurance and pension funds are on the decline. Also, without a full-time position, the company is not responsible for supplying you with a visa. For more information on visas check the end of Part Eight on Useful Information.

2. Universities
There are a few catagories under which universities hire foreign teachers. At the top of the heap are full professors. Next in line are the assistant professors. The largest amount of positions are open to lecturers. The minimum requirement for all positions is a Master's Degree. A Ph.D. is usually required to get Full Professorships. There are positions for most branches of study, but the larger portion are in the field of English Language or Literature. Following is a brief description of the differences between postions:

Full Professor - These positions are coveted and candidates are often recruited from overseas. Candidates are required to have extensive teaching experience at the university level and a number of publications in refereed journals. The compensation is usually between six and twelve million yen a year.

Assistant Professor- A little easier to secure, these positions can sometimes lead to Full Professor positions. They usually require at least three years experience as a lecturer. The compensation is usually a little lower than that for Full Professors, with the ceiling being about ten million yen.

Lecturer - The easiest positions to get, they still require some connection at the university or lots of luck. The compensation can be anything from fair to outstanding. Most lecturer positions are on a part-time basis so you don't get compensated for holidays and vacations, which are numerous.

3. Technical Colleges
These positions are easier to get than university positions and usually have a lower requirements. There are both full-time and part-time positions and the compensation is usually rather good, but rarely outstanding.
As most students strive to get into one of the universities or college, technical colleges are usually a second couice and thus the level of students is quite a bit lower. This can sometimes result in disciplinary problems and/or low motivatio on the part of students.

4. Junior and Senior High School
There are also a number of positions at both private and public high schools and junior high schools. The Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) program is one way to get a secured position before leaving your home country. This program has overseas recruiting centers3 and hire an increasing number of foreign teachers. It is also possible to find positions in Japan.
Both JET and non-JET teachers are usually hired as assistants to the regular English teachers who are native Japanese. This can sometimes be a little ackward for one or more of the following reasons:

My intention here is not to scare you away from these positions. Actually, I have many close friends who have wonderful positions with true freedom to create and implement new teaching ideas and the compensation is sometimes very generous. It is best to go in with an open mind and humble attitude. If you are stuck in a problem situation, hopefully you will have your own class time with which to concentrate your efforts.

5. Company Classes
Another alternative that can be attractive is working for a private company as a private language teacher. Conditions vary from the comfortable to the very harsh. Big companies will usually hire through one of their subsidiaries, while medium and smaller companies will most often advertise for English language teachers in English language newspapers or magazines.
Depending on the position, you will be required to be in the office during the day and often work late hours as this is the usual time for English lessons/classes. One advantage is that you will most likely be allowed to design your own courses and have some free-time during the day to pursue your own interests.

6. Private Lessons
The last area we will look at is the teaching of private lessons. These have good and bad points. First, the compensation for private lessons is usually much better than other classes because there is no middle man and you usually have lots of freedom in lesson preparation. In many cases groups of friends or collegues will look for a private teacher. These individuals or groups sometimes like to treat their teacher to other benifits such as short trips, an occasional dinner or gifts.
One draw the private lessons is that unless you make arrangements in advance for a guaranteed number of lessons a month, private students are more likely to cancel lessons and then you lose out on potential income.
I have personally taught small groups of doctors, a dentist and his wife, a housewife and her daughter, and a junior high school boy who was preparing to study abroad in Switzerland, just to name a few. I still stay in contact with many of the students and some have become close friends.

Conclusion
Although the boom years for English teachers in Japan are over, there is still a demand and with the right attitude, the proper amount of searching and a little bit of luck, you can still find a position that is both rewarding and lucrative.
Contacts are quite important in Japan and we will discuss this in more detail in the next chapter. Knowing what kind of positions are available is the first step to finding that perfect situation.

Notes
[1] Jerry O'Sullivan offers a similar list in Teaching English in Japan, (1994).

[2] Namiko Katsuki wrote this in her article Japan's Booming Bilingual Business published on pages 58-60 of the September, 1989 issue of Tokyo Business Today. [3] The Japanese embassy usually has information on the JET program or you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Japan.

Part Five - Securing Employment