This blog is about the process of becoming an English instructor (ALT= Assistant language teacher) in Japan. Please note that the process might be slightly different for you depending on your nationality, level of Japanese speaking, experience etc.
When I went to Japan, I did not plan on staying for more than 6 months. I had taken a Long term (6 month) course in a school (ARC Academy) in Osaka. While I was studying, I did some part time jobs. Since I had worked as an instructor in India as well, I thought that I should look for some teaching jobs in Japan as well. Although I did not plan on staying and working in Japan, I chose teaching jobs because they paid well. The average 時給 (jikyuu= per hour wage) in Osaka is 1000-1100 yen. But, the teaching jobs pay 2000-2500 Yen. Smart move, right?
6 months passed. I changed my part time job 2-3 times. All of these part time jobs count as experiences. After 6 months, I was ready to come back home when I came across ALT jobs. To be honest, I did not think I will get it. But, I did. Just a week before my return to India, I had my offer letter.
Well, that's my story, Now let's understand the whole process!
So, if you are aiming to be a teacher in Japan, following are the points that you would need to check:
1+ years of teaching experience in Japan or abroad. Now, this might be different for different cities. In Japan, every city has its own Board of Education. The rules are set by this board. Some Boards are very strict. Some are not. I suggest that you check these rules with the company.
English speaking - Native level. Some cities/companies hire native English speakers only. Others hire people from countries where English is used as a second language (Eg. India). If you are a native speaker, good. If you are not, it's good to have TOEFL/TOEIC certification. Mind you, your compensation will vary with your level of English. Some of my colleagues who were not so great at teaching were paid more than me just because they were native speakers and I was not.
Teaching certifications. It's good to have one of these certifications: TESOL, TESL, TEFL & CELTA. Please read about these before you decide anything. A a lot of certification courses are also available online for a very reasonable price.
Japanese language level. This, as the hiring companies claim, is good to have but not necessary. If you ask me, it is as important as any of the above things. I have seen many teachers, who did not have even conversation Japanese ability, struggle. Believe me, you should know Japanese if you want to survive at a Japanese public school. Your Japanese language ability will determine if you will be teaching primary, middle or high school. If you are good at Japanese, you will be placed in primary school. This is because primary school teachers can hardly speak any English. If you can speak a little Japanese, you will go to middle school and if you can't speak Japanese at all you will go to high school.
Visa. If you are already in Japan, this process is easy. The company will be your guarantor and will take care of the entire paperwork. You will have to only go and take your new residential card from the Immigration office. I was already on Student visa so I didn't have to do much either. If you are not in Japan, you will have to come on tourist visa and then complete the process. This is for those people who don't need to apply for a tourist visa. You can just come to Japan as a tourist for a period of 90 days. For Indians, however, such facility is not available. We have to apply even for a tourist visa. And hence, the process for us Indians would be different. If you are not currently in Japan but want to apply for such jobs, get a clear understanding of the visa process from your company.
Location. I suggest you apply for jobs that are available in your city. Moving in Japan is not easy. It's expensive. If you apply in the city that you are already living in, chances are that they will give you the schools that are close to you. By doing this, the companies save on the transportation costs (as they pay for your transportation), and you save time! It's a win win! I was given 4 schools. All were at a 15 min walking distance. I finished my work at 16:05 and I was home by 16:30. ❤
Interview process
The interview process itself is not very difficult. First you will be asked to send all the necessary documents. Marksheets, certificates, resident card etc. Once this is done, they will arrange an interview. Now this is different for different companies. I was hired after a 15 min call. Others go through 2-3 rounds. Again, this depends on your company, the city etc.
If you are selected, they will give you the offer letter and which will all the necessary information like joining date, compensation, holidays etc. If you are not selected, you will get a regret email. I like this about Japan, they don't ghost you. ✨
Training
Period of training ranges from 2 to 5 days. On the first day, you will be introduced to 1 or 2 teachers from the schools that are allotted to you. These are the teachers that you will interact with a lot during your contract period so make sure you befriend them. It's OK to ask questions about the school, students and a little about them as well but don't get too personal.
On the remaining days you will be introduced to the rules that you absolutely have to follow. Like I said, some cities have very strict rules. Mine was one of them. Some common rules that you might have to follow are:
Interact with the students but don't ask for personal information.
Don't give your personal information.
Don't use your phone on school campus.
Don't go out of the school campus in break time.
No smoking on school campus.
If you are someone who lives near the school (Me!), you will be asked to take extra care.
Mine was a long list but, these are some common ones.
Compensation
Salary of ALT's in Japan starts from 23万円. Goes up to 30万円. This would be around 2 lacs in INR. Not too bad if you ask me. If you know the right places to shop, live, you can save some money. Spend money in travelling not buying things.
What to expect from this job
Congratulations! You have landed this job!
Now let me tell you the things that you should expect while working in a public school in Japan.
Japanese schools, as many of you already know, are very very systematic. You will be provided with your schedule. There will be a English teacher working with you and you will be required to make lesson plans, games , activities with this teacher.
If you are lucky, you will not have ONE OF THOSE CLASSES. Yes, in Japan, it is normal for students to bully their teachers. I had 2 of such classes 😒. They made things very very difficult for me. I would step in the class, start teaching and hoped that 45mins be over soon. Surprisingly, these students were very polite and nice with me outside of the school. I wonder why?
Anyway, I suggest that you get in touch with the company immediately if you face any issues. Apparently, the students are not scolded even if they use the 'F' word or say 'Kill you' to you. If you uncomfortable, please seek help.
Well, I can write a lot here but I don't want this to be wordy.
If you have any questions, please write them in the comment section.
Till next time,
Love
Indu
Hello! Your article was very helpful. Is this the same for a person who isn't an alt teacher but a English teacher?
How would be the process for a software engineer?indu didi.