What Teaching English in Japan is REALLY like
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- Опубліковано 6 чер 2024
- Patrick
linktr.ee/thepaperpat
Sonia
soniacandyinsta...
Leina
leina_bambino?i...
/ @leinabambino
Stew
stew.sensei.eng...
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Italian woman is about to become the most requested English teacher in Japanese history.
Well, it's hot, but she's cute tho...
It's weird, i always believed it's 2 things impossible to be in the same person. 🐻💤
She's like the Megan Fox in Transformers 1. Of course now she's absolutely prettier than the current Megan.
@@DenBoy4 wut?
She is indeed talented, cute and hot 🎉 I hope the best for her!
She's very confident, open and genuine that really adds a lot of weight to her attractiveness.
The Italian lady will definitely increase my learning motivation. Never miss a class at all!
I'm a native English speaker and I'd fake ESL to get into her class 😅
waiting for her to say "please give me coke"
LOLOLOL @@rickeykoga2312
whats her only fans?...
The Italian gire ,She sounds kind native English speaker 😂❤🎉
I think being a non-native English teacher like her is actually an advantage because she knows what it’s like personally to learn English as a non-native speaker. Kudos to her. She’s right in that being a native language speaker doesn’t make one a good teacher of that language.
Her accent is great too. Very easy to understand. Some words even sound like they’re in a perfect accent to me.
So true. As a native English speaker who spent half my life in an other country with very low English rates I can relate. We traded language tips all the time and I honestly had difficulty answering a fair amount of questions about some of the more illogical aspects of the English language.
She's very fluent and has almost no accent. I've lived in the US for 20+ years still can't speak like her. 😆
I can so relate to this. I'm a native German speaker and whenever my girlfriend from another country asks "what type of word is that" or "what's the grammar rule about..." I'm unable to provide her with a helpful answer. Even looking up German grammar rules in German does not bring up satisfying results. But several of our friends - people who had to learn the language the hard way - know exactly why certain word and sentence structures exist and what the general rules behind it are. So native speakers may be able to speak perfectly, but are typically less able compared to non-natives in explaining the fundamental systematics of the language.
@@pertoor As a french who spent 6 months+ in germany i can relate 😅
Everytime i asked germans to explain something about the language they were like "well it's very logical" and the thing was actually the opposite of logical to me haha !
(btw when it's really logical it feels weird to french people because you guys have so many different words to describe situations we would describe with only one word in our language ex: ausfahrt / ausgang is only "sortie" in french)
What do you mean with perfect accent, british?
Italian lady is so animated-You know she stands out in Japan, they're so reserved.
"Italian lady is so animated" ... err shes Italian ;-)
The woman from Italy speaks great English, almost no accent at all. And she's super energetic and positive, I bet her students love her.
She's so expressive it's kind of contagious, isn't it? Definitely loved her talking in the video.
Also was that the same Yuta I'm thinking of...?
the expressive thing is really italian culture.
7:00 yeah... they love her for her "linguistics". Especially how she dresses. Double take* Sign me up.
Everybody has an accent.
@@Dfloweneikawas have a dress code she can't wear those to work
The Italian girl has a lot of enthusiasm. When teaching, enthusiasm is contagious, it’s a superpower.
Bouncing yes. 🤣
The fact that she's smoking hot helps more
She's the human equivalent of a golden retriever
She will conquer the classroom
Like a true Roman
Exactly what my father (who taught philosophy in universities for 50 years plus) told me when I started teaching
I still need a reminder sometimes...
It resonated with me when the Italian teacher said it was difficult to learn Japanese because everyone spoke English. I lived in Italy for six months and attended an Italian language school. It was wonderful meeting so many people from all over the world, but everyone resorted to English in order to communicate. I think it took me longer to pick up the language because of this. One thing that really helped was getting a TV and watching Italian television. When I returned home, I thought my skills were basic. I could speak with people, have complete conversations with Italians in Italian, describe situations and understand almost everything, but I felt like I could have been compared to a third or fourth grader in the United States. But, when I took the Italian language exam in college, my counselor asked if I was a native speaker because I aced it. Speaking when you aren’t comfortable is the most important thing I learned to do. People will help you with words and you can communicate even if your vocabulary is still limited.
this is a great comment. thanks for describing. how long was this process of learning Italian?
@@BuxtonHouse About two to three kilometres
I am a Japanese woman and I go to Eikaiwa school.
I really enjoy talking with teachers instead of studying abroad.
I really appreciate them because I can communicate with foreigners in English and find cultures I never get just in Japan !
Thank you for teaching and living here ♡
❤
Thank you for being our students.
I’m a native English speaker (from the USA). Your English is very good! Your comment was well written.
Hi I'm wondering if they also want native Chinese teachers teaching Chinese in Eikaiwa school.
This is so sweet!
When the Italian teacher mention the random and gifts from her students and Takashi said, "Maybe because it's you." I literally LOLed and so glad he said that. That whole interaction between them was funny and wholesome.
Actually it is common. Part of Japanese culture. I would often got books, sake, and various snacks.
Definetly cuz it's her xD
Yeah students gonna have a crush for sure
true facts, she is gorgeous and articulate, I'm sure there were a lot of boys who were crushing on her
It's definitely because "it's her". Like HER.
I love this channel. [I used to live in Tokyo back in the 90s, so a lot resonates]. But it's now Takashi just lets people speak, without steering them hard. It's like classic old-school interviewers, Michael Parkinson [uk] etc etc, he so politely guides people with a question then just casts off the ropes and lets the subject go and speak. Bravo.
The teacher from LA gives me the feeling that she is very healthy and stable inside, being a bright influence to others with strong but tender mind.
The type of teacher I wished i had as a kid.
Awesome, wish you the best!
Sonia's English is as fluent as it gets. The hint of accent doesn't affect understandability at all - it's actually cool to listen to. Shame she had a hard time finding a job as an English teacher since she is not a native speaker.
She also *behaves* like an anglophone tbh. If I didnt know better Id think she was American
@@karwashblark7499 Her accent is kind of a give away though.
many japanese believe in passports. so, many companies require a passport from an english-speaking country or the phillipines.
they do not care about your english, because with that passport they can tell parents that the teacher is from country XXX
it's a little formal, she'd need to spend a few (more?) years living in the US
Some places outside Japan let non-natives teach if they score high enough on the IELTS or a similar test. She would definitely score high enough if she were to take it.
I just finished teaching in Japan for a year and a half. I used it as a way to come to Japan as many do, and I got lucky and have a new job outside of teaching English.
Without substantial savings from home, I would not suggest it. My coming was a gamble. Come with goals and rules; mine was to teach for 2 years and if I couldn't find a "way out," I would go back home.
If you come and treat it as a year-long holiday, enjoy it. If you want to come and try to build a different/better life, you really have to ask yourself lots of hard questions. The language barrier is so massive; for reference, I have 5 years of work experience in my field with management experience, and it still took me 11 months, 19 recruiter meetings, 437 applications, 36 first interviews, 22 second-stage, and 6 final stage interviews before an offer came in.
You're competing with people who can speak Japanese better, or natively, and with a massive talent pool. Entry-level engineering is also really rough; you won't make much more than an ALT's salary while also having to work long hours.
This is a breakdown of my old salary.
Yearly: 2.2m JPY (most ALT jobs do not pay in August due to summer holidays, and again you don't get paid in March because the school year hasn't started yet.)
Monthly: ~200,000 JPY
After taxes, rent, phone, utilities, etc., assuming your tax situation is similar to mine, you'll have around 80,000 yen (about 800 USD, super rough) left over in your first year. However, your second year, due to resident taxes, it is lower and closer to 60,000 yen (600 USD). This is absolute poverty wages and not sustainable at all.
You are on a timer the minute you take an English teaching job here. The longer you are one, the harder it is to crawl out. It's a race to the bottom of what company will pay you the absolute least. As a dispatch ALT, you are VERY unstable and cannot plan for the future. You get a year-long visa and a year-long contract. You won't know if you have a job renewal until 2 weeks before (sometimes less time) the new school year.
I started learning Japanese on the plane here and after a year of constant study, every single hour I was free at work (which as an ALT you have a ton, it's very VERY easy, and anyone who has ever worked previously will have ZERO issues performing. First job, 21-year-old college kids might be overwhelmed at first) and managed to get JLPT N3 level, which is an absolutely abysmal level still. Most jobs require N2 or higher, and the gap between N3 and N2 is going from "I am going to the store tomorrow at 2:30" to "due to the downturn of the Japanese economy during the bubble era..." sort of reading and conversations.
That said, I would do it again; it's the most fun job I've had, but the industry is terrible. I have met a wonderful girlfriend and made so many new friends I would never have without taking the leap.
Build your career at home and try to get hired in Japan another way; not many people have the will power needed to succeed and transition out of English teaching work in Japan. Don't buy into the "I'll do it to get a visa and get something better," especially with hiring freezes and economic downturns. It's a massive personal risk.
If you insist on coming as an English teacher:
1) Learn Japanese now, and actually learn. Don't language roleplay with pointless low-effort apps like Duolingo. Learn Hiragana and Katakana, then give the apps Umi and Bunpro a shot and run through the Genki textbooks. Anki flashcards for kanji.
2) Have lots of money saved up. Minimum 5k USD, ideally more, to give yourself more runway to get a better job.
3) Have a STRONG, well-researched plan. Do not wing it; you are paid less than a conbini employee with a college degree. Enjoy your time here, but also work your ass off for yourself.
4) Be prepared to be disappointed and told "No" lots. If you have any issues at home, you won't fix them by moving to a place where you have 0 support structure.
5) Do not get comfortable with the easiest job on the planet and let yourself just coast by.
This isn't a terrible "keep grinding 😤" post; it's actually terrible to get out of. Best of luck. Job searching is hard even when you're a citizen and fluent in the local language; it was even more difficult as an immigrant with barely passable language skills.
There's so much more to say, but please do not make the choice lightly to come to Japan as an English teacher because you like Japan, or rather the idea of Japan, without properly thinking it through. I want you to enjoy Japan just as much as I have. If you're serious, wait a few more years with your new degree, work in your field, and transfer over. Remember, even if you learn Japanese to a business level as an ALT but have no other skills, you are just someone who can speak Japanese in a country where everyone else also can.
Excellent post! 😊
The trick is to get a teaching license from a Japanese university in order to become a full-time teacher at a high school or junior high school. The pay is 3 times that of an ALT. However, one needs to become fully literate in Japanese to do so as all courses are in Japanese, including hand-written assignments of which there are many. It took me 15 years to become literate enough to have gotten my teaching degree, but it was well worth it. We have 40 days off a year, bi-annual bonuses and a severance package upon retirement of around $150,000 USD.
I'd really like if you broke down (at least your first year ) how you were left with only 80,000 a month....your pay AFTER taxes should be 200,000 (If its not I feel you need to go to a different company, thats the bare minimum). Phone (you can get a good cheap phone plan for like 2500円 a month) and Utilities together should be around 10,000円 and rent (unless you're going way over your bracket which in that case thats on you) should be about 60,000円. Transportation is always covered by company. so 200,000 - (70,000) = 130000円...still low but better than 80000. Unless you have debt back in your home country that is another story. This is all from my personal knowledge living here in Tokyo..... But i'd really like to know how you're left with 80,000円 is 200,000 really not your pay AFTER taxes? I hope you reply :)
@@irule10338 This is after all expenses, budgeting for food. Sorry that wasn't clear. My old take home pay was around 110,000-130,000. After ALL my current expenses, I have 80000 yen leftover on my old salary give or take. This depended on transportation cost for the month due to it being untaxed, and farther schools cost more ofc. (ALT companies don't cover travel they simply don't tax you up to 30000 yen worth of expenses).
If you have debt back home, ALT salary is impossible with the weak yen. I am lucky and from the US where at the moment student loan payments are paused.
With inflation and such, honestly might be lower I haven't paid much attention but 20000 yen a month on food is doable if you get the discount super market food and eat out minimally.
ALT companies do not pay you well, I was on the higher end due to living in the city and its 2.2m JPY a year. There's 0 growth opportunity as an ALT and you will not get any raises, except for maybe a 500 yen (5 dollar) increase a month if you're lucky. Not joking, that was the raise a friend of mine got lol.
Due to not getting paid for 2 months of the year, you will make more and have a better career path working at 7/11 than being an ALT.
@@irule10338depends where you live honestly, in Tokyo I'd say the breakdown on the original post is about right, maybe even under what me and my husband pay. Also 10,000 for all utilities included is just not a thing in 2023, especially with the rose in cost due to the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Also the "go to a different company" feels like the responsibility for these companies being put on the teacher. It's sad that with Eikaiwa culture the students pay so much money and the teachers often get pennies. The place I worked at for almost 2 years (one of the big ones, not naming names,) literally paid under minimum wage because the 10 minutes between taught classes they didn't pay you for. Considering classes are only 40minutes, that's 20% of your wage gone. Also in those 10minutes you had to fill out feedback forms, give students and parents feedback verbally, write reports and get ready for you next class/plan what you were going to teach and how. My take home, and I worked full-time, was 180,000-175,000ish after taxes. I also live in Tokyo (because that's where the company placed me, so it wasn't a choice to "go somewhere else").
I love that first guy! Such a great ambassador for US!
no one wants to study with a niqa
It's not just her prettiness that makes her alluring. The positive energy and enthusiasm are huge, if all teachers had her personality people would like learning more. But obviously she is beautiful xD
True as a teacher but perhaps in everyday it's a lot/bit much (for me anyway)
Patrick seems like a really down to earth and nice guy. Loved his laugh when trying to speak japanese!
You're a very good judge of character. That's a gift.
I follow him on insta. He's awesome.
Thank you, Takashi. :) In my view, every profession comes with its advantages and disadvantages, but being a teacher holds a special place in my heart, outweighing any drawbacks. As an educator myself, I've discovered that children often have a lot to teach us and offer valuable experiences. If you enjoy working with kids, I wholeheartedly suggest considering teaching English to children in Japan rather than adults. The connections you form with them can be truly heartwarming. Once again, thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my experiences. I wish everyone a blessed day. Sending love! -Leina
How specifically do you go about teaching children instead of adults, if you don't mind me asking? Usually when I look into it, the majority of options are for teaching adults.
bambino, agreed 100%. Children are great to teach - IF they aren't being forced strongly against their will to learn English.
Leina I saw your nhk episode nice job on that.
Thank you too🙏
you are the hot teacher?
The Italian Girl's 'English' is excellent ( considering it's not her native Language) And she has a very bubbly animated personality+ some other obvious qualities!!
The Italian woman was speaking both English and Italian.
I wonder what other OBVIOUS qualities you mean 👀
@@Scruff404 Easy on the eye!
@@Scruff404 Easy on the eye!
Patrick teacher! Great seeing you here in this interview. A lot of what you said resonated with me as my experience in Korea was similar.
She’s definitely Italian with all the hand gestures. She talks with her hands. Very wholesome & engaging teacher.
even for the italian standard she is A LOT extrovert 😄
just overacting, forced overaction, Italians are not like that
wholesome??? 🤣🤣
@@dfsdferfsd overacting? thats just who she is. Some people are outgoing and fun. Not everyone sucks, some people are bubbly, fun, outgoing. Her personality is great
Thank you for watching!
I’m still undecided about what I will do on my second channel.
Any idea?
Vlogs!
Horror stories from long time foreign residents. I have a million.
id say talk to other people like a podcast.
Remember how everyone was commenting when they saw you interview a youtuber they knew?
collaborative content is really popular, if you want to grow more
Vlogs/travel vlogs!
@@purpleAiPEyI agree, podcasts where takashii speaks japanese can help us foreigners learn japanese faster. Would really like to see something like this or similar
After seeing the Italian teacher suddenly I don’t remember English anymore…
That Italian woman would be an awesome teacher just based on the excitement and energy she showed off here alone for me. Always better to have someone who seems like they love what they're doing and want to be where they are rather than someone who is just going through the motions.
7:00 The Italian lady embodies the liveliness one needs to teach English. Often, students need that kind of charm to be learn actively or be motivated. And I love how she stresses out this fact: If you're a native (English speaker), it doesn't mean you're a good teacher. So thank you! She even motivates other English teachers 💛🥺
But the first guy, the one who expressed his difficulties in learning or using Japanese because it's not allowed in his school, I felt that. It actually helps some group of learners to give them an example in Japanese so they understand the exact feeling or emotion of the word/phrase.
This was such a wonderful peak into the experiences of English Teachers in Japan. Thank you ,Takashii-san! Recommended your channel to some of my students who wanted to know how foreigners feel about living there as well. 😊
yep and it scares me cos im not doung anything computer related so english teaching is probably the only option I have lmao.
7:20 Sonia is such a vibe she can make everyone around her happy so cute 😭😭
I listened to her speak Italian on her insta and I fell even more in love.
@@leftybdm What is her insta?
Patrick was so eloquent and clearly passionate about teaching. What a treasure for his students.
The biggest issue I have with this is that when people talk about English Teacher salaries compared to the average Japanese university graduates, they forget to talk about bonuses. Most English Teachers are contract workers and not paid a bonus (which is up to 3 months salary for Japanese full time employees, often paid twice a year). They're kept in this cycle by mandatory non contract renewal before 5 years too (the legal limit before being permanent becomes mandatory). So there is also rampant discrimination to avoid making foreign teachers permanent. This should be factored in when comparing apples to oranges.
The mighty cross-over of Mr. Patrick and Takashii
Who?
I saw him in the intro and screamed haha, so cool to see him here outside of tik tok!
I had the same reaction! Wow! So glad he’s here too
@_that_dam_baka_ the guy with the blue and white shirt, he's really popular on tik tok thats how I know of him
Pretty sure that’s actually Baba Ghanoush… 👀
There's something really calming about that first guy. Very well-said and thoughtful answers.
Yes! Overseas, going from teaching English to teaching at an International School (which usually have crazy tuition) is a definite huge promotion!! :)
I recently discovered your Channel and I think it's really great! I'm learning alot. 🙌
First guy was mad cool. He kept it grounded and genuine and showed the reality of it.
Sonia is so expressive and articulate, and also stunning. I'm sure many people wanted to study with her she seems awesome
Thank you Takashii for the interesting interviews as always
Great video with amazing information. Thank you for sharing this unique insight to the many possibilities and challenges if someone wants to teach English in Japan.
I did not know that Sonia was teaching English in Japan. She is sooooo lovely and expressive.
Anybody would fell for her.
She is getting a lot attention though her social media and I am really glad for her.
I have to say that she deserves it all because her way to convey the message in each short video is top-notch.
Like, I find myself watching her videos even though I know English quite well after nearly decade in UK/USA.
What is her insta/youtube channel?
@@SkyHermit sonia candy
@@gianlucaangeli2905Thank you so much for the sauce, my friend
@@kensuke0ayo?
i didn't know she was so big lol
Good vibes as usual man. Love your interviews.
I lived in Japan for 3 years working as a Graphic Designer & Photographer, most of my clients were continuously remote from Australia. For extra cash, I found some random company in Osaka that links Teachers with students and lets them organise meeting up. Full autonomy.
Much like the second person you spoke to, I loved it. I had a couple of people who I would prepare lessons for, which was surprisingly fascinating, there are a lot of structures and logic in our native languages that we don’t need to understand the theory of to be able to use fluently. Learning about those things and explaining was pretty intellectually stimulating.
But mostly I just had a few pretty smart Students/Friends with relatively advanced English I would link up and hang out with and have fascinating conversations with. We would dive deep into philosophy, science, history, business etc.
As I said though, it was extra cash. I charged 7000円 per meetup which lasted as long as we wanted. I only linked up with like 3-5 people every fortnight or so. Not really what you’d call a job. But the autonomy and flexibility was critical.
Yes this was very helpful! And great questions. Thank you 💙
Even though I am a native English speaker, I feel the need to take English lessons from this remarkable Italian English teacher.
well, as a teacher for 20 years in Japan I do actually believe (my?) classes could be highly enjoyable even for natives, true. I'm not a government employee and so my livelihood is based on my student retention rate and that means I've had adopt a number of techniques to keep students (who could quit at the drop of a hat) hooked This is wired into everything from tone of voice, energy, pacing, the ratio of time spent educating and entertainment, the element of group therapy that comes with discussion and debate, and essentially customizing the classes towards the specific interests of the students and the group as a whole. It's all a bit of an act, and I think anyone in the vicinity could get drawn into it.
Being a member of one of my English classes here in Japan is basically like signing up for a one hour a week session with someone that will obviously help you excel in a language, but pay more attention to you and your life than most friends would, someone whom will provide you with a bit of a mental workout, probe your mind about a variety of topics and listen patiently to your answers (without judgement), share some local gossip and add a good distraction for the poor overworked peeps here married to their jobs, so who wouldn't love that? 🙂
I’m an English ALT at an international high school and absolutely love my job. Learning Japanese is the hardest part bc of everything they said. Once I established English speaking Japanese friends, it was easier to practice Japanese with them. They also appreciate it because they feel like they’re doing something for me, and our relationship is mutual.
I had a very similar experience, except in France. My friends found me a good resource to learn English, and my best moment was the day I suddenly found myself speaking to them, and thinking, in French!
The Italian girl is so expressive. I’ve heard that before and now I saw it
I really found it fascinating that the Italian English teacher is so animated and Takashii isn't even moving his facial muscle.
Phenomenal video and interviews! Well done 🙏
Getting better and so much more better 💪🏻😎✨
Amazing video once again ❤
Takashi-san you're awesomee!
Imagine having an Italian with a master's degree and model looks teach you English. Would you miss a class?
Patrick makes the best tiktoks! He's a gem and so talented!
Strategic thumbnail Takashii. Well played 🔥
Sonia is probably the most beautiful person I have ever seen & her personality is just overwhelming with joy and she’s just like sunshine on a rainy day.
She ain’t fucking u my guy
Were you just born? 😂
@@davidl5119I'm 37 and she's definitely in my top 5 of beautiful people
Simp….
go outside more...
That italian english teacher needs her own channel. Shes about to blow up. I think she is the most instantly likeable person ive ever seen. Not only because shes beautiful but her energy and vibes and amazing .
She has one: Sonia Candy. But it’s in Italian 😅
@@liebe7662 oh really ? Id still watch.
It’s true! Just saw it
sure simp
Not only because she's beautiful....dude, everyone clicked on this video BECAUSE of the obvious and most important thing in life which is beauty. I'm gay and even I clicked 😳
I taught English in Japan from 1997-2001 and it changed my life. In those days standards of English in Japan were much lower, so it was easy to learn Japanese.
First guy was brilliant, big props to him
That Italian girl is charming as heck.
And the African American is not? I think AA is more qualified to teach English than a white person from Italy.
I can see why guys would fall for her, but for others she may be a bit over the top. I prefer the more subdued Asian personality.
@@robcanad
True . Some people like quiet women but I like her personality. She has her own charm
@@robcanad Yeah I don't see myself getting anywhere with her. That English dude got it right. Score a hot Japanese who is devoted to you. I assume that exists.
I’m sure she’s aware 😊
That 2nd girl was such a vibe, loved her energy
This was very interesting. And you asked some important questions of them Good job.
Thank you for this! I learned a lot.
Damn, I need to go in Japan to study english.
“Good morning Miss…unfortunately I don’t speak a word of English. Here are two ripe peaches and an aubergine.”
@@LCOF Get a life kiddo. She's nice and beautiful, no need to give silly comments like this.
With Sonia.
@@ZoroasterIIILol it’s kinda cringe seeing ppl being simps 💀
congrats on 1M subscribers! thank you for always posting awesome content😀
Thank you brother. Awesome vid. Really helps me reconsider again applying for a job in Japan. And becoming an english Teacher. Keep up the good work. You got one like and one subscribe from me. Godspeed.
Absolutely love your videos. The best
I just like how Takashi makes well thought questions and engages in going deeper into the interviewees background and definitely lets them speak about their expertise without interruption. Awesome job bro!
Warning: LONG POST AHEAD!
I taught at one eikaiwa for a few months - pros: you meet a lot of great people. Especially if it's one of the more expensive eikaiwas, you can meet uni professors, CEOs, artists etc and become friends with them. If you're in such a situation - just make them friends, ignore the eikaiwa rules, this is what actually helped me stand on my feet. Another good side is that working hours are flexible often, and you can earn less for more free time. The last good thing is easy visa, even for non native speakers (you just need to prove you got experience in the field). That's where the pros end.
Now the cons: ooh boy, do they have cons...
well, first of all, if you actually have enough clients to fill 8h working shifts 5 days a week, your salary will come to the teacher average of around 250k. Take taxes/health out of that, and you got some 220k left for rent+utilities+everything else - now a lot of my coworkers lived in sharehouses or somewhere far away from Tokyo hubs. For me it was tough cuz from the get-go I found an apartment in an accessible fancy area within walking distance to one of the biggest hubs. I was paying double rent compared to most other teachers (and worked less). The real problem is actual exhaustion - in a normal company, during a 8h shift, you work maybe 2-3h with 100% focus, the rest is meetings, socializing or just 'pretending to work' (very common in japan). As a teacher, you are 100% focused permanently, with some short 5 min breaks between lessons. Yes, you need to talk for 8h straight for that average teacher salary. Too much.
Now, another big con is how you're viewed and how you're treated by both Japanese and Foreigners. As someone in the interview mentioned, teachers don't have a good reputation among Japanese. It's common knowledge they make crap salaries (for Tokyo standards), and it is highly positive and tolerated if you're a student or fresh-graduate, but some of my former coworkers were fossils with dead eyes that stayed in the same eikaiwa for 15 years and literally walk like zombies and talk like zombies. No one respects them. Foreigners will pity you if you're still in the industry after a few years, and Japanese, well, they'll treat you as they would any temporary employee in a very common field of work.
Next is the working environment - highly unflexible with tons of unnecessary archaic things like wearing suits in summer, treating clients as gods and terrible learning materials which limit you a lot in the way you want to build rapport. The companies usually brainwash you into adopting their methods and nothing else - and bored managers will sometimes walk the isle and eavesdrop on your lessons only to bother you about it after. I've literally had a manager come up to me after the lesson saying "I've noticed your mask fell off for more than 2 seconds during the lesson. If this ever happens again, I will have to escalate this issue." Some managers are nice though. Really depends on the school/branch.
The last big bad side (we're not gonna go deep into the small issues teaching has) is the absolute 0 job security (at least for eikaiwas). They will keep you as a 'freelancer' under short 3-6 months contracts that they will renew if you aggressively compete with your coworkers. The system they designed is to make all teachers fight each other for lessons and bonuses, so the teachers that follow the method the most with consistent high reviews will be getting bonuses (trust me not worth it, in my school it was something in the lines of 150+ lessons taught at specific hours they assign you to for just 10k more). If they don't see you constantly performing under their specifications and attend their useless 'development' seminars, they will simply not renew your contract. Why would they? They got a line of fresh stock always incoming.
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Now, let's not make it so dark - I made it out of it, I know many others who have too, sooner or later. Some advice:
(for people interested in progressing beyond teaching asap and building themselves up in Japan)
- Teaching is only your entry ticket to Japan. Depending on your visa, you got 1-3 years to settle yourself. That's a lot of time - make sure you dedicate at least several hours per day towards that goal.
- Make friends with as many Japanese as you can. It will boost your Japanese and offer opportunities. Don't go to HUB or foreigner bars. Go to Japanese bars. Hit people up. Tell them your story. Listen to theirs. You'd be amazed what kind of people you can meet. If you know where to go, you can easily meet celebrities, business owners, artists, professors etc. and if you have some skill aside from English, these people could help you out, or point you in the right direction.
- Stick to urban hub areas - you're far more likely to meet interesting people there: if a company offers you some deep Chiba, Kanagawa, Gunma, Shizuoka or whatever - throw that away (if you have any ambition). You ain't 'gonna make it' in the countryside. If you do end up there, the next goal before anything else is getting yourself to Tokyo. Stick to Shinjuku, Shibuya, Minato, Meguro, Setagaya. This is where cool stuff happens. It's expensive, it's a very high tension high speed lifestyle, but it also offers the most. It's also likely the only standpoint that can unlock the absolute most of Japan for you. (countryside and travelling comes later, when your feet are solid)
- Do stuff for free. Seriously. If you meet a really cool professor that might be interested in your research in the school you're teaching at, once your relationship is good enough, get their contact and teach them for free. It comes back. 1000x. Don't do it for the gains. Do it because it's super rewarding to make friends and deep connections. A lot of foreigners complain Japanese never let them in their 'inner circle' - you need to first open yourself enough and show them you care deeply.
- Be a 'yes' man. If someone invites you to an event (perhaps your client is having some presentation somewhere, or a performance) - go there. If you get invited to drink with your coworkers - go there. If you get invited to something REALLY REALLY boring - GO THERE! From my experience in Japan after several years, I NEVER regretted going out A SINGLE TIME out of countless times when I debated whether I should or not. Never say no.
(for people interested in being an English teacher forever - but want more money, more free time, and more reputation)
- Steal clients - in expensive eikaiwas clients pay 7000-9000yen per lesson with you. The company will give you 1500-2000 and take the rest. Build a good rapport, and then steal them. Offer them a longer, more customized lesson for 5000. Win-win for both. And no suits or boring rules.
- Work towards getting yourself in an international school - these places often pay better, 250k-400k (pre taxes) and are considered decent (often giving you a real contract).
- If you have a master degree - get some education credentials, push some papers and go teach English in a uni - same as above, much better
- Find clients through friends you already made - chances are if you are helping a friend out with English, they will recommend you. At some point I had over 15 people reaching out to me for lessons from just one person (I taught for free). I still teach some of them for free when I got time.
- Be in the right place at the right time. (this is closely related to my point about being in the big Tokyo hubs) - If you hang around areas where successful people gather, there's a greater chance you'll find high level clients. Getting just a few of those would be enough for you to have tons of free time cuz 20 lessons a month would cover your livelyhood. (compare that to the 150+ you'd have to grind out in the eikaiwa)
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Finally - observation about the future of teaching:
1) Teaching will not be here for a long time. There's too many teachers, and ChatGPT powered apps and AI teachers are becoming better and better. By next year, we'll have fully animated deepfake teachers that can completely replace human teachers with perfect knowledge of grammar and every single word.
2) It is likely that eikaiwa schools will stay the longest - a lot of clients just come to chat with a foreigner. They don't care about studying. Companionship is something that Japanese people definitely lack - and you'll often find yourself flirting with lonely people, becoming their therapist or something similar.
3) Japanese are still very behind English ability (compared to rest of Asia), however they are getting better. While the demand for teaching soared again after tourists came back, it's reaching a plateau and is slowly declining. Younger folks in Japan also tend to know English better - they would only take English lessons to talk to foreigners.
4) There are more and more English conversation cafes, language exchange meetups and similar events. This is both good for you and bad. The bad part is that there's less demand for you as a teacher. The good thing is - as a teacher, you can go there and fish for clients, or simply meet friends.
Thank you for reading. Good luck in Japan!
That's some really good advice. It's definitely about who you know. Even in smaller places outside of Tokyo, you can still make some pretty valuable contacts.
*pin this post - a great read on experience to this career path.
The trick is to get a teaching license from a Japanese university in order to become a full-time teacher at a high school or junior high school. The pay is 3 times that of an ALT. However, one needs to become fully literate in Japanese to do so as all courses are in Japanese, including hand-written assignments of which there are many. It took me 15 years to become literate enough to have gotten my teaching degree, but it was well worth it. We have 40 days off a year, bi-annual bonuses and a severance package upon retirement of around $150,000 USD.
@@dragonsword8247 True! Even if you feel your skills are not up to part - people are always more likely to recommend friends over a random resume they recieve.
@@gordonbgraham This is amazing piece of information! I think the reason why majority do low level English teaching is cuz high level Japanese is needed for almost any non-engineer/management work that involves a real full-time contract.
If I ever go back to teaching, might definitely consider this, always wanted to be a real high school teacher.
i clicked and was not disappointed. It's also an interesting job so interesting to learn about. She did make it easier to digest.
That Italian lady has such a great personality and seems really engaging!
I always love when italian talks lol her hand gestures are so expressive 😄
Watched quite a bit of Craig Ferguson back in the day. She's delightfully 🖐tuttsi frutsi 👋 all over the place.
🤌🤌🤌
My former English teacher during Junior High School is already teaching English there in Japan, and she settled there together with her husband. She said that her students were very kind and comparing the school resources, Japan is way way ahead compared to what's being provided in the schools here.
Love the interviews, Takashi san, especially the second lady! Keep up the good work.
The teacher is like a movie star and she has the confidence like one.
First guy was quite the wholesome fellow. Good guy and wish him the best in his career.
Omg another collab of my favorite Japan content creators!! Patrick-sensei!
Great content as always. Highlighting what some English teachers experience in Japan, along with sharing their stories was nice to see on your channel.
As an English teacher and Sports coach in japan, I can relate to some of the teachers you interviewed.
Keep uploading good content👏👏👏.
I am not a native English speaker either, even though I lived in the UK for 20 years. I have also recently gotten certified as a TEFL teacher, but want to try and explore the route like the last interviewee in the video. I find that doing my own thing is always best, I do not see myself going to work 24/7, it just sounds like a living nightmare and you're gonna be basically trapped most of the time.
The thought of becoming an English teacher in Japan has never actually crossed my mind and I'm not sure why this video showed up in my feed but I enjoyed the entire video! thanks man
20-years-English-teaching-in-Japan veteran here! 😆
First, I just want to say that Takashi did a great job at selecting interviewees for this one. Interesting people and good information! I’ll just add my bit about one type of English teacher that didn’t come up here - the ALT. Assistant Language Teachers basically come in three types: those working for a national or regional program like JET; those working through a dispatch company; or those hired directly by a municipal Board of Education. I’m not gonna get into details about the different types right now, but since the JET gig is the most sought-after, I will list some pros and cons of that one here. PROS: comparatively easy work load for reasonable pay. Opportunities to immerse oneself in Japanese culture by becoming a member of the school and surrounding community. Ample paid-vacation days.
CONS: every situation is different. You may end up working six classes in a row with hyperactive elementary school students; or, you may end up sidelined as a “human tape recorder“ in the classroom and spend a lot of time sitting in the staff room with nothing to do. And finally, no matter how many years you do this job there is (in *most* cases) no chance for promotion or pay-raise.
And FINALLY, I’d like to say that I’m pretty sure Takashi has a crush on the second interviewee. (But I could be wrong. 😆)
Could you blame him tho. What a hottie!
He has interviewed all the prettiest random foreigners, including former models in Japan. So even though the Italian girl is hot, it's just pretty normal for Takashi.
Not for me. Boner achieved
So why did you do it for 20years?
I quit agter 6 months to get a new job in Japan. Unless you have your own school. I'm not sure why someone would do it for 20 years
@@Oversurge_ Fair question. Well, the main reason is just that it suits my family’s situation. My wife (who is Japanese) works for a typical Japanese company, including long hours, overseas trips etc, and so I’m the one who mostly takes care of the kids and domestic work, at home. My ALT job means I work in the area, have regular hours, and get home every day early enough to make dinner, etc. (It also means that I often have free time at work to study and work on videos or other creative projects.) And going back to the “every situation is different” point I made in my comment… my situation at work is pretty decent. I actually like my job! Most of the time. 😆
Your videos are useful to get more information about Japan in English 🙏🏻
Damn that’s a lot of money, thank you!
@@takashiifromjapan Wish it was in the US :(
Is that 2500 or 25?
I wasnt planning on moving to Japan or teaching English but the interviews are interesting in the variert of experiences from both sides
Love this video. Looking from the outside in being an English teacher has its ups and downs in Japan. Best to know what you're getting yourself into first
The LA lady seems so kind and down to earth. I feel her vibes and Japanese americanism oozing through the literal screen. She is the ideal marriage between Japan and American English teaching experience ❤❤❤❤
Her way of saying LA was so LA. He even corrected her to say to full name Los Angeles? and she still said LA lol
wdym Italian was wayyyyy more ideal
@@_efaultStudents are always more confortable receiving instruction from someone who looks like them than someone who is visibly foreign. This is well-established in the science of pedagogy. It's why inner city school districts are so hungry for black teachers. A hafu girl is still less foreign than an Italian lady.
I feel like I've seen this girl in clips forever and now I've FINALLY come across the actual video that she's from.
The average wage in Japan is 4,000,000 (before tax) year which is about $27,000 annually.
If your monthly income is 240,000 per month (2,900,000 annually), that puts you way below the average.
Moreover, expect to work longer (possibly unpaid overtime) & harder with less paid holiday. Even when applying for paid vacation, you might have to follow the company calendar.
There was an English school in Shinjuku called LADO where I learn English almost 20 years ago. I don't think that school exist anymore but this school had so many teachers mostly from English speaking countries. What the first guy said is true, many teachers go to Japan to teach, but some of them don't abide by the cultural rules. The teachers I had were wonderful, but also used to party hard after school hours. Japan is beautiful, hope to go back this year. This is a good channel, keep it up @TAKASHii
I am currently working at an Eikaiwa/International School and have also worked at 2 other English teaching companies (one very large and well known, and another much smaller) during my 4 years in Japan. So here are my thoughts and personal experiences for those who would like to read; (I still very much enjoy teaching here in Japan, but you can have a very bad experience if you're not prepared)
Pros:
- You get to meet and interact with many Japanese people, whether they be children or adults. Working with children may not be for everyone (especially pre-school/kindergarten), but they always are extremely lively and passionate. Teaching adults can be very rewarding, as you can learn a lot about Japan, and they may also invite you out and help you make friends once you've built up a relationship with them. (Not all, some like to maintain the teacher/student boundaries, so don't push for it.)
- You get a Japanese visa, and usually an apartment at a slight discount. It might even come furnished if you're lucky.
- Eikaiwa/International schools tend to have after school classes, so you can have the mornings to yourself to do what you want.
- You get national holidays off, meaning you have a week in April/May and a week in August to go and explore the country.
- The companies tend to have a lot of seasonal events to help promote themselves, but this also allows you to experience Japanese cultural events first hand.
Cons:
-The English Teaching industry is extremely exploitative, as the Japanese management tend to run on the philosophy that foreigners don't know their working rights in Japan and will just leave and go back to their home countries if upset. Due to this, it is a far too regular sight to see enforced, unpaid overtime; or sudden changes to working schedule due to "promotional events". Many companies will also not allow you to take your legally allotted vacation time, and will try to illegally write some clause into the employment contract to stop you using it. The larger corporate companies tend to keep things more legit, as they're big enough to get the notice of legal authorities, but smaller companies tend to fly under the radar.
- Management tends to view the non-Japanese teachers as objects instead of humans and arbitrarily make rules or decide to have sudden "meetings" without any warning. The "customer is god" philosophy is strong and all blame will always land fully on the English teacher without any kind of discussion or investigation if a parent/student makes any kind of comment (doesn't have to be a complaint, or even a negative comment). The managers (especially in larger, more corporate companies) tend to have zero teaching experience or knowledge of English and are only looking at the flow of money, with far too many overpaid people making nonsensical decisions that affect your daily lessons.
- Many places insist on you wearing a suit and tie to teach children. "We need to look professional at all times, just in case a parent wishes to see how the classes are."
- Salary tends to be on the livable, but low end of the scale with close to zero prospects of pay rise/promotion. The average salary for Eikaiwa/International Schools is 250,000pcm and ALT (assistant language teacher in public schools) being around 220,000. Once you take rent/bills/food costs/taxes out of that, you will have around 100,000 to do with what you want.
- Many companies tend to try and create an isolationist atmosphere and promote competition between co-workers for bonuses or time off, and if there are ever any Japanese teachers working alongside you, they tend to be given incentives to "snitch" on your daily activities to management.
- Absolutely NO Japanese is to be used. You will get pulled up just for letting your students know you understand it, and if you dare speak it in front of them, it will be an instant disciplinary. The corporate management don't want you learning Japanese and listening in on their conversations, all the while they sell the myth of "full immersion learning environments", which are proven to not work. Even in this video, the first guy interviewed said he has lived in Japan 9 years, and couldn't even put a sentence together.
TLDR: It can be a very rewarding job if you keep your head down and keep the bosses happy, although don't expect to be driving around in Ferraris doing it, and don't expect to get any days off when you want them.
(P.S. If anyone knows of any companies that treat their teachers with respect, please let me know.)
That’s why I chose against teaching in Japan and am considering another country close by 😢 I need to save money but also don’t want to be worked to the bone.
I’d rather save up money elsewhere teaching English and then go to japan to visit or for language school in the future
The trick is to get a teaching license from a Japanese university in order to become a full-time teacher at a high school or junior high school. The pay is 3 times that of an ALT. However, one needs to become fully literate in Japanese to do so as all courses are in Japanese, including hand-written assignments of which there are many. It took me 15 years to become literate enough to have gotten my teaching degree, but it was well worth it. We have 40 days off a year, bi-annual bonuses and a severance package upon retirement of around $150,000 USD.
What can do if you say no I will do what I please kind of curious in the con section can they really do anything to you ?
@@southcoastinventors6583 They can and will fire you
@@lucie442 From what I've heard, it's not better in other countries either... I have a friend who used to teach in Poland and he said the conditions there were much worse, the pay too.
Very nice interview!! I like it very much, thank you
I am new to learning Japanese. I was there 2 weeks in July. I loved it there. I heard you mention other means to enter Japan other than as English teacher. Are there resources to look at for someone who is just starting to learn the language to look at finding a means to live and work in Japan?
I love your interviews. Keep up the good work!!!
Sonia's English is perfect, and her students also get the added benefit of learning how to speak Italian with their hands, just like Sonia! LOL.
Bro whats her @
@@kiermanahan check the description 🗿🗿🗿
Your videos are very good thanks you for doing things like this it helps me want to make it out there again and possibly teach.
Thanks for doing these interviews. I'm 38, I have a good job in the US, but I really miss teaching in Asia (I taught in Korea.) I'd love to start again and I'm trying to get the courage to do it.
Omg I just realized I’m still 37 😂 It’s like I get a free year
Are you a native speaker? Because Im not a native speaker and Im starting to think of teaching in South Korea, and Ive heard its not easy to do so when youre not a native
@@jungkookslambskewers9025 Same here🙃
To kind of talk about what Patrick said about teachers in Japan not always taking their job seriously and doing the bare minimum, my companies did the following:
-Intimidate us into not using our paid days when we had them, and when we did take them, they would come to your house/apartment or call you non-stop all day asking you to come in anyways.
They would even make us fill out "request forms" when legally, we can take the day whether they approve it or not.
Even if it is in contradiction to the contract we signed, the country law would supersede any sort of agreement.
-They would violate their own contracts.
Trying to make us pay for things they were to take responsibility for.
Or make us take up extra responsibilities we were not qualified for, sometimes legally, and were not stated in the contracts.
-They would purposefully split schools up among ALTS so that way all alts would be put in a situation where they would need to then rent a car from the company, btw that car is going to cost over 10% of your monthly salary, not counting gas or repairs.
Also, you are not going to get paid unless you are at the school so if it is summer break, enjoy that extra expense!
-Both companies I worked for in Japan actually did NOT pay the listed wage upon sign-up.
You will never see that full wage because almost all ALT companies pay per workday, meaning no pay on holidays too, and then the wage they present is a "estimate" or projection you will never reach.
Sometimes your wage is even split up into performance bonuses, which is actually not attainable, and is not mentioned pre-contract signing for either companies I was with.
-Then they have "deductions" on top of that wage that are always present from the company which is another trick they use to lower the amount they give to you. They partially pay processing staff, and deduct misc. fees directly from your paycheck. When it was all said and done, I signed for 220,000-250,000 a month and NEVER saw above 180,000-190,00 a month with either company.
Also those were my best months, my average monthly pay was probably around 100,000-130,000 due to holidays.
-I had a tumor and had to get it removed and the company asked me what I was planning on doing to not have to take time off for the hospital next year.
Like I get tumors and go to the hospital for surgery for fun.
***
I think if you are working for an ALT for a company like this. YOU are doing a disservice if you do not f*ck them back.
If I am being lied to and mistreated then I am sure as hell going to pay that back.
You know they get on average 4,000 to 9,000 a class you teach? Yeah, they give you the crumbs and sit around all day and nothing while you fulfil the contracts and make their money.
Since you're anonymous, please share with us the names of the companies.
Thank you for another great video! I am always enjoying them, you ask great questions. I am moving to Tokyo next week on a researcher work visa, and all of your content makes the transition so much easier for me - things that I want to know, things that I never knew I wanted to know. Keep up the good work😊
you only notice how good the colour grading/edit is when he forgets it at 11:04,
well done
It seems like the good times have well and truly rolled for English teaching in Japan - correct me if I am wrong. I was there briefly (3 month contract) back in 2008. I had an interesting experience and managed to save a little. But I notice that the salary is still the same and the yen has depreciated too. I think that many teachers are attracted to Japan because it's a nice place and interested in aspects of the culture rather than motivated by money, but personally I don't think there's anything there that makes it worth working long hours for low pay and dealing with the horrific commute I had in Tokyo.
PATRICK IS ON HERE!!!! I'M SO HAPPY TO SEE THAT ❤
I follow him and Takashii separately and its unexpected to see them together but I'm so glad🥲🫶🏼
I thought the same thing 😂
Italian girl-I wasn’t used to people giving me things
Takahashii-maybe it’s you
Brother I was thinking the same exact thing
Very informative I’m definitely interested!
This was good 😊💙
Patrick and Stew always fun to watch them. Yeah it is really hard to learn Japanese when you are stuck in the classroom without any support from your school to at least learn the bare minimum to communicate or to build some connexions. I feel very sad for not being able to communicate properly as I do love the culture and I feel like speaking the language is an important way to express gratitude towards the culture you are inserted in. Another thing is whenever we make new friends and they know we teach English automatically they just want to speak in English first because its faster and 2 because they can practice, which is really cool, but also sad cos its actually the only chance we get to have our 10 min convo in Japanese. Another thing is I really wish the government could change the educational system in order to improve our life and the students, and not only that, they allow people to come to Japan due to their passport but they are not even qualified to teach the language. They come here do whatever they want to in a very disturbing and disruptive way and in the end of the way I am looked down for being a gaijin even if I am the good guy. The criteria should be having a diploma plus an ESL/TESOL whatnot certification to have the visa granted.
"Another thing is whenever we make new friends and they know we teach English automatically they just want to speak in English first because its faster and 2 because they can practice, which is really cool, but also sad cos its actually the only chance we get to have our 10 min convo in Japanese."...This exact same thing happens to me so many times! (I'm also an Eigo teacher here in Japan...) Have you found a way to break this pattern? My Japanese is not conversational, so conversations tend to drift into English, and continue in English...🤔
I mean, you get what you pay for. As the black guy in the video intimated, the pay being offered in Japan is not strong. For contrast, the average ESL teacher in the United States is paid double to triple what's offered by the JET Program...but that comes with actual educator requirements: you have to build your own curriculum and run an entire classroom of 30 kids by yourself, etc. Your kids are given standardized tests and you're accountable for their test results. If your kids underperform consistently, you will be fired. You must attend parent-teacher conferences with parents who might blame you for their kid being a disruptive slacker in class who gets poor grades because he doesn't apply himself, but that's your fault because you're "The Teacher".
It's the difference between pro and semi-pro and paid accordingly.
The italian teacher is amazing with her energy and so positive. Cute girl
I used to teach English in Tokyo, Japan. I taught adults and young children from around 2 -10 years old. I had a great time in Japan. I also had some private students who ended up becoming great friends and we used to go and have so much fun together. I would definitely live in Japan again. It was so clean, and safe. Good food and the people, although they appear reserved at first, really know how to have a good time.
週一投稿でこの伸びはすごい
The girl from Italy is awesome. I loved her expressions.