What Teaching English in Japan is REALLY like

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  • Опубліковано 22 гру 2024

КОМЕНТАРІ • 3,6 тис.

  • @takashiifromjapan
    @takashiifromjapan  9 місяців тому +20

    TOKYO GUIDEBOOK
    takashifromjapan.com/tokyocompleteguide

    • @sertdert1006
      @sertdert1006 5 місяців тому +1

      English is very difficult for us Asian countries because English comes from the Germanic language and is a very rough forest language, that's why Turks learn Japanese faster than anyone else and their pronunciation is close to perfect, real languages ​​are agglutinative languages ​​:)
      @japonbu has this channel, he is Turkish and married to a Japanese woman, you can talk to him about this issue.
      PS: Türkiye is not a Middle Eastern country, it is a middle Asian country.

    • @TheMisterDerp
      @TheMisterDerp Місяць тому

      Wow!. Conversation School starting salary 25 years ago was 250 a month. 300k For jet program (frankly a useless program).
      But it's not what you make. It's what you keep, I recall you withholding rate was ridiculously low for the first year. Almost think of it as tax-free, and if you're forced to pay social security, if you're there less than 3 years, I think, you can ask for the money back
      My second job there. I got really lucky, 300K base salary Plus overtime for weekends, AND ACCOMMODATION. I figured I would have had to make about 600k back home to make and keep the same money.

  • @BrentColflesh
    @BrentColflesh Рік тому +18627

    Italian woman is about to become the most requested English teacher in Japanese history.

    • @DenBoy4
      @DenBoy4 Рік тому +545

      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. 🐻💤

    • @CC39
      @CC39 Рік тому +789

      She's like the Megan Fox in Transformers 1. Of course now she's absolutely prettier than the current Megan.

    • @DangerRussDayZ6533
      @DangerRussDayZ6533 Рік тому +103

      @@DenBoy4 wut?

    • @MrDusuke
      @MrDusuke Рік тому +227

      She is indeed talented, cute and hot 🎉 I hope the best for her!

    • @mojoejojo6675
      @mojoejojo6675 Рік тому +318

      She's very confident, open and genuine that really adds a lot of weight to her attractiveness.

  • @globalcharts6072
    @globalcharts6072 Рік тому +5602

    The Italian lady will definitely increase my learning motivation. Never miss a class at all!

    • @rickeykoga2312
      @rickeykoga2312 Рік тому +264

      I'm a native English speaker and I'd fake ESL to get into her class 😅

    • @judasthepious1499
      @judasthepious1499 Рік тому +93

      waiting for her to say "please give me coke"

    • @HardPass
      @HardPass Рік тому

      LOLOLOL @@rickeykoga2312

    • @JoaNYC
      @JoaNYC Рік тому +38

      whats her only fans?...

    • @tkrdg7885
      @tkrdg7885 Рік тому +10

      The Italian gire ,She sounds kind native English speaker 😂❤🎉

  • @timeformore
    @timeformore Рік тому +569

    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.

    • @bennyb.1742
      @bennyb.1742 Рік тому +16

      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.

    • @goyam2981
      @goyam2981 Рік тому +6

      She's very fluent and has almost no accent. I've lived in the US for 20+ years still can't speak like her. 😆

    • @pertoor
      @pertoor Рік тому +11

      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.

    • @maximepxd
      @maximepxd Рік тому +1

      ​@@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)

    • @carlosandres280
      @carlosandres280 Рік тому +1

      What do you mean with perfect accent, british?

  • @miki1835
    @miki1835 Рік тому +1723

    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 ♡

    • @JavierPwns
      @JavierPwns Рік тому +12

    • @Gnasheress
      @Gnasheress Рік тому +24

      Thank you for being our students.

    • @davisappletv9931
      @davisappletv9931 Рік тому +21

      I’m a native English speaker (from the USA). Your English is very good! Your comment was well written.

    • @yanLi-oc5yl
      @yanLi-oc5yl Рік тому +2

      Hi I'm wondering if they also want native Chinese teachers teaching Chinese in Eikaiwa school.

    • @leinabambino
      @leinabambino Рік тому +6

      This is so sweet!

  • @darrylt8502
    @darrylt8502 Рік тому +3339

    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.

    • @davidalger5625
      @davidalger5625 Рік тому +55

      Actually it is common. Part of Japanese culture. I would often got books, sake, and various snacks.

    • @szepmiklos-mihaj4160
      @szepmiklos-mihaj4160 Рік тому +140

      Definetly cuz it's her xD

    • @nwgverified
      @nwgverified Рік тому +64

      Yeah students gonna have a crush for sure

    • @tropingreenhorn
      @tropingreenhorn Рік тому +85

      true facts, she is gorgeous and articulate, I'm sure there were a lot of boys who were crushing on her

    • @anthony.catbagan
      @anthony.catbagan Рік тому +27

      It's definitely because "it's her". Like HER.

  • @The3rdGunman
    @The3rdGunman Рік тому +683

    Italian lady is so animated-You know she stands out in Japan, they're so reserved.

    • @pgtv7215
      @pgtv7215 8 місяців тому +26

      "Italian lady is so animated" ... err shes Italian ;-)

    • @joedwyer3297
      @joedwyer3297 4 місяці тому +5

      ​@@pgtv7215say no more🤌🏻

    • @1nvisible1
      @1nvisible1 2 місяці тому +1

      *I am officially on waiting list for the Italian Eikaiwa.*

    • @AntonySimkin
      @AntonySimkin 2 місяці тому +1

      Her body language is something out of this world haha even though I live in Argentina, where body language is very rich also.. She is charming. Can't avoid this thought

    • @SunflowerQueen1
      @SunflowerQueen1 Місяць тому +3

      Yeah.... She's fine

  • @babesababe5885
    @babesababe5885 Рік тому +1394

    The Italian girl has a lot of enthusiasm. When teaching, enthusiasm is contagious, it’s a superpower.

    • @colinjames2469
      @colinjames2469 Рік тому +31

      Bouncing yes. 🤣

    • @liquidsnakex
      @liquidsnakex Рік тому +75

      The fact that she's smoking hot helps more

    • @MidianVGC
      @MidianVGC Рік тому +41

      She's the human equivalent of a golden retriever

    • @EM-tx3ly
      @EM-tx3ly Рік тому +28

      She will conquer the classroom
      Like a true Roman

    • @SuperBartles
      @SuperBartles Рік тому +3

      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...

  • @Koucis
    @Koucis Рік тому +359

    Patrick seems like a really down to earth and nice guy. Loved his laugh when trying to speak japanese!

    • @hephzibah8854
      @hephzibah8854 Рік тому +5

      You're a very good judge of character. That's a gift.

    • @dcp.mccormick6691
      @dcp.mccormick6691 Рік тому +3

      I follow him on insta. He's awesome.

    • @hardbrocklife2
      @hardbrocklife2 21 день тому +1

      I went to high school with him. Very nice guy from a great family. Glad to see another classmate that made good decisions and continued to be a decent human being.

  • @MichaelRicksAherne
    @MichaelRicksAherne 7 місяців тому +12

    Patrick was so eloquent and clearly passionate about teaching. What a treasure for his students.

  • @KansaiKaiser
    @KansaiKaiser Рік тому +605

    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.

    • @evetei
      @evetei Рік тому +25

      Excellent post! 😊

    • @gordonbgraham
      @gordonbgraham Рік тому +51

      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.

    • @irule10338
      @irule10338 Рік тому +3

      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 :)

    • @KansaiKaiser
      @KansaiKaiser Рік тому +12

      @@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.

    • @kupajapan
      @kupajapan Рік тому +2

      ​​​​@@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").

  • @takashiifromjapan
    @takashiifromjapan  Рік тому +620

    Thank you for watching!
    I’m still undecided about what I will do on my second channel.
    Any idea?

    • @JericBrual
      @JericBrual Рік тому +43

      Vlogs!

    • @rowbearly6128
      @rowbearly6128 Рік тому +39

      Horror stories from long time foreign residents. I have a million.

    • @purpleAiPEy
      @purpleAiPEy Рік тому +23

      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

    • @BusterBossJR
      @BusterBossJR Рік тому +3

      Vlogs/travel vlogs!

    • @jeffcraig3309
      @jeffcraig3309 Рік тому +14

      @@purpleAiPEyI agree, podcasts where takashii speaks japanese can help us foreigners learn japanese faster. Would really like to see something like this or similar

  • @jerryoshea3116
    @jerryoshea3116 Рік тому +111

    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!!

    • @Roofhack
      @Roofhack 10 місяців тому +1

      The Italian woman was speaking both English and Italian.

    • @Scruff404
      @Scruff404 6 місяців тому +1

      I wonder what other OBVIOUS qualities you mean 👀

    • @jerryoshea3116
      @jerryoshea3116 6 місяців тому

      @@Scruff404 Easy on the eye!

    • @jerryoshea3116
      @jerryoshea3116 6 місяців тому

      @@Scruff404 Easy on the eye!

    • @davestang5454
      @davestang5454 Місяць тому

      There is no way she learned to speak fluent AMERICAN English in Italy. She is not telling the whole truth.

  • @handroidcool3532
    @handroidcool3532 Рік тому +55

    Your videos are useful to get more information about Japan in English 🙏🏻

  • @GlitchFairy
    @GlitchFairy Рік тому +55

    There's something really calming about that first guy. Very well-said and thoughtful answers.

  • @SurroundedByGiants
    @SurroundedByGiants Місяць тому +6

    The Italian young lady needs her own TV show. What a beautiful person and what a wonderful personality!!! I think she would be successful at anything she does. What a blessing she is.

  • @johnlibonati7807
    @johnlibonati7807 Рік тому +201

    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.

    • @BuxtonHouse
      @BuxtonHouse 11 місяців тому +1

      this is a great comment. thanks for describing. how long was this process of learning Italian?

    • @Drusiton
      @Drusiton 7 місяців тому +3

      @@BuxtonHouse About two to three kilometres

    • @BuxtonHouse
      @BuxtonHouse 6 місяців тому +1

      @@Drusiton dam thats short

  • @kahashikun
    @kahashikun Рік тому +1459

    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.

    • @karwashblark7499
      @karwashblark7499 Рік тому +101

      She also *behaves* like an anglophone tbh. If I didnt know better Id think she was American

    • @karinneeskens
      @karinneeskens Рік тому +28

      @@karwashblark7499 Her accent is kind of a give away though.

    • @ManachanJapan
      @ManachanJapan Рік тому

      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

    • @charlespatrick8650
      @charlespatrick8650 Рік тому +5

      it's a little formal, she'd need to spend a few (more?) years living in the US

    • @guang-wen
      @guang-wen Рік тому +27

      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.

  • @mattzobian
    @mattzobian Місяць тому +27

    The Italian woman's English is excellent, she obviously has a serious language gift!

    • @plane_guy6051
      @plane_guy6051 24 дні тому

      No way buddy -- I think your judgement is being swayed by the fact that she;s hot. Her English is pretty good 'for an Italian', but it's only about 85% on a North American level which is not as high as it should be for teaching foreigners. She has a definite flaw in her accent and her students will learn that, just the same way that Asians who learn from British teachers pick up their British accent and it's not a good thing, but at least British is a little more acceptable

  • @tropingreenhorn
    @tropingreenhorn Рік тому +39

    Sonia is so expressive and articulate, and also stunning. I'm sure many people wanted to study with her she seems awesome

  • @leinabambino
    @leinabambino Рік тому +531

    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

    • @sydneyreigetsu3933
      @sydneyreigetsu3933 Рік тому +6

      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.

    • @earlysda
      @earlysda Рік тому +5

      bambino, agreed 100%. Children are great to teach - IF they aren't being forced strongly against their will to learn English.

    • @erdrick22
      @erdrick22 Рік тому +4

      Leina I saw your nhk episode nice job on that.

    • @takashiifromjapan
      @takashiifromjapan  Рік тому +35

      Thank you too🙏

    • @MrSimon1909
      @MrSimon1909 Рік тому +8

      you are the hot teacher?

  • @cloudicus
    @cloudicus 11 місяців тому +13

    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.

  • @francislirios9730
    @francislirios9730 Рік тому +144

    She’s definitely Italian with all the hand gestures. She talks with her hands. Very wholesome & engaging teacher.

    • @darthwater999
      @darthwater999 Рік тому +7

      even for the italian standard she is A LOT extrovert 😄

    • @markiluc
      @markiluc Рік тому +4

      just overacting, forced overaction, Italians are not like that

    • @nofurtherwest3474
      @nofurtherwest3474 7 місяців тому +1

      wholesome??? 🤣🤣

    • @Jamezy316
      @Jamezy316 7 місяців тому +6

      @@markiluc 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

    • @JDChicago
      @JDChicago Місяць тому +2

      And attractive? hehe.

  • @Eligos666
    @Eligos666 Рік тому +180

    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.

    • @SkyHermit
      @SkyHermit Рік тому +1

      What is her insta/youtube channel?

    • @gianlucaangeli
      @gianlucaangeli Рік тому +12

      @@SkyHermit sonia candy

    • @kensuke0
      @kensuke0 Рік тому +5

      @@gianlucaangeliThank you so much for the sauce, my friend

    • @ChillExpressions
      @ChillExpressions Рік тому +5

      ​@@kensuke0ayo?

    • @jasonwong7140
      @jasonwong7140 Рік тому +1

      i didn't know she was so big lol

  • @nadesmoke
    @nadesmoke Рік тому +137

    7:20 Sonia is such a vibe she can make everyone around her happy so cute 😭😭

    • @leftybdm
      @leftybdm Рік тому +2

      I listened to her speak Italian on her insta and I fell even more in love.

    • @dextorkenji
      @dextorkenji Рік тому

      @@leftybdm What is her insta?

  • @codyroberts2859
    @codyroberts2859 Рік тому +53

    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.

  • @SomberP
    @SomberP 11 місяців тому +51

    After seeing the Italian teacher suddenly I don’t remember English anymore…

  • @phoenixw2
    @phoenixw2 Рік тому +12

    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.

  • @nyanayuki
    @nyanayuki Рік тому +241

    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. 😊

    • @kamikoto1558
      @kamikoto1558 Рік тому +2

      yep and it scares me cos im not doung anything computer related so english teaching is probably the only option I have lmao.

  • @OrphanHart
    @OrphanHart Рік тому +45

    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.

  • @boomshakarlaka7237
    @boomshakarlaka7237 Рік тому +37

    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.

    • @leechap3
      @leechap3 Рік тому +2

      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!

  • @nick_y1011
    @nick_y1011 Рік тому +40

    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!

  • @GGGryphonZ
    @GGGryphonZ 2 місяці тому +4

    6:59 as an English speaker, I have decided to broaden my horizons on the.......English language.

  • @justsayin5110
    @justsayin5110 Рік тому +26

    The Italian girl is so expressive. I’ve heard that before and now I saw it

  • @MetikalMan
    @MetikalMan Рік тому +51

    I love that first guy! Such a great ambassador for US!

    • @outofcontextworld
      @outofcontextworld 7 місяців тому

      no one wants to study with a niqa

    • @markeggins890
      @markeggins890 Місяць тому +1

      He was very honest and had some great advice.

  • @AB-zw5xx
    @AB-zw5xx 11 місяців тому +2

    Her English is excellent -- she says the word “like” constantly, like a native. Bravo.

  • @Celeste77789
    @Celeste77789 Рік тому +37

    Getting better and so much more better 💪🏻😎✨
    Amazing video once again ❤
    Takashi-san you're awesomee!

  • @pine.studios
    @pine.studios Рік тому +145

    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.

  • @Rufusdos
    @Rufusdos Рік тому +5

    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.

  • @VampiricAlchemyst
    @VampiricAlchemyst Рік тому +387

    The mighty cross-over of Mr. Patrick and Takashii

    • @that_dam_baka
      @that_dam_baka Рік тому +3

      Who?

    • @carolinek8480
      @carolinek8480 Рік тому +19

      I saw him in the intro and screamed haha, so cool to see him here outside of tik tok!

    • @StrollingArtist
      @StrollingArtist Рік тому +2

      I had the same reaction! Wow! So glad he’s here too

    • @sergeantwaffle9938
      @sergeantwaffle9938 Рік тому +2

      ​@_that_dam_baka_ the guy with the blue and white shirt, he's really popular on tik tok thats how I know of him

    • @That_Grem_Kuro
      @That_Grem_Kuro Рік тому

      Pretty sure that’s actually Baba Ghanoush… 👀

  • @stltom6568
    @stltom6568 Рік тому +135

    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.

    • @kiermanahan
      @kiermanahan Рік тому +6

      Bro whats her @

    • @Kabeer2004
      @Kabeer2004 Рік тому +3

      @@kiermanahan check the description 🗿🗿🗿

  • @ruchirj4533
    @ruchirj4533 8 місяців тому +5

    I really found it fascinating that the Italian English teacher is so animated and Takashii isn't even moving his facial muscle.

  • @nomadicsoul34
    @nomadicsoul34 Рік тому +81

    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 .

    • @liebe7662
      @liebe7662 Рік тому +5

      She has one: Sonia Candy. But it’s in Italian 😅

    • @nomadicsoul34
      @nomadicsoul34 Рік тому +3

      @@liebe7662 oh really ? Id still watch.

    • @Aukrenchi17
      @Aukrenchi17 Рік тому

      It’s true! Just saw it

    • @Aszourus
      @Aszourus Рік тому

      sure simp

    • @xenomorphlover
      @xenomorphlover Рік тому +5

      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 😳

  • @squiggs69
    @squiggs69 Рік тому +25

    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!

  • @chesternl
    @chesternl 2 місяці тому +1

    Italian lady has the best energy!! How did they not get her to teach from the get go! Let's not forget that an Italian plumber made Japan famous. Super Mario forever!

  • @MrShem123ist
    @MrShem123ist Рік тому +99

    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.

  • @DragonSword001
    @DragonSword001 Рік тому +53

    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.)

    • @lucie442
      @lucie442 Рік тому

      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

    • @gordonbgraham
      @gordonbgraham Рік тому +8

      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.

    • @southcoastinventors6583
      @southcoastinventors6583 Рік тому

      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 ?

    • @gordonbgraham
      @gordonbgraham Рік тому +1

      @@southcoastinventors6583 They can and will fire you

    • @DragonSword001
      @DragonSword001 Рік тому

      @@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.

  • @crinoid88
    @crinoid88 11 місяців тому +5

    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.

    • @crinoid88
      @crinoid88 11 місяців тому

      Omg I just realized I’m still 37 😂 It’s like I get a free year

    • @jungkookslambskewers9025
      @jungkookslambskewers9025 11 місяців тому

      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

    • @vminkooknamjinsuho1208
      @vminkooknamjinsuho1208 10 місяців тому

      ​@@jungkookslambskewers9025 Same here🙃

  • @yongwoo1020
    @yongwoo1020 Рік тому +21

    Even though I am a native English speaker, I feel the need to take English lessons from this remarkable Italian English teacher.

  • @Gilgamesh465
    @Gilgamesh465 Рік тому +52

    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 ❤❤❤❤

    • @andrewfreeman88
      @andrewfreeman88 Рік тому +7

      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

    • @_efault
      @_efault Рік тому

      wdym Italian was wayyyyy more ideal

    • @StochasticUniverse
      @StochasticUniverse Рік тому +1

      @@_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.

  • @luketargett2233
    @luketargett2233 11 місяців тому +9

    First guy was brilliant, big props to him

  • @kimberlygomez130
    @kimberlygomez130 Рік тому +13

    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🥲🫶🏼

  • @Calcifurr
    @Calcifurr Рік тому +126

    I loved when the first guy he interviewed tried speaking in Japanese and couldn’t so started laughing instead. That was cute and funny. I laughed cause it’s so relatable hahaha

    • @MarcoAshford
      @MarcoAshford Рік тому +22

      You are the only comment here that didn't go thirsty about Italian girl.

    • @KalaAltheaBalik
      @KalaAltheaBalik Рік тому

      Japanese language needs a mode change, that Italian lady did it like it was nothing, but for many people it takes a lot to do it suddenly or ever and if you aren't in that mode it just feels embarrashing.

    • @Denis_20096
      @Denis_20096 Рік тому +4

      @@MarcoAshford i'm really trying to find other comments but it's impossible

    • @claudinelauron4490
      @claudinelauron4490 11 місяців тому

      I came across his channel in the past... And he really is a good teacher well-loved by his students. ❤ He always tries to communicate which is really great about him ❤

  • @JakubKyncl
    @JakubKyncl Місяць тому

    Your videos are so informative! Being Czech and travelling to Japan once per two years, I use them to remain in contact with my beloved country and to learn more about your nation. Thanks for your work, much appreciated... 🙏

  • @themightyscottthealmighty545
    @themightyscottthealmighty545 Рік тому +22

    Italian girl-I wasn’t used to people giving me things
    Takahashii-maybe it’s you
    Brother I was thinking the same exact thing

  • @snakejuce
    @snakejuce Рік тому +38

    First guy was mad cool. He kept it grounded and genuine and showed the reality of it.

  • @lanabyk8012
    @lanabyk8012 7 місяців тому +1

    That Italian English teacher has energy... wow. Aren't Italians known for being super energetic? Italian cars are fast...I definitely would not miss a single class.

  • @BarneyHunter12sBiggestFan
    @BarneyHunter12sBiggestFan Рік тому +15

    That 2nd girl was such a vibe, loved her energy

  • @Skellybr0
    @Skellybr0 Рік тому +97

    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

    • @Moon_325
      @Moon_325 7 місяців тому

      True as a teacher but perhaps in everyday it's a lot/bit much (for me anyway)

  • @Mav79
    @Mav79 Рік тому +1

    LOL the interview with the Itallian girl reminded me of when I first arrived in Japan, there was already basket of grapes in my fridge when I got there. A present from one of my students before she even met me.

  • @starry3824
    @starry3824 Рік тому +60

    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.
    -----------
    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)
    ----------
    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!

    • @DragonSword001
      @DragonSword001 Рік тому +1

      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.

    • @Dflowen
      @Dflowen Рік тому +1

      *pin this post - a great read on experience to this career path.

    • @gordonbgraham
      @gordonbgraham Рік тому +1

      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.

    • @starry3824
      @starry3824 Рік тому

      @@DragonSword001 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.

    • @starry3824
      @starry3824 Рік тому +1

      @@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.

  • @945672abc1
    @945672abc1 Рік тому +9

    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.

    • @iwastubed96
      @iwastubed96 10 місяців тому +1

      Since you're anonymous, please share with us the names of the companies.

  • @eduardogarcia7228
    @eduardogarcia7228 Рік тому +3

    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.

  • @MarkHogan994
    @MarkHogan994 Рік тому +166

    That Italian girl is charming as heck.

    • @chamade166
      @chamade166 Рік тому

      And the African American is not? I think AA is more qualified to teach English than a white person from Italy.

    • @robcanad
      @robcanad Рік тому +4

      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.

    • @sidy6526
      @sidy6526 9 місяців тому +1

      ​@@robcanad
      True . Some people like quiet women but I like her personality. She has her own charm

    • @VoxWodler
      @VoxWodler 8 місяців тому +2

      @@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.

    • @garethdesborough7960
      @garethdesborough7960 8 місяців тому +1

      I’m sure she’s aware 😊

  • @lazvegaz
    @lazvegaz Рік тому +46

    When Sonia said she's a good teacher, I bought it right away. I also taught foreign languages so I could tell when someone said something like that and they showed it nearly effortlessly. It's also partly because I knew someone personally who's very good at doing something so I assumed they would be a good person to teach me about what they did but they were soooo impatient and almost rude, that I would not bother going to them for the same reason anymore. 😂

    • @alkriman4182
      @alkriman4182 Рік тому +10

      Many English speakers and almost all native speakers, although they know how to speak and write, do not understand _why_ they speak and write as they do. They can't explain _why_ a second-language learner's mistakes are incorrect, only _that_ they (think they) are incorrect. That would be one reason why an excellent non-native speaker of English may be better than a native speaker. But a lot of what makes a good teacher is attitude (and energy), as you say.

    • @almark6548
      @almark6548 Рік тому

      Is Sonia famous?... Everyone in the comments seems to know her.

    • @darthwater999
      @darthwater999 Рік тому

      @@almark6548 yeah I already knew her from instagram

    • @HairBilly
      @HairBilly Рік тому

      ​@@almark6548She's a youtuber. Her name Is like ''Sonia candy'' or something like that

  • @Unalochy
    @Unalochy Рік тому +1

    4:38 When the camera cuts and the perfect time causing the biker to disappear 😂

  • @sunnyday6906
    @sunnyday6906 Рік тому +66

    I always love when italian talks lol her hand gestures are so expressive 😄

    • @nayhem
      @nayhem Рік тому +2

      Watched quite a bit of Craig Ferguson back in the day. She's delightfully 🖐tuttsi frutsi 👋 all over the place.

    • @supers0nic77
      @supers0nic77 Рік тому +1

      🤌🤌🤌

  • @AN-jw2oe
    @AN-jw2oe Рік тому +15

    Yes! Overseas, going from teaching English to teaching at an International School (which usually have crazy tuition) is a definite huge promotion!! :)

  • @PlasmaOscillations
    @PlasmaOscillations Місяць тому

    What an amazing video! I don't live in Japan or teach english, but the level of information in this video is astounding for people interested in the topic. What great interviews!

  • @markfoy4340
    @markfoy4340 Рік тому +14

    The italian teacher is amazing with her energy and so positive. Cute girl

  • @Jordan-inJapan
    @Jordan-inJapan Рік тому +38

    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. 😆)

    • @parraeels5525
      @parraeels5525 Рік тому +14

      Could you blame him tho. What a hottie!

    • @BigSister_CertifiedMaestra2024
      @BigSister_CertifiedMaestra2024 Рік тому +8

      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.

    • @yenpham-jb4wo
      @yenpham-jb4wo Рік тому

      Not for me. Boner achieved

    • @Oversurge_
      @Oversurge_ Рік тому +1

      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

    • @Jordan-inJapan
      @Jordan-inJapan Рік тому +9

      @@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. 😆

  • @kenniandad2081
    @kenniandad2081 7 місяців тому +1

    I’m born and raised in the U.S. and only speak English, but I would consider moving to Japan to take English lessons from her for sure.

  • @Gus.Galvao
    @Gus.Galvao Рік тому +27

    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.

    • @willbren
      @willbren Рік тому

      "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...🤔

    • @StochasticUniverse
      @StochasticUniverse Рік тому

      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.

  • @SamosIMP
    @SamosIMP Рік тому +4

    9:21 _"Maybe cause it's you"_ exactly lol 😂

  • @a.ham.9856
    @a.ham.9856 Місяць тому

    Clears something up for me I've always wondered about. Years ago I interviewed for a teaching job in Japan, and at that time the positions were pretty competitive. Got to the point where I did an interview at the Japanese embassy in DC, and all went well right up till the end. Everyone was bright and encouraging right up to the point where I mentioned that I'd taken two years of Japanese in college and was hoping to learn more. They ... darkened perceptibly. I didn't get the job and wondered for years how I blew it. Now I'm pretty sure I know.

  • @Save.the.legends
    @Save.the.legends Рік тому +24

    In 2009 I was in my mid-20s and I traveled to Japan for my first time, it was for a two-week honeymoon trip. I loved every minute of it, but my wife did not so much. I promised myself that I would return someday. In 2014 I earned my bachelor's degree in International Studies and Japanese. In 2015, I fulfilled my promise by getting an ALT teaching job in Osaka. I was ecstatic, my wife and I sold a lot of our things and off we went. My wife did not like living in Japan - it was really hard for her. I hoped that if she gave it a chance, made some friends, and tried learning the language she might have a change of heart but she did not. We came back after only a year and some months of living in Japan, and my dream was shattered. Other problems surfaced and eventually, we parted ways. I've always wanted to go back to Japan. Since being back I earned a Masters's Degree in Education and I've continued furthering my teaching career, I have worked as a Spanish immersion teacher for the past four years but that desire to return to Japan has not left me. This Saturday, I'm going on a three-week solo trip to Japan, I haven't been back in over seven years. I'm nervous and excited to be traveling back to Japan as a solo traveler. If the spark to live in Japan is reignited I will be returning to live in Japan once again. I wish I wasn't going alone but it's better than traveling with someone that doesn't want to be there. Though I have loved Japan for the past 14 years, I have a lot of mixed feelings. At the very least, if I do return, I won't return as an ALT - I'm only willing to return as an International School teacher with much higher pay. Life is funny and never what you expect.

    • @zorojuro9814
      @zorojuro9814 Рік тому

      That's a great story my friend, sad to hear about your losses but i guess now you have nothing holding you back

    • @Save.the.legends
      @Save.the.legends Рік тому

      @@zorojuro9814 that’s true. That’s my silver lining

    • @urielramirez8313
      @urielramirez8313 Рік тому +1

      Dammm

    • @Kabeer2004
      @Kabeer2004 Рік тому +1

      goddamn 🙏🙏massive respect. i wish you the best of luck!

    • @Save.the.legends
      @Save.the.legends Рік тому +1

      @@Kabeer2004 thank you 🙏

  • @AwZ420
    @AwZ420 Рік тому +27

    You can easly tell that Sonia is Italian by how she is talkin with her Hands lol 😂

  • @gptty
    @gptty Рік тому +3

    The teacher is like a movie star and she has the confidence like one.

  • @JasonB808
    @JasonB808 Рік тому +7

    Italian Girl could make so much more money as a model. Takeshi knows that the people in her English conversation classes gave her gifts because it’s her. 😍😍

    • @AriaLuminosa
      @AriaLuminosa Рік тому +1

      Sonia has a UA-cam channel and over 200,000 followers on Instagram, works as a translator, collaborates with radio and TV and has written a book. In Italy there are many women as beautiful as her or more but she has built a niche for herself in which she works hard, earns well and has a lot of satisfaction

  • @micchiki2430
    @micchiki2430 Рік тому +8

    Omg another collab of my favorite Japan content creators!! Patrick-sensei!

  • @amadeusb4
    @amadeusb4 Місяць тому

    Absolutely love your videos! This draws the world closer.

  • @santoshpathak7303
    @santoshpathak7303 Рік тому +10

    The girl from Italy is awesome. I loved her expressions.

  • @InfernalPasquale
    @InfernalPasquale Рік тому +4

    I love what the Italian said about English teachers learning so much about the culture. That was probably the greatest joy for me :) (Italy, Vietnam, China).
    The last lady was utterly adorable OMG

  • @bcccl569
    @bcccl569 11 місяців тому +2

    the roman girl is just perfect. fun, expressive, cute, really has it all.

  • @CocoInKorea
    @CocoInKorea Рік тому +25

    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.

  • @Ou8y2k2
    @Ou8y2k2 Рік тому +58

    Imagine having an Italian with a master's degree and model looks teach you English. Would you miss a class?

    • @Laidengizer115
      @Laidengizer115 3 місяці тому +1

      She could teach me anything and I'd be there every class.😘💕

    • @covek4048
      @covek4048 7 днів тому

      We are not all equal.

  • @davidmckinley5343
    @davidmckinley5343 7 місяців тому +1

    The magic trick at 4:35 with the disappearing lady on the bike is awesome.

  • @TJD63
    @TJD63 Рік тому +14

    I find JAPAN so very interesting. I have never been there but I watch many videos including yours. It just seems more peaceful to me. I would love to learn a little bit of the language and travel there someday I think that would be a dream come true. Thank you for very very interesting videos. I wish you well.

  • @Espere
    @Espere Рік тому

    you only notice how good the colour grading/edit is when he forgets it at 11:04,
    well done

  • @SPISheste
    @SPISheste Рік тому +18

    The 2nd girl definitely has that "teacher gene", it's so obvious when a person has that pedagogical "vibe" lol
    And *Ganbare Takashii!* The videos gets better every time!

  • @flamea56
    @flamea56 Рік тому +10

    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

  • @rickyp6815
    @rickyp6815 11 місяців тому +1

    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.

  • @bushy9780
    @bushy9780 Рік тому +88

    First guy had such a great attitude. I hope he isn't getting overworked though.

  • @florä-b8g
    @florä-b8g Рік тому +17

    congrats on 1M subscribers! thank you for always posting awesome content😀

  • @donaldbell6555
    @donaldbell6555 Рік тому +1

    I was impressed with the Italian lass (with a mid Atlantic English accent) who I’m guessing has a big circle of friends given her lovely personality.

  • @pessumpower
    @pessumpower Рік тому +62

    Damn, I need to go in Japan to study english.

    • @LCOF
      @LCOF Рік тому +14

      “Good morning Miss…unfortunately I don’t speak a word of English. Here are two ripe peaches and an aubergine.”

    • @ZoroasterIII
      @ZoroasterIII Рік тому +4

      @@LCOF Get a life kiddo. She's nice and beautiful, no need to give silly comments like this.

    • @amafirenze-vi1uh
      @amafirenze-vi1uh Рік тому

      With Sonia.

    • @itrashcant7947
      @itrashcant7947 7 місяців тому

      @@ZoroasterIIILol it’s kinda cringe seeing ppl being simps 💀

    • @StarWarsObservation-vs2sg
      @StarWarsObservation-vs2sg 23 дні тому

      Time to unlearn English, my native language, so I may go to Japan to study English. Yes, English.

  • @MrMikeInverse
    @MrMikeInverse Рік тому +8

    As a non-native English teacher myself, I had the same issue with this ~beautiful~ Italian girl.
    Even though I had immense support from my company, the immigration office still didn't give me the visa. 🙄 It can be really hard sometimes, to be honest

  • @gunbutter830
    @gunbutter830 7 місяців тому +3

    If every English teacher in Japan looked like that Italian girl, Japan would be fluent English speakers in about 6 months. Also, they would all talk while flailing the hands around.

  • @matthewjay660
    @matthewjay660 Рік тому +6

    Takashii-kun, I was an English teacher in France for two years. They were the best two years of my life. 🇺🇸🤝🇯🇵

  • @davidressler4292
    @davidressler4292 Рік тому +5

    Can you do a series that examines that group of middle age Japanese guys who are successful in their job, have a great life, and have no interest in marriage or having a permanent female partner (but are still interested in women)? Working in Japan for 6 months, I met a number of these individuals and debated the value of family versus the single life over many a whiskey, comparing my European and American culture experiences. Almost every one of these men was more laid-back than other Japanese, they performed well on the job. I came to understand a lot about Japanese culture and how these people were more supported in taking that decision in Japan than in other cultures. The more I learned, the more interesting this became. What is happening to these people as we progress and is this a growing trend?