English teaching in Japan. Great time or Complete Nightmare???

[aquamarine]

They are referring to the working holiday visa which is granted under certain conditions to those between the ages of 18 & 30 from CERTAIN and SPECIFIC countries. No that doesn't include the USA.

[mgzkun]

Originally Posted by ASSASSIN27

Oh and if your ever in Roppongi @ a place called Club Vallfarre keep an eye out for me. I'll be the only asian guy in the entire place who only speaks english. Haha. ^^V

I am surprise that they let an Asian to be an English teacher , doesn't matter that you're born here in canada/the states, have perfect accent and have a BEd or something , they all want Caucasian looking people even if you are a white trash, high school dropped out, druggies , etc

[guy]

Originally Posted by mgzkun

I am surprise that they let an Asian to be an English teacher , doesn't matter that you're born here in canada/the states, have perfect accent and have a BEd or something , they all want Caucasian looking people even if you are a white trash, high school dropped out, druggies , etc

What?

I know plenty of asians working as English teachers in Japan (and elsewhere in Asia). I even know American-born Japanese who don't speak a lick of Japanese and are doing just fine as English teachers. And plenty of other asians who do speak fluent Japanese (as well as English) who have no problem getting jobs as English teachers.

Having an international (ie: non-Japanese) background is what most companies are looking for, not whether you're white or yellow. But in a country where the population is 93%+ ethnic Japanese, it just so happens that the people who have any background outside of Japan are mostly caucasian. But those statistics don't mean that being caucasian is the only qualification necessary, or that being ethnically asian hurts every employment opportunity as an English teacher.

[Senior Idol]

I am a retired American, age 63, with a master's degree and 21 years of experience teaching English in high school and 12 years teaching mythology courses (which require writing essays in English) at the university level. But my retirement income is only about $2,000 US a month, so I would need to teach part time to help cover the rent.

Would my age prevent me from becoming a long-term resident in Japan? And is it easier to find part-time employment teaching English if I do not expect any benefits, such as housing assistance, free transportation to Japan, etc.

Senior Idol

[aquamarine]

Sorry to say but yep. Age is a big issue here with most companies so unless you are a stellar teacher, your age can easily hold you back. As for expecting or not, it doesn't make a lick of difference.

As an american, your number one issue will be to find a company willing on sponsoring you for a visa which could certainly be a tough thing especially since you aren't in Japan. Remeber, teaching English as a subject and teaching English as a language are completely different ballgames.