[Nyororin]

Thank you for your long and thorough response, but I fully intend to stand by my advice that teaching English is not a good way, or even a decent way, to learn Japanese. (Oh, and by the way, I am female.)

The place where I worked for a bit was actually a very nice school, with a lot of programs and the like for new teachers. It wasn`t a drop off at the school with no help sort of deal. There was teaching in the school, and also short term stints at JHS, HS, and corporate offices.

I made friends with the Japanese staff there, and I am still in contact with them. In the 5 years that have passed since I worked there, there has only been one other person who actually had a real interest in learning Japanese or about Japan.

The teachers in Japan are free to do what they please. They are free to learn or not learn anything about Japan. This is all up to them. But there is nothing that will make me waver from my position - Teaching English is not a good way to learn Japanese. It never will be. Sure you may have to pick some up, and of course you may learn to speak beautifully. But it is in spite of your job, not because of it. If someone is serious about learning Japanese, English teaching is not the best route.

If, and ONLY IF, you are working in a normal Japanese school will any of the advantages you speak of come into play. But MOST of the English teachers in Japan do not work in real schools. They work in English schools. Working in an English school puts you into an almost entirely English environment, with very little contact with Japan. As it appears you are working in a regular school, congratulations! But that is not what would happen with most people should they try to teach in Japan. Not everyone is lucky enough to be a JET/ALT. Those are the types I am speaking of.

The teachers who I have encountered so far have bashed every little bit of Japanese culture. I don`t think it has all that much to do with English-teaching stress, as none of it has much of anything to do with English. Cultural ignorance? Yes. My point is - Do you really want to be around such negative people while you`re trying to learn the language? Do you really want to hear the other teachers make quips about "He just has penis envy! HARHARHAR" any time a Japanese guy glances in their direction? Or if you`re a girl (Like me) who happens to have a Japanese SO - being told you`re a "monkey lover" or that "you must like pencil dicks!" That is the type of crap I got sick of - and it was in no way confined to my coworkers. I`ve had similar remarks made to me by a wide range of foreigners I encountered back in my silly days of actually thinking I might make a friend, or find someone else in a similar situation as myself.

I *know* foreigners tend to be more "open" and "outspoken". I wasn`t born in Japan. There is a huge difference between being open and outspoken and being downright cruel and insulting - which is what I see far too much of. Pointing out differences is fine, but that isn`t where it stops. If your coworkers are wonderful and kind people who do not do those sort of things, consider yourself very lucky.

I guess I sound a lot like I`m snapping at you, but it seems the picture you are painting is far too sweet and pretty. I worked as an interpreter for quite a while. Most of the people I interpreted for were English teacher groups on break, touring Japan. I must have interpreted for around 400 to 450 people. Never once did I have a good experience. In fact, I had some of the worst encounters with people in my life - everyone hated Japan but felt they had to get one good trip around the country when they had the chance, so they could go home and say they "saw" Japan. To put in perspective how horrible most of these "teachers" were - an example: I was taking a group of 6 around, and at the end of the day we were having dinner. They asked about me and I told them I was married to a Japanese man, and had a son in the hospital. I was asked why I`d marry a monkey, didn`t I crave a big white dick? And that my son being sick was god`s way of telling me not to mate with animals. They all laughed at this, and continued on to ask which primate my husband resembled - an orangutan, like that guy over there? etc. Similar conversations happened almost any time I was asked about my personal life by a group. I stopped answering, but even without using my life as a starter point Japanese people and life was always ALWAYS insulted.

Your school and coworkers may be the most wonderful people teaching in Japan. But that does not change the teaching majority at all the big name Eikaiwa joints.