Quote:
Originally Posted by burkhartdesu
Thanks for the speedy reply, samurai!
It's not so much the technicals I want to know, considering I've done a great deal of research.. I just wanted to hear some personal little stories regarding the quality of the program, and how difficult teaching Japanese kids can be.
So you're saying the majority of people end up paying all their own rent? Or did I misunderstand?... And, if so, how much was your rent? I know each situation differs, and living arrangements vary, but did you have enough money to pay rent and save up (aswell as doing the occasional sight-seeing)?
EDIT: Does knowing moderate Japanese help? I've taken it in High School and plan on taking it for all of College... I'm not sure why, but I don't want that to hurt my chances! I have a feeling they want English-only people, mainly so the students/teachers can practice out their English with someone who doesn't know Japanese. Any ideas?
|
Yep, most people pay their own rent. Mine was about $500 a month for a 1 room place that wasn't the greatest. That was pretty standard in the countryside, where most JETs are placed. In the city it may be 20-50% more. But you get much more than you need to get by... The gross pay is about $3000 a month, minus pension and mandatory medical insurance, about $500-800 a month for rent (maybe less if you get lucky), figure $300-400 a month for food if you cook at home (more if you eat in restaurants a lot), maybe $200-300 for other bills, entertainment, and incidentals, and you have at least $1000-1500 or more a month left over for savings, travel, buying manga, etc. I saved $25,000 in the 2 years I was there, and at that time the exchange rate was a lousy 140+ yen to $1. With today's exchange rate, I'd have had another $10,000. And I still traveled all over Japan from Nikko to Nagasaki, collected and shipped home 1500 manga, paid for a trip back to the US to see my family in between my 2 years, and had a great time.
Yes, knowing Japanese is helpful. Not knowing the language was an annoyance for me, and while I eventually picked up some basic words and phrases, and it forced the kids and teachers to practice their English with me, it was still frustrating sometimes. It will likely help, not hurt your chances of being accepted, unless during your interview you say something like "I just want to go to Japan to improve my Japanese ability"... that will happen naturally just by living there, but in school remember that you're an English teacher.