Help: Teaching English in Japan with a Masters Degree

[benhlandau]

Hi everyone,

I'm a 23 year old Canadian about to graduate with a Masters degree in Communication & Culture. My undergraduate degree was in English.

For the last year I have been planning to study in Japan on a 2011 Monbusho research scholarship, but after originally being accepted, I recently received news from the Japanese ministry of education that I was being demoted to ALTERNATE. As a result, I will most likely NOT get the scholarship.

Now I am wondering if I should continue with plans to live in Japan (I've now been studying the Japanese language for almost 2 years) as an English teacher, or just give up and look for a job in Toronto (where I live).

My question for all of you is, do people with Masters degrees get better jobs teaching English? Does it give me a significant advantage, or would I be stuck doing the same jobs as any other English teaching foreigner with a degree? At this point, I am only willing to dedicate a year to teaching English in Japan if a really good opportunity is available.

So what do you all think?

Any advice or info would be greatly appreciated.

[RealJames]

Originally Posted by benhlandau

Hi everyone,

I'm a 23 year old Canadian about to graduate with a Masters degree in Communication & Culture. My undergraduate degree was in English.

For the last year I have been planning to study in Japan on a 2011 Monbusho research scholarship, but after originally being accepted, I recently received news from the Japanese ministry of education that I was being demoted to ALTERNATE. As a result, I will most likely NOT get the scholarship.

Now I am wondering if I should continue with plans to live in Japan (I've now been studying the Japanese language for almost 2 years) as an English teacher, or just give up and look for a job in Toronto (where I live).

My question for all of you is, do people with Masters degrees get better jobs teaching English? Does it give me a significant advantage, or would I be stuck doing the same jobs as any other English teaching foreigner with a degree? At this point, I am only willing to dedicate a year to teaching English in Japan if a really good opportunity is available.

So what do you all think?

Any advice or info would be greatly appreciated.

I think you'd have very little trouble getting a job teaching at a university, you may have to work for a year at a normal language school first to get experience teaching in Japan but, with a masters, yeah no problems.

Just come here on a working holidays visa, and throw your CV at as many schools as you can and see what comes back, it's a good experience even if you go back to Canada.

[benhlandau]

Hey James, thanks for the quick response.

I was actually thinking I'd stay for just one year (and then obviously extend the visa if things were going really well)

I guess my question should've been, what is the best starting position I could hope for with my level of education and experience (no TESL qualifications, but I've worked for both my university and a private language academy as an ESL activity coordinator)? What kind of job should I look for that will most reward my MA? I'm pretty sure I will have some small advantages, but don't know where to start

[RealJames]

I came here with a BS in Comp Sci, no teaching experience worth mentioning, and got offered many jobs at common conversation schools that pay between 1500yen to 3000yen an hour.

A lot of places ask that you have at least 1 years teaching experience in Japan, during that time you can get your little certs that help to get that other job, but your masters is the key to getting into the university.

Some people are lucky and get straight into the university position but it is less common these days as the competition for those jobs is increasing.

The working holiday visa is what I did, then I changed to a working visa for a bit and then I started a business and have an investor visa, that stuff is just superficial, nothing to be concerned about. As long as you're making enough money to live you'll be fine.

Edit; check out gaijin pot and the japan times online, they have job listings to get you an idea of what is there and what they want you to have.