Graduate from college if you want to live in Japan.

[Payne222]

Originally Posted by alanX

I never said he said it promised anything...lol
...just making a statement.

I'm going in December 2010. Long story, I'll PM you later if you really want me to.

Oh sorry, I must've misread it or something haha.
I gotcha.

And yeah, sure. If you wanna I'd like to read a long story.

[momomaggie]

Originally Posted by alanX

I never said he said it promised anything...lol
...just making a statement.

I'm going in December 2010. Long story, I'll PM you later if you really want me to.



Seriously?

He was quoting the people that say that.....

Sorry to have offended you..? I was only checking. I was shocked to hear that you could become a teacher in japan with as little as a certificate stating that you've taken a course, and im sorry to say that probably means a lot of kids are not getting the education of their dreams.

I have always wanted to be a teacher, and as a child i lived in japan and today, having lived in the states most of my life, i have plans of teaching in Japan. I have a great passion for teaching.

[Payne222]

Originally Posted by momomaggie

Sorry to have offended you..? I was only checking. I was shocked to hear that you could become a teacher in japan with as little as a certificate stating that you've taken a course, and im sorry to say that probably means a lot of kids are not getting the education of their dreams.

I have always wanted to be a teacher, and as a child i lived in japan and today, having lived in the states most of my life, i have plans of teaching in Japan. I have a great passion for teaching.

If you lived in Japan as a kid, wouldn't you and/or your parents (or whoever)
you lived with there know how things operate in Japan?

[Tsuwabuki]

Originally Posted by Compaqmac321

im well aware of all of that, which is why i said that just because i can speak english doesn't mean i can teach it to someone. right now i know a some a few years older than me that graduated from the same school i went to (the university of georgia) that has a degree in international business and now she teaches english in korea. so years of study doesn't necessarily have to take place at all. i was just shocked that they'll allow any english-japanese speaking joe blow off the streets of japan to teach english.

Ah. Bulldogs, in Athens. Been there a few times when I lived in Atlanta. More of a GT fan myself though...

What we had there was a semantic miscommunication. What you speak of is what I would call a teaching attempt and sadly, Japanese companies will indeed allow, with the right paperwork, any English speaking individual to attempt teaching. This is usually a degree necessary for the visa, but plenty of companies hire individuals with only spouse visas. Some aren't even native speakers. Japanese ability isn't usually necessary at all.

It's possible to teach younger students without teaching credentials/experience because of internalisation, but if it was possible to teach older students without teaching experience Japanese Teachers of English would not exist. A native speaker would simply be able to handle a classroom entirely by him or herself regardless of what their degree (or whether they have one) was in. With my experience teaching alone at the junior high school level, I am pretty sure that most individuals, even with degrees, could not teach grammar construction in English, let alone in Japanese (which I have done, and continue to do on a regular basis).

I'm not arguing with you, you obviously agree with me, I am just clarifying for understanding.

Momomaggie, good on you! Just the type of people we NEED in Japan are passionate and caring teachers. Like you, this is my career, and it is what I went to school for.

[alanX]

Just a quick question. What's the deal with community colleges? What are the possibilities of getting a job in Japan still good wiht a degree from a community college? Or are the chances less? I doubt I would ever take this route (finding an English teaching job, in Japan for example) But it would be a alternative if my current plan goes astray.

And due to my grades, I can not get into a university, that's out of the question

[Tsuwabuki]

Typically , community colleges are two year associate degrees. Visa requirements usually require a four year bachelors. I know there are even issues with people who have three year BA degrees because immigration seems to have it stuck in their head that western university = 4 years or more, and no one could possibly ever do it in three.

Also if your physical copy says diploma not degree, even if it IS a degree, immigration usually requires to to go through all sorts of channels to prove it actually is a four year equivalent degree.

So, possibilities? Bad with as many BA holders currently in Japan and out of work. Chances less? Even less than they were a few years ago, unless you already have a visa.

...Uhm. If you don't have under a 2.0GPA some four year institution should accept you, somewhere. Just be prepared for it to be private and expensive. How are your standardised test scores?

[samurai007]

Originally Posted by alanX

Just a quick question. What's the deal with community colleges? What are the possibilities of getting a job in Japan still good wiht a degree from a community college? Or are the chances less? I doubt I would ever take this route (finding an English teaching job, in Japan for example) But it would be a alternative if my current plan goes astray.

And due to my grades, I can not get into a university, that's out of the question

If it's not a full 4 yr degree (BA), it doesn't count. And if your grades at a junior college are so terrible that no university would even accept you, that wouldn't be looked on well in Japan either, where emphasis on grades and tests is far higher than in the US.

[Kenpachi11]

Originally Posted by alanX

Just a quick question. What's the deal with community colleges? What are the possibilities of getting a job in Japan still good wiht a degree from a community college? Or are the chances less? I doubt I would ever take this route (finding an English teaching job, in Japan for example) But it would be a alternative if my current plan goes astray.

And due to my grades, I can not get into a university, that's out of the question

now a days ppl with tech degrees get paid more than most university degrees.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by momomaggie

Why do you say 'lower myself' to teach english? Do you believe that teaching is a lesser profession or do you say it that way because you disagree with the stigma?

Read what I wrote again. As a teacher of eight years, why would I say something so idiotic?

I was talking about those that people that think teaching is as easy as babysitting and comes with no challenges.

[Tsuwabuki]

Originally Posted by Kenpachi11

now a days ppl with tech degrees get paid more than most university degrees.

Yes but a technical degree won't get you a work visa for teaching English.