gobbledonk Posted February 4, 2004 Report Share Posted February 4, 2004 OK, I doubt that too many of you are going to throw in your *fabulously* well-paid careers for the austere life of an English teacher, but I thought I'd pass this on: Teach English in Japan Only mandatory quals seem to be 13 years of formal education in an 'English language setting' and completion of an undergrad degree. Given the current state of the Japanese economy, I'm surprised to see these gigs are still on offer. :: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
think_too_mut Posted February 4, 2004 Report Share Posted February 4, 2004 On that money (2500US$ per month), if you are not Japanese you will struggle. Real teachers can earn more at home. Accommodation one can afford on that salary would be about 700US$ per month. In central areas, that gives you 12-14sqm room with airline size toilet (bathroom crammed into it too) and a kitchen sink. Further away, a bigger room or 1 bedroom if one can hack their trains. Offer is good for a young person who wants something new and is not too choosy (backpackers come to mind). Hell, if i did not have a job, why not? But it's not a big carrot as it first looks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 4, 2004 Report Share Posted February 4, 2004 Given the current state of the Japanese economy, I'm surprised to see these gigs are still on offer. ******* Why? The pay is pitiful. Hours long. Teaching resources are minimal. The school has the worst reputation of any English language school here for fucking over students and teachers alike. :onfire: (and no I don't work there! ) You could use it just to get a foot in the door for a visa, better job, private students, etc., but if you're going to be living hand-to-mouth, tropical Thailand seems a way better deal, IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobbledonk Posted February 5, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2004 You could use it just to get a foot in the door for a visa, better job, private students, etc., but if you're going to be living hand-to-mouth, tropical Thailand seems a way better deal, IMHO Hi Roppongi, I take both your point and that raised by TTM re the cost of living in Japan. This sort of gig is really only of value for the younger generation straight out of Uni, IMO - see Japan and learn the language. As far as getting fucked over by the school, I dont believe that is restricted to Japan. Reading stuff from BKK Phil, Stick and others leads me to believe that its the norm in Thailand : the hard part is finding a school that *wont* screw you around. Lets face it, very few entry-level jobs these days make it easy on new grads. Every IT company I've ever worked for has considered it their mission to put grads under as much pressure as possible, whilst paying them shit money, to sort the 'wheat from the chaff'. Not dissimilar to a medical internship. In terms of real teachers being better off in their own countries, I dont entirely agree with that. For the teachers who snag a longterm gig at a Private school, thats definitely the case, but I know several women who have been *forced* to spend several years in Outback postings before the Department of Education allows them to return to civilisation. Some love it, but its a huge hurdle for many. Add to that the teachers who simply refuse to return to Australian classrooms because of the threat of violence from students, and its not a profession I'd choose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
think_too_mut Posted February 5, 2004 Report Share Posted February 5, 2004 >In terms of real teachers being better off in their own countries, I dont entirely agree with that. I know more than well a teacher in Sydney who is on 65K A$, 4 days a week, 11 weeks holidays. Starting is 40K, most are on 50-55K. And don't forget holidays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobbledonk Posted February 5, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2004 I know more than well a teacher in Sydney who is on 65K A$, 4 days a week, 11 weeks holidays. Starting is 40K, most are on 50-55K. And don't forget holidays. Hi TTM, 65K ? There is a famous quote re Sydney - 'Its a city where you can be earning 100K and still not qualify for a home loan'. Have you done any calculations on the repayments on a Sydney mortgage ? 500K is fast becoming the median asking price down there (and that is for a very modest home, believe me...) - your mate's 65K doesnt mean much unless he already has a roof over his head and the bulk of it paid off. Those starting out on 40-55K arent even in the running - they end up commuting from places like Penrith and Wollongong. Our Japanese adventurers wont be buying too much real estate on their salaries, either, but they arent embarking on a longterm career by signing up for a year in Japan - the same cannot be said of professional educators in Sydney or Melbourne. If we paid our teachers in line with the ludicrous amounts we pay our legal profession, it would go a long way toward building a better future for Oz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
think_too_mut Posted February 5, 2004 Report Share Posted February 5, 2004 >your mate's 65K doesnt mean much unless he already has a roof over his head and the bulk of it paid off. He is not my mate. She is my ex-wife. Generous as I am, she's got a wonderful apartment with just over 1K monthly repayments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ultras67 Posted February 5, 2004 Report Share Posted February 5, 2004 Whats the salary converted to Yen? I seem to remember a lot of schools were offering about 250,000 Yen a month. Quite good outside Tokyo but a bit of a squeeze inside ( Bit like here really where 20,000B a month is fine in Nakhon Nowhere but in Bangkok its not a lot. ) As for the school, when I was looking around a couple of years ago they offered me a job no questions asked but I became more and more worried when I saw all the postings about Nova. Split shifts, travelling times between classes and home, between the outside classes, cancelled classes, non return deposits, the shared accomodation.................. It put me off. One other thing. Sorry guys but your use of different currencies muddies the issue. Its bad enough trying to convert pounds to Baht but when Yen, US$ & then AUS $ are introduced it just becomes too much for this simple man. What is the Baht to the yen now anyway or the US$ or the AUS $ or the ......... ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
think_too_mut Posted February 6, 2004 Report Share Posted February 6, 2004 >Whats the salary converted to Yen? I seem to remember a lot of schools were offering about 250,000 Yen a month. Yes, it is still like that. >Quite good outside Tokyo but a bit of a squeeze inside ( Bit like here really where 20,000B a month is fine in Nakhon Nowhere but in Bangkok its not a lot. ) I don't think it's easily comparable but you are right as much as one could be in that. Cheap food in BKK makes it hard to compare. 100 Yen is about 33 baht. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLastEuropean Posted February 6, 2004 Report Share Posted February 6, 2004 The JPY 250k per month is the minimum salary in order to obtain a work visa. Hence most of the schools pay that minimum... Sort of the why pay more when you do not have to school of economics. Like Roppongi said, it's a foot in the door and a stepping stone to bigger and better things. I know quite a few people who came here to teach and have since moved on to fat ex-pat type salaries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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