In order to keep the sushi & rice wine flowing and a roof over my head while hunting down a programming job, I recently began working part time as an ESL (English as Second Language) instructor. The job title isn't all that accurate in fairness; I have absolutely no knowledge / experience of teaching and to be perfectly honest my English skills aren't that amazing either, but essentially the job revolves around just chatting to people, which despite the free beer on tap back at home I can just about manage :)
[ edit: I do know several other ESL teachers who do actually teach, I'm just not really one of them :P ]
In Japan teaching English is a massive industry, and there is a huge demand not only for genuine teaching in proper language schools but also more casual conversational practise in 'conversation cafes'. These don't exist in the UK - at least I've never seen them - but the idea is the cafe owner hires several native English speakers to hang around and have afew drinks with the locals, get them talking about pretty much anything and help them out if they ever get stuck or unsure how to express something - idioms and phrases being the most usual.
I say talk about anything, last week I was reminded of one of my favourite Fawlty Towers sketches...
I once raised the topic of America's influence on modern Japanese culture. Once and never again. From then on literally any topic I brought up, this customer managed to slip the discussion back to WWII and its effect on Japan. Never dodged so many conversation bullets in one go in my life! Although thankfully very admiring of Britain, sidestepping the guy's clear resentment towards the influence of America on Japan's younger generation, whom he felt were "unappreciative of events 65 years ago" and "quick to abandon thousands of years of tradition for rap music & some cheeseburgers" left me needing a swift top-up at the bar...
Not wishing to give the wrong impression mind, 99% are very easy to talk to and extremely friendly; chatting to the locals also provides a great opportunity to mine for recommendations on what food/drink/places to check out. I thought it odd when first starting out that both places warned me to never give out my number to customers, but after only a couple of shifts soon understood why. Although the cafes bring in a wide range of people from college students to professional singers to police chiefs, over here there's a certain section of Japanese women who go a bit crazy for western guys, and they come in big numbers (paying the cafe owner big money) to come in and chat with one for a few hours every evening. It can actually feel a little creepy at times but for each of those moments there are 10 ridiculous comments that make you laugh (like being told you look like Brad Pitt, serious :S) or interesting insights into Japanese life. Being the only Brit in either cafe helps as well, being more of an oddity generally allows me pick of the more interesting customers to talk to, rather than being caught in a fairly predictable conversation about where I'm from / what my plans are in Japan.
Work in an Eikaiwa is definately something for the short term, since you're not an actual teacher there's not that sense of fulfillment in your work to make you want to carry on for a serious period of time. That said though as a way of funding your travels somewhere new its a laugh, you'll meet loads of interesting people and its brilliant when you first arrive for picking up local knowledge and insights into the culture. Also to be fair, after a very short while you'll find yourself much more appealing to the actual teaching recruiters, if that's the path you want to take.
Oh, one more thing though... if anyone reading this intends to come here, don't teach at Ray's Club.
Just trust me.
[ edit: I do know several other ESL teachers who do actually teach, I'm just not really one of them :P ]
In Japan teaching English is a massive industry, and there is a huge demand not only for genuine teaching in proper language schools but also more casual conversational practise in 'conversation cafes'. These don't exist in the UK - at least I've never seen them - but the idea is the cafe owner hires several native English speakers to hang around and have afew drinks with the locals, get them talking about pretty much anything and help them out if they ever get stuck or unsure how to express something - idioms and phrases being the most usual.
I say talk about anything, last week I was reminded of one of my favourite Fawlty Towers sketches...
I once raised the topic of America's influence on modern Japanese culture. Once and never again. From then on literally any topic I brought up, this customer managed to slip the discussion back to WWII and its effect on Japan. Never dodged so many conversation bullets in one go in my life! Although thankfully very admiring of Britain, sidestepping the guy's clear resentment towards the influence of America on Japan's younger generation, whom he felt were "unappreciative of events 65 years ago" and "quick to abandon thousands of years of tradition for rap music & some cheeseburgers" left me needing a swift top-up at the bar...
Not wishing to give the wrong impression mind, 99% are very easy to talk to and extremely friendly; chatting to the locals also provides a great opportunity to mine for recommendations on what food/drink/places to check out. I thought it odd when first starting out that both places warned me to never give out my number to customers, but after only a couple of shifts soon understood why. Although the cafes bring in a wide range of people from college students to professional singers to police chiefs, over here there's a certain section of Japanese women who go a bit crazy for western guys, and they come in big numbers (paying the cafe owner big money) to come in and chat with one for a few hours every evening. It can actually feel a little creepy at times but for each of those moments there are 10 ridiculous comments that make you laugh (like being told you look like Brad Pitt, serious :S) or interesting insights into Japanese life. Being the only Brit in either cafe helps as well, being more of an oddity generally allows me pick of the more interesting customers to talk to, rather than being caught in a fairly predictable conversation about where I'm from / what my plans are in Japan.
Work in an Eikaiwa is definately something for the short term, since you're not an actual teacher there's not that sense of fulfillment in your work to make you want to carry on for a serious period of time. That said though as a way of funding your travels somewhere new its a laugh, you'll meet loads of interesting people and its brilliant when you first arrive for picking up local knowledge and insights into the culture. Also to be fair, after a very short while you'll find yourself much more appealing to the actual teaching recruiters, if that's the path you want to take.
Oh, one more thing though... if anyone reading this intends to come here, don't teach at Ray's Club.
Just trust me.
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