Comments by "Gordon Graham" (@gordonbgraham) on "What Teaching English in Japan is REALLY like" video.

The trick is to get a teaching license from a Japanese university in order to become a full-time teacher at a high school or junior high school. The pay is 3 times that of an ALT. However, one needs to become fully literate in Japanese to do so as all courses are in Japanese, including hand-written assignments of which there are many. It took me 15 years to become literate enough to have gotten my teaching degree, but it was well worth it. We have 40 days off a year, bi-annual bonuses and a severance package upon retirement of around $150,000 USD.
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The trick is to get a teaching license from a Japanese university in order to become a full-time teacher at a high school or junior high school. The pay is 3 times that of an ALT. However, one needs to become fully literate in Japanese to do so as all courses are in Japanese, including hand-written assignments of which there are many. It took me 15 years to become literate enough to have gotten my teaching degree, but it was well worth it. We have 40 days off a year, bi-annual bonuses and a severance package upon retirement of around $150,000 USD.
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@@user-dg5vv1vr6t Becoming functionally literate in the workplace is the key to advancement in Japan. Imagine not being able to read and write English in North America and expecting to advance in the workplace. Impossible
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I'm a full time teacher at a high school. I work 8:30~5pm, 5 days a week. The trick is to get a teaching license from a Japanese university in order to become a full-time teacher at a high school or junior high school. The pay is 3 times that of an ALT. However, one needs to become fully literate in Japanese to do so as all courses are in Japanese, including hand-written assignments of which there are many. It took me 15 years to become literate enough to have gotten my teaching degree, but it was well worth it. We have 40 days off a year, bi-annual bonuses and a severance package upon retirement of around $150,000 USD.
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@vincenzobassano9295 I don't mind your asking me. Don't worry about it. The Teacher Certification course is a one year program for which you need a B.A. in your field of teaching. JLPT certifications are not acceptable as they don't have a written component on them. Schools vary but most , if not all, require that you submit a hand-written document to verify your level of literacy. All assignments are to be written in Japanese. While most assignments can be written on computer, many are to be hand-written, including tests, which is why they have a high standard of literacy for entrance to the program. There are jobs available in junior and senior high schools that don't require a teaching degree, only a B.A. You could start out as an ALT and work your way up to "shokutaku" which is above an ALT but below a full-time teacher. You'd be paid around 1.5 times as much as an ALT and have full benefits including bi-annual bonuses and 40 days paid holidays per annum. Try contacting MEXT, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science 文部科学省 to see if you can get a mailing list for schools throughout Japan. I'm sure with a teaching license from abroad you would get consideration over other candidates applying for positions.
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@vincenzobassano9295 A teaching license from a foreign country is non-transferrable. Even if you have a Masters of Education, they won't accept it.
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@vincenzobassano9295 Yes. You need to have a B.A. to enter the teacher's licensing program. The B.A. is transferable from abroad, but a teacher's license is not. However, you need to satisfy the Japanese proficiency requirement as all courses are in Japanese only, including all written assignments and tests, which are hand-written. I'm not sure about other schools but I went to Rikkyo University. I had to submit a hand-written 2000 word essay on 2nd language acquisition and its corresponding pedagogy. It took me 15 years of diligent study to be able to attain that level of literacy, but it paid off.
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How about a "debunking myths about Japan" in which you highlight misconceptions about the "toxic working culture" (Japan actually ranks 27th in the world for hours worked per annum which is why Japan Rail cites the evening rush hour of 5~6pm as the busiest in train stations throughout Japan)...and the high suicide rate (Japan ranks 25th in the world for suicide rate)...women as 2nd class citizens (interview husbands and wives to see who actually runs the household and who gets an allowance like a 15 year old boy)...etc. You'll get a lot of blowback from your Western audience, but it would be elucidating and help to prevent the perpetuation of wrongly held stereotypes of "the Japanese" in general.
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@southcoastinventors6583 They can and will fire you
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@nekonesu MEXT, The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (文部科学省) has made it mandatory that teachers in Japan have 40 days off per annum as of 3 years ago. That's above and beyond our 2 days off a week and sick days. Also, national holidays are not included in our 40 days off per annum. There are 16 national holidays in Japan, so essentially, we have 56 paid holidays per annum.
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The trick is to get a teaching license from a Japanese university in order to become a full-time teacher at a high school or junior high school. The pay is 3 times that of an ALT. However, one needs to become fully literate in Japanese to do so as all courses are in Japanese, including hand-written assignments of which there are many. It took me 15 years to become literate enough to have gotten my teaching degree, but it was well worth it. We have 40 days off a year, bi-annual bonuses and a severance package upon retirement of around $150,000 USD.
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@vincenzobassano9295 I’m sure you could find work as a shokutaku in a high school. Good Luck✨
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@vincenzobassano9295 The trick is to avoid the "eikawai" industry and get yourself into a high school or junior high school. Then work on your reading and writing with all the free time you'll have there as you'll only have 3~4 class a day, 5 days a week.
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@@user-dg5vv1vr6t A teaching license issued by a Japanese university is required to become a full time tenured teacher at an elementary school, junior high school or high school in Japan. A teaching license from abroad is non-transferable. In order to enter a teacher’s licensing program at a Japanese university you have to satisfy the language requirement as all courses are in Japanese including all written assignments many of which are required to be hand written. To enter Rikkyo University’s Teacher’s’ Licensing program I had to submit a handwritten 2000 word essay on 2nd language acquisition and its corresponding pedagogy. It took me 15 years to attain that level of literacy. Prior to that I worked as a teacher at the same school I’ve worked at since 1988 but as a “shokutaku” which is a full time teacher with part time pay. My school provided me with an interest free loan and a year’s hiatus to upgrade my credentials and get my teaching license. My salary more than doubled and I now receive a full benefit package including a severance package of the equivalent of $150,000 USD upon retirement. I also get 40 paid holidays per annum above and beyond the 16 paid national holidays and 2 days off per week.
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@jean-paulpotet1988 *standard, written English
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I'm a high school teacher in Japan. We have 40 days off a year.
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I've taught at a high school of 1500 students since 1988 and have never had a single thing stolen. I don't even bother to lock my bike. In Toronto, Canada, where I'm from. My bike was stolen 3 times in one year from my university campus while locked. I had to give up riding the bike and walk.
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@DragonSword001 You can work in public schools with either a humanities or education visa. The key is not the visa, but getting a license from a Japanese university.
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@takashiifromjapan GaijinPot
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That’s the salary for an ALT. A full-time licensed teacher makes 3 times that. 5 times after 20 years. You need a teaching license issued by a Japanese university to become a full-time teacher in Japan. You need to be high school level literate in Japanese to qualify for entry into a teaching licensing program. It took me 15 years to attain that level of literacy but it was worth the effort. As you’ve rightly pointed out an ALT salary is low af.
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They're not teachers. They are ALTs. You need a license issued by a Japanese university in Japan to be a teacher. You have to be not only fluent but literate at a university level to obtain one as all courses are in Japanese.
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It’s the same as French in Canada
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Someone working at McDonald's in the US would get better pay than an ALT (assistant language teacher) in Japan. Full-time English teacher's with a license from a Japanese university make $70,000 per annum and above. We also get a severance package of roughly $150,000 upon retirement and a full benefit package including dental, health insurance (including medicine) and 40 paid holidays per year. ALT's aren't teachers. They simply model the target language and work in conjunction with a native Japanese teacher in the classroom. They don't run classes nor "teach".
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I'm a full-time teacher at a high school in Japan. MEXT (the ministry of education) has mandated 40 paid holidays per annum. We are remotely monitored to ensure the rules are followed. I've been a teacher at the same high school for 30 years. Including national holidays, I get 56 days off per year.
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