- 27 Nov 2012
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Some feedback, but I can't be bothered to do the whole point by point thing. It's midnight on Saturday, just finished reading a book to my kid before bed, this isn't life or death....Virtually all JET program ALTs know the mantra for JET is, "every situation is different". Some do lots of prep, some do none. Some are actually put in charge of a lesson, some are human tape recorders.
Again, case by case.
That's not job security. Job security is knowing you have a job for a certain length of time. In my opinion, one big problem is that you are not in charge of the students no matter if you lead the class or not. You can make your own lessons, but that's it. Many JTEs don't feel comfortable with any foreign ALT in the room sharing the floor. What I would consider a major problem is that during school breaks, many (most?) ALTs get a reduction in pay.
If you mean most students in JHS, senior HS, or college, yes, I agree. If you mean any Japanese, I'd have to say it depends on the level of fluency that is required. Most corporate situations require reading and writing of business emails as the primary function of using English. Next is phone or direct conversations with clients or sales people, and those conversations don't have to be 100% perfect. Native English speakers are outnumbered 4 to 1 nowadays, and nonnative speakers learn to use whatever English they can muster on the job. Some do better than others. In my experience (HS, univ, business English, housewives, retirees), most people don't know how to study or set goals for themselves, and that causes obvious problems with learning anything.
I'd add to one of your last comments that your job is to "give all kids the same opportunities and make learning interesting", and fun and to make them aware of how relevant the language is for their needs. Pretty much most average Japanese want it just to make foreign friends, even if they are in careers where they will need it for work.
I've never met a JET in charge of things. Maybe it does happen, but I've never seen it in action or heard it in an anecdote. Could be true though. Case by case.
Dispatch are for the most part gyomuitaku contracts. I used the word legally since it is not always in practice. Legally, with gyomuitaku, it is not team teaching.
Job security is based on your dispatch company having a contract. You're technically correct here, but even if your company loses a contract, company B will fill in and take over, and basically hire anybody who applies, particularly those with experience. So there's always a job, but it's not a good situation. Job security wasn't a good choice of term on my part. Career prospects would have been better.
Sure, make learning fun. Interesting isn't fun I guess :/. Glenski, in ten years of reading you online, you haven't changed at all :emoji_raised_hands: