English teaching jobs for Non-Native English Speakers.

[Nemuyoake]

I'm a direct hire ALT (junior high school) and a non-native speaker of English. From April, I'll be working as a teacher (joukin) at a high school. The immigration guys told me that I won't have any problem to get an instructor visa because I'll be a joukin, not a hijoukin. I'm French, born and raised in France but the 12-year requirement is for hijoukin jobs, not joukin jobs. Now, I'm on a student visa. I don't know if I really can get this instructor visa without any problem, but I'll try in January. We'll see...

 

[WonkoTheSane]

...I tried to register in there, and It automatically sent me some questions by email that I needed to answer back in order to sign up? So I did, and nothing has happened. I can't even use the search function in there if I'm not logged in...

It takes a while, but you eventually get signed up. Just wait. I signed up because I had a question for EFL teachers, but by the time I got the signup email I had found the information another way.

 

[Jeso]

I'm a direct hire ALT (junior high school) and a non-native speaker of English. From April, I'll be working as a teacher (joukin) at a high school. The immigration guys told me that I won't have any problem to get an instructor visa because I'll be a joukin, not a hijoukin. I'm French, born and raised in France but the 12-year requirement is for hijoukin jobs, not joukin jobs. Now, I'm on a student visa. I don't know if I really can get this instructor visa without any problem, but I'll try in January. We'll see...

Hey! That is really helpful insight, exactly what I was looking for. I'll PM you for a little more details if you dont mind.

It takes a while, but you eventually get signed up. Just wait.

Alright, thanks. I'll wait.

Give up on contacting Dave Sperling. He has not responded in years (literally!) and allows the site to run on its own with a tiny number of moderators to govern the forums. Nothing more. Also, the search function has been broken for years, and nobody is fixing it despite massive complaints.
Messaged.

Much clearer, but it's scary how unclear you were before.
No. Go to the immigration guidebook page, look under the List of Documents link, and click on the first link after that (Application for certificate of eligibility). When that opens, click on the last huge link at the bottom of the page, just before Adobe Acrobat Reader. On the next page that opens, go to the menu bar in the top right corner and select 英語 so that you get the whole list of visa requirements in English only (by clicking the 表示 button). Skim down to the one you should get for teaching English (Humanities) and read carefully.
Why would you say that? Besides, in order to see what visa you need for the previous paragraph of instructions I just wrote, go to the Interac FAQs. Item 6 is for you. Otherwise, when you get into the ESL Cafe, ask Interac employees there.
Where are you getting this timing? Most companies will start their fiscal and teaching year in April. Most ALTs get interviewed in December or thereabouts in order to get selected for the April start date. (JET has expanded to 2 hiring periods per year, FWIW.) Some eikaiwas will hire year round, and yes there is a tiny surge of hiring in fall, but most of them hire only for April start dates.

And, it's in the fall, not on. (Sorry, I teach English.)

Okay, thanks for the directions. I'll give it a careful read.

 

[Glenski]

the 12-year requirement is for hijoukin jobs, not joukin jobs.

First time I've ever heard of that. I'm skeptical. Let us know how that turns out.

Instructor visa (for ALTs) requirements say this:
When the applicant intends to teach a foreign language, he/she must have acquired an education in said language for at least 12 years. When the applicant is to teach any other subject, he/she must have at least 5 years' teaching experience in that subject.
NOTHING mentioned about part-time vs. full-time jobs. Immigration people told you that? They sometimes make mistakes. Confirm. Besides, the way you described it (being needed for PT jobs, not FT ones) sounds exactly opposite to common sense. Why have such a restriction for a PTer instead of a FTer? See what I mean?

 

[Nemuyoake]

Yes, I thought the same thing: it doesn't make any sense. But they showed me their binder with all the official documentation and it was written on it.

Found the doc: 法務省：教育

 

[Mike Cash]

Yes, I thought the same thing: it doesn't make any sense. But they showed me their binder with all the official documentation and it was written on it.

Found the doc: 法務省：教育

Required documents include:

外国語の教育をしようとする者は，当該外国語により12年以上教育を受けたことを証する文書 １通

 

[Nemuyoake]

Required documents include:

外国語の教育をしようとする者は，当該外国語により12年以上教育を受けたことを証する文書 １通

I don't see that in the first column... The first column is for joukin, the third one is for hijoukin.

 

[Mike Cash]

I don't see that in the first column... The first column is for joukin, the third one is for hijoukin.

You're right. It is hard to follow that funky layout when viewing it zoomed in on an iPhone.

 

[johnnyG]

I've been struggling to find the right list, but this uni, K.I.T., hires non-natives to teach English:

????H?Ƒ?w ?????҈ꗗ

The "catch" is that they recruit almost exclusively from St. Michael's a smallish school in NE U.S.

And you have to switch to shift-JIS for that to display properly....

 

[Mike Cash]

First time I've ever heard of that. I'm skeptical. Let us know how that turns out.

Instructor visa (for ALTs) requirements say this:
When the applicant intends to teach a foreign language, he/she must have acquired an education in said language for at least 12 years. When the applicant is to teach any other subject, he/she must have at least 5 years' teaching experience in that subject.
NOTHING mentioned about part-time vs. full-time jobs. Immigration people told you that? They sometimes make mistakes. Confirm. Besides, the way you described it (being needed for PT jobs, not FT ones) sounds exactly opposite to common sense. Why have such a restriction for a PTer instead of a FTer? See what I mean?

I think the confusion may stem from some legal distinction between 常勤 and 非常勤 which perhaps doesn't quite correlate to "full-time" and "part-time". The Japanese version of the info most clearly and distinctly indicates the requirements differ just as he said.

 

[Jeso]

It takes a while, but you eventually get signed up. Just wait. I signed up because I had a question for EFL teachers, but by the time I got the signup email I had found the information another way.

I'm still waiting for it. Could you tell me how long did it take for you to get the confirmation email?

 

[Mike Cash]

Are you eager to teach English in Japan or merely eager to come to Japan and think English teaching is the only way to go about it? You may have other options.

 

[johnnyG]

Virtually the best English teacher I have ever met was a somewhat older high school teacher (50s?)--a non-native speaker of English (japanese). She worked at our kids' high school, but wasn't their teacher, since she was in 文系, while our two were 理系. But I knew her because she was in charge of some of the local speech and drama contests, and I'd done some judging for those.

On one of the the visit-your-kid's-school days, I happened to step into one of her classes, and I ended up staying for the rest of the class. It was a huge insight, and I went back to listen to her a couple times in later years. An ALT/JET in her class would have been a waste.

Jeso--in the same way (tho it's not often recognized), you may be able to offer insight into English that a simple native speaker cannot.

 

[WonkoTheSane]

I'm still waiting for it. Could you tell me how long did it take for you to get the confirmation email?

I believe it was about three weeks.

 

[Jeso]

Are you eager to teach English in Japan or merely eager to come to Japan and think English teaching is the only way to go about it? You may have other options.

To be honest man, I do contemplate other options, but, I am actually eager to go and teach in Japan. But if you know about other options, do share. Maybe there is something I haven't seen yet. I know people can go as Japanese language students, get a work holiday visa, which is not available for Mexico. Then there is the self sponsored? Which in my research I found that you need to have lived and worked in Japan for like a year prior. That's about it, isn't it?

Virtually the best English teacher I have ever met was a somewhat older high school teacher (50s?)--a non-native speaker of English (japanese). She worked at our kids' high school, but wasn't their teacher, since she was in 文系, while our two were 理系. But I knew her because she was in charge of some of the local speech and drama contests, and I'd done some judging for those.

On one of the the visit-your-kid's-school days, I happened to step into one of her classes, and I ended up staying for the rest of the class. It was a huge insight, and I went back to listen to her a couple times in later years. An ALT/JET in her class would have been a waste.

Jeso--in the same way (tho it's not often recognized), you may be able to offer insight into English that a simple native speaker cannot.

Hey Johnny, interesting story man. Yea, I hope I can offer good insight to the kids myself.

I believe it was about three weeks.

Oh... weird. Thanks for letting me know.

 

[Mike Cash]

To be honest man, I do contemplate other options, but, I am actually eager to go and teach in Japan. But if you know about other options, do share.

IT, banking, finance, legal, import/export, engineering, research, management, translation, entertainment, hospitality

What sort of educational background and professional skills or qualifications do you have?

 

[mdchachi]

IT, banking, finance, legal, import/export, engineering, research, management, translation, entertainment, hospitality

You forgot transportation. You could take on an apprentice.

 

[Jeso]

What sort of educational background and professional skills or qualifications do you have?

I'm an artist. I have a degree in Illustration. Us illustrators work mainly as freelancers, doing book covers, publishing illustration and things like that. Not really a job that would bring you into a studio or company as a full time employee. Even then, I'm just a young artist, I dont have the name or resume to get sponsored by a company in japan unfortunately. I did found out something about the "artist Visa" as well. Which I think works similarly to the self sponsored visa. I'm looking into that one at the moment, but it seems to be for famous artists. I'm not entirely sure, at first I thought the artist visa would be just the one for me. I may not qualify though, I gotta keep doing some digging there.

But like I mentioned, I'm actually looking forward to teaching. My plan was to teach and do art on the side, and after a while, when things settle down some, do mainly art, and teach on the side. I mean, who knows how things would play out. I dont even know if I'll ever go to Japan yet.

 

[Jeso]

You forgot transportation. You could take on an apprentice.

Woah haha, what is this about?

 

[Mike Cash]

I dont have the name or resume to get sponsored by a company in japan unfortunately.

And you're 100% sure of that because you have put together a portfolio and banged on the doors of potential employers to find out? There have been cases of young talented illustrators coming here to work.

Once (in Japan) when I wasn't having great luck finding a job among companies that were advertising openings I started cold-calling places....one of which hired me.

I can imagine there must be places which would like to have a talented in-house illustrator with native-level English and Spanish skills. If you only had some Japanese skills to go with them you'd be a much more attractive prospect. What are you doing about learning Japanese? Have you started?

 

[Jeso]

And you're 100% sure of that because you have put together a portfolio and banged on the doors of potential employers to find out? There have been cases of young talented illustrators coming here to work.

I can imagine there must be places which would like to have a talented in-house illustrator with native-level English and Spanish skills. If you only had some Japanese skills to go with them you'd be a much more attractive prospect. What are you doing about learning Japanese? Have you started?

I got some skills, but in the art industry, you gotta be a name and have skills that are top of the line, to get a luxury such as getting sponsored and hired abroad.
About my Japanese, I've been studying it on and off since 2011. After reading that you'd think that by now I would have a decent foundation of the language. But not really, I am a beginner level, can't really have a conversation. I'm trying to get back into it, but yea, its not anything that's gonna help me get hired as an artist.
But hey, thanks for the ideas and suggestions Mike.

 

[Mike Cash]

I got some skills, but in the art industry, you gotta be a name and have skills that are top of the line, to get a luxury such as getting sponsored and hired abroad.

In the case of finding non-English-teaching work in Japan I am of the opinion it is more of a math problem: is your desire to come here greater than your reluctance to kiss enough frogs to find a prince? If you have solid journeyman skills in your craft and you are willing to put yourself through enough hassle, disappointment, and rejection to find it, I have no doubt whatsoever that somewhere in Japan is a company that would sponsor you and be glad of the chance. I long ago quit being amazed at anything I see in Japan, because I have learned we have at least one of everything imaginable. Your sponsored Illustrator position is here somewhere. The only question is whether you will put in the work to find it or not.

 

[Jeso]

In the case of finding non-English-teaching work in Japan I am of the opinion it is more of a math problem: is your desire to come here greater than your reluctance to kiss enough frogs to find a prince? If you have solid journeyman skills in your craft and you are willing to put yourself through enough hassle, disappointment, and rejection to find it, I have no doubt whatsoever that somewhere in Japan is a company that would sponsor you and be glad of the chance. I long ago quit being amazed at anything I see in Japan, because I have learned we have at least one of everything imaginable. Your sponsored Illustrator position is here somewhere. The only question is whether you will put in the work to find it or not.

You got a point. Its possible, albeit incredibly hard and unlikely, but possible. I just don't see why I would go through that though. I don't want to get into explaining all the nuances of the art industry and why its just harder than a usual job, which just lowers my chances further. But yea, I don't see why not just go teach + freelance art. It just makes more sense. To me that just sounds appealing, and I think that's what I'm set on doing.

 

[Mike Cash]

I get where you're coming from, but you need to keep your options open if you don't have 12 provable years of having been educated in English.

 

[Jeso]

I get where you're coming from, but you need to keep your options open if you don't have 12 provable years of having been educated in English.

Well, If anything else fails, there is Gaba... Am I right? Na, but yea. I get it. Lets see what happens, I will keep an eye out for all possibilities.