Questions and concerns about tutoring English

[Zerelja]

Hi. I've been studying in Japan since October and have been wanting to teach private English lessons since then, but I've been way too nervous to start. I've been worried I might do something "wrong" or just be a bad teacher, so I'd like to ask a few questions to people who may know better...
First off, I want to use websites like Craigslist, findateacher.net, and Pittari-sensei.com to find intermediate/advanced students with similar interests to discuss with them... Literature, Goth/Loli/punk fashion, visual kei, psychology, etc. (I'm not going to limit myself to just those people, but is seeking them in the first place too picky?) I'd at least love to offer to teach about creative writing and to read books aloud with them, but would they like it to be like a literature class or do they just want to listen to the gaijin talk? And if I do talk, can I talk too much? Should I ask them questions so they can talk a certain percent of the time, or might that be putting them on the spot?
A few more questions... How long can I stay in one cafe teaching (might be using laptop)? Can I ask the students to pick any cafe in the area? Is 2,500 yen too much for a well-educated but inexperienced 20 year old? How can I increase the price over time? Is there anything you suggest I bring to the lessons? Is it okay to fraternize with my students? Would you suggest any other websites or even more preferable ways to find students, like putting up flyers in Harajuku or outside visual kei bars?
Thank you!

 

[undrentide]

I have some experience of private lessons given by native speakers for English and other languages and here's my view from my experience as a student.

I have to say that JPY2,500/hour is too expensive for an inexperienced teacher.

I used to pay JPY2,800/hour for the lessons by a British teacher in his 30s, he's a professional writer, much experienced in teaching English to foreign students both in Tokyo and London. (Currently he's back in London and I'm waiting for his return in winter.)
I'm now paying a little above JPY3,000/hour for the lessons for French and Czech, the teachers are natives, both experienced and familiar with good learning materials, too.
I found all these teachers through Craigslist, and I realised that one must be very careful to choose a teacher because while there are many good, experienced teachers, there are some 'teachers' who think they can teach simply because they are native speakers.

You mentioned that you're well-educated, but did you get any education on teaching a language?
I'm sorry if I sound harsh, but unless you have some qualifications such as CELTA, TEFL and/or have experience in teaching language, it is just an 'inexperienced 20 years old' person when it comes teaching.

Students with an intermediate/advanced level of English usually seek for a teacher who can help them with their TOEIC/TOEFL or business English.
I do not think people do not want to pay just to listen to you speaking or reading books aloud... You need to let them talk/read and pointing out errors in grammar or pronunciation if necessary because they want to improve their English.

You mentioned about common interests such as Goth/Loli/punk fashion, visual kei and fraternising with students. If this is one of the reasons you wish to teach English, I strongly recommend to do language exchange instead, to experience how it is like to teach a language to a non-native.
(You can find a language exchange partner at Metropolis Classifieds, either answering to one of the ads or putting your own ad. It is free.)
Also I recommend you to go to one of the big book shops in Tokyo, like Kinokuniya in Shinjuku, they have a wide variety of teaching/learning materials of English and other languages. That will give you some ideas about teaching English.

If you really wish to start teaching, I think you should start from JPY500-1,000/hour.

Just my two cents, I wish you good luck.

 

[Glenski]

I've already answered these very questions on another forum, much to your satisfaction. A little insulting to see them posted here again.

Don't even think about asking for 1000 yen or less for lessons. Talk about undercutting the market, even with your lack of experience.