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Teaching in Okinawa?

Tawnytot

後輩
1 Aug 2008
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I am a 23 year old female with a bachelor of Arts in English Education. I am currently in Okinawa looking for work as a teacher or teacher's assistant. I am intimidated and discouraged because everywhere that I have tried they say that I need teaching experience or know japanese. I have neither of these. Does anyone have any advice on where I should look or know of any schools on island that are more likely to hire me given my inadequacies? Thanks a bunch!
 
You are minimally qualified for a work visa to teach, just like (probably) most newcomers to the field. Unfortunately, you have chosen Okinawa.

Lower salaries due to lower standard of living.
Fewer opportunities due to military bases, whose personnel (military and spouses) offer lessons.

You DON'T need teaching experience (but the market is flooded, so any edge will help).
You DON'T need Japanese language skills (but they won't hurt).

Have you asked on base for advice? Maybe you can get SOFA status and work there instead of getting a work visa to teach off-base.
 
You are minimally qualified for a work visa to teach, just like (probably) most newcomers to the field. Unfortunately, you have chosen Okinawa.

Lower salaries due to lower standard of living.
Fewer opportunities due to military bases, whose personnel (military and spouses) offer lessons.
You DON'T need teaching experience (but the market is flooded, so any edge will help).
You DON'T need Japanese language skills (but they won't hurt).

Have you asked on base for advice? Maybe you can get SOFA status and work there instead of getting a work visa to teach off-base.
Seems kind of strange for someone from Hokkaido giving advice to a person on Okinawa about something that doesnt happen as often as one thinks.

Minimally qualified or over qualified, she is qualified. The bigger problem is that she is looking for work in the middle of the school year.

That is a bigger problem. The best advice would be to start pounding the pavement and hitting up the Boards Of Education in the cities and towns around where you are living.

Next would be to start checking out the Eikaiwas.
 
KirinMan,
I wrote "minimally qualified" for a reason. Not to put her down, but to suggest that she shouldn't expect anything more than ALT or eikaiwa work. Middle of the school year is a poor time to look for public school work, I agree, but eikaiwas operate year round and many hire all year. Hitting up the BOEs will be mostly futile, IMO, because they usually hire through dispatch agencies or JET.

Seems kind of strange for someone from Hokkaido giving advice to a person on Okinawa about something that doesnt happen as often as one thinks.
So, you don't think living and working in Japan for a decade, plus giving and collecting advice on half a dozen forums during that time has given me enough perspective to make comments about work in Okinawa? I admit I'm no expert on that area, but I've seen enough information on it to write what I did and support it. Do you know for a fact that the SOFA option I offered is so lame for a reason? Do tell.
 
Any information is good information! I have little to no information about working here so anything you have to say or offer helps me out a bundle. You both said something about Eikaiwas... what is that? Do tell.
 
Eikaiwa is the Japanese word meaning "English conversation", but it is also used loosely to mean the conversation schools for English language teaching (mostly conversation practice).
 
KirinMan,
So, you don't think living and working in Japan for a decade, plus giving and collecting advice on half a dozen forums during that time has given me enough perspective to make comments about work in Okinawa? I admit I'm no expert on that area, but I've seen enough information on it to write what I did and support it. Do you know for a fact that the SOFA option I offered is so lame for a reason? Do tell.

Well let me put it this way, dont think that your 10 years of living in Hokkaido gives you the expertise to know what the heck is happening in Okinawa.

It's a different world, plus I would never presume to make the same comments that you made about Okinawa in regards to Hokkaido.

It's the same as someone in New York trying to tell a person what's going on in LA, Big difference.

And your SOFA explanation doesnt carry water now a days. BOE's and Eikaiwas CAN NOT legally hire SOFA status people with out command approval.

Oh and yes I know for a FACT that your information is outdated too! There was a time that it was accurate, but that happens to be quite a few years ago. It isnt accurate today.

Oh and if you want to make "comparisons" to justify your position, your decade of life here in Japan is more than less than half of the time I have been living here in Japan. Plus I was a moderator on one of the meesage boards/forums that you refer to BEFORE you became one.

I know about you more than you about me. I will let things go at that.

I wrote "minimally qualified" for a reason. Not to put her down, but to suggest that she shouldn't expect anything more than ALT or eikaiwa work. Middle of the school year is a poor time to look for public school work, I agree, but eikaiwas operate year round and many hire all year. Hitting up the BOEs will be mostly futile, IMO, because they usually hire through dispatch agencies or JET.

Pray tell what or which dispatch company(s) is/are used in Okinawa for both Eikaiwas and BOE's?

Share with all of us here your vast wealth of information about this.
Here is a piece of advice for you Glenski, same goes for me as well btw, dont over-estimate or for that matter under estimate the people that you are talking to on an internet forum. You never know who or what experience or knowledge they may have or not have.

Plus to come across as if you know it all only makes your feet taste worse.
 
Any information is good information! I have little to no information about working here so anything you have to say or offer helps me out a bundle. You both said something about Eikaiwas... what is that? Do tell.

There are a number of English Conversation Schools in Okinawa that are usually on the look out for new teachers. The turn over there is very high. The pay is not that great in comparison to schools in mainland either.

Besides the Conversation Schools are juku's or cram schools where students preparing for their HS or University entrance exams are looking for native speakers to help students with the listening/hearing portion of the said exams.

Like I wrote the pay isnt the greatest and it is hit or miss, but it can help to cover expenses as well.
 
Oh and yes I know for a FACT that your information is outdated too! There was a time that it was accurate, but that happens to be quite a few years ago. It isnt accurate today.

How was it outdated? What's happened the last few years in Okinawa that counters Glenski's comments?
 
How was it outdated? What's happened the last few years in Okinawa that counters Glenski's comments?
How cute......📣

You see Glenski likes to create the impression that there are all these military people that are running around the island sucking up the English teaching jobs and or offering English Conversation Classes in their homes as a side job.

That's a bunch of BS. First off they can not run a business out of their homes with out command approval. That has been around for ages, next legally teaching/or working for pay off base also requires command approval, and there are few that are willing to go through the hoops required to do it legally. That is also been that way for ages.

Next we come to the level of people working under the table. Yeah there are some, and there always will be as well, however they are not as prevalent as he likes to come across.

It just isnt so.
 
KirinMan,
I thought I had worded my posts so as to show that I am not a full-fledged expert on Okinawa. You seem to have taken it otherwise. I accept my situation, but you also didn't really seem to say all that much other than to berate me. How about coming up with some information that is useful to the OP?

I know the military operates its own classes on-base, whether they are taught by military of their spouses, I don't know. Can you tell us which is the case?

Also, here is a 2004 article about Yokosuka base which talks about banning homestays on-base for the purpose of making money teaching English.
http://cache.search.yahoo.net/searc...sses+class+base&d=Yay4Ui72RGXb&icp=1&.intl=us ("Guess who's coming to dinner...") I presume this applies to all bases, but this 2007 article from Stars and Stripes states clearly that, "Each base sets its own policy on teaching English," said Air Force Capt. Jason Medina, a U.S. Forces Japan spokesman.
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=52894&archive=true If anyone knows whether it applies to Okinawa, I would be happy to know (especially if you have a source).

Next we come to the level of people working under the table. Yeah there are some, and there always will be as well, however they are not as prevalent as he likes to come across.

It just isnt so.
I honestly don't know who you are referring to as working under the table here -- military staff, their spouses, or unrelated people?


Just did a quick Internet search. Here's a 2008 article on teaching in Okinawa (in Urasoe):
Urasoe City takes lead in English education efforts

Date Posted: 2008-07-25
Urasoe City is in the forefront of Okinawa schools bringing English classes to students.

English is now being taught from first grade up in Urasoe City elementary schools, a level higher than mandated by the Ministry of Education. Urasoe City schools have authorized English special areas in the schools to promote interest.

Seven Urasoe elementary schools this month conducted an English play centered around classroom studies. The theme "How the Elephant Got His Trunk" brought the young students together to share understanding of the story.

"I was nervous before doing it," said one student who introduced the story to the audience. "We did it with no mistakes, and I was so excited, I want to be a translator or interpreter in the future.
This Weeks News - JapanUpdate.com

And another little report from a discussion group. Not much but better than nothing.
http://www.japanupdate.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-1340.html

Even more info here. I'll have to read more of the site myself, but look at the first thread. http://www.japanupdate.com/forum/archive/index.php/f-33.html

And here, job ads. http://www.japanupdate.com/classifieds/english/?s=HELP First page has 2 ads for English teachers (1 FT, 1 PT).

And another site of interest to teachers (although not just for English):
Wöchentlich Neuigkeiten für Sie – hdrjapan.com

More info on 2 teaching jobs for July 2008, in a military section curiously named Community Relations.
http://www.cfao.navy.mil/comrelpage.html

[BTW, I was not holding out on any of the above links. I just did a search and these popped up after about 5 minutes' work.]

[EDITED upon request from moderator to keep on topic. Glenski]
 
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You know what, I am not going to get into any games here of tossing up a wall of text and show my prowess at using google. Plus I am not going to nitpick and rip apart your post here Glenski to point out your mistakes.

Lastly I am not flaming you, if your pride and skin are so thin to think that that was flaming you need to grow up. Giving information is one thing, being wrong about it is another.

Is this supposed to be a veiled threat? A former moderator should know how this can be taken. I already have one stalker from the Internet on my heels. Should I add you to the list? I've been on these forums for over 10 years, so anyone who has paid attention can glean quite a bit about me, despite my trying to keep a relatively low profile about my personal life. But there is nothing public or private that can be used against me, as you seem to have insinuated. What gives?
Listen closely here Glenski, take what I wrote at face value, there is no hidden agenda either, plus I would add what you wrote here is childish at best.

If you feel the need to attempt to make the accusation that I am threatening you somehow, report the post. But dont go making inferences about something that is 100% false.
 
TawnyTot,
Have any of the references I provided been useful to you? Please let me know if any have not, ok? Also, I didn't read all of the ones from that Okinawa discussion forum, so if you find any choice items there, I'd appreciate knowing it, so I (and others) can pass them along to interested readers. Thanks.
 
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