Why can't a gaijin do more than teach english?

I believe some branches of "Hello Work" have foreign job listings.

Maciamo said:

Look at those talento on TV that appear several times a week in entertainment programmes or commercials for instance.

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Yeah, but do you really want to be Dave Spector?

Well, I was offered a job in a Salon in Japan. I guess it was easier for me because I was working for the sister company in New Zealand, and was offered it to improve my Japanese and to live there. The salary wasnt bad either. However I didnt really like the idea of cutting hair for 12 hours a day 6 days a week, but I guess if I wanted to work in Japan, I could still look at doing that.
I too was a bit anti english teaching when I came to Korea, but I didnt have the money to go to a University here in korea, nor to go to language school. So, I am teaching english in an effort to persue my dream, and plan to have at least started phase one by Christmas. I dont think its impossible to find a job in Japan or Korea without resorting to teaching English, but no matter how much you hate it, you probably would be more popular with your students if you announced your views on the matter. They will possibly appreciate the fact that you actually want more out of Japan than a girlfriend and a high salary teaching english.
Go for your dream, and the best of luck to you. Also you never know, some of your students that you teach english to may know people in certain places that can help you out.
Luckily on my first week in Korea I met someone in the field of work that I am in, and he told me what I had to do.... just took me another two months before I swallowed my pride and started teaching English.
I know one guy who is here on an Entertainment Visa, his main job is working in a bar, and his part time job is on a weekly television show. He doesnt teach english, and likes to take the Pis$ out of everyone that does.
I dont make much money at all teaching, I think that I would be ripping them off if I charged them so much money, just because of the fact that I didnt go to Uni to be a teacher, or get a teaching diploma of some kind. Yeah I could have gotten a fake on in Thailand, but thats cheating too. I would rather stay as honest to myself as possible, and let my students know my situation. So what if Im destitute, im happy to be here, and I can still learn the language by walking on the street... until I save up an extra arm and leg to go to Uni here.

Silverpoint said:

Yeah, but do you really want to be Dave Spector?

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How about Bobby?

Gaijin teach English because that is what they are most qualified to do to make a decent living in a foreign country without knowing the native language. Most can't speak, nor will they learn, Japanese. They are just there to make some some money while living in a country they want to experience.

If you really want to, and are fluent enough, you can find a job in a Japanese company as a regular salaried employee through contacts, aquaintances and such. It is NOT impossible. I myself worked as a regular "sarariman" for a while in a Japanese company. It is not impossible if you want it bad enough.

Silverpoint said:

Yeah, but do you really want to be Dave Spector?

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Dave Spector is a "*****" as he said so himself in an interview with an American TV company some years back. He said he doesn't care what he has to do or how stupid he has to act, even if it means being an a$$hole, as long as they keep paying him the high yen that he is receiving. Personally, I have higher standards and more respect for myself than that.

while the Japaense aren't afraid to draw 14 year olds in skimpy outfits, the western side of things seems to appeal to the lowest common denominator

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The irony is painful here -

Gaijin teach English because that is what they are most qualified to do to make a decent living in a foreign country without knowing the native language.

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I disagree. Here - at least - you cant get a job teaching any language in a shcool unless you've got your MASTERS in it. I can speak ENGLISH obviously; but teaching it? - No chance. I use grammar and what-not without even thinking about it, nor would I be able to sit down and say - "Oh yea, this is why I used the semi-colon just now".

Same with any language. If these ENGLISH LANGUAGE schools are just letting anyone teach - I feel REALLY sorry for those JAPANESE in the classes.

foreign game developer in japan
Greggman.com

I also know a lot of interpreters for Square•Enix. I am working in IT! Mike is ultra unique. YOu can do whatever you want really if you're serious about it.

This is where I got my job. CFN | バイリンガルのための就職・転職サイト

Of course you need to learn Japanese to get most jobs here, but if you're to be living here... of course right?

Personally, I have higher standards and more respect for myself than that.

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Amen. Although I left Japan for a place I really don't like for the money, but I actually do like the job, the people I work with, and am not acting like a bafoon with a really, REALLY bad hair cut.

VictorDelacroix said:

I personally wouldn't mind teaching english. I think it'd be any easy way to make a living in a really awesome country. >>

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It's all the easier to think that since you have experience of neither. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I had the same thought but couldn't put it to words, thanks mike.

WHEATTHlNS said:

I disagree. Here - at least - you cant get a job teaching any language in a shcool unless you've got your MASTERS in it. I can speak ENGLISH obviously; but teaching it? - No chance. I use grammar and what-not without even thinking about it, nor would I be able to sit down and say - "Oh yea, this is why I used the semi-colon just now".

Same with any language. If these ENGLISH LANGUAGE schools are just letting anyone teach - I feel REALLY sorry for those JAPANESE in the classes.

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Key point: Nobody is talking about gaijins teaching English in America. We're talking about the Eikaiwa scam mills in Japan. "School" is an overly generous name for them.

If almost makes me choke when I hear Japanese students calling their Eikaiwa teachers "sensei".

The irony is painful here -

WHEATTHINS said:

Quote:
Gaijin teach English because that is what they are most qualified to do to make a decent living in a foreign country without knowing the native language.

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I disagree. Here - at least - you cant get a job teaching any language in a shcool unless you've got your MASTERS in it. I can speak ENGLISH obviously; but teaching it? - No chance. I use grammar and what-not without even thinking about it, nor would I be able to sit down and say - "Oh yea, this is why I used the semi-colon just now".

Same with any language. If these ENGLISH LANGUAGE schools are just letting anyone teach - I feel REALLY sorry for those JAPANESE in the classes.

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A Masters Degree is not required to teach English conversation in Japan. Only a four year degree is required. And one can even teach without that if they know how or are on a spouse visa. The only requirement of these "Eikawa scam mills", as MikeCash put it, is to be a native speaker. That's it. It doesn't take a Masters Degree to have a book in your hand and say, "Please repeat after me..." The grammatical points of English are usually taught in Japanese schools by Japanese. This is known as Chugaku Eigo.

GoldCoinLover said:

Why can't I Just learn to speak japanese fluently, and design video games in japan? Is this a job only reserved for japanese people? Why can't I have more jobs open to me? I .. dont understand. I want to live in japan but I want more options.

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If you can reach native level ability in Japanese including reading/writing, then the door is wide open for you. There are many things you can do.

If not, then it becomes somewhat harder. Even so, without native level ability I spent 6 years in Japan and was not an English teacher. And most of my non-Japanese friends were not English teachers either. I was in I.T. btw.

mdchachi said:

If you can reach native level ability in Japanese including reading/writing, then the door is wide open for you. There are many things you can do.

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I completely agree. What kind of jobs do most non-English speaking employees in Britain, America, etc. end up with? (I don't pretend to know the answer, but my guess is that it's not too happy.) However, you have to ask yourself what you really want out of your job in Japan? Of course it all depends on the company you're hired to, but when I became a salary-man at a very large wedding company (and no, I wasn't a psuedo-priest ), I was treated just like any other employee. It might help that I was the first foreign employee ever hired by that company, but that's really beside the point. Being treated just like any other employee meant,
1) I was expected to have very near perfect mastery of Keigo, speaking both to our customers, but also to my superiors, as well.
2) Long hours, and if we worked too long, there was an understood rule that you don't report your overtime over a certain number of hours.
3)Noruma...Sales goals I was expected along with everyone else to bring in new customers and sell a certain amount of goods and services. If I didn't, I had to make it up out of my own pocket.
4) Receiving exactly the same benefits as the other employees. Bonuses, health insurance, etc.
5) etc. (Sorry, but I think this is getting long)

So you can find other jobs than teaching English, but you might not like the reality of working in Japan. You have to be dedicated. (There's so much more I want to say, but these get so long so quickly. :sorry: )

mikecash said:

Key point: Nobody is talking about gaijins teaching English in America. We're talking about the Eikaiwa scam mills in Japan. "School" is an overly generous name for them.

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Why are they called scam mills?

They are scam mills (my term) because they focus primarily on fleecing students out of as much money as they possibly can while doing little or nothing in the way of actual education.

In a nutshell (for example), they peddle a myth that if you send your 3 year old child for 1 hour a week to play with dolls with some foreigner, they're actually going to learn English.

Ironically, the fact that a fairly large number of Japanese parents actually do this, is not in itself a bad thing. At least a significant minority of Japanese kids now are actually meeting foreigners at a young age and might not grow up to look so surprised when seeing one in the street when they get older. This is no thanks to the eikaiwa companies though. The fact of the matter is, business and education rarely mix well.

"I completely agree. What kind of jobs do most non-English speaking employees in Britain, America, etc. end up with? (I don't pretend to know the answer, but my guess is that it's not too happy.)"

ditto this and the rest of it also. thanks again

"So you can find other jobs than teaching English, but you might not like the reality of working in Japan. You have to be dedicated."

that is it.

nice gaijin said:

How about Bobby?

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Bobby just rule!!!

i dont want to do teaching in japan for my whole life thats for sure, but you gotta start somewhere, and when this is the most easiest thing, well why not.