Teaching English in JapanBack to Tefl World

Have you ever considered teaching in Japan?  Here, teflhub interviews Joel, an American teacher who has been in Japan for years and in that time has moved from language schools to universities. We discuss some of the most common questions raised about life for TEFL teachers in this fantastic country over a meal of yakiniku (Korean barbeque) in Shibuya, a vibrant district in Tokyo.

In these strange times it’s nice to reflect on what makes TEFL such a great job – the wonderful places you have experienced around the world as a teacher.  Over the last few months in lockdown I’ve made a list of some of the places I would like to revisit after the pandemic is over.  The whole process is quite cathartic and has reenergised that wanderlust that resides deep down in the souls of TEFLers.  Here are a few from my list:

By Dave

I once had a lovely class of little old Japanese ladies who I used to teach every Wednesday morning at a school on the outskirts of Tokyo.  The ladies were really there to socialize – treating the class like a coffee morning which created a delightful atmosphere.  I was invited to join them for lunch one afternoon and gladly followed them to a traditional Japanese restaurant around the corner from the school. 

Possibly the biggest effect of culture shock I’ve experienced was during my first teaching contract in Japan.  Prior to the football World Cup in 2002 there were not that many signs or labels in English, so it wasn’t unusual for me to get completely lost and buy fish noodles instead of a lovely dessert. And of course, there’s the spoken language confusion – I ended up kicking out my slippered feet and shaking my chest samba-style (which doesn’t look great on a man) with a load of elderly Japanese ladies instead of the salsa lesson I had been looking forward to.                                                    By Dave

Have you ever considered volunteering as a TEFL teacher?  teflhub is running a series of articles and interviews to help you decide if you’d like to take the next step in what must be an incredibly rewarding experience. This is an updated version of an interview with the Peace Boat which is an international NGO based in Japan.  Teachers of English (and Spanish) help the international group of passengers communicate and in doing so, help achieve the Peace Boat’s goals:  promoting peace, human rights, equal and sustainable development and respect for the environment. To find out more, read on…