The biggest demand for English teachers is in Asian countries. One of the oldest traditions of hiring English teachers is in Japan, specifically. As early as 1978, the Japanese government established an official program to recruit native English speakers to teach English to Japanese speakers on the country’s numerous islands. Additionally, hundreds of Americans and other foreigners work as English teachers at private language schools that primarily serve adults. You can even become an online English language teacher for any English learning app.
English instructors are in high demand and face fierce competition in Japan. You need a 4-year college degree and a TEFL or TESOL certification to teach English in Japan. You must have no criminal history and be a native English speaker. An average monthly wage of $2,500–USD 3,000 is what you may anticipate. As for online English speaking app you can earn more than that as per your expertise.
- It would help if you held citizenship from English-speaking countries like the U.S., U.K., Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa to be a teacher in Japan. Remember that most schools prefer English teachers from these native English-speaking countries. Still, you too can be eligible if you’ve attended an English-speaking school for at least 12 years with documentation or if you have three years’ worth of ESL teaching experience.
- A university degree is another necessity for teaching English in Japan. To teach English in Japan, one must possess a bachelor’s degree or diploma from an approved institution or university (4 years in the U.S., three years in the U.K.). This degree doesn’t need to be in education.
- Even if a criminal background check is not technically a requirement for a work visa in Japan, schools still prefer teachers with clean backgrounds. Your chances of getting the role of teacher increase if you have an original, clear criminal history check from a national agency, like the FBI, for U.S. citizens.
- Japan has a stringent policy against all drug crimes. Any drug-related offense, along with violent offenses or crimes against minors, will undoubtedly prevent you from enrolling in most Japanese institutions. Many schools will also test their instructors for drugs.
- Due to the different cultural perspectives of English instructors, Japanese schools particularly favor teachers in their 20s and 30s. For citizens of Japan, retirement is required at age 60. Schools are hesitant to employ instructors older than that.
- We advise instructors to travel to Japan with savings of between $2,600 and $4,200, although schools frequently pay exceptionally well and offer excellent benefits. Japan has expensive living expenses. Critical money is a term landlords use to describe a required “gift” payment made to the landlord when renting out an apartment. It is often between one and three months’ worth of rent, for which you will not be reimbursed. Not all landlords will ask for crucial deposit money. Save enough money to cover it upfront if your tenant does.
- Most reputable private language schools in Japan will demand that their instructors hold TEFL or TESOL certification. Although TEFL or TESOL certification isn’t strictly a prerequisite for applying to teach English in Japan with the JET Program, it is strongly advised because of the program’s intense competition.
In interviews, sincere interest in Japanese and culture is always welcomed. You may showcase your proficiency in the speech by saying that you are eager to learn more about the language and culture. Fluency in Japanese is helpful, although it’s not necessary for English teachers.
So whether you want to become an English teacher in Japan offline or on any English pronunciation app, there is lots of scope.