TEFL Jobs in Japan

Japan has always been a favourite with English teachers. Not surprising when you think of the amazing cultural experience you get combined with the excellent work conditions.

You'll be working in a state school alongside Japanese teachers, but don't worry, you don't need to speak Japanese, though learning some will hold you in good stead and is considered polite. So, you will be working in a very supportive teaching environment which is ideal for the first-time teacher.

Overview

Salary: Minimum 250,000 Yen, approximately £1700 per month. (Depends on exchange rates)
Accommodation: Full support and assistance is given to find an apartment. A flat is between 50,000 and 70,000 Yen per month
Orientation: All teachers are met at the airport and given a week of orientation and training for teaching in Japan. Free Japanese lessons are provided for all teachers.
Locations: Mainly Fukoka, Hiroshima, Nagoya, Hamamtsu, Yokohama, Chiba City, Hitachi and Tokyo (not central Tokyo).
Contract length: From 3 months to 12 months, lengths of contracts depend on when you start, for example, starting in March is 12 Months, April is 11 Months, May is 10 Months, June is 9 Months, July is 8 months, September is 7 months and October 6 months. (Contracts are renewable)
Departure dates: Monthly, March to January
Student age: 6 - 18 years old
Cost of living: Accommodation is 50,000 - 70,000 per month depending on location and the cost of living is approximately £500 per month.

Requirements

Native English speaker or 12 years in an English Speaking Educational Institution
TEFL qualification (minimum 20-hour weekend course).
University degree holder.
Minimum age requirement 21 years of age

About the teaching

You will be teaching students between 6 and 18 years old and there will be 30 to 40 students per class. Most classes are 45 minutes long. There will be plenty of resources available to you. You will be team-teaching with the Japanese English teacher. Teaching is in state schools.

Pay and conditions

You will be paid a monthly salary of 250,000 yen approximately £1700 per month (Depending on exchange rates), before tax, which average 7%. Your salary includes an attendance bonus which is paid in full each month if you have done everything according to your contract. You are entitled to School holidays and public holidays of which there are 19 days throughout the year. Your working hours are 8am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. Your contract can be extended; you would need to discuss this with the agent.

You will be given full support in finding your own apartment, often teachers take on departing teachers' apartments. If you are looking to travel with a friend, it is highly unlikely that you will be placed in the same area or school if applying with a friend. If you still wish to go ahead and apply with a friend / partner it is best to apply in March or September (the two main intakes), but no requests can be guaranteed.

How to apply

Once documents have been passed to our partner you may be invited to attend a presentation, complete certain tasks and attend an interview. You will be required to perform a demonstration lesson as part of the interview process. More information about the demonstration lesson will be made available at the time of interview confirmation.

After you have attended a presentation, and all information has been assessed and, if offered, our partners will apply for a Certificate of Eligibility which is taken to the Japanese Embassy and converted into a working visa. This process can take from one month to two months depending on the country of residence.

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