Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Researching ESL/EFL teaching jobs, blogs, and websites in Japan -- Looking to the future . .

I'm beginning to do online research about what it's like to teach and live 'on the other side of the water' that shall not be called a certain unspeakable name (lol) over in Japan.

I've found a few good sites so far:

1. All About Teaching English in Japan

Some of the things this site offers are,

Get Answers to Your Questions About Teaching in Japan - Such as...

One really good page I found is, "Common Job Scams Recruiters Use On English Teachers." I think this is useful info for people thinking about applying to come and live and teach in Korea.

There's also, Jobs in Japan - Getting Started Teaching English in Japan. This looks like the sort of thing I, and others in the Korea blogging landscape, have been trying to write and put online to help newbies.

Another thing I liked here is this, Action Guide: Finding Jobs in Japan From Home. For example, #4 ...

"4. Begin your internet search for jobs in Japan.
If you've sent and sent and sent resumes out without any luck, it's time to turn up the heat on finding teaching jobs in Japan by being pro-active. By this we mean that you take control by listing your resume on boards so that prospective employers can contact you. Total ESL has a big and best of all totally FREE job board. So if you're struggling to get your job search going, skip over there by clicking the banner below, list your resume for free and start taking control.

TotalESL.com

Also, here's a link to a page of sites with job listings in Japan and other countries. Also, check the Monday’s edition of The Japan Times. And be sure to check out our job posting page to find the latest work available in Japan."

This looks like it'd be a big help at the start of figuring out how to find a job, and what to look for and where.

Some other websites and blogs that seem worth checking out are,

This is apparently one of the biggest EFL/ESL job sites (thanks Brian in Jeollonamdo).
Gaijinpot.com

Here are some other sites I found on 2JPN's job page. Since I'm just beginning to research these topics, and have not lived or taught in Japan, please do NOT think I am recommending these sites--let me say that again, I am NOT recommending these sites as good places to look for jobs. I am putting up the links so that other people, like myself, can begin looking and to share info about what sites are good, and which ones are bad.

http://jobdine.com/
http://www.japanjobboard.net/
http://tokyo.craigslist.jp/jjj/
http://osaka.craigslist.jp/search/jjj?query=+
http://www.careerjet.jp/job/053d8f64e17c0f3a60f40c70f49a2f66.html
http://www.findjobsinjapan.com/candidates/jobs/show/408
http://www.japanenglishteacher.com/

Definitely going to spend some time looking over that site.

Since I'm new to exploring the Japan-blogosphere I started at JAPUNDIT's blog roll and began exploring from there.

http://www.letsjapan.org/
http://blog.japundit.com/

Looks like a lot of useful info and links here.
http://www.2jpn.com/

http://www.almostjapanese.com/
Anna's Japan Blog
http://www.bigonjapan.com/
http://bionicbong.com/
http://www.bouncingredball.com/
http://www.chris-ballard.blogspot.com/
http://www.digitalworldtokyo.com/
E. Crandall, Columnist
http://invisiblegaijin.com/
Japan Now and Then
JAPANORAMA (InventorSpot)
japansugoi
http://www.jdonuts.com/
http://www.jingrish.com/
Loco In Yokohama
http://www.locomote.org/
http://www.loneleeplanet.com/
Awesome pictures and writing on this blog (the little I've read so far).
http://www.mikesblender.com/
Miyakonojo
Muza-chan’s Gate to Japan
http://www.observingjapan.com/

This blog is kind of in a category of its own, and I'm going to check it out more later.
http://www.occidentalism.org/

Overoften’s Kumamoto Diary
http://www.pinktentacle.com/
http://blogs.myspace.com/vantilden
http://rinkya.blogspot.com/
http://samehat.blogspot.com/
http://shibuya246.com/

This blog writes about Japanese film from an American perspective.
http://slashandburn.typepad.com/

http://www.tokyograph.com/

Really nice pics with stories.
http://www.tokyotimes.org/

http://whatjapanthinks.com/
http://www.yumejistheme.com/
http://www.2jpn.com/english-teaching/

Japan Action Research in EFL

Here's a photography link photo blogs in Japan that I also found on 2JPN's site.

Alright, I'm tired of research Japanese blogs, and posting them here. Time to just surf the new blogs I found and look for cool stuff.

J

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Slightly off topic, although once, long ago I was invited to teach in Japan, and some years later, teach in Korea to a university prep school in Seoul. Ahem.

Now I am retired. I'd like to know if I visited Korea for three months, or whatever the stale-by date would be, could I casually teach conversational English, say in a coffee shop, to pay for my lattes? Legally, of course.

Jason said...

It is illegal for E2 visa (full time living and teaching visa) teachers to do private lessons, and I'm pretty sure that tourists can't do that legally either. I think you can legally teach private lessons if you have an F4 visa, and a few other special types of visas (I'd have to double check that info).

The idea is that the government is trying to protect the lower classes from English being the language of upper class elite people--and it's failing miserably. While it is illegal for foreign teachers to do private lessons unless they have a special visa it goes on and often the Koreans taking these private illegal lessons are people in positions (i.e. professionals with government positions) that should actually be upholding the law and immigration policies ....

Long story short--I wouldn't recommend teaching privates unless you're not worried about being detained, fined, and then deported...the risk, frankly, seems to be pretty minimal, but if you DO get caught the penalties can really suck.

Anonymous said...

Nice to know. No, I wouldn't want to do anything illegal. Thanks for your response.

kissmykimchi said...

Awesome post. Moving to Japan has always been in the back of my thoughts. It's good to have a place that pulls together so many different resources.

Thanks!

Jason said...

I'm really curious to see what Japan is like when I visit there this coming winter break. Korea is nice but 5 years is beginning to wear on me and I want to experience something new.

I also really want to see how Japan compares with Korean in terms of living and teaching in general--now THAT will produce some interesting blogging!