ESL Career Paths

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TESL 0160
Transitioning to the Classroom
In Unit 1 of the course we selected a teaching context for an ESL/EFL teacher and conducted research online to find out more about it. Then we shared our thoughts and findings. What follows is the result of my research on a particular ESL career path.
I selected Teaching Context 5: A Canadian ESL teacher moves to Japan to teach EFL. I was interested in learning more about the process of going to teach overseas nowadays as compared to the 1990's when I went to South Korea to teach English. I found that the requirements and the procedure for teaching in Japan now are quite similar to what I experienced when I taught in South Korea. There is an abundance of information online about how to get a job, different places to work, what daily life is like for a teacher in Japan, as well as blogs where current and former teachers share their experiences, good and bad. I read through several websites and blogs and watched a few different videos to get a better understanding of the teaching experience in Japan. I wish all of this information had been available when I was planning to teach overseas. I relied on print materials such as brochures, that described different language schools or companies that were hiring English teachers, as well as the first-hand experience from a university classmate who had taught in South Korea briefly. 
The basics are the same - native (preferred) English speaker with a bachelor's degree (doesn't have to be in Education), TEFL certification (preferred, but not mandatory) and a work visa. The company/school you are hired to work for will often arrange for your work visa for you. Depending on where you are hired to work, you may also receive payment for your airfare to and from Japan. 
There are many things you should find out about before heading across the ocean. Some of them include: Where will you be living? What expenses will you have? How will you be paid? How often will you be paid? When will you be teaching? What types of classes will you be teaching? What teaching resources/materials will be available? It is important to read through your contract carefully to understand what the expectations are. 
I think it is very important to do a lot of research on the country you will be travelling to in advance. Find out as much as you can about the culture and about the specific area that you will be living in. If possible, try to learn some of the language before you leave. Knowing how to say hello, how to introduce yourself, how to tell the taxi driver which way to go and how to order food in a restaurant are very useful expressions to become familiar with! Find out about cultural customs, or what are often referred to as the "do's and don'ts." You don't want to offend or disrespect anyone! 

I was fortunate that I went with a company that was created by two Winnipeggers who had taught in South Korea and still had some friends and colleagues working there. They connected me with someone to support me from the beginning (another teacher in the area), and she introduced me to other Canadian and American teachers in my community. It was very helpful to be able to ask questions and share my experiences with others who were or had gone through the same things as me. 
I think some of the best advice I would give to someone travelling to a place very different from their home country is to be open-minded, flexible, and adventurous - embrace the new culture. Of course you are definitely going to experience culture shock and there will be times when you become extremely homesick. However, if you stick with it, the experience of living and working in another country is totally worth it. It is something you will never forget.
References:
Abroad in Japan. (2015, July 31). Teaching in Japan: 5 Useful Tips for Beginners. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q31KskoimGw
Government of Canada. Teaching English in Japan. Retrieved from https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/publications/teaching-english-in-japan
Hendrickx, C. (n.d.) What are the basic requirements to teach English in Japan? Retrieved from https://www.internationalteflacademy.com/faq/bid/103906/what-are-the-basic-requirements-to-teach-english-in-japan
Jimmy, M. (2018, July 26). The Guide to Teaching English in Japan. Retrieved from https://jimmyesl.com/guide-to-teach-english-in-japan/

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