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im thinking of doing the same thing after i finish university, mainly to get some life experiences that ive been sorely lacking lol
from what ive gathered through numerous google searches, if you want to get a job in a reputable position, you absolutely NEED a degree in any subject. having a degree shows that youve been able to invest time and money into learning a lot in a certain subject, its a status symbol. having one allows you to go for job with perhaps more 'trustworthy' companies, such as the JET program for Japan, or EPIK (Korean version). they have standardised wages, pay a surprising in terms of benefits and travels, but most importantly, youre not going get shafted out of your position because they are an official organisation run by their respective governments.
going for a position blindly, without qualifications, just seems waay too risky and you open yourself up to get scammed out of time and money.
of course, ive only been looking at JET and EPIK so far, so im not sure how other organisations from other countries would work, but my advice for you, OP, would be to absolutely try and get a degree. it doesnt matter what subject its in, it doesnt matter if its from a less than reputable college, just try and get one. in my opinion, its going to make things a hell of a lot easier for you in many different situations.
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I don't know if anyone has posted this or not yet, but
http://waygook.org/
makes your job INFINITELY easier.
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I'm genuinely curious: Why does one want to teach English in, say, Japan?
Cultural exchange? Passion for teaching? Teaching experience for future career?
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On August 31 2011 09:30 Cambium wrote: I'm genuinely curious: Why does one want to teach English in, say, Japan?
Cultural exchange? Passion for teaching? Teaching experience for future career?
Anime
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Random thoughts:
I think it's worthwhile to read this article. Most of it is overblown for comedic/shock value, but there are important points to consider. That said, having taught English for 3 years in Japan, it's an amazing experience that you really should do if you're so inclined.
The degree you get really, really doesn't matter. As long as it has a watermark and says "Bachelor's" somewhere, you're golden. If you're in the US, a community college degree is fine, and will help you out later in life as well, obviously.
If you want to go to Japan, don't put all of your eggs in the JET basket; it's really, really competitive, and getting more so every year. The ALT position is slowly privatizing, with school districts across the country turning to Interac to provide them with ALT's instead of JET (they come cheaper at 30k vs 36k for JET's, at least they did a few years ago.)
I've heard that Korea has the best salary/living cost ratio. A friend of mine was making only slightly less than me in her first year, and paying a quarter of what I was for rent/alcohol/groceries... and she was in Pusan, not some rinky-dink town.
Teaching is a job that has homework - making a lesson plan can take longer than the actual class sometimes, and it feels like shit if you spent an hour planning a lesson that goes poorly.
I've helped a few friends find jobs overseas, so feel free to send me a PM if you have any questions (that goes for anyone). Like I said, it's hard in a lot of ways, but ultimately an incredibly rewarding experience.
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All you need a BA. My friend is currently teaching english in South Korea. All you need is a 4 year degree. Sorry i don't know what program, we're not that close of friends.
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On August 31 2011 09:30 Cambium wrote: I'm genuinely curious: Why does one want to teach English in, say, Japan?
Cultural exchange? Passion for teaching? Teaching experience for future career? living in a foreign country was one of the best experiences in my life. i went there as an exchange student, but i imagine it is similar through a work program. i was considering doing peace corps as well, but decided it was time to finish my education and get a job.
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Osaka26964 Posts
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