Thread: A teachers comparison between working in Japan and Thailand.

I guess I'll field this one as I often do with comparisons of Thailand and Japan. Having lived and taught in both countries, I can honestly say I prefer the lifestyle in Thailand, but the professionalism of Japan. The teaching isn't that different and the students are exteremly similiar as language learners go (see ajarn writer's column "Matt's World" for more on this). Although the Thai are more laid back, friendly and approchable than the Japanese, I don't suspect that they would be any quicker to really accept you as more than a teacher in terms of personal relationships. In other words, if you think that every Japanese person you have met sees you as an ambulant English lesson, expect the same from the Thai. My employer in Thailand is much 'cooler' than my Japanese employer ever was, but at the rate they pay me it's a damn good thing they are!

I'm also someone who's made the same move, and I'll say it again here: if I'd known what I was getting into, I wouldn't have done it- but now that I've clawed my way up to something decent here, I wouldn't go back.

"Steven"

I agree with Steven. When you first get here, it's rough but then you start to settle in and get use to the routine. Though I have never taught in Japan, I did do a 2 year stint in Korea…that I wouldn’t recommend unless you like freezing cold, wet winters though the food is great and the nightlife is fun!

I am curious from Asian Alien if there is opportunity in Japan for teachers to move into DOS positions or management positions in language schools? I ask because that was extremely difficult to find in Korea but seems to be more available here in Thailand.

Yup- Japan for nearly a decade, then here. Your experience in Japan will matter diddly/squat here, though it will mean one less thing to get used to (since you will already be a TEFLer). It *does* mean that you probably won't need to take a TEFL course to start up here.

The thing is, everything here is connections. It's not like Japan where you have government departments that really investigate if your degree is real, etc., etc. You need to find some people to vouch for you and get you hooked up with other people who know where the jobs that are actually good are. So if you can stomach a year or so of really scraping by (on 25-30K, for instance) and a number of false starts as you try out and reject the evil schools, then you might finally find yourself in a decent place (hint- the previous was heavily autobiographical).

"Steven"

Originally Posted by TtlESL

I am curious from Asian Alien if there is opportunity in Japan for teachers to move into DOS positions or management positions in language schools? I ask because that was extremely difficult to find in Korea but seems to be more available here in Thailand.

I was in a DOS type position, but it took me several years to climb the company ladder. My experience with the large Japanese eikaiwas is that it doesn't matter if you have a Master's and ten years University experience - you still start at the bottom. Japan, like Thailand, is very much seniority based, merit means This time around I will most likely work outside the eikaiwa industry (Korean equivalent of a Hagwon). I have largely lost my patience with inept adults, though not yet completely with bad children.