Although taking up a career as an English teacher to teach Japanese students can be seen as a daunting career, no doubt an interesting way to learn Japanese culture, gain teaching experience, and even earn money.
It is a daunting task because most Japanese find it difficult to speak and write in English even when they so much desire to do that.
That is why, in as much as you want to build a career around teaching English, especially in some non-English speaking countries like China and Japan because of the numerous opportunities that come with it, you must be fully equipped.
That’s why it’s expedient to have full knowledge, experience, and sure hacks on how to be more effective and exceptional as an English Teacher in any Japanese institution before you take up any job.
So, whether you’re in Japan looking for work or at home trying to learn more about the culture, this article is right for you.
In this article, we will discuss the 10 best ways to teach English to Japanese Students to guide you.
Table of contents
- Why Teach The English Language In Japan?
- How Much Do English Teachers Make In Japan?
- What Are The Requirements For Teaching English To Japanese Students?
- What Are The Tips For Teaching English To Japanese Students?
- 10 best Platforms where you can teach English to Japanese Students
- How To Get Japanese Students Interested In The English Language
- Best Ways To Teach English To Japanese Students: FAQs
- In Conclusion
- Reference
- References
Why Teach The English Language In Japan?
The English language is one the most widely used or spoken languages in the world, and all worldwide universities need it as a major prerequisite for admission to any of their degree programs. Japan, like every other Asian country, does not speak English.
Also, English is an international language, and businesses all over the world understand that learning English is a must if they want to succeed on a global basis. As a result, English speakers are in high demand in many emerging countries, particularly in Asia.
Read Also: What Are The Best Books To Read For GCSE English Language?
How Much Do English Teachers Make In Japan?
English teachers in Japan make between $1,700 and $5,000 per month. Aside from the pay, teaching English either traditionally or online in Japan provides you with the opportunity to make up to $25 per hour which is rare, giving you teaching experience in the ESL industry, a flexible work pace, and more insight and knowledge about Japanese culture and tradition.
What Are The Requirements For Teaching English To Japanese Students?
Every institution, organization, or company that employs English teachers to teach their students in Japan has a specific requirement.
So, that is why it’s important before you can begin teaching English to Japanese students either offline or online, you must ensure that you are eligible.
I’ve outlined some of the requirements for teaching English to Japanese students for clarity purposes. Check them out!
- You must be a Native English Speaker
- You must have a TEFL Certificate as a teacher interested in teaching English. The TEFL shouldn’t be below 120 hours. The only exception is if you’re a licensed teacher.
- Most Companies demand a bachelor’s degree. It usually doesn’t matter what in, just so long as you graduated college. This is, unfortunately, one of the major cons of teaching English online.
- Not less than 2 years of teaching experience.
What Are The Tips For Teaching English To Japanese Students?
If you intend to stay in Japan and teach English as a second language (ESL), the following tips will help you:
1. Build Relationship
The majority of Japanese pupils are bashful. They lack the confidence to participate in a class or communicate their opinions fully. They’d rather pay attention to teachers and take notes with their colorful pens.
Developing a rapport with the pupils is an excellent method to break the ice. There are several ways to accomplish this. You can use your sense of humour, converse with them in the corridors, and be approachable and friendly.
Make an effort to memorize their names as well. It may take some effort, but it works well for everyone.
2. Teach With Japanese Culture
One of the goals of an ESL curriculum is more than just learning to speak a foreign language. It also tries to gain a better knowledge of various cultures.
As a result, your or other countries’ habits, traditions, and special occasions should be part of what you discuss in the classroom.
Your teaching shouldn’t be one-sided. Students will be excited if you can relate your examples to their culture. If you like anime, incorporate Pokemon monsters and Dragonball characters.
If you enjoy travelling, tell us about your favourite tourist attractions in Kyoto or Hiroshima. If you’re into food, bring photographs of natto or sushi. It will make people smile and laugh. In summary, never fail to give them time to practice and provide their examples.
3. Learn Japanese
You are not expected to speak Japanese in class, but knowing the language would be beneficial. Two factors explain this.
As a new teacher, it would be difficult for your kids to converse in English for an hour. As a result, if they approach you or speak to their classmates in Japanese, you will be completely unaware of the message or issue.
However, if you understand the basics, you may readily relate to their dialogue and reply to their concerns and queries.
You can start by checking our post on learning Japanese here.
4. Bring in Games
Teaching English shouldn’t be all about standing before students to say everything you know at once. Try to turn some of your words into games. This will broaden their understanding and make them have fun while listening.
5. Know Your Skills and Maximize it
Knowing your strengths is one of the most crucial aspects of teaching in any job. Knowing how to promote it and emphasizing why it distinguishes you.
As the Japanese economy transitions to a more progressive online paradigm. You must be adaptable as well. You may learn more about our online teaching techniques by clicking here.
6. Work on Your Teaching Time
Teaching English entails more than just giving a lecture. It is more than just discussing your interests and expecting the pupils to know what to do.
Teaching a job generally is very stressful, so if you don’t minimize your talking time, you can easily break down. Try to talk less!
The truth is that when you talk too much in class, you take away the students’ opportunity to speak and may cause them to lose confidence.
And the spiral starts there since they won’t have the confidence to tell you, leading them to believe they’re not cut out for learning English. Perhaps they even believed they couldn’t interact with the teacher.
To help reduce your talking time, check out the following tips I’ve listed below:
- Instead of using words, use body language, gestures, and facial expressions.
- Use guided questions and specific examples so that students can imitate you.
- Leave a space between your statements to allow them to absorb and come up with a solution.
- Do not assume that silence time is negative and awkward. This is a lesson, not a first date.
- Allow the person time to ponder, and tell them to ask you a question; there are so many ways to transform this moment into an opportunity to talk.
7. Make it Fun
Avoid being boring while teaching. Have fun while teaching English. Don’t think of it as a typical job, but rather as an opportunity to be innovative and provide incredible value to your pupils.
At every point, check if your students are listening or understanding what you’re saying. Also, treat your students with love and respect. Cracking a few jokes, telling your experience, and forming deep ties with them is acceptable.
Usually, your job as an English teacher is to offer joy and value to the lives of your pupils as well as to teach grammar and vocabulary. Do your best, but don’t forget to have fun while you’re doing it.
10 best Platforms where you can teach English to Japanese Students
These 10 platforms are 10 different ways to teach the English language to Japanese students onsite or online.
1. Cafe Talk
One of the best ways to teach English to Japanese students is through Cafe Talk. With over 46,000 students, Café Talk is one of the top sites for teaching English online to Japanese students. Tutors are generally overburdened with work.
This English teaching platform also provides language classes and instruction in other fields of study such as music, arts, and other unique and entertaining topics. Tutors must utilize Skype on a PC or tablet to deliver lessons, and they are not permitted to use smartphones to deliver lessons.
To get started, apply for an account, fill out your profile, go through an interview, and you’re ready to start teaching. Visit the official site to learn more
Read: 20 Best Japanese High Schools for All Students in 2024
2. English Everywhere
Another option for teaching English online to Japanese students is English Everywhere. This platform will allow you to make as much as $15 per hour just by teaching English to Japanese students.
Just that to be able to teach on this platform, you must complete three application phases, which are as follows:
- Doing a short connect check of your webcam once your application is accepted.
- Undergo an interview
- And do an unpaid 30-minute interview lesson. This is to test your teaching skills, student support, and suitability.
Once you are done, you can start earning by teaching. Visit the official site to learn more.
3. English Hunt
Another way to teach English to Japanese students is through English Hunt. English Hunt began as a Korean ESL platform but has since grown into Japan, and with a TEFL certificate, you may teach English online to Japanese and Korean students.
To become an online tutor on this platform, you must have a bachelor’s degree in any field and either a teaching credential or four years of teaching experience.
You may earn up to $14 per hour as an online tutor on English Hunt, with hours often scheduled in the afternoons in Korean time. Applicants must be US citizens and have a US bank account to receive payment. Visit the official site to learn more
4. iTutorGroup
Another platform where you can earn around $20 – $25/ Hour to teach English is iTutorGroup. iTutorGroup is a global leader in online education. They offer flexible working hours for the people who opt to teach through this platform.
This platform also provides a variety of courses for both children and adults to help them advance in their careers. It is primarily looking for enthusiastic teachers with excellent communication and presentation abilities.
In addition to these qualifications, you should have a bachelor’s degree, a TESOL/TEFL/TESL certificate, or any other similar certificate. Teachers must commit to at least 5 peak hours per week and have solid computer expertise. Visit the official site to learn more
5. E-communication
Are you looking for a way to make money online by teaching? Look no further; you may sign up for E-communication, teach English to Japanese students online, and earn a good living. This platform is among the highest paying, with potential earnings of up to $20 per hour.
Tutors must commit to at least 20 weekly teaching hours, but their application standards are tough and stringent. Business expertise, Japanese language abilities, and natural English competence are all required. Visit the official site to learn more
6. Vipkid
Vipkid is another option for teaching English to Japanese kids online. The online tutoring platform has over 60,000 teachers and 500,000 students in 35 countries. Online English education services are also available to Japanese students and children and adults from other nations.
The teaching schedule is flexible and may be adjusted independently, and the remuneration ranges from $7 to $22 per hour, including bonuses.
The prerequisites to become a tutor here are not complicated; undergraduates are qualified to instruct. Visit the official site to learn more.
Read Also: What is the Pass Mark For GCSE English?
7. Eigo Power
Eigo Power is another platform that offers different ways to teach English to Japanese students. Generally, It also appears to have low entrance hurdles and may be prepared to accept non-native teachers who exhibit high English competence.
To teach on this platform, you must have a bachelor’s degree and teaching experience, as well as the capacity to commit to teaching at least three hours each day, five days per week.
All you need is a steady flow of English knowledge, technical understanding to use Skype, and communication skills to communicate with students more effectively. Visit the official site to learn more
8. Eigox
Eigox is an online English school based in Japan that hires English teachers worldwide to help Japanese students learn English over Skype.
Although Eigox pays less, the application requirements are far lower and less demanding than the other platforms on our list.
A class is 25 minutes long and may be scheduled whenever you like, with a pay rate of $1.50 for Filipino and non-native tutors and $5.40 for native and Japanese bilingual tutors. Pay rates rise gradually as a result of a teacher’s work performance.
On Eigox, you can deliver lessons in three ways: free chat, textbook-based learning, and online material-based courses. Visit the official site to learn more
9. Preply
Preply is one of the online platforms that allow you to teach English to Japanese students. It is a private tutoring service with over 100,000 active students each year.
Although English is not the only language or topic taught here, it is one of the most popular, particularly among Asians. On this site, you can earn up to $60 per hour as a tutor. Visit the official site to learn more
10. Magic Ears
If you are interested in teaching children, this is another place where you can teach English online to Japanese kids. Magic Ears is a unique online English learning program for students ages 4 to 12 that focuses on providing every child with a classroom experience.
The platform is not only available to Japanese citizens but also to Chinese and other Asian citizens. Visit the official site to learn more
Read: 27+ GCSE Speech Ideas in 2024: English Speaking and Listening Ideas
How To Get Japanese Students Interested In The English Language
You are automatically connected to many Japanese students who will choose you based on your profile if you have followed one or two of the links in each of the platforms where you can teach English online to Japanese students and registered on the platforms.
Only a small percentage of the Japanese population speaks English fluently, and many others wish to learn to do so to expand their chances.
Those running a business or organization must have a strong comprehension of English to operate on a worldwide scale, but owing to their overwhelming duties, they do not have the time or leisure to attend a school, which is where remote learning comes in.
The importance of English speaking and writing abilities in Asia is growing, and many parents are turning to online platforms to help their children become fluent in English. Trust me when I say that more Japanese are looking for English tutors online than English tutors looking for Japanese to teach English.
Best Ways To Teach English To Japanese Students: FAQs
Pronunciation, Grammar, and Hesitation to speak are some of the challenges Japanese English learners face.
Focus on speaking: Prioritize activities encouraging speaking practice, like role-playing, discussions, and pair work.
To be able to do this, use familiar references, compare and contrast languages and
Incorporate cultural activities.
You can use Online platforms, Japanese-specific ESL materials, and any other.
Authentic materials are available to you.
You must be patient and understanding and try and create a positive and supportive learning environment. You must also be aware of cultural differences.
In Conclusion
With the aforementioned ways, you can comfortably teach Japanese students the English Language online or onsite.
Remember to make a concerted effort to befriend your students. This will make it easier for them to seek help when needed.
Reference
References
