Assistant Language Teacher In Japan

  Mary is an assistant English language teacher in Tokyo, Japan, and she recently completed the 120-hour online TEFL/TESOL course with ITTT. She enjoyed the course a lot and had fun completing all 20 units. In her TEFL review, she also says that she enjoyed the flexibility the course gave her to complete the course in her leisure time. She recommends the course to anyone interested in teaching English and finds the course to be great value for money. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Destinations TEFL Information Teaching English abroad is now a popular career option for many people of all ages. While there is a strong demand for TEFL certified teachers in many different regions of the world, there are certain countries who have implemented government-funded programs to attract foreign English teachers. Through these programs, qualified English teachers are placed into schools around their countries where they are employed for a set period of time. Here is a list of the best government programs for teaching English abroad. The EPIK program in South Korea is one of the largest and most popular teaching programs and stands for “English Program in Korea”. This scheme is run by the South...  [Read more]

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Maddy Payne Destinations TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Assistant Language Teachers in Japan come from different countries worldwide, bringing different kinds of English with them. In my experience, American English is often the most sought-after version of English. Some countries highly value Language Teachers from the USA, which often matches their American-style textbooks and resources. Sometimes people are even overlooked for job opportunities due to their Australian accent and British English background. Well, Japan is no different in this regard. Many Japanese schools hold American English in high regard, so what is it like being an Australian-English teacher in Japan? It's no secret that Japanese...  [Read more]

Asia Ridley TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Are you interested in teaching English in Japan? Working as an Assistant Language Teacher in a Japanese school is a great way to get move to Japan. This article gives an in-depth look into the life as an ALT in Japan. Mohammad Jabary TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Course books are an essential part of any English language class. But did you know that using course books too often can actually harm your class? Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this blog we are going to...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences What do you think of when I say the word “teacher”? When I think of this word, I think of the “teacher when I was a child. The person who talked and I listened. The person who gave me instructions and I followed. I think in today’s environment this word has changed. What does the word “teacher” mean today? We’ll look at what the roles of a teacher are in today’s ESL world in Japan, where I’ve taught for over 14 years. We use many synonyms for the term “teacher”. In elementary schools, junior high schools, and high schools in Japan we use the term “ALT” (assistant language teacher) or “AET” (assistant English teacher). In business courses, we use the word “instructor”. In...  [Read more]

Asia Ridley TEFL Information Alumni Experiences English education in Japan has been prominent for decades and starts in elementary schools. It is in high demand as the relationship between the U.S. and Japan as well as the abundant amount of tourism. Last year straight after graduating from university in the United States, I moved to Japan and began teaching English. I was fortunate to pass the interviews and become part of the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme {JET}. Being an assistant language teacher {ALT} in the Japanese education system versus a conversation school has its differences. Therefore I will be diving into how one can contribute to the classroom as an ALT. In Japanese elementary schools, all the students...  [Read more]

  Japan has been a popular destination amongst English language teachers for many years due to its widespread job opportunities, good salaries and fascinating culture. Whilst there are other countries in the region where the cost of living may be lower and the wages a little higher, nowhere provides such an incredible mix of modern development and ancient traditions as you will find in this extraordinary country. If you are looking for excitement and adventure, look no further than Japan. In order to work legally you will need to be eligible for a work visa. The good news is the criteria is not as tough as many other countries as you simply need to possess a degree in any subject. The only other qualifications you need are a fluency in the English language, a professional approach...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences This article was written by our TEFL graduate who had experience of working as an assistant language teacher in Japan. Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In this article, our TEFL alumna shares the ways they implement new technology in order to limit the use of smartphones in an ESL pre-school classrooms in Saudi Arabia. Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In this article, our TEFL graduate considers the most common issues faced by the EFL students in Japan. Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences This blog post is devoted to the problem...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences This article was written by our TEFL graduate who had experience of working as an assistant language teacher in Japan. Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In this article, our TEFL alumna shares the ways they implement new technology in order to limit the use of smartphones in an ESL pre-school classrooms in Saudi Arabia. Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In this article, our TEFL graduate considers the most common issues faced by the EFL students in Japan. Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences This blog post is devoted to the problem...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas I have taught in a Japanese high school for the past four years as an assistant language teacher, which gives me a particular insight into the problems and advantages of EFL in that area. This will naturally require some generalizations. Individuals have very different problems from one another, but broader shared issues do crop up. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate William L. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. For context, I work in two Japanese high schools as an assistant language teacher in Toyama prefecture. I go to one school four days a week, which caters to students who can only study part-time. I also work at a farming...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences British English (BrE) and American English (AmE) are two of the main varieties of the English language. There are other different varieties of English that exist such as Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, South Asian and African English. Although English was introduced to America through the colonization period by the British, the two varieties of English have evolved to be quite different from each other in certain areas. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Shanique H. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. One of these areas is vocabulary, which is one of the most notable differences between the two varieties. For instance,...  [Read more]

Shirin Sophy Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this article, some basic tips that can make online teaching a more convenient experience for both teachers and students are discussed. Federico Riva TEFL Information Teaching Ideas The receptive skills of reading and listening, generally get less attention than the other skills of speaking and writing. Here we look at some of the reasons they are avoided and why e should overcome these fears. Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas What are some of the considerations needed for...  [Read more]

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Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences I am in my 3rd year of working in the countryside of Japan as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) in public elementary and junior high schools. An ALT's official job description is to be the assistant to a Japanese Teacher of Language (JTL). In my experience, especially in elementary schools, the ALT is not seen as an assistant but as "the English teacher" since the regular homeroom teacher has no training or experience with ESL. In most cases, the ALT has a degree in a field unrelated to teaching and has no qualifications. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Carl S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. At the moment, English in...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In this essay I will be discussing the problems for young Japanese learners of English, and what problems Japanese learners often encounter as well as explaining some of the reasons why teachers can run into problems while teaching in Japan. I will be referring to the book “The Smart Guide to Teaching English in Japan’ by Charlie Moritz and Martin Bragalone, as well as drawing from my knowledge and experiences of studying and volunteering in Japan. Japan can be a challenging but rewarding country to work in, despite stereotypes of Japanese people being polite and studious so it is important to consider that reality can be different when teaching in Japan. When TEFL teachers aim to teach in Japan, the most...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Alumni Experiences TEFL Reviews & TESOL Reviews For ITTT, our community of students and alumni is the most important to us. That’s why we’d love to share what our course grads have to say! This will not only have others make a better decision in whether TEFL/TESOL is for them, but it will also help the ITTT community grow bigger and stronger! Federico Riva Teaching Ideas Post-it notes are a great tool to incorporate into your English lessons and make them more fun for your students. Here are 7 simple but effective EFL activities with post-it notes your students will love! Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences ...  [Read more]

  Willy from the U.S.A. is currently living in Japan and took the 120-hour online TESOL course with tutor support and videos from ITTT. In this TESOL review video, Willy tells us that he has been living in Japan for the last 7 years and working as an assistant language teacher. He really enjoyed the course which brought him a number of new perspectives and ideas and helped him to improve his teaching skills. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. I...  [Read more]

Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this blog post, we will look at an actual example of an ESA straight arrow lesson plan. We will include examples of the activities used and their purpose. You can adapt this plan to a variety of other uses and levels. Mudita Yajnik TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Setting up the classroom is often overlooked by teachers - but it's oh-so important! In this blog post, we take a look at the importance of the ESL classroom setup. Shirin Sophy Destinations Alumni Experiences Are you...  [Read more]

Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this blog post, we will look at an actual example of an ESA straight arrow lesson plan. We will include examples of the activities used and their purpose. You can adapt this plan to a variety of other uses and levels. Mudita Yajnik TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Setting up the classroom is often overlooked by teachers - but it's oh-so important! In this blog post, we take a look at the importance of the ESL classroom setup. Shirin Sophy Destinations Alumni Experiences Are you...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Formal English education first took root in Japan with the creation of the first English schools in 1865 and has since steamrolled into an aggressive effort by the government to produce an English-proficient population. The Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (JET) was established to introduce native speakers into English classrooms, and English instruction continues to become mandatory for increasingly younger students in primary schools. Despite these efforts, an English Proficiency Index conducted by the organization English First gave Japan a “low proficiency” score, with the island country lagging not just the multicultural countries of Singapore and Malaysia but also its East Asian neighbors China...  [Read more]

Laura Payne Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas I am currently working as an Assistant Language Teacher in Japan. Before I began this job I assumed that because Japan has a largely homogeneous population, all of my classes would be monolingual. However, I was wrong in this assumption. In addition to my Japanese students, I have many students who are Brazilian or Filipino. These students largely do not use Japanese as their mother tongue and have to learn both English and Japanese as a second language. This diverse student population, in addition to my work experiences and studies, has taught me a lot about working with both monolingual and multilingual classes. In the few monolingual classes that I teach, it is fairly easy to...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In the wake of the upcoming 2020 Olympics in Japan, there has been an increase in elementary school level English classes. As an assistant language teacher half into my fourth year, I have had the rare chance to work the entirety of my time in one elementary school where I have had many great memories. However, being present every day I began to notice that some students were struggling or in some cases, not even trying when it came to English class. Talking with my peers and colleagues from other elementary schools as well as my own, there are some common problems that many students seem to experience in an English class. These problems include learning in a counter-productive environment, inconsistent...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Next year, Japan will host the thirty-second Olympiad in the capital city of Tokyo. To correspond with the timing of the 2020 Olympics, Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (hereafter MEXT) has laid out a plan for the reform of English education to meet the future needs of Japanese students in a globalized world. However, this plan presents several challenges for current and future learners of English in the Japanese educational system. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Philippa K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The thrust of MEXT’s plan is to roll back English education in Japan so...  [Read more]

Laura Payne Destinations TEFL Information The Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program is not the only means to teach English in Japan, but it is one of the most popular programs out there both for aspiring teachers and those who wish to pursue other fields. I first joined this program a little over a year ago. In the short time since then, I've gained incredibly valuable experiences through my work as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT). Local prefectural governments and larger government bodies, including Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, manage the JET Program. They hire ALTs from English-speaking countries all over the world to increase Japan's international understanding at the level of local communities. Japan is an...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Japan is a Pacific Island nation whose history is marked by periods of nationalism and seclusion, as the Japanese government closed the borders to international trade. The lack of foreign influence in Japan has enabled a unique culture to flourish and the population to remain nearly 98% homogenous, meaning nearly everyone that lives in Japan is Japanese. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Andrew C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Within the past hundred years, government policy has changed and Japan has opened its borders to trade and tourism, becoming a major global economy and popular international tourist destination...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Through my experience as an Assistant Language Teacher in Japan, there have been numerous difficulties and challenges my students face in learning the English language. My students are primarily between the ages of 5 and 15. These challenges involve the pronunciation difficulties the students face coming from Japanese pronunciation, as well as the methodology of teaching English in Japan They may not apply to all of Japan but are definitely prominent issues within my area. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate James W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The most commonly known challenge in learning English for Japanese people is...  [Read more]

Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this blog post, we will consider the classification of ESL materials into, authentic and created. We will then look at some of the major advantages and disadvantages of using each of them in the ESL classroom. Etienne Van Rooyen TEFL Information Alumni Experiences There are three types of senior high schools in Japan. Each senior high school (grades 10, 11, and 12) has a different purpose and students attend it. Understanding this helps us learn how English language learning in Japan is differently yet similars each school. With this knowledge, as an Assistant...  [Read more]

Mohammad Jabary TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Course books are an essential part of any English language class. But did you know that using course books too often can actually harm your class? Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this blog we are going to consider the types and use of dictionaries. Which is the best dictionary for the different levels of student to use and what are some of the things we should and should not do with them? Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas ...  [Read more]

Maddy Payne Destinations TEFL Information Alumni Experiences In 2019, my sister and I received the exciting news that we had been accepted into the JET Program to live and teach English in Japan! If you have ever looked at teaching in Japan, or even Asia in general, you have probably come across the JET Program before. JET allows you to live and work in Japan as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) while earning one of the highest wages you can get as an ALT. The catch is: you could be placed anywhere in Japan. My sister and I didn’t actually write any location preferences, but honestly, we didn’t want to be in Tokyo. That might sound crazy to a lot of people. Why wouldn’t you want to live in Tokyo?!...  [Read more]