Graduate Profile - Banking and International Finance

Name: Greg Saunders
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Banking and International Finance
Position Gained: Teaching English in Japan
Organisation: NOVA
Commencement Date: February 2004

Could you give us a description of what your position involves?

I’m working in a city called Mukogaoka-yuen (about 45 minutes away from home by train). Everyone at work is very nice, very friendly. It is a smallish branch (of around 10) and I am one of 5 Australians.

In regards to teaching: In my branch there is a maximum of three students per class. They are grouped according to ability, so you can get students with low-level ability up to the students who are quite good and can be fun to talk to. At the moment I enjoy teaching the higher-level students as the communication process is much easier. I can also find out the good places to go and which food I should try, etc. My branch is located near a couple of universities so the majority of students are uni students. However there are also a few housewives, salarymen and kids. You need special training to teach the kids but all you do really is play games with them. I am having my kids training in a couple of weeks.

Each lesson is has a set structure, but it is up to the teacher as what to do and what to teach. There is room to do whatever you think will benefit the students.  At the moment I still need to plan my lessons, but I am hoping to be able to teach a lesson without a lesson plan soon. Each lesson lasts for 40 minutes and that is divided up into 10 minutes warm up, 10 minutes listening comprehension and silent reading, 10 minutes for practice and 10 minutes for application. There is a topic for each lesson, so the entire lesson is planned around that topic and the language you want to teach them. The teaching gets really repetitive, especially when you do the same lessons over and over again.

In addition to the normal teaching class, there is kids classes and voice. A voice class is basically a discussion between many students in a relaxed atmosphere. It is a place where they can practice what they have learnt in the classroom. Teaching it is quite simple as all you need to do is to keep the discussion going and organising some games. Voice classes are quite enjoyable.

As I am only working part time, I only teach 5 lessons a day. I work from 5pm to 9pm from Tuesday to Friday and 1.20 pm to 9pm on Saturday (teaching 8 lessons). I have the mornings off as well as Sunday and Monday. These days are my exploring days.

Can you briefly describe the application/interview process relevant to your position?

The application process was very simple and well conducted. All the recruiting was done by AACE, a company who recruits teachers for NOVA from SA, VIC, and TAS. Firstly the only requirement is that you have completed a bachelors degree or have worked part time for 2 years and have 13 years of educational background.

After applying they conducted an information evening where they gave a short presentation on living in Japan, the work, and their experiences (they all have worked for NOVA) to a small group. There were approx. 10 people in my group. After the presentation they conducted one on one interviews asking the standard questions. No surprises here. The interview itself was relaxed and quite informal (as far as interviews go).

And that was it! They would tell you if you were successful in a couple of weeks or so.

If you are successful, then they help you with all the visa requirements, plane tickets, etc. They do all the paperwork for you (or most of it anyway). They were always approachable and friendly and always eager to help. A couple of weeks before departure they held a pre-departure seminar, basically to give you the lowdown on teaching, some more information and a chance to meet the other people going. Overall a professional recruitment process and one well worth it.

Do you have any helpful hints for students?

Life in Japan is great. I am living in Tokyo and the sights and sounds are amazing. There is constantly something to do and so much to see and experience. If you are looking for a job and are unsure of what to do with your degree, or just want to do something different, give this a try. You wont regret it. You don't even have to know how to speak Japanese (but a little bit helps). You can get by without ever learning the language, but Japan is more rewarding if you try to learn the language, trust me.

The work itself is what you make it. It is not difficult but can test your patience sometimes. Each lesson is structured but what you teach and how you teach is up to you. You can be as creative as your imagination lets you. The students are eager to learn and are quite motivated. The classes are what you make them. They can be fun and enjoyable or serious and studious. It is totally up to you. Overall it is well worth all the effort. Try it.