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The Tunnel at the End of the Light

The Christian Science Monitor ran a piece on Nova's collapse that views eikaiwa through rose-colored glasses. This quote in particular caught my attention because it conflates all Westerners working Japan with eikaiwa teachers and illustrates some seriously delusional thinking about the realities of eikaiwa.

Here's an example:

The collapse of Nova might not just be Japan's largest consumer story this year. Foreign embassies, Qantas Airlines, and local unions and media are rallying behind students and teachers, who Sunday night set up a "Nova Relief Fund" to help hundreds evicted on short notice from apartments supplied by Nova. "We just need to think about the 1,300 Australians who are suddenly finding themselves out on the street there in Japan," said Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer.

Nova's demise is also illuminating Japan's worsening reputation for its dealings with thousands of skilled Western workers who, despite speaking Japanese and raising Japanese children, are denied voting rights, tenure at universities, promotions, and contracts beyond one-year agreements with few benefits.

Somehow Nova is representative of the poor treatment of foreigners in Japan as a whole. Never mind that the author seems to think eikaiwa teachers are skilled labor--that's for the next paragraph down.

"We're being treated like cheap migrant labor down in the southern United States," says Paul Baca, a young Canadian. One of thousands of "perma-temps," he has been going from job to job over the past decade. "About 99 percent of us have university degrees.... [W]e're not treated like skilled workers in other countries."

Sorry to burst your bubble, Paul, but you're not a skilled worker. When you turn over the rock that is eikaiwa, you'll see all sorts of things squirming under it: the lack of training, no benefits, the lack of a career path, emphasis on sales over education, one year contracts that can be canceled or not renewed on a whim, substandard in-house textbooks, falling wages, part-time employment, the list goes on. Let me be blunt: Eikaiwa is unskilled labor. It's a dead end job. You are a first-world migrant laborer, functionally illiterate, and working in a foreign land. The vast majority of teachers bring no skills to the table other than the fact they can tie a tie and speak English.

If you stay long enough, you may end up like Sam, a used up party boy:

Sam Gordon, who came to Japan five years ago, says he became attached to his students. "I don`t want to go back to America, I have no job there. Now foreign teachers have a bad image in Japan. I feel bad for the students, too. They didn't even get to say goodbye to their teachers."

Give your head a shake, Sam, foreign teachers have a bad image because of Nova? The teachers are not at fault here. People like Sam, however, are the hardest hit by the collapse of Nova. They have nothing to show for their service and generally have no other marketable skills in Japan, which forces them to start all over at the bottom of the eikaiwa ladder. If they have families, it's a even bitter pill to swallow. I have great sympathy for them, but in the end, they are victims of a terrible career choice.

But that doesn't mean eikaiwa has to remain a McJob.

Mr. Tench says teachers should be treated as professionals rather than tourists who speak a language. Some teachers say they fear a new trend of schools hiring cheaper college grads from the Philippines.

The sentiment is right, but the question is, how does one make eikaiwa more professional? Do you introduce standards and regulations? Demand qualified EFL teachers? Use professionally recognized texts and curriculums? Unionize? Maybe it would be better to encourage people to start their own schools, the thinking being that smaller schools could offer higher quality lessons. I think the eikaiwa gravy train has officially derailed and will never run again. Nova's model of big schools in expensive locations offering cut-rate English lessons has failed.

That leaves eikaiwa at a crossroads. If it doesn't transform itself into something more closely resembling a career, and if the General Union, or the teachers themselves, fail to unionize in greater numbers, then I think eikaiwa will forever be an entry level job that's good for shits and giggles for a year or two. The failure of Nova is an opportunity to change the status quo for better, but will that opportunity be seized upon?

Japan: 
nova
Eikaiwa: 
Naked Theft

Comments

"We're being treated like cheap migrant labor down in the southern United States," says Paul Baca...

A name like that had to have served him well in Japan :-)

I deeply disagree in your point of view. If there is one thing I have learned from Japanese people, and it seems lot of foreigners still don`t know, is to respect all kind of job.

No matter high or low level, japanese people always respect their job and do their best. There are only 3 people that can make your life change : one is your couple, other is your family and last is a teacher. It is with regret that I see that all teachers feel they are lower than an university teacher and this is completely wrong. I have been 3 years in the MMC and I have been lucky to meet and know culture and habits of people from Hokkaido to Okinawa, all kind of ages and all kind of professional background. I am satisfied to have shown the japanese people my culture and language (I am from Catalunya, in Spain, so sorry about my english)and I have felt sometimes to be an ambassador from my country when I have gone to some schools or institutes to talk about the history of my country.

From this experience there is only one thing I am really angry. All the board members (Anders Lundqvist is responsible too) knew nova was not going to be able to survive the 6 months sanction but even with that they hired new teachers until the end of september. All these teachers are really the victims in this nova story. In summer the number of new teachers increased highly and they have been cheated. These people should join and sue Anders (he was the man to sign the contracts, at least in MMC, so he knew the big number of new teachers...). This fraud should be prosecuted.

I am getting also angrier with all this comments from non-expert voices. Please, stop making non-sense comments that only show your mental age. You wonder if the future of teaching a language will be unstable from now? I hope you understand that if nova has failed it is only to a lack of knowledge of accounting. The only problem here is a kamikaze president and horrible financial plan. The business didn`t close because of a lack of clients.

People will keep studying languages and the affected students will find a new way again to use their free time in the way they like.

Finally. "Terrible career choice?"...The important thing in your life is to use wisely the time you have. If you have been chasing japanese girls and wasting your money in tequilas for sure you are now in a difficult position.

"We're being treated like cheap migrant labor down in the southern United States,"

a bit of topic but shouldn't that statement raise a few eyebrows...if our situation is being compared to the terrible way mexican workers are being treated- then why do we treat them that way?! if we don't like it obviously they don't either.

anyway, too all the people whining they got screwed. grow up! you saw it coming- you were just too dumb or lazy to do something about it.

You're projecting Shawn. Take a breath.

There are a lot of good teachers out there who care about their students. Don`t generalize.

'the lack of training, no benefits, the lack of a career path, emphasis on sales over education, one year contracts that can be canceled or not renewed on a whim, substandard in-house textbooks, falling wages, part-time employment, the list goes on. Let me be blunt: Eikaiwa is unskilled labor.'

The fact that many schools treat their staff like crap is evidence that the WORKERS are unskilled? Where's the logic or that? Besides, your list could be applied just as easily to many other 'skilled' lines of work in Japan these days. Japanese labor laws are lax for everybody, and there are plenty of Japanese professionals who work harder for less money and benefits than the average eikaiwa teacher. I earn more money teaching English than most of my 'professional' adult students! It can be done, Shawn. If some don't ever get that far, don't generalize. Most NOVA teachers are recent college grads and had no intention of being teachers forever. Those that do should be commended, not spit upon by you.

Hate to burst YOUR bubble, Shawn, but eikaiwa teachers ARE skilled workers by definition. Language ability is a skill. Non-skilled work involves something that basically anybody could do. That's not the case with eikaiwa teachers. I'm not saying they must be native speakers, but having English language ability is a requisite SKILL for the job. There aren't that many people in this society with that skill in terms of percentage.

Beyond that, I'd venture that well over 90% of eikaiwa teachers are 4 year college graduates (well above the norm, even in Japan), and a higher than average percentage of them are credentialed in some form or other (TESOL, MA degree, etc).

Teaching, as a profession anywhere in the world, has its limitations in terms of salary and prestige. But it is still considered 'skilled work.' Eikaiwa teachers, whether they have accreditations or not, still must have skill to do their job.

I do agree with you that the eikaiwa industry could use some cleaning up. But that is a question of labor standards law being enforced, eikaiwa management showing more respect for their teachers, and better union organizing. It's not about the teachers being 'unskilled.'

Tue, 10/30/2007 - 23:45 — Anonymous (not verified)

I think it's important to note that Shawn makes a difference between teaching and working at an eikaiwa; some commenters seem to be conflating the two. Given the lack of career prospects and terminally low salary, I think he's correct in saying eikaiwa is a dead end job.

For some, that might be fine. A year or two in Japan working at an eikaiwa can be a great experience. But for those who stay on, or even suspect they're going to stay on and have a family in Japan, it won't cut it.

That does not mean that one cannot teach; there are plenty of teaching jobs that offer financial security or better career prospects. But I do agree that if you plan to stay in Japan, start planning your eikaiwa exit strategy from day 1.

When you were hired by whatever english company you interviewed with, what was their primary concern about hiring you? Your ability to speak english. Sure, you have a University degree (I think its Japanese law that if you teach in a school you have to have at least a Post Secondary degree). But in the end you were hired because we speak english, that's what they want, that's probably why you applied. You came over here for your own reasons and you knew that the best way to get here was to work as an english teacher on what some might call a (working vacation). I'm sure this analysis isn't for 100% of people, but I'm pretty confident its true for quite a few of us.

If you want to work this kind of job as a career, then go nuts. But understand that the majority of your skills or experience from "back home" aren't what these companies are very interested in. They're concerned with you knowing how to follow their rules or guidelines and teach their students some english. A language that happens to be your native tongue.

Teaching english in a foreign country is a career for some, but generally it seems to be a life change or just something different to try for most.

And while I don't agree with all of what Shawn says, he's not a jerk, he's a realist. We're contract workers, not professionals hired as career oriented individuals. If you are one of those people, its up to you to find something that classifies you as such a professional.

Good luck

Not conflation, but a simple fallacy of composition. Shawn, if you've read any of his earlier literary flourishes, (which range from the adorable to the tediously self-loathing) is a dick. But, alas, he's the "Real Deal". He's a "skilled worker", and just "can't take it anymore"! He's doing important work and disdains being.. err. lumped together with, well, the lumpenproletariat. Let's psychologize! Shawn, they repect you. Really.

fuck you shawn, you elitist snob... people came to Nova because it offered english teaching at a relatively low price for the consumers. If you started your blog just to slag off Nova why didn't you state that from the off. You can bang on and on about how only teachers with phd's should teach in Japan, but the fact is that most Japanese people who want to learn English can't afford that, Nova offered what they wanted at a price they could afford. Go on, please argue with me on that point you glorified typist...when you are finished sucking ken worsley's dick that is.

Shawn, it's never too late to go home. This doesn't have to be for the rest of your life. I'm sure your family misses you.

That still doesn't mean that the teachers are skilled.

'For some, that might be fine. A year or two in Japan working at an eikaiwa can be a great experience. But for those who stay on, or even suspect they're going to stay on and have a family in Japan, it won't cut it.'

Well, I'm a homeowner in Japan with a salary that's above average and I'm getting on just fine with my life. Oh, and I happen to be an 'eikaiwa teacher.' Actually, I also do a little translation work on the side, but English teaching pays far more than translating.

My best friend here in Japan is rolling in money. I asked him how much he makes a month and he told me in a good month he makes close to 1 million yen! Oh, and he's an 'eikaiwa teacher.'

You need to distinguish between being an eikaiwa teacher and working for a crappy company. Not all eikaiwa teachers work for schools like NOVA. There are great opportunities here for eikaiwa teachers once you know the ropes. I'm not talking about landing university teaching positions; I've turned away from that because I can do better on my own.

A lot of people in a lot of different fields don't know how to manage their money. A lot of 'skilled workers' back in the states are likewise in 'dead-end jobs.' My sister is a skilled systems engineer; she works for peanuts as an office manager. My buddy in the States has an MA in Biology; he is a lab technician with a boring, mundane job with very few promotion prospects. You and Shawn here seem to think there are only two situations; crappy dead-end eikaiwa jobs or fabulously rich stock brokers. You need to put teaching into perspective, compared with what the average person does; a cog in a wheel for a corporation. At least they have future prospects, you say? Not for most of them. They will forever be stuck in the same type of job until they retire. Most will not even make the ranks of middle-managers.

There are worse jobs out there than being an eikaiwa teacher. I'm not ashamed of what I do, nor do I regret my career choice.

Correction: Not a glorified typist. I believe the technical term is hack. But to be fair, Ken Worsley actually provides an invaluable service without the snark. Shawn's a broken man. Having worked for Nova and GEOS (read the archives), and no doubt a litnay of other bottom-feeder Eikaiwa, he's a grizzled veteran. He forgot to leave. And now: projection. He's externalizing his bad career decision, because that's what he believes it was.

Having read the above blog, I have one question for all the people who disagree with the statement that eikaiwa teaching is unskilled. Please list the number of jobs that people could do in a English-speaking country without English, and tell me if any of those are skilled....Oh, and before anyone mentions mechanicans, hairdressers or chefs, then show me a Western person of any of the above profession working in Japan.
Face it, eikaiwa teaching is a joke. I worked in one.

Which answers the question: why are you a joke? But doesn't answer the question: Why is he a jerk? Or, better still, why is he a self-hating jerk?

a very interesting discussion, in a heated, difficult climate. i have never been a fan of nova, but eikaiwa teaching has a place, and it is a skilled position (whether the individual teachers are skilled teachers is a different question). the POINT is that in japan, english language ability is a skill. in japan, also, we have a particular demand where many eikaiwas made it possible to gain employment with them WITHOUT functional literacy in japanese. though that is a distinct drawback and disadvantage in japanese society, it does not negate the fact that the ability to speak english is a coveted skill. ...coveted highly enough to negate the disability to communicate in any other language! it's part of what makes the situation in japan unique, and incomparable to migrant workers in the us, skilled or unskilled laborers in other "developed" countries, etc. ESPECIALLY incomparable to immigrant/migrant workers in the usa... let's have a bit of a deeper analysis here (dunno any eikaiwa teachers having to live 25 to a flat, for example).

mechanicans?

'In Japan, english language ability is a skill' So, by that definition, my ability to speak my own language should be regard as a skill? Should put that on my resume. Lets be real, I am not saying what has happened to Nova teachers over the last six weeks was deserved, far from it. All I am saying is some points raised by that guy Shawn are valid. English teaching in Eikaiwa Japan (and I am not pass judgement on any other area of lanugage teaching or teaching in general) is a complete joke.
I am genuinely not trying to offend people here but lets be honest......
Please point out any area of Eikaiwa teaching that requires a specific skill (if someone says teaching English grammer, its only proves my point even more)

You guys shouldn't be so defensive. Eikaiwa IS unskilled labour. That means that you don't need to have any special skills to work in the field. It isn't the same as saying that Eikaiwa teachers don't have skills, there are tons of highly skilled Eikaiwa teachers out there. But the fact is you don't need to get those skills to get the job. Doctors, Engineers, Nurses and teachers with formal qualifications are skilled labourers, people with nothing more than a BA (which was my case when I started working in Eikaiwa) are not.

Sorry, but when you said your best friend can, in a good month, cut close to that amount, you gotta tell us how! That's an astronomical figure these days!! The only thing I can imagine is that he's found some very rich clientele who're willing to pay ¥5000/hr and he has no days off or time for himself. I gotta know how he pulls that off as an "eikaiwa teacher"!

sorry to display my ignorance but what does EIKAIWA mean exactly? i constantly hear and even use it but i dont know what it means.

By the way you can teach a nova (MM) lesson in your sleep.. literally. I know cuz ive done it..
Which goes to show, it IS a job that doesnt require a degree by any stretch of imagination.
However doesnt mean people who do/did work there are idiots. Easy money to pay off the student loan right. I did and then moved on.

But anyone who has been a purple tag for over 5 years.. thats another story...

"No matter high or low level, Japanese people always respect their job and do their best. There are only 3 people that can make your life change : one is your couple, other is your family and last is a teacher."

lol
made me laugh....
so Japanese....
who told you that? your wife?

your point is why japan is being left in the dark ages....lol
cracks me up...

what ever happened to self???????????????????????????

oh....yeah....i forgot....not important in japan....lol

I agree with the article 100%.

- Most teachers have not trained to be teachers.
- Most teachers do not have relevant degrees. Even a so-called 'English major' only studied English literature, which is not especially relevant to teaching a language.

I would even go further, and suggest that many eikaiwa teachers are less equipped for living in a foreign country, than other unskilled migrant labourers. The majority of my former colleagues could not construct sentences in Japanese.

The problem is that teachers are dispensible. The companies don't value them, because they aren't qualified and can be replaced at a moment's notice. And the customers can leave at any time, because English lessons are considered entertainment (would you pay to talk to a goofy foreigner -- or spend the money on alcohol, the water-trade or pachinko?).

How do teachers make themselves indispensible (to companies and customers) as teachers of English?

It was proposed in the article that, perhaps, eikaiwa might:

"introduce standards and regulations? Demand qualified EFL teachers? Use professionally recognized texts and curriculums? Unionize? Maybe it would be better to encourage people to start their own schools, the thinking being that smaller schools could offer higher quality lessons."

I think it's a start.

David English House in Hiroshima (www.davidenglishhouse.com) looks like it has a real commitment to education. Does anyone else know any other places?

I knew this post would generate a lot of anger, but my point still stands: you don't need any special skills for eikaiwa. The three days of training you receive before you leave for Japan and the subsequent training you receive after arriving doesn't make you an EFL teacher, it indoctrinates you into the school's way of presenting their material.

My criticisms are specifically about eikaiwa, English conversation schools such as Nova, AEON, and GEOS. The problem is the job, which the eikaiwa schools perversely call a career, and the working environment.

The significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them. -Albert Einstein

—

Shawn

To be a successful business person, doctor, clothing store worker
or what have you, you need to have people skills. I have worked
with people that have degrees coming out of their arses yet they
have trouble communicating and pleasing their students. I have
also worked with people that are skilled at informing and teaching
people. I do think that there are a lot of snobbish people living
in this country that have put themselves up on a high and mighty
platform.
A question for all of you out there. If you were back in your home
country, what would you be doing if you weren't here? I often hear
people talking about a "REAL JOB" ... uhm what do you mean? I have
been in contact with hundreds of people who have left Japan to return
to that real job, and you know what, it doesn't always exist.

You may not need any special skills, but, Shawn, you were an absolute dick in this post.

FYI eikawa = english conversation ei from eigo = english and kaiwa = conversation

finally, got it! thanx!

Let's say each student on average paid ¥10000/four 40~50 min. lessons a month. 3 students/ave. in each class and you did 6 classes a day = ¥180,000 x 5 days = ¥1,080,000. In reality the figures are/get much better, I am being reserved in the calculation!

OOps! I meant 6 days with Sundays off!

I work/ed for nova and I agree with the article - with all due respect to my (former?) colleagues (and other eikaiwa teachers), eikaiwa teaching (at nova at least, and I would imagine that the same goes for other schools) is definitely NOT a skilled job! That is not to say that it is not a worthwhile/fulfilling job for many.

However, I also agree with those who say that it is great to do it for a year or two, but anything longer is highly risky in terms of one's future prospects. I'm in Japan as part of a career break - before coming I had a solid career and qualifications and had a solid plan regarding what I was going to do afterwards. I think some time spent doing smt else (especially living in Japan) looks great on the resume. The trick is knowing where to draw the line - I did notice a long time ago that there are those who stay here too long and don't have anything to show for it. Although we have all suffered at Nova, the worst hit are those (especially instructors in their 40s) for whom it is a profession and have been here too long (even worse if they have major responsibilites, like three kids). I've no idea how they will manage and really feel for them.

Furthermore, the Japanese aren't stupid; they know that it is a dead end job!

The reaction to Shawn's article by some is hilarious. He just stated a few basic facts!

1. To teach your native language (as it is done in Japan anyway) simply does not require any major skills past literacy. The only reason these jobs require a university degree is because of Japanese law.
2. the gravy train for eikaiwa has passed in Japan. Talk to ANYONE that was here 20 years or so ago.
3. There is very little chance for advancement, meaningful pay raises, job security etc. at the vast majority of eikaiwa jobs.

Obviously, I am generalizing here, but anyone who denies this is the case for most English teaching jobs in Japan is stupid, delusional or both. If you still want to do the work, that is fine. However, admit the facts!!!!!!!!!!!

Shawn is 100% right.

Speaking your native tongue isn't necessarily a skill. Most people here are arguing whether or not teaching English in Japan is a skill. The problem is that we're focusing on the "English" aspect of the job and not the "teaching" part of the job. While speaking english in and of itself is not a skill (if you're born into it) teaching does require skill. It requires intution, patience, creativity, and a range of other talents when you're really good at it. Before coming to Japan, I taught in junior high schools for five years. Teaching takes skill!

I hate the word career.

In the abstract, it suggests motivation, drive, passion, determination, yada yada...

In reality, it generally means a work / life / family / friends balance that is far too skewed towards work. In the extreme, it results in people for whom work is life. It's about climbing some ladder (whose top keeps growing), at all costs - including brown-nosing, putting down and promoting a created self image, rather than discovering and being yourself.

I do not have a career & hopefully never will have. Not to say that I dont have a degree or interests in some types of work over others - but that I view a job as a job - not as a stepping stone to somewhere else. If a job is taking too much of my time, or causing excessive stress - I'll find another one. If that means packing shelves for a while - then so be it.

It helps if you can manage your money and have a decent amount behind you - then you dont have to be dependant on a job. You hold some of the cards, instead of an employer holding them all.

My point is this: For people who view eikaiwa teaching as a career move - good for you. Some of you will be disappointed, some of you wont be. For those who just view it as a change, an overseas experience for a short time - good for you too. But regardless of your point of view - its a job - anyone who wants to put it down as being a lower job than others seems to me to have issues - probably with their own self satisfaction.

2 & a half cents.

Shawn is correct. Being able to speak your native language does not make one a skilled worker. Nova and the other eikaiwa chains require nothing more than that plus obedience.

So comes the fundamental question - is Eikaiwa skilled labor?

Just some points that I want to make:

Will everyone with a TESOL or a CELTA/DELTA degree/certification please raise your hand? Of all the people who post here, I think the number is few. I think that's what Shawn is getting at. If you want to be academic, you should have an academic background. Take this example: when shopping around for a University, would you go to a University where no teacher has the "correct" (read: degree) qualifications? Personally, I wouldn't.

Now, this doesn't mean that I HATE eikaiwa, or that the teachers are the same as the Brazillians who work at Toyota or the Filipinas who work at the pubs. I can already hear people debating whether or not Eikaiwa workers are the same as foreign hostesses, with the exception that foreign hostesses speak Japanese which would make them more qualified than Eikaiwa teachers - I don't think this is so.

During the time that I spent at an Eikaiwa, I realized that the following skills CAN be cultivated and used at your next job:

1. Sales. Everyone seems to hate the fact that Eikaiwa strongly pushes sales onto its employees. However, if you listen to HOW to sell worthless books to your students and steal their money, you build sales skills - how to talk, how to persuade, everything. Of course, if you haven't been learning how to sell (the Cohen Brown series of sales trainings [which I never saw when I was in Japan] states that "those with the ability to sell will never be out of a job," which I do strongly believe), then discard and go to skill 2:

2. Presentation skills. Face it, you sing, dance, create fun presentations with the intention that people retain information. This, by far, is one of the most important skills in organizing meetings for future jobs. Even as an ex-eikawa worker (read to some: foreign host at a school trying to pick up chicks), I have gotten a lot of praise for my presentations - they had fun AND was able to walk away with something. The only difference now is I'm not going over adverbial clauses, I'm going over sales numbers and action plans for my division.

3. Optional: Bi-language skills. If you've been diligently studying Japanese and have been working on getting your 1-kyuu, then it'll open unbelievable doors (provided you get over the initial hurdle of trying to get into a Japanese company). You could land many a job in Japan.

It was pointed out that it doesn't take any skill in speaking your first language. I agree. If I were hired to speak english all day I'd consider myself an unskilled worker. However, Eikaiwa teachers have to TEACH (for those who may not think that this is teaching, I'll use the phrase TRY TO GET PEOPLE TO SPEAK THE SAME WAY YOU DO) english. That's the trick. You ever had a normal off-the-street Japanese person teach you how to speak Japanese? Never works. They don't know where to start. Granted, Eikaiwa teachers do have textbooks that DO tell them when to start, but they have to structure a "lesson" (good or bad, I never said) around said lesson.

Getting back to the start of my post, I don't mean to say NOT having certification makes you sub-human. Rather than being a dead-end job, Eikaiwas DO offer starting points to people interested in teaching. I never knew about CELTA/DELTA and other teaching certifications before I came to Japan. In fact, a mate and I were about to get our CELTA certifications (unfortunately, I wanted to study sales more than that, so I ended up pursuing another path).

You could start out teaching english, find it fun, get your degree/certification, and work at a University. Or work on your teaching skills and work at a Juku (why doesn't anyone look into that? It's (1) teaching (or coaching or watching kids take tests), (2) more filling for your pockets, and (3) has better hours. Just a thought.

I guess my point is, Eikaiwas are what you make of them (what a cop out finals statement). IF you believe that it is a dead-end job and the end of the road for your career, don't make any efforts to advance whatever skills you can get out of being an Eikawa "sensei," then you WILL end up in a dead-end job. If you truly like teaching, get your degree, and come back to Japan or wherever, then it'll be more of an "introduction to your new career" rather than "an ex-Nova employee."

Just clarification - it's not imperative that anyone GETS a degree. If you like what you do, pursue it, have fun with it, then power to you. If you start thinking "I'm working at McEnglish and it sucks and I suck and I'll never get out," then no power to you.

It is what you make of it.

In any job you get out of it what you put in. I'm reminded of a guy at work who tried to define "antonym" to a student in a lesson I observed...."What is antonym teacher?"....".Well, in my country we usually say body parts." There are alarge ammount of brain dead drunkard junkies who demean their job, their student, their employers and everyone else. that is a fact. The constant bitching and moaning (in the good days, when salaries were better and actually paid regularly, and schedules weren't ful) was enough to make you wanna kill yourself. Some people want an executive job right outta college, others just want enough coin for their next fix. Others, having had some other jobs understand that having a job is a dignifying thing. The fact that people are willing to pay quite a bit of money to talk to you means something. If you hate your job chances are your students were not getting good lessons from you. Not everyone's cut out to be a successful teacher in japan, only those who enjoy it and are willing to work hard. Not everyone is gonna like their job, and lets face it, not everyone is going to work hard. so quit bitching and go home already. You got fucked by a big corporation, you think it'll be the last time that happens??

EIGO = English
KAIWA = Conversation

EIKAIWA = unskilled labour hahaha

It is a skilled position, for several reasons. First, English language ability in Japan is a skill. More importantly, the ability to communicate that skill is the job is about. So communication is a major part of it. Whether you like it or not, it is teaching.

Second, all such workers must have college level degrees. This alone does not mean it is a skilled position, but it contributes by showing one needs both language ability AND higher education to qualify. Your average Japanese chap off the street couldn't teach language conversation. I'd hazard to say most couldn't do it in Japanese either, considering the linguistic style in Japan. *shrug*

In the twenty odd years that I have taught in Japan, my students have taught me as much as I have taught them. Maybe it's got nothing to do with teaching. It's more about learning together and time spent together that earns trust and respect, and it goes both ways and applies to many fields of work. Not just eikaiwa!

I agree with Shawn that eikaiwa is an unskilled job. To be an eikaiwa teacher, as the name "eikaiwa" suggests, you have to be able to hold a conversation in English. It doesn't require qualifications to do that. And the training for the job is usually no more than a week (or 3 days in Nova's case).

You can not call that a skill.

Funny!
:-)))))

Why do you think celebs, t.v personalities, singers, sports presenters take classes in verbal communication? Becoming a newscaster or reporter is a highly competetive field.

Ive met so many english teachers who are as boring as fuck because basically they have no conversation SKILL above "So what type of food do you like?"

Conversation requires skill...its what seperates a boring person from an interesting person

Or?... Are you employed/ making someone else rich? " If your so smart, why aren't you rich? " Talk is cheap! Skill or no skill, doing is what's important, not a piece of paper nor is it what others say and think! It's what you make of it for yourself and others.

As far as i"m concerned, a skill can be defined as something that only a relatively few people can do, and do very well. Surgeons therefore, are highly skilled, but you can also get a highly skilled pimp (Shawn seems to define skills in terms of the benefits of the job, whereas I think that skills are intrinsic to a person - a person might work in a dreadful brothel that offers no future and still be highly skilled).

Bearing this in mind, you could argue that eikaiwa teachers are skilled, given that there are relatively few people in Japan who can speak English well. However, looking at the broader context, anyone off the streets of LA, London, Perth or Wellington could be placed in a Nova or Gaba booth and speak English for a few hours, probably quite well. Therefore, anyone and everyone in the English speaking world (which is rapidly increasing!) has the skills.

It is debatable, but i'll look at the broader context and I therefore think that eikaiwa work is UNSKILLED.

Mixi: >>>Rather than being a dead-end job, Eikaiwas DO offer starting points to people interested in teaching.<<<

I agree too. I think teaching eikaiwa for a year or two can give you some ideas about teaching and whether teaching might be the career for you. I did a TEFL course not long after I finished at Nova and found that I could already "hold" a lesson in front of a group of people. I know other people who went on to do high-school teaching because, through working at Nova, they discovered that they liked teaching.

So if you really want to develop genuine teaching skills, you need to get out of eikaiwa, get proper accredited training and qualifications, and into a job which offers you the chance of developing your skills.

There are lots of comments on this and other websites trying to justify and paint up the "validity" of working in eikaiwa. To me, these sound like excuses to cover the fact that there's very few skills and little career experience you can get out of it.

For starters, foreign language ability is highly sought skill in just about any country. If you master Japanese and go back to the US many doors will open up for you because of your foreign language SKILL. Why should it be any different when the 'foreign' language is English and the country is Japan?

And skill doesn't necessarily mean 'qualification.' Many self-taught musicians are respected and well paid for their skill. I know people who are natural artists and turned it into careers in graphic design. If a little educated mathematical savant is hired by a think tank for his prodigious ability, is he not being hired for his skills even though it comes naturally to him?

But actually eikaiwa teaching requires much more than just 'carrying on a conversation.' It requires exceptional interpersonal skills; how do you carry on a conversation with someone who doesn't understand most of what you say? The 'average' person does not know how to do that. It requires classroom management skills. It requires curriculum and syllabus planning skills (even if you teach straight out of a book you have to have some PLAN about how to teach it).

You may argue that many eikaiwa teachers don't have such skills. Sure, there are eikaiwa teachers who suck at their job. There are also plenty of doctors, lawyers, sales people, etc. who suck at their jobs, too! The teachers who suck don't stick around too long, and they don't figure out how to make good money in this business. Many teachers don't have good skills when they start, but those who stick it out acquire skill--in addition to the most important SKILL of all, English language ability.

thanks for your insightful comment...in the end we all lose...i came here to work, make some bux..but mostly to see this place!...not everyone can come here and do this as my aunt points out.

there are no castles in canada..(casa loma does not count, nor does fort york)...no centuries old temples...and the seafood!

i love canada (and australia, where i have also lived), but theres a universe here i cant find there.

i too, pity those poor souls climbing that fool ladder to oblivion..

my family, my girl, and my friends are all the riches i need..

bless everyone in here..and shawn for giving us this forum

my reply was supposed to be after JP's comment...now i look like ridiculous! and i am a man who cannot afford to be made to look ridiculous!

double-plus me I english good! Wonder no how Nova destroyed Me did!

I look like ridiculous!

Ladies, and Gentlemen; The Queen's Own English.

I've been here over 10 years and worked in many jobs including part-time NOVA teacher and kitchen hand at a yakitori shop. Fortunantely, I have not been in eikaiwa all those years or I wouldn't have stayed. I worked for a good number of years working in corporate "language" training for people involved in overseas business. Essentially, the job focused on language and communication skills. Did I need "skills" to do that job? Most definitely, yes. Could any old eikaiwa teacher do it? I don't think so. We would get numerous resumes from eikaiwa people. 90% were rejected.

You're only limited by how you apply your knowledge. Professional "English teachers" will always find a niche in Japan because they are able to present the solution that proves their mettle. You're not going to find these people in eikaiwa. I think Shawn is right to a large degree.

What is EIKAIWA?

Many people sign up for a life when they get a job. I just want a job. That means that I go home on time, I take vacations, etc. So many fools in Japan with their great "real jobs" work too hard.

I know a guy whose housing allowance alone is more than 4 times my total salary. He can't go out at night without the office calling him for a teleconference, and has a hard time going on vacation. He says he's jealous of me, and that he'd give it up for some freedom. But, he won't. He's hooked on the money and the feeling of his "real job".

As for me, I have a master's degree in engineering, but I'm happy teaching English here (in an actual school, not eikaiwa). It's extremely low stress (my heart will thank me later), pays well enough for my purposes, and I get to travel a lot. I am happy, which is the important thing. It's also more than I can probably say for many on these forums who are spewing out the insults.

Keep climbing that ladder to try to buy your way to happiness, in whatever little free time you have!

My last post (see just above this one) was also supposed to be after J-P's post. It seems that more than one of us are having the "reply" problem, and the feature is probably not working correctly at the moment.

Eikaiwa are "conversation schools" such as NOVA, Berlitz, GEOS & AEON. Even though these schools might teach TOEIC or "business English," their core business is teaching conversation with a loose framework of application.

There's nothing wrong with cruising at an eikaiwa, but I wouldn't rubbish people who work long hours at other jobs and have little free time. If you're working hard and climbing ladders for a purpose, all power to you. I know plenty of people who like living in Japan who have worked hard and can now afford to cruise and appreciate other things. OTOH, I know others who have cruised all along and are either content with their lot or stuck in a rut.

One could quibble with Shawn's main point, whether or not Eikaiwa instructors actually possess "a marketable skill”, something in which they were trained, have received accreditation, and is a requirement for their a) employment and, more germane, b) a condition of their visa. In the broadest sense, speaking the English language is a function of your education, and more often than not a requirement for those engaged in international fora. Teaching English is not. It's an entirely different skill-set, and is recognized as such with respect to various levels of accreditation and remuneration. But who's arguing against this?

Eikaiwa are what they are: conversational English "schools". They lack both the academic rigor and organizational grounding to be considered places where English can be taught and learned as a second language. But why should they?

Arguments against Eikaiwa fail to consider market forces, and often reek of elitism. As the Eikaiwa market has become saturated with workers with less "skills", or none at all, (how do you see this evolution, Shawn?), wages have, as a recent Japan Times article notes, depressed and stagnated. Standards inevitably fall, and the quality of education suffers. This is to be expected. I can't speak of regulations since I've only been in Japan a short time, but it's odd to assert that the trend is irreversible, as Shawn seems to.

But still, as a commodity in the marketplace, (which is essentially what the English Language is here), education can be purchased at different prices and with different expectations of quality and achievement. For some it's simply leisure, for others it's conversational or semi-functional, and for an even smaller minority it's an educational or professional imperative. Put simply, some people shop at Wal-Mart and some go to Neiman Marcus, and so on and so forth. That the market can't offer similar commodities at various price structures and qualities is a strange proposition. It's also elitist and wrongheaded.

Nova was a big player for a time, whether or not they deserve credit. They offered a service far more efficiently, if sloppily, than their competitors, but eventually succumbed to gross errors in management and, more importantly, an astoundingly peculiar cult of personality. But this doesn’t mean that both the model and its benefits couldn’t be replicated even more effectively at another place and time. In the short time this is obvious unlikely. In the long term: it’s an open question.

++++++++

Wal-Mart or Neiman Marcus? The analogy feels clunky because taken to its limit it assumes that Eikaiwa instructors at the lowest level are essentially unskilled labors and, even worse, first world migrant workers. I think this is a good analysis, though, and while it should have the sting that attends stereotypes of migrant workers in general, I don't think this is the case. A majority of recent university graduates are unskilled, which is hardly a sensational assertion, and with the global job market as it is, mobility (a willingness to go where the work is) is necessary.

But being an Eikaiwa instructor is not a career, and it's doubtful that a majority of people who take it on ever consider it to be, whether it turns into an inescapable dead-end or merely a sojourn. But this is a danger with most human activities in general.

Transforming Eikaiwa into something resembling a career is an enterprise, I can only assume, the General Union (or those invested in remaining in Japan as professionals, with varying skill-sets, to be sure) have been strenuously engaged in; although, that ultimately involves a rethinking of governmental policy towards foreign worker and foreign nationals in general. That’s a tougher proposition to consider, and the tack most national commentary seems to be taking, at least now and at least what I’ve read, is a concern for consumer protection, which is a question of Japanese corporate and business culture.

It may be the end of the Eikaiwa gray train, but only for the time being. The vacuum will eventually be filled under different regulatory conditions.

++++++++

And yet, I believe the main thrust of criticism against Shawn is correct. The majority of people who frequent this website (and most especially now) are deeply concerned about the ongoing dissolution of a company they, a friend, or family member either work for or have worked for. They’re interested in finding out reliable information and this website happens to be one of the few that has been prominently name-checked in other, mainstream news outlets.

People anticipate the slant of personal opinion as an obvious feature in the landscape. But there’s criticism as reasoned judgment, and criticism as blood sport. Although it hasn’t been as frequent as before, Shawn tends to come off sounding hectoring and condescending. The permanent post at the top, “So you want to teach English in Japan”, is the most obvious indication. It’s ironical but incredibly mean spirited, hardly a greeting a concerned relative would expect.

Shawn can write with wit and intelligence, and sometimes with marked generosity. But the balance is more likely against that assessment, as he let’s, and I hate to “psychologize”, “disdain” and “self-loathing” seep into his analysis. That could simply be his style, which is understandable, and—always open to criticisms.

Though Shawn, to his benefit, conceded as much. He knew the post would generate a lot of anger, and seems to have revised his criticisms slightly, artful though banal Einstein quote notwithstanding.

Is one job/ title better than another? More/less pay? More/less free time? More/less working hours? More/less travel? etc. Please define?! Isn't beauty in the eye of the beholder? What our own values are? Can any one of you look in the mirror and honestly say I have the best job in the world?

I once heard a "teacher" explain the speed of light as the time between pushing the switch and the light coming on...

Time flies like arrows and fruit flies like bananas.

I'm not "rubbishing" people who work hard and have little free time, just the ones who insult English teachers for not doing the same (those who keep telling us to get "real jobs", etc).

Time between the light switch moving and the light coming on is related to the speed of light in metal (the copper wire). It is not truly instantaneous. What was your point?

and thats a fact.

I don't think eikaiwa teaching REQUIRES "exceptional interpersonal skills" though. I found at Nova that, generally, as long as you kept your mouth moving and said something, and smiled and looked presentable, then people were happy, even if you were talking rubbish at times.

Sure you can put in the amount of effort that you describe, but I've not come across an eikaiwa that actually requires or encourages that kind of effort and skills in the job. Things such as "curriculum and syllabus planning" are above and beyond what eikaiwa schools and students want. I think a teacher with that kind of commitment should get into a more accredited teaching job where they can develop, and be recognized and rewarded for, their skills and the work they put in.

I'm aware that light and electricity are not the same, but information about changes in voltages are transmitted at the speed of light in the medium. Therefore, the time when the light comes on is related to the speed of light in the metal wire.

Why are we having this conversation no this site? Did the original poster have a point?

Can anyone define: " REAL JOB "

Real job is one that pays a wage that is at or above the minimum wage? But to many in Japan, "real job" means, "not in the English teaching industry"

can i take a bath without getting wet?

i think light is faster than electricity..but then, Paul Coffey worse skates 2 sizes too small, and most folks think he was the fastest skater in the NHL...unless this all has something to do with antonyms, in which case..uhm.

i like eggs.

him read card good.

" the speed of light in the metal wire."

Does light travel in metal wire? Oh, no, I don`t think it does. In fact, it isn`t light at all, it`s electricity. This elecricity is then converted into light energy in a thing called a lightbulb.
The point of the poster above was to ilustrate how silly and ignorant so many of us eikaiwa teachers are. Anyone who describes the speed of light by referring to a lightswitch and electricity is certainly both of those things (silly and ignorant of how the world around them operates).
But it`s not a problem. So what if we make mistakes, that`s what people do in conversation, that`s what "the speed of light in the metal wire. " guy did. This is the real point. We are not paid to be experts on the speed of light, we are paid to be experts in native Enlish conversation, which we all are. So if someone says crazy shit about the speed of light, well, sometimes you run into people who say crazy shit, it`s part of learning to have a conversation. On that note, we should have a Mormon or Scientologist at every branch just for that purpose, practicing conversation with people who say crazy shit.

Hard or soft?

Are we talking about speed or light?

Speed is the subject! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_of_light

No, we are talking about the fact that one needs only to be an expert in English conversation, which all native speakers are, and not an expert in any other field, to work at an eikaiwa.

The quotes:

"Anyone who describes the speed of light by referring to a lightswitch and electricity is certainly both of those things (silly and ignorant of how the world around them operates)."

"So if someone says crazy shit about the speed of light, well, sometimes you run into people who say crazy shit..."

Are you sure it wasn't about light? Sounds like this ignorant bastard is calling me dumb because I understand physics and he doesn't. By the way, was it you? There are so many anonymous posters, I can't keep track of who's who. I add a "2" after the "Anonymous", so that people can at least distinguish my posts from other people's (although somebody could easily imitate it and pretend to be me).

Just goes to show you that some of us do have marketable skills outside of English-teaching, whereas others seem to only have the skill of shooting off their mouths (and keyboards).

Did they seriously block my posts? So I don't get to retaliate with the scientific truth to the guy slagging me? It would have been satisfactory to remove the curse word without deleting the whole post. There was valuable educational information there, not to mention a vindication of my intelligence.

Somebody had my post deleted, so here, I'll post it again.

Anonymous, I have a degree in physics, and was once in fact paid to understand physics. Your understanding of electricity being completely separate from light is not correct. Light is an "electromagnetic wave", as is an electric field. The speed of the electric field in copper is not infinite, and is in fact about 2/3 of the speed of light in a vacuum. There is a time lapse from the time you flip the switch to the time the light comes on. If your wire between the switch and the bulb is 200,000,000 meters long, it will take 1 second for the bulb to "know" that the switch has been flipped (plus time for the filament to heat). Gravity, works the same way. If the Sun were to be suddenly removed by a demon, it would take 8 minutes for Earth to even begin to fly away because gravitational fields transmit at the speed of light.

SPEED is the subject and LIGHT is objective! So, what are we all talking about?

Very nice, there's a filter blocking me from posting anything resembling the same message again. That's clever. Somebody marked it as spam? Oh, I love the internet.

Let me just say that I'm right, the bulb responds after the signal that the switch has been flipped is transmitted AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT along the metal wire. There is no instantaneous information transfer.

I'll stop now, unless the ignorant Anonymous wants to argue it more.

Hey, now my re-post appeared. This internet thing is amazing! I'm just sitting here talking to myself. Maybe I AM crazy.

I realize that some people took great offense at being labeled an unskilled laborer, but it's a fundamental reality of eikaiwa, in my opinion. It's also heartening to see some thoughtful arguments put forward, too.

That said, we should be careful with equating eikaiwa teachers as losers or sub-human. That's not the case. In the seven years of LJ, it has never been about disparaging teachers or the EFL/ESL profession.

By all means, work in eikaiwa, but given the current environment, I wouldn't recommend staying more than a year or two. If you really want to teach, you need to get real qualifications. Eikaiwa is the bottom rung of the ladder and if you want to climb the ladder in Japan, you need more than native English speaking ability. If all you bring to the table is the fact that you are a native speaker of English, your job options are seriously limited.

As to the debate of what is skilled and unskilled, some of the definitions put forth are starting to spit hairs, and, in some cases, offer strange rationalizations: pimps have skills therefore so do eikaiwa teachers? I don't think you want to be comparing yourself to a pimp.

The path to eikaiwa for most teachers is: graduate university, apply to an eikaiwa, take interview and test, get the job, fly to Japan. The only prerequisites for this job is to hold a university degree, be a native speaker of English, and be willing teach and sell using the school's methods. No special skills required. Within this discussion, I see skilled labor having a narrower and more legal definition somewhere along the lines of: work or employment that requires special training or formal qualifications (the minimal training an eikaiwa gives doesn't count as special training). They are things you would put down on your resume. Speaking may certainly be a skill but it doesn't qualify you for anything, let alone teach a language.

Now let me address some of the arguments put forth in that really long comment.

Wage stagnation and market evolution. It's not just eikaiwa, but wages are stagnant across the board in Japan. The Japanese economy has recovered, but growth is low and wages have been stagnant. Much of this has to do with the move to part-time work and contract employees. In eikaiwa, the trend has manifested itself in dispatch ALTs and part-time hours as well.

As for the Nova model being replicated in the future, who knows, it could work, but everyone involved is now is once bitten twice shy. Don't forget that Nova's model was failing in 2005 following its big expansion. I think the Nova model is fundamentally flawed because it depends on a perpetual flow of students purchasing large lesson packages. If the gravy train does manage to get back on track, it will be on a much smaller in scale.

The "So you want to teach English in Japan" post. It's interesting you pick this out because that post has been front and center ever since LJ went online seven years ago. I don't care if parents or relatives are shocked after reading it. If they are, good. They should see the underbelly of eikaiwa along with all the other warm and fuzzy platitudes that go with "being an ambassador to one's country." Parents were never the intended audience.

Finally, it was nice to be named in The Japan Times as a source of information, but LJ is just a small blog, not a news outfit. After all the years of Chris and me, and other contributors writing here and in the forums, only now does the Japanese and English media here, and the media in Canada and Australia and elsewhere, notice that there's something wrong. Up until now they paid lip service to eikaiwa with rarely a peep about it in the papers or on TV. It was all smiles and sunshine. Now it's a giant tragedy.

P.S. A commenter is right to point out that I've erred and conflated unskilled work with working conditions. They aren't the same thing.

P.P.S. Yes, there is a filter on the comments that snags posts that it thinks look like spam. This includes posting multiple links, writing with unusual punctuation, swearing, etc. If you've had a post tagged as spam before, the filter will probably remember you and flag anything new you write. I get to review the spam bin so I can approve any posts that accidentally wind up there.

The significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them.
-Albert Einstein

—

Shawn

"The path to eikaiwa for most teachers is: graduate university, apply to an eikaiwa, take interview and test, get the job, fly to Japan. The only prerequisites for this job is to hold a university degree..."

Shawn, there was a test? What test? I came here with Nova. There was no test! Also, a degree is not required, as can be demonstrated by looking at the working holiday visa-holders at Eikaiwa schools. In fact, not even a high school diploma is absolutely required, even to work at at least one prestigious private school (my personal experience with co-workers). She came here on a spouse visa, I think, or maybe a fake degree.

Also, you really don't NEED a teaching degree to move up. I'm doing just fine now, teaching in one of the top private JHS/HS, but my degree is in science. My girlfriend does have a teaching degree though, and holds roughly the same job as me, but makes about 50% more money. So I guess there are definitely benefits.

Thanks for explaining the spam filter. I'll try not to swear in the future.

not that theres anything wrong with that.

actually..fried egg sambich sounds great about now! bless my insight in buying tons of food i had no intention of making since i was seduced each day by the mighty bento!

and now, since i only use cash for job interview travels, i eat like a king! a king i say!..

or at least like a jack.

of hearts.

SHAWN, YOUR REPLY FUNCTION IS ASKEW!

Wow, I had no idea about the speed of light. I insulted your intelligence about light speed because I am almost totally ignorant about it. Would you introduce an explanation of light speed by giving the switch example? It seems circuitous at least. But most important, I was trying to clarify the point that any special knowledge about the world outside of English communication does`t make you a bad eikaiwa teacher. We are all skilled in the area of native english communication.

I am really happy that you responded to shoot me down about light speed, although I still don`t really get it. I never knew that electricity moved along a wire at the speed of light, it`s blowing my mind. Here`s a question? I heard that on hot days, the amount of electricity that travels on power lines is less than on cold days because the limit of electricity that one power line can hold is finite and relative to temperature. Is the speed of light influenced by temperature. Is there temperature in a vaccume?

At any rate, sorry if you were offended, I was really trying to defend the idea that even someone who is saying crazy shit can be useful as an eikaiwa teacher.

I knew that there was no instantaneous information transfer. I just assumed that electricity moving along a metal wire would be slower than the speed of light. Could you describe that in the simplest possible terms, if you have time?

oh, I think I get it

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