What kind of work will I find after leaving Japan? This is a question nearly all language teachers in Japan ask themselves at some point. And it's a question that's being asked more frequently, given the present state of the economy and its dwindling job prospects. There are, however, remarkable opportunities overseas for those wishing to put their experiences in Japan to use in the field of Japanese-language teaching.

"People assume you need excellent language ability to teach Japanese," says Gina Edens, a full-time Japanese teacher and head of the Japanese Department at the Whitgift School, a boys' school located south of London. "But that's not true. What's more important is knowing how to manage a classroom and having a love for teaching."

While Edens taught English as an assistant language teacher on the JET program from 1991 to 1994, she learned to speak Japanese quite fluently, though her reading and writing skills remained basic. Even though these skills have improved immensely since she became a Japanese teacher, there are still times when her students ask her a question she isn't confident enough to answer. "I find it's best to be honest with the students," explains Edens. "I tell them I'll have to check the answer and get back to them. These are opportunities for me to learn still more Japanese along with them."