Many members of Japan’s foreign community come here to teach English. Some want the added experience of living abroad, some are looking to start anew in the country, and some are hoping to kick-start a lifelong career in education. No matter their situation, the pandemic has emphasized the precarious position many exist in.
The Japan Times spoke to a few of these teachers for an article titled “New job? Be sure to read the fine print” back in September. There, we discussed the pitfalls of vague contracts, a lack of paid sick leave and other issues that have caused serious burnout among educators in Japan and contributed to the country’s poor ranking when it comes to English education.
After contracts, the most frequent problem that arose in those discussions was a lack of teaching resources and support. For example, at many schools, teachers are expected to come up with their own curriculum, with few (if any) quality standards or opportunities to seek feedback. Those who become teachers here — or more often an instructor who assists a Japanese teacher in English-language classes — might find they are expected to adhere to a precise-but-outdated curriculum that emphasizes rote repetition and grammar structures over dynamic learning. Or worse, no curriculum at all.