| I have one of the greatest jobs in the world. | | | | yet most of their teachers have no |
| I get paid to do what I love doing. I teach | | | | qualifications or background in teaching |
| English in Japan. I have always enjoyed | | | | children. |
| meeting and conversing with interesting | | | | |
| people, only now I get paid for it. | | | | I think you can train people to do many |
| | | | things. Isn't this complaint a tad picky? The |
| Yet, teaching at English conversation schools | | | | person who wrote this comment seems to think |
| ("Eikaiwa") seems to be a much-maligned | | | | people can't learn anything new. |
| profession, especially on certain websites. | | | | |
| One of those is Arthur Caversham's The Truth | | | | 12. Some "eikaiwa" schools' sales pitch |
| About Shane and Nova Pages at | | | | persuades students they can learn English in |
| | | | just one hour a week (or in some cases, half |
| Let me examine some of his claims. | | | | an hour). Unless a student is also studying |
| | | | elsewhere, this is totally inadequate for |
| 1. "Eikaiwa" schools employ teachers with no | | | | learning anything. |
| teaching experience. | | | | |
| | | | I think that it will take a very long time to |
| So what? Some of the best teachers in the | | | | learn that way. That is what we tell students |
| world are like a diamond in the rough. If you | | | | when we meet them for the first time, and on |
| hire people who have an aptitude for | | | | our homepage in Japanese. We let them know |
| teaching, train them and help them along the | | | | that learning English is more akin to |
| way, they will be better teachers than many | | | | learning classical piano than like learning |
| teachers who have an advanced degree. | | | | how to swim. Classical piano and English take |
| | | | a long time to master. Why hide that from |
| 2. "Eikaiwa" schools employ teachers with no | | | | them? Some schools do hide that fact. I don't |
| teaching qualifications. | | | | agree with that personally and don't follow |
| | | | that business practice. We try to be honest |
| Again, so what? Famous Japanese companies do | | | | with students about what they are up against. |
| the same thing. They employ people with no | | | | I think a lot of "eikaiwa" schools are like |
| specific qualifications and train them to | | | | ours that way. |
| work in departments which have nothing to do | | | | |
| with their university degrees. "Eikaiwa" | | | | 13. Shane's sales pitch persuades parents to |
| schools have their own in-house training | | | | send children as young as two years old to |
| programs and they train their teachers, too. | | | | its English lessons. Unsurprisingly, these |
| | | | poor kids learn nothing. |
| 3. "Eikaiwa" schools employ teachers with | | | | |
| NEITHER teaching experience NOR teaching | | | | I think that children this age can learn with |
| qualifications. | | | | the right teacher. Of course, the parents |
| | | | have to do their bit at home though. |
| So do many other businesses in every industry | | | | Unfortunately, few parents are willing to |
| imaginable. Do you believe that university | | | | help out. Teachers also need to explain to |
| training is the only thing that matters? Many | | | | the mothers when they come with their |
| successful people have no formal education | | | | children what they should do at home to help |
| beyond college, yet they are now company | | | | their kids learn. The school also needs to |
| presidents. Some of the worst teachers in the | | | | explain this. |
| world have a PhD. | | | | |
| | | | 14. Shane recruits teachers in England with |
| If the schools train them to teach, isn't | | | | the promise of providing them with company |
| that sometimes better than a university | | | | accommodation. In practice, Shane provides |
| education that is full of theory and | | | | sub-standard accommodation (e.g. apartments |
| sometimes a waste of time? Isn't practical | | | | with neither shower nor hot water in the |
| on-the-job training sometimes on a par with | | | | kitchen) at inflated prices. Shane leases |
| or better than a university education? | | | | apartments from landlords and rents them to |
| | | | teachers at a profit. |
| 4. Some "eikaiawa" schools demand that | | | | |
| students pay a huge amount of money before | | | | Are these apartments furnished? I assume they |
| beginning their lessons. This money is not | | | | are. We also provide furnished apartments to |
| refundable. | | | | our teachers and the cost of upkeep is |
| | | | astronomical. Shouldn't the teachers share in |
| Yes, but so do many other businesses. There | | | | that cost if they are using the facilities? |
| are also many "eikaiwa" schools that allow | | | | If they break the TV, shouldn't they |
| students to pay by the month. They don't pay | | | | contribute to the repair? The Shane |
| up front. Most schools are run by trustworthy | | | | apartments I have seen have had a bath. They |
| people. How do I know this? Because if they | | | | were no worse than what Japanese nextdoor |
| weren't trustworthy, they couldn't stay in | | | | were living in. They may charge more than the |
| business for very long; the word would get | | | | rent to cover for damage to the furniture and |
| around that they are shady operators. | | | | other utilities. The company shouldn't have |
| | | | to pay for damage. |
| 5. Nova's pay and conditions for teachers are | | | | |
| among the worst in Japan; therefore Nova | | | | The alternative to this is having to furnish |
| teachers are usually so bad they cannot find | | | | your own place. Believe me, that isn't fun |
| a job elsewhere. This is also why Nova | | | | either. Apartments in Japan come with nothing |
| advertises for teachers every week in the | | | | usually, sometimes not even a light bulb. Our |
| Japan Times. | | | | apartments are very clean and average to |
| | | | above average when compared to Japanese |
| Perhaps. Or maybe they have so many schools - | | | | apartments in general. |
| over 500 now - that they constantly need new | | | | |
| teachers. If Nova is so terrible, why would | | | | 15. Should a teacher, recruited 6,000 miles a |
| anyone choose to work there? Some Nova | | | | way, realize that Shane's methods of |
| teachers would be hired anywhere. They are | | | | operation leave something to be desired, the |
| very good teachers, they enjoy working for | | | | company requires three months notice of |
| Nova and they care about their students. | | | | resignation. |
| | | | |
| 6. Nova uses the same boring textbooks | | | | Recently, it has taken well over four months |
| (American Streamline, available from most | | | | to secure working visas for our last two |
| bookshops) for every lesson. | | | | teachers. Staff at Panache, a recruitment |
| | | | office for companies, report the same thing. |
| Some schools allow their teachers to choose | | | | Three months are not long when you consider |
| which textbook they use, others don't. For | | | | that it usually takes over four months to get |
| some teachers, choosing the textbook for them | | | | a working visa for the next teacher. You |
| is a good thing. For others, giving them more | | | | could only hire people with a working holiday |
| freedom is better. It really depends on how | | | | visa, or another proper visa but then it |
| independent the teacher is. | | | | restricts your choice of teachers. |
| | | | |
| 7. Teachers are not given time to prepare for | | | | In Vancouver, when I worked for Pitney Bowes |
| any lessons. | | | | in sales, I knew I wouldn't do it forever. |
| | | | The job was not my cup of tea; yet I |
| Most schools do give their teachers time to | | | | respected the fact that my colleagues thought |
| prepare. As a professional, you are expected | | | | of it as a career. I never once uttered, "I'm |
| to show up to work and give yourself enough | | | | only doing this until I get a real job." I |
| time to prepare or to prepare at home. This | | | | would never have thought to make such a crass |
| is similar to public school teachers in North | | | | comment. It was a real job in spite of the |
| America. | | | | fact I didn't like it. |
| | | | |
| 8. Nova teachers are not allowed to prepare | | | | I think good English teachers make Japan a |
| their own lessons for students. | | | | little more open if only in a small way. I |
| | | | have taught well over 2,000 Japanese. They |
| For some Nova teachers, giving them a | | | | meet me on the street with a greeting. They |
| structure to follow, I'm sure, is a good | | | | tell me, "thank you, for teaching my son, my |
| thing. For other teachers, allowing them the | | | | granddaughter, my husband." It is a nice |
| freedom to plan their own lessons is better. | | | | feeling. I have touched people's lives in a |
| That is what we do at our schools. | | | | way I never imagined. What started out as |
| | | | simply an English class has grown to mean |
| 9. Nova teachers are not allowed to | | | | much more over the years. |
| fraternize with students outside the | | | | |
| classroom. | | | | Not everyone can catch a touchdown pass in |
| | | | the Super Bowl. Not everyone can teach |
| True. However, most schools have no problem | | | | English in Japan. Good teachers are born. It |
| with students and teachers becoming friends. | | | | is a God-given gift. Sure, you can refine it, |
| I have never understood Nova's | | | | but either you are or you aren't a good |
| non-fraternization policy myself. I like it | | | | teacher. All the PhDs in the world can't |
| if our teachers become friends with students. | | | | change that fact if you are a lousy one. |
| I feel it helps the school. | | | | |
| | | | Good teachers are personable, caring, |
| 10. Some "eikaiwa" schools fire teachers who | | | | sensitive, intelligent, well-read, curious |
| talk too much in class. | | | | and have a sense of adventure - to name but a |
| | | | few characteristics. They care about their |
| It isn't the teacher who is supposed to do | | | | students and want to help them improve. If |
| the talking. The students are supposed to | | | | you have the gift, I encourage you to use it. |
| talk and the teacher is supposed to listen | | | | By using it in Japan, you are making the |
| and correct. Some experts suggest the teacher | | | | world a better place. |
| should try for only 15% speaking time and | | | | |
| allow the students to speak 85% of the time. | | | | The writer, a Canadian, is the owner of |
| I think that is a great goal for all | | | | Kevin's English Schools, The Canadian Schools |
| teachers. | | | | in Japan. |
| | | | |
| 11. Some "eikaiwa" schools claim to | | | | There are four schools in Kanagawa. |
| specialize in teaching English to children, | | | | |