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