Eikaiwa Limbo For English Teachers In Japan

If you have considered becoming an English language teacher in Japan (I did at one point), you may want to think again after reading an article posted by The Japan Times.

They start it with:

Every year, thousands of young native English-speakers fly to Asia in search of an adventure, financed by working as English teachers. They come from Australia, New Zealand, the U.S., Britain, Canada and elsewhere. 

But it can be risky leaping into another country on the promise of an “easy” job. In Japan’s competitive English teaching market, foreign language instructors are treading water. “Subcontractor” teachers at corporate giant Gaba fight in the courts to be recognized as employees. Berlitz instructors become embroiled in a four-year industrial dispute, complete with strikes and legal action. Known locally as eikaiwa, “conversation schools” across the country have slashed benefits and reduced wages, forcing teachers to work longer hours, split-shifts and multiple jobs just to make ends meet.

I remember the uproar when the biggest eikaiwa, Nova, collapsed and left hundreds of foreign teachers stranded in Japan back in 2007. When the collapse started, teachers didn't get paid on time or not paid at all. It was one big mess.

I made a trek to San Francisco to attend a recruitment meeting for another company. I found that much was promised and much was not mentioned or minimized. To make a long story short, the misrepresentations made by the company caused them to fully reimburse me for my travel expenses. So I ended up with a nice little 2-day paid "vacation" on their dime. (Funny thing, an insurance claims job came through while I was there.)

To read the full story, go here.