Teaching English during a degree?

I'm starting University (in Britain) next week, studying a degree in Japanese. My 3rd year is entirely in Japan and I'm allowed to work during this time. I planned on getting a working-holiday Visa and teaching English, but everything I've read says you really need a degree for this.

Will schools/agencies consider me seeing as I am on my way to gaining a BA? I will hopefully have a decent command of Japanese by then, as well as a passion for the culture of Japan. The fact that I'm studying at Cambridge University and had top grades in my school exams might make a difference too?

Also does the fact I speak English with a Southern English accent (long A's i.e. 'bah-th' for bath). I suppose I could put on an American accent and (mis)spell words like color and analyze!

I also speak Spanish to a good level (hopefully near fluent by the time I'm in Japan) - is there any demand for Spanish lessons?

Ideally I'd love to be based in Tokyo, or somewhere nearby like Yokohama or Kamakura.

I know this has been asked before, but I couldn't find anyone who'd asked who was studying for a degree.

I guess it's a bit early for now, but if I don't do this, I might go to a Japanese university, which I'd need to apply for sooner.

Thanks :)

Yes, many students teach English, whether for a company or privately, while studying. Don't worry about being British or changing your accent, at most schools all native speakers are welcome, with a very few exceptions. Most Japanese students of English realise that English is spoken in countries other than the US. Provided you are able to adjust your language to the level of your students it doesn't matter what kind of accent you have.

Where will you be studying? If it is in Tokyo you will have a long crowded commmute in the morning if you live in Kamakura or some areas of Yokohama. Kamakura is a pretty expensive place to live too, rents are high.

There is some demand for Spanish lessons but most students would prefer a native speaker.

Sorry I think you might have misunderstood. I am studying in Britain, at Cambridge University, however my 3rd year (of the 4 year degree) is abroad; in Japan. I want to teach English during this year in Japan but my worry was whether I would be allowed to teach without a BA (I won't have graduated)?

No, I didn't misunderstand, you made it clear that you wouldn't have graduated, and I gave my answer based on the information you gave- that's why I said "many students teach English". By students, I meant "people who haven't yet graduated".

Your situation is not unique, there are probably thousands of foreign undergraduate students here, (e.g. Temple and Sophia Universities) and many of them teach English to earn some money.

The reason degrees are often mentioned is that a degree is required to get a working visa. As long as you have permission to work in Japan (including people on student visas, spouse visas and working holiday visas), there are companies who will hire you or students who will pay to take a lesson from you.

Actually my first year in Japan was before I graduated- I was on a working holiday visa. I taught English for 9 months of that year. After graduating, I later came back on a working visa.

I meant that you had misunderstood the studying part. I will not be studying in Japan. You said will you be studying in Tokyo? I'm not studying anywhere in Japan.

This is what you misunderstood. But your advice is still very useful - so thank you. Does this mean that I should just ignore 'degree required' statements in advertisements etc?

It's great to hear that you yourself have done it though - 9 months is probably the exact period I would like to teach for, but full time. Ideally I'd love it to be in a school, but British academic terms aren't the same as Japanese ones, so that could be a problem.

Thanks for your help.

Sorry, one more thing! As I'll have no experience in teaching (though I have some with childcare) do you think one of these online TEFL courses would be useful to do? Or are they just useless?

Ah, okay, when you said "my third year is entirely in Japan", I assumed you meant your third year of studies. So actually you mean you are taking a year off university and will go back to the UK afterwards to do your third year? Or am I still misunderstanding?

In any case, what I said stands. If you have permission to work in Japan, you can find jobs. Yes, inquire with the employees that say "degree required", let them know you are most of the way through your degree, and you may well get interviews.

I'm afraid that the jobs that are often stricter about the degrees are the ones that have you teaching in schools- it's also an age thing, as if you don't have a degree you are probably not that much older than the students in high schools for example.

You will have a much better chance with private English conversation schools and finding private students.

The Japan Association for Working Holiday Makers in Tokyo (google their website if interested) usually has some good job leads as well.

Basically my degree is 4 years, and the 3rd year of this must be spent in Japan. However, I can do whatever I like as long as my faculty approves it. So this could be working as a teacher, studying, or anything! As long as it's in Japan. I want to teach English. So it's my 3rd year, yes - but I shan't be studying.

That's a shame really, as I love working with kids (weird to say as I'm 19 myself, but hey!). I know my faculty has some contacts, but they aren't exactly numerous and I'm certain I want to be in the Tokyo area.

Having said that, I might take a year out after University and do JET (though the money is awful and Japan is hardly cheap!)

Thanks again for your help, it's very much appreciated.

As you won't have finished your degree, it could be a useful thing to have on your CV- don't spend a huge amount of money on it though.

As the online courses have no practical teaching component they aren't so useful as a qualification, but when applying for some jobs you will be tested on your familiarity with technical terms for English grammar, and asked how you would teach certain points, vocab etc., and the online course would no doubt help prepare you for that.

It would also give you some idea of what to do with private students if you decide to go that route.

Okay, so you will still technically be an undergraduate when you are in Japan- that's what I understood from your first post- regardless of whether you are studying or not, you will still be a student, right? Interesting course, that you have to just spend the year in Japan, but not do anything in particular- what is that component of your degree called

As for JET, it actually pays more, and has more benefits (apartment often supplied, flight over paid for), than almost any other English teaching job in Japan, so if you're hoping for more money than that, you might want to look at a different field (IT, finance). Teaching English is not a particularly lucrative job, anywhere in the world.

Having said that, JET I believe pays around or over 300,000 a month, which is plenty to live on comfortably, even in Tokyo, and to save some as well unless you go out in Roppongi every night or eat at expensive restaurants several days a week. Tokyo is actually a lot less expensive than London in terms of day-to-day living costs.

Most entry-level ALT (in schools) and eikaiwa (conversation class) jobs pay only about 250,000 or less a month, and certainly don't pay for a flight over or subsidise your housing costs, so JET is about the best deal around.

I suppose you're right, that's not too bad considering experience isn't required and all. Teachers just seem to be paid more over here maybe? (At my school, salaries went up to about £50,000 a year - which is around 850,000 Yen a month I think?) - but they're much more experienced I guess!

It's really just called the 'year abroad'. All language degrees at British universities have a year abroad (almost always the 3rd year). At most universities this consists of going to a partner university to study, but at some, including Cambridge, you can work instead if you choose to. I think it's merely to increase native fluency and get a feel for the society and culture. It also allows source material to be gathered for your final year dissertation.

I would study, but I've heard that as you tend to live with all the foreign students, even though you have language lessons, you hardly converse with natives and so some end up coming back home with no progress in their language skills. I definitely want to avoid this!

Thanks again for your help - I shouldn't need to do anything for at least a year, at which point I'll look at some TEFL courses.

That's partly because the teachers at your school are "real teachers"-properly qualified to do that job, with several years of specialised training. As a foreigner, to teach in Japan you just have to be a native English speaker with reasonable communication skills- the degree can be in anything.

The Japanese teachers at the schools are of course properly qualified teachers so get paid more, although nothing like what teachers in the UK get paid. You have to remember that the strength of the pound is always going to make salaries in other countries look low- if their salaries are converted into pounds, teachers in Australia and New Zealand also make nothing like 50,000 pounds a year, which is what someone in a management position in a company might be earning in NZ, OZ or Japan.

Anyway, good luck with your studies and enjoy your year in Japan when you get here.