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Wanna live in Japan 2009/7/4 03:47
Hello
I’m planning to live in Japan .
I’ll first introduce myself. I was born in Austria but I moved to Italy with my family when I was 12. I addend elementary school in Austria, middle and high school in Italy. Now I’m studying at university literature and languages.
Languages= English and Japanese. Literature= British and Japanese.

In the third academic year, I have the possibility to study 6 month in Kyoto as exchange student. And during the forth year 12 month in Gunma university Maebashi City.
My plan is: To study 6 month in Kyoto for improve my Japanese skills, learn about Japanese culture and lifestyle. For understand if Japan is really the right place for me.
After that I will return to Italy for get my 3 year degree. (In Italy university is 3+2 year, 3 years degree is maybe more or less like bachelor degree, the other 2 years are master degree ).
Then I'll continue to study for master degree and apply again for exchange program this time for Gunma university Maebashi City. It seems that is possible to apply twice because 3 year degree and master degree are 2 different things so I can go 2 times to Japan.
However I want to start to study for the master degree only for get the possible to study again as exchange student. In other words I’ll use student exchange only for get a visa and a cheap accommodation in a dormitory. In this 12 month my goal is to improve my Japanese and try to find a job.
My positive point are: I’m good with languages: Italian (Fluent), German (Fluent), English(intermediate) & Japanese (JLPT 4)// unlucky since I moved at young age (my German writing skills are not great). In 3-4 years I hope that my English will be fluent and my Japanese skills JLPT 2 or better JLPT1. In addition I took 6 month computer school so I have quite good pc using skills (maybe nowadays everyone have it). Good knowledge of literature.
Weak points: no work experience. None of the language I know are native level. Therefore maybe I can be a language teacher.

Can you give some advice : if my plan is good? what is the best idea to spend the 12 months in Gunma? what kind of jobs will be good for me?(maybe it will be better to gain work experience in Italy but during exchange program I have a cheap accommodation and a visa)

p.s. I hope my English is not too bad , now

Thank you


by mariobroseins  

... 2009/7/4 13:12
Just my personal observation, but with your background, language teacher might be a problem. What is your "mother tongue"? While being semi-fluent in multiple languages may be common in Europe, Japanese language schools tend to want "native speakers." And language teaching demand is highest for English, and limited for other languages, though certainly you could try finding a job as an Italian language teacher (not much demand for German anyway).

Secondly, what kind of job do you WANT to do? Literature major, you say, but it would be very difficult to find any teaching position in a college, for example, for literature, unless you have impressive academic record and reputation in your country already.

I think it might be best to find a job in your country, whichever field, first, and think about coming to Japan at a later time, not immediately after university or graduate school. Also the idea of going for a master's degree only because you get a visa and cheap accommodation does not quite sound right to me - if you look at the economy here in Japan (as well as anywhere else in the world) this may lead to a disappointment.

But all this is just my personal view.
by AK rate this post as useful

Whoops 2009/7/4 13:13
I phrased something wrong:

Japanese language schools tend to want "native speakers."

...should be:
Foreign language schools in Japan tend to want "native speakers."
by AK rate this post as useful

job ideas 2009/7/5 04:18
Thank you Ak for your reply.

My mother tongue is German but since I moved to Italy at young age my writing is not good.
Yes, I know that language schools usually want native speakers. Anyways my German speaking skills are ok. However in Japan most students who take language courses are usually interest in communication and my writing skills for teaching to beginner is good enough , I think.
Teach Italian maybe will be problem, my speaking and writing skills are good but my pronunciation is not native. Therefore it will be difficult to work as Italian teacher because like I said before student are interest in communication and so they want to hear native pronunciation.

My job idea is to work in the following fields: tourism, teacher, translation, culture. In other words most jobs will be good, important is that it’s something where languages are needed.

Tourism: since I know many languages maybe will be a good idea in addition fluent speaking skills are enough for that field .

Teacher: would be a problem maybe because of the reason I mentioned before.
Translation : work in an office that needs someone who knows languages. Translate website, documents , emails, letters and etc…

Culture : (maybe the only job where literature is important) work that requires good foreign literature knowledge.


“Also the idea of going for a master's degree only because you get a visa and cheap accommodation …..”
I think it’s not bad idea because so I have 1 year time to find a job, negative side is that I have no work experience.
First find a job my country is good for gain work experience but on the other hand it will be harder to stay longer time in Japan for find a job because: 1) visa
2) accommodation are expensive
3) finding a job in Japan on the net before leave Italy is not so good because :
a) very low offer
b) if they accept they want that I come Japan for a job interview
so there is the risk that they refuse in this way I lose a lot of money for travel
by mariobroseins rate this post as useful

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