| Moving halfway around the world, to a culture | | | | read the latest article at ELT News to see |
| as foreign and difficult to penetrate as | | | | that. No this prevalence of complaints is |
| Japan's is difficult for anyone. If you | | | | something more. Indeed culture shock is one |
| become an English teacher here, you will | | | | aspect of this phenomenon. |
| probably have to deal with a Japanese boss | | | | |
| and staff with different cultural values from | | | | At many of the big schools the working hours |
| your own. This can lead to a feeling of | | | | are about the same as they are at public |
| paranoia in some cases; isolation and | | | | schools in North America. Yet the teachers of |
| disillusionment. | | | | GEOS and Nova complain about their 28 hours |
| | | | of teaching and 40 hour a week shifts. (They |
| To a great extent, leaving your friends and | | | | work a 9 hour shift, five days per week at |
| family and going to Japan to teach English | | | | GEOS, with a one hour lunch break which |
| engenders some of the same feelings as that | | | | equals eight hours of preparation and |
| of teenagers rebelling from their parents in | | | | teaching). One Canadian elementary school |
| the West. Teenagers rely on their parents, | | | | teacher said: " I don't know what they are |
| yet resent and rebel against them. Of course | | | | complaining about. That is what I do every |
| they complain to their friends about them | | | | week. That is what we all do at the public |
| too. | | | | schools in Canada." |
| | | | |
| Foreign English teachers in Japan must rely | | | | At many schools though, the shifts are much |
| on their Japanese bosses for: their work | | | | shorter and they don't require you to be in |
| visa, in some cases their apartment, and of | | | | the office. The work time of around 20- 25 |
| course their salary. Some teachers come to | | | | hours per week, would be considered part-time |
| Japan with virtually no knowledge of the | | | | work back home. At Kevin's English schools |
| country. Childlike, they ask questions about | | | | the teachers work between 20-25 hours per |
| Japan that many six year old Japanese know | | | | week with no requirements to be in the office |
| the answers to. The new teacher can feel | | | | when they are not teaching. Under the |
| embarrassed at times having to ask such basic | | | | contract they can be asked to work as many as |
| questions as how do I use the Japanese toilet | | | | 28 hours per week but none are currently |
| in my apartment? Can you open a bank account | | | | doing so. The current average is about 22 |
| for me tomorrow? How do I get home from the | | | | hours per week. They are not required to put |
| school? To someone used to being independant, | | | | in any office hours, so when they don't teach |
| it is an uncomfortable, flashback to the | | | | their time is their own. |
| teenage years. | | | | |
| | | | Many of the Eikaiwa teachers miss their |
| Japan is a beautiful, interesting, yet | | | | friends and family back home. Some were not |
| daunting country for the newcomer. Some | | | | happy in their home country and escaped to |
| people thrive in the adventure that is | | | | Japan to try to sort out their lives--only to |
| teaching English in Japan and others don't. | | | | find they are not happy here either. The old |
| For them it is the toughest thing they have | | | | saying: "Where ever you go, there you are." |
| ever done. The new arrival to Japan is faced | | | | springs to mind. |
| with three alphabets to learn just to read | | | | |
| her pay cheque! One comes to feel pretty | | | | I assert that the rampant negativism on the |
| helpless and childlike at times. Going to the | | | | internet about teaching at Eikaiwa schools is |
| doctor for your first cold can be | | | | only in a very small part due to the schools, |
| intimidating. You don't understand her | | | | but is a symptom of culture shock and the |
| questions and she doesn't understand your | | | | difficulty adjusting to life in Japan for |
| answers. | | | | some teachers. It is a reaction to the sense |
| | | | of dependancy some teachers feel as they have |
| Paranoia is common amongst immigrants the | | | | to rely on their bosses and Japanese staff |
| world over. Experts argue it is a symptom of | | | | for many things. |
| not understanding what is going on around | | | | |
| you-- linguistically and culturally. The | | | | The boss who is in some cases also the |
| isolation this can lead to, causes the | | | | landlord, is cast by the teacher |
| paranoia. | | | | (unconsciously) in the role of parental |
| | | | figure, and the Eikaiwa teacher, the star of |
| Resentment can set in if you are not prepared | | | | our show, is the rebellious teenager with a |
| for this kind of culture shock. The possible | | | | need to get it off his or her chest. The |
| symptoms of culture shock are many, and of | | | | internet forums provide the perfect venue for |
| course different levels of culture shock can | | | | that. |
| occur over many years. If you are not a | | | | |
| member of the majority, culture shock can hit | | | | While most Eikaiwa teachers are well balanced |
| you at any time. One symptom we often see in | | | | and make the most of their time in Japan, it |
| Japan is that of foreigners lashing out by | | | | is the vocal minority we see on the internet |
| complaining. They complain about the food, | | | | complaining about how unfair their Eikaiwa |
| they complain about Japanese people, if they | | | | school is. While some of these complaints are |
| work for a Japanese company, they complain | | | | legitimate and the Eikaiwa school should be |
| about how they are mistreated, and if they | | | | taken to task, others are merely venting a |
| work for an Eikaiwa school, (which comprises | | | | teenage like rage, as they rale against what |
| most Western foreigners in Japan), they | | | | they fail to understand is simply culture |
| complain about the Eikaiwa school they work | | | | shock. |
| for. Some complain about all Eikaiwa schools | | | | |
| as if all of them are the same, and all are | | | | If the person is your friend, you need to |
| bad. Some expats in an attempt to beef up | | | | listen to them and sympathize, but at some |
| future sales for the book they are writing, | | | | opportune moment, you may want to suggest to |
| even set up a whole website to complain about | | | | them, that couldn't their negative feelings |
| Eikaiwa. | | | | about their boss or school be due to |
| | | | something else? If their complaint is |
| While there are certainly problems in | | | | legitimate then talking with their union, |
| Eikaiwa, there are many great things | | | | labour relations board or finding a new job |
| happening too. You only have to open the | | | | with one of the many great Eikaiwa schools |
| pages of an ETJ magazine, ELT Journal, or | | | | here, might be the answer. |