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[Recruitment] Application | Step1-The information | Step2-The Interview | Step3-Final Processing | Visa |
42 most frequently asked questions about working
1. What documentation do I need for this application? Before the arrangement of a telephone interview, all listed documentation below shall need to be submitted for final consideration. This includes - 2. What are the qualifications I need? You will need to have the following:
3. I do not speak Japanese. Is this a problem? No. You do not use Japanese in the classroom, so not having Japanese is not a problem.
4. How many hours will I work per week? You are required to teach approximately 30 hours per week or an average of 110 hours over a one month period. 5. How many days a week do I work? On a first year contract, you shall work six days a week. This schedule is compensated with seven weeks of holidays evenly spread throughout the year. 6. Are there any other times I will need to work? Yes, as follows: You may be asked to work when other teachers are sick or when there is a shortage of staff. A rarity in the first year as a first year teachers schedule is already full. But if a teacher is absent who is at the same school as yourself, then the manager may ask you to cover teach some of the other teacher’s classes if there are vacancies on your schedule for that day You will need to attend a staff meeting once a month, on the last Wednesday of each month unless told otherwise. There are two special events per year – The company school picnic and each school that you teach at has a Christmas party. It is compulsory for teachers to attend these events. 7. How many weeks holiday do I get in a year? The school year is 44-weeks, so there are 7 to 8 weeks of holidays. These holidays are paid vacations; this is due to first year contracts being a fixed monthly salary. If you are on an hourly wage, then these are not paid. 8. What is the dress standard? Business style attire. Teachers need to look professional. For men, short or long sleeve shirt, with a tie and slacks (NO JEANS) Jacket in winter 9. What are the class sizes? They are on average 3 students per class, but some may be up to 8 students. 10. What ages are the students? They range in age from play-group (age 3) to silver class (over 50). In this latter class, some Japanese may be used as some adults may have a little difficulty in learning the language. 11. Is there any on going training provided by the company? Yes there is. There are several sessions conducted on a regular basis. On going material training is conducted once a month. As the majority of the classes require support activities to the teaching material, extra games and interaction skills are conducted at least twice a month or when a teacher requests it. 12. What is the mix of students? The largest group of students is the elementary children – ranging in age from 6 – 12 – this comprises 50% of all classes. 13. Is it possible to teach only one of these classes – adult, business, or children classes? No, it is not possible. Teachers need to teach across the curriculum, across the age groups. There is a mix of classes ranging from children’s, to teen classes to adult classes with maybe a company class. There may also be a public or private school class with up to 40 children in the class. These are shared out according to scheduling and the specific requirements that they may have. 14. Are Japanese students shy? No more than other children who are put in a room with a foreigner. Children appear to be shy initially, but they usually get to know you fairly quickly. Then classes become interactive. 15. What background are the adults? TsukubaCity is the science research capital of Japan. Many of the people who come to classes are professional people who want/need to improve their English for conferences/ international communication or when they are abroad on holidays. Others are housewives, young adults who simply want to learn English and talk to a foreigner. 16.Is there a set curriculum? Yes, there is. We use a series of books that start with young learners and goes right through to advanced learners. Currently the school uses a mix of English and American Texts, but in time, the school will move to all North American Texts. 17. Is there a set methodology? No, there is no set methodology as such, but there is an ideal way that the BernardEnglishSchool directors want classes to be delivered. The school is serious about students learning to speak English. If there is a methodology used in the classrooms, it is of a communicative nature. We do have fun with our students, children and adults alike. All teachers shall require some form of orientation and training prior to being allocated their respective students and commencing their teaching in the classroom. On-going training and support is available and provided to all teachers on a regular basis.
18. How do I get a visa? There are two ways to obtaining a visa. - If you are under 30, you can get a working holiday visa before departing from your home country. You can then enter Japan on this visa, get a job, and then apply for a full visa. The company would assist you in the process of getting a full visa. The company must sponsor you, so the visa is then organized from here in Japan. 19. How long does it take to get a work visa? To raise a full work visa prior to a potential new teaching staff member arriving in Japan, all required documentation shall need to be forwarded to the company. These documents must be originals or full color copies that have been signed by a notoriety or solicitors stating that they are copies of originals and that they have sighted them. For this to be successful, a time of 2 - 3 months needs to be allowed. 20. May I get a longer visa? Yes, you can, after you have been working with one company for at least a year and are going to stay with that company for a further year. You are then usually sponsored for a further 3-year working visa. 21. How long is the contract for? Once you are contracted to the company you need to stay for one year. You are required to complete the contract.
22. How do I get to work each day? You will need to use a car. There are quite a few schools that are not accessible by public transport The has vehicles that are available to lease. These are for transportation to and from the respective schools. As you have leased them, they can also be used for private needs. The monthly fee is 23,000 yen. You are reimbursed for fuel expenses that are company work related. The school is responsible for your vehicles maintenance. You are able to travel up to 100 kilometres in a radius of Tsukuba with the car. Full comprehensive insurance is included in the cost of the vehicle. Other known schools that have cars as part of the package of teaching at a school usually charge in the range of 30,000 yen. Alternatively, as small cars are relatively cheap in Japan, many teachers buy their own car.At the end of their contract they sell it onto another teacher that is looking to reduce their overheads. Once you are away from major cities, then the public transportation system can become questionable or simply impracticable. 23. Can I use the company car to travel around Japan? No, this is not possible. The company has a limited area that their own cars are allowed to be used in for private usage. The vehicles are primarily supplied for the purpose of company work. It is a privilege that we are allowed to also use them for our own private needs. 24. How far do I need to travel each day to work? Anywhere between 5 – 36 kilometres each way. This shall take anything up to one hour to get to the outer lying schools. 25. Do I have to have a company car? No, you can acquire your own vehicle if you wish but you do need a vehicle to work at this school. The school is willing to help you with the process of acquiring a vehicle if you want to own your own. 26. What about a driver’s license? An International Driver’s Permit (IDP) with a current own-country license is required before a person can drive a vehicle here in Japan. This is a necessity for you as you shall need to drive to work each day. By Japanese law, you shall have to obtain a Japanese driver’s license. This comes about because once an Alien registration has been issued you are regarded as a permanent resident. This is a period of time regarded as being six months. A license from your own country must have been issued at least three months prior to your departure and must show the date of issue. If not a letter from your Department of Transport is required.
27. Do you provide accommodation? The school can help you with accommodation. It offers teachers single bachelor apartments. The fee for rental is 61,500 yen. It is furnished, and this includes, a bed, refrigerator, washing machine, bedding, microwave/toaster oven, and a burner. It has reverse cycle air-conditioning system. The company arranges the lease in their name. This also means that they foot the five months key money that is required to get an apartment leased. 28. Do I have to have company accommodation? No, you don’t. You can get your own accommodation if you want. 29. What about a telephone? Yes, a telephone will be connected to the apartment once you arrive. It is an NTT line which is the national line. This takes about 2 weeks after you arrive. All teachers are required by the company to have a phone as being a form of contacting you if and when required. 30. And Internet access? Yes, Internet access is available through the telephone line. There is also a big Internet café in TsukubaCity called Steps, which is a 24-hour facility. There are two other facilities in town; the local library and the Tsukuba Information Centre, both of these facilities provide the user with free access. 31. What accommodation bills do I have to pay? You need to pay for the telephone, water, sewerage, gas and electricity. It ranges in price according to usage. Additional to this, if you choose to add other creature comforts like cable television and an Internet connection shall also be required to be paid. 32. How do I pay for these accounts? The utility accounts are taken out of your pay and the company pays them on your behalf. All of these receipts are included in your pay packet. Cable television and an Internet fees are debited from your banking account through an agreement that you arrange with the companies involved.
Cost of Living, Potential Savings 33. I hear that it is very expensive to live in Japan? Japan is one of the most expensive countries in the world to live in. It is also one of the highest income countries in the world as well. Depending on how frugal or frivolous you are with your money will depend on how much money you can save while working in Japan. It is possible to live on one thousand yen a day. To do this is would be to deprive yourself of all luxuries and not to have a social life at all. 34. How much money can I save? Those teachers that want to save have managed to save in excess of one million Japanese yen in their first year. This is not an unrealistic target if your main intention is to come to Japan and save money. The people that have successfully done this typically do not smoke, drink alcohol, or return home at every opportunity that they get. Traveling within Japan can be frightfully expensive without careful planning. Wining and dinning and certainly night clubbing would need to be limited. Trips to Tokyo do not happen that often either. Electricity: 2,000 – 3,000yen. If you use the recycle air conditioner for heating/cooling, this can escalate up to 15,000yen per month.
35. Can you tell me anything about the school please? Yes. The school was first established in 1990 as a partnership between Mr. Steve Bernard and his wife Ms. Yuko Bernard (President). They opened up their very first school right in the middle of Tsukuba at Takazono.During the next 10-year period, the school saw rapid growth at a time when the general economy was struggling. A development that was exceeding better than a new school each year. Over the last few years, the school has consolidated its position as being the largest school in the IbarakiPrefecture. 36. Why has the school been so successful? The school has solid leadership, is very directional about its intent and above all is very committed to providing a high standard of service to the Japanese people that want to learn English. 37. Do you have a website? Yes it is www.bernard.co.jp 38. Are there opportunities for advancement? Yes, there are, these positions are as a Teacher Representative. This can only be offered to teachers that have been with the company for a minimum period of nine months and have resigned for a second year. The positions are by invitation only.
39. Compulsory health cover? Health cover is compulsory in Japan. You are required to have the Japanese health insurance while you are working here. For the first two years it is quite inexpensive. It covers visits to the medical practitioner and dental care. Private health cover is also available on an international benefit program which includes travel insurance also. This too is reasonably inexpensive however; this does not negate having to contribute to the National Health cover. During the first year, this is approximately 3,000yen per month. It does not come into effect until after you have completed your alien registration. 40. Where is TsukubaCity? It is about one hour by train from Tokyo or about 50 minutes by bus. It is on the Kanto plain to the northeast of Tokyo. Please check out the website for further information on Tsukuba. Tsukuba city council web site is 41. What is the weather like in Tsukuba? In winter, it is cold, but does not get much colder than –1 or -2 during the nighttime. There is usually not much snow. It is cold for about 2 months of the year. It is best to have a warm anorak. 42. Is there anything else I should know? You need to remember you are living in a foreign country and so the norms and mores are likely to be different to what you are used to. |