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