Econ
Program
Faculty
Office
Hours
Course
Offerings
Honors Program
Student
Awards
After Oxy
Newsletters
Pictures
Web
Links
Scott Arenstein
Hometown:
Los Angeles, California
Class:
2002
Majors:
Economics, Music
Position:
English Teacher in Japan, JET Program (July 2002-July 2005)
Upon graduation from OXY, I joined the JET Programme and taught English in Japan. As an economics/music double major, I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do after graduating, but knew I wanted a new adventure.
The JET Programme is the only government sponsored program in Japan. All JET participants are placed in a public school (from elementary school to high school). They team-teach with a native Japanese English teacher. The program places you, houses you, pays a very nice salary and generally takes really really good care of you. And the best part is: you do not need teaching experience and you do not have to know Japanese!
The program is fairly easy to apply to (and get accepted); however, I heard that competition has gone up in the past couple of years. Generally, if you attended OXY, have a decent GPA (above 3.0) and show some sort of interest in Japan you have a very good chance of getting in.
I was placed on a tiny island off of Okinawa. Because my town was so small I taught at all the schools (from kindergarten to high school). I taught on average three classes a day. I also worked at the Board of Education once a week and would help out translating or doing other general office work. There were many events that I took part in as well—basically I tried to participate in whatever was going on, whether it was a taiko performance or the annual marathon. You can read my blog to find out more about the day-to-day life of a JET.
The JET contract is year-to-year starting from late July. You can renew your contract twice. I ended up staying in Japan for three years and loved it. Some people end up staying forever. Others move back to the States and begin completely different career paths (like myself), or do something Japanese related. It is very easy to network in Japan because the foreign population is so small (and so apparent).
If you are interested in applying, the best way to continue your research is to check out the JET web site, read the JET alumni web site and/or contact former or current JET participants (like me). I think the best person for this unique experience is someone who is adaptable, very outgoing, willing to try new things, wanting to learn a new language and is interested in teaching. I do not think this position is appropriate for someone who is looking for a specific career or someone who needs an intellectual and challenging work environment.
There are also many other opportunities to teach English abroad. I have had friends who taught in Korea, China, France and the Czech Republic. You can find a lot of programs on the internet. However, the JET Programme is probably the most reputable and pays the most.
Good luck in your search!
-Scott
For more information, e-mail Scott at scottytravels@hotmail.com
October 13, 2005