Japan Blog

Asia Ridley TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Are you interested in teaching English in Japan? Working as an Assistant Language Teacher in a Japanese school is a great way to get move to Japan. This article gives an in-depth look into the life as an ALT in Japan. Mohammad Jabary TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Course books are an essential part of any English language class. But did you know that using course books too often can actually harm your class? Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this blog we are going to consider the types and use of dictionaries. Which is the best dictionary for the different levels of student to use and what are some of the things we should and should not do with them? Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni...  [Read more]

Asia Ridley TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Are you interested in teaching English in Japan? Working as an Assistant Language Teacher in a Japanese school is a great way to get move to Japan. This article gives an in-depth look into the life as an ALT in Japan. Mohammad Jabary TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Course books are an essential part of any English language class. But did you know that using course books too often can actually harm your class? Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this blog we are going to consider the types and use of dictionaries. Which is the best dictionary for the different levels of student to use and what are some of the things we should and should not do with them? Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In this essay I will be discussing the problems for young Japanese learners of English, and what problems Japanese learners often encounter as well as explaining some of the reasons why teachers can run into problems while teaching in Japan. I will be referring to the book “The Smart Guide to Teaching English in Japan’ by Charlie Moritz and Martin Bragalone, as well as drawing from my knowledge and experiences of studying and volunteering in Japan. Japan can be a challenging but rewarding country to work in, despite stereotypes of Japanese people being polite and studious so it is important to consider that reality can be different when teaching in Japan. When TEFL teachers aim to teach in Japan, the most common jobs available are largely...  [Read more]

Federico Riva TEFL Information Teaching Ideas In this blog post, we will consider some examples of visual aids, such as real objects. We will then look at ways in which thay can be useful in the classroom, such as for eliciting information. Asia Ridley TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Are you interested in teaching English in Japan? Working as an Assistant Language Teacher in a Japanese school is a great way to get move to Japan. This article gives an in-depth look into the life as an ALT in Japan. Mohammad Jabary TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Course books are an essential part of any English language class. But did you know that using course books too often can actually harm your class? Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this...  [Read more]

Federico Riva TEFL Information Teaching Ideas In this blog post, we will consider some examples of visual aids, such as real objects. We will then look at ways in which thay can be useful in the classroom, such as for eliciting information. Asia Ridley TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Are you interested in teaching English in Japan? Working as an Assistant Language Teacher in a Japanese school is a great way to get move to Japan. This article gives an in-depth look into the life as an ALT in Japan. Mohammad Jabary TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Course books are an essential part of any English language class. But did you know that using course books too often can actually harm your class? Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas So, you’ve just finished a delicious meal of sushi at your favorite sushi restaurant in Tokyo. The waitress comes by and leaves the check at your table, you place your money inside, hand it back, and she shortly returns with the receipt. You proceed to place a generous tip on the table to thank her for her wonderful service, and you show yourself out of the restraint, back to the busy streets of Tokyo. Can you spot something that you shouldn’t have done in this scenario? This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Zachary B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Most Westerns won’t be able to, as this scenario is perfectible acceptable in the Western part of the world. However,...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences There are several pronunciation problems that students of English will face in Japan; however, I will focus on two. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Brandie K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The first of these problems they face is the fact that Japanese doesn't have some of the same sounds in its' alphabet as English does. For example, Japanese does not have a hard R sound; instead, it has a sound that is a mix of R and L. So, when students from Japan go to say rice, for many it will come out sounding more like lice. This can cause some confusion as not everyone will understand that this is due to a lack of having this sound in their language and therefore they...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Having been an English teacher of high school students in Japan for the past 2 years, I have noticed that motivation in the classroom is as much dependent on the students as it is on me as the teacher. There are three aspects that I have identified and used in my environment to get the student motivated and engaged. The Japanese culture is largely conservative and group orientated and those are crucial to take into account if one is to succeed in their teaching career in Japan. The following plays a big role in setting a tone whereby students are motivated and engaged. Those aspects are culture, societal pressure, and peer pressure. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Samukelisiwe P. Please note that this blog post might not...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Japan is a country continuously changing at a rapid pace largely due to globalization and marketing. With its growing popularity and necessity, difficulties are sure to arise for people learning English and specifically, in Japan. To fully understand all the problems learners face in Japan, it is important to realize why English is so widely being studied in the first place. Firstly, students must study English for 6 years throughout primary and high school. As well as being part of the Japanese schooling system, the advantages of being able to speak English are endless. The benefits of finding a job or being able to communicate whilst abroad are common motives. However in Japan specifically, more so than western countries, the education and pressure put...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their thoughts on some of the benefits of storytelling. Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their thoughts on the importance of motivation for classroom management. Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their thoughts on the parent's role in their children's education. Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their thoughts on how to help Chinese Native Speakers to work on their challenges in English. Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their thoughts on English as a global language. Elizaveta...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their thoughts on some of the benefits of storytelling. Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their thoughts on the importance of motivation for classroom management. Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their thoughts on the parent's role in their children's education. Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their thoughts on how to help Chinese Native Speakers to work on their challenges in English. Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their thoughts on English as a global language. Elizaveta...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their thoughts on teaching slang and idioms. Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their thoughts on English as a global language. Lydia Pincott Destinations Alumni Experiences The beaten path in Japan is pretty great and worth exploring thoroughly, but if you’ve done it, or feel like you’ve done it from seeing other people’s pictures, these 3 destinations are for you. Lydia Pincott Destinations Alumni Experiences How do you get out and see Japan, while still having a few yennies left over for fried chicken at Family Mart? This post covers exactly how to travel Japan on a teacher’s budget. Dorothy Brown Smith Destinations...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their thoughts on teaching slang and idioms. Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their thoughts on English as a global language. Lydia Pincott Destinations Alumni Experiences The beaten path in Japan is pretty great and worth exploring thoroughly, but if you’ve done it, or feel like you’ve done it from seeing other people’s pictures, these 3 destinations are for you. Lydia Pincott Destinations Alumni Experiences How do you get out and see Japan, while still having a few yennies left over for fried chicken at Family Mart? This post covers exactly how to travel Japan on a teacher’s budget. Dorothy Brown Smith Destinations...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences British English (BrE) and American English (AmE) are two of the main varieties of the English language. There are other different varieties of English that exist such as Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, South Asian and African English. Although English was introduced to America through the colonization period by the British, the two varieties of English have evolved to be quite different from each other in certain areas. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Shanique H. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. One of these areas is vocabulary, which is one of the most notable differences between the two varieties. For instance, British English – post, American English –...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Japan is a First-World, Asian country, well-known for its clean vehicular designs, its production of famed animations, its ability to wow the Western world with hygienic efforts even at leisurely events (World Cup 2018), and overall its impeccable attention to detail in most areas of life. Yet, even with these accolades behind the name, there remains a sore spot, which any foreigner who has experienced Japan in the flesh, can verify exists. That is, the surprising lack of ability of the general public to understand and/or produce comprehensible English, an established global language. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Leanna L. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Despite...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Through my experience as an Assistant Language Teacher in Japan, there have been numerous difficulties and challenges my students face in learning the English language. My students are primarily between the ages of 5 and 15. These challenges involve the pronunciation difficulties the students face coming from Japanese pronunciation, as well as the methodology of teaching English in Japan They may not apply to all of Japan but are definitely prominent issues within my area. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate James W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The most commonly known challenge in learning English for Japanese people is pronunciation. This is either due to sounds...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences What do you think of when I say the word “teacher”? When I think of this word, I think of the “teacher when I was a child. The person who talked and I listened. The person who gave me instructions and I followed. I think in today’s environment this word has changed. What does the word “teacher” mean today? We’ll look at what the roles of a teacher are in today’s ESL world in Japan, where I’ve taught for over 14 years. We use many synonyms for the term “teacher”. In elementary schools, junior high schools, and high schools in Japan we use the term “ALT” (assistant language teacher) or “AET” (assistant English teacher). In business courses, we use the word “instructor”. In English schools, of course, we use the term we...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Destinations TEFL Information Mainland China and Taiwan form a very large part of the Asian ESL market. There are obviously many similarities but also many differences. In this blog we will look at some of the major differences in job requirement in these two regions. It is said that there were around 100,000 foreign teachers working in China until recently, so that's a huge number. China is a vast country with huge demand for EFL teachers. There are opportunities at public schools, kindergartens, boarding schools, universities and international schools. However recent regulations have changed the Chinese EFL market drastically, so it's not as easy to find work as it used to be. Basically the government has placed some new regulations that make it a little bit harder to...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Next year, Japan will host the thirty-second Olympiad in the capital city of Tokyo. To correspond with the timing of the 2020 Olympics, Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (hereafter MEXT) has laid out a plan for the reform of English education to meet the future needs of Japanese students in a globalized world. However, this plan presents several challenges for current and future learners of English in the Japanese educational system. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Philippa K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The thrust of MEXT’s plan is to roll back English education in Japan so that students in the public education...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Learning a second language can be difficult and depending on the learner’s mother tongue, it can present challenges unique to a certain group of people. More specifically, there are several unique challenges for Japanese native speakers who are learning English and vice versa. English can be difficult for Japanese native speakers for various reasons such as difficulty distinguishing certain sounds, the use of katakana to teach English words, and drastically different sentence structure. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Justin W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. When speaking English, it is vital to be able to distinguish between the “r” and “l” sounds. There...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Many challenges come with teaching English in Japan that is unique and not innately obvious to some people. In addition to the more universal challenges of learning a new language, there are inherent cultural obstacles that English learners must overcome in Japan as well as several problems with the current course of study that is being taught. However, English teachers should do their best to work within the limits of the system to foster an interest and passion for language that lives on outside the classroom and beyond the school years of learners. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Issei E. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Japanese does not use the Roman...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. In high school, I was inspired by my English teachers and the way they were able to make material interesting and motivating. I remember telling myself that I would not be the person who changes the world, but perhaps as a teacher, I would be able to inspire the person who would. From the beginning, my motivation was to help others in a meaningful way. My goal was to improve the lives of others. When I entered university, I found myself studying philosophy to become a professor in the future. However, the reality of being a university professor was a lot of presenting and publishing, with very little teaching. Because teaching was my goal, I decided to leave my Ph.D. program and pursue a job teaching English in...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Destinations TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Women from all backgrounds are intrigued by the thought of living and working in a different country abroad. ✅ However, many of them feel reluctant and ask “Is it safe for single women to teach English abroad?” The answer is: Absolutely - and this live event we explore some of the best countries for solo women to teach English abroad. Christian Davey Destinations TEFL Information Alumni Experiences As with any country, there are certain pros and cons about teaching English in Taiwan. ✅ If you consider the following points and do your own research, Taiwan might just be the perfect teaching destination for you. Federico Riva Destinations Alumni Experiences After taking her TEFL course, Brittany moved on to...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Destinations TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Women from all backgrounds are intrigued by the thought of living and working in a different country abroad. ✅ However, many of them feel reluctant and ask “Is it safe for single women to teach English abroad?” The answer is: Absolutely - and this live event we explore some of the best countries for solo women to teach English abroad. Christian Davey Destinations TEFL Information Alumni Experiences As with any country, there are certain pros and cons about teaching English in Taiwan. ✅ If you consider the following points and do your own research, Taiwan might just be the perfect teaching destination for you. Federico Riva Destinations Alumni Experiences After taking her TEFL course, Brittany moved on to...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their ideas on how to keep ESL students motivated. ✅ Read this article to learn the three easy steps. Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their ideas on how to manage a classroom of pre-schoolers effectively. ✅ Read this article to learn the three easy steps. Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their ideas on how to teach vocabulary to ESL students effectively. ✅ Read this article to learn the three easy steps. Caroline Chartier Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas You're spending most...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their ideas on how to keep ESL students motivated. ✅ Read this article to learn the three easy steps. Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their ideas on how to manage a classroom of pre-schoolers effectively. ✅ Read this article to learn the three easy steps. Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their ideas on how to teach vocabulary to ESL students effectively. ✅ Read this article to learn the three easy steps. Caroline Chartier Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas You're spending most...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences This essay will be a comparison of my personal experience teaching English in Barbados, a country whose main language is English versus teaching English in a rural area in Japan, a country whose main language is Japanese (not English). Firstly, I will briefly discuss the definitions of teaching. Secondly, I will summarize English education for young learners in each country. Finally, I will compare and contrasts my personal experience in both countries and the valuable lessons I have learned. To protect the anonymity of the schools, the specific areas and any other identifying information will be excluded from this essay. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Desriel G. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily...  [Read more]

Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences In this blog we will look at the ever popular ESL exams known as the Cambridge suite. It has exams at five levels, we will look at each and relate them to our typically ESL teaching group levels. What should you expect when teaching for these exams? Shirin Sophy Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this article, some basic tips that can make online teaching a more convenient experience for both teachers and students are discussed. Federico Riva TEFL Information Teaching Ideas The receptive skills of reading and listening, generally get less attention than the other skills of speaking and writing. Here we look at some of the reasons they are avoided and why e should overcome these fears. Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni...  [Read more]

Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences In this blog we will look at the ever popular ESL exams known as the Cambridge suite. It has exams at five levels, we will look at each and relate them to our typically ESL teaching group levels. What should you expect when teaching for these exams? Shirin Sophy Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this article, some basic tips that can make online teaching a more convenient experience for both teachers and students are discussed. Federico Riva TEFL Information Teaching Ideas The receptive skills of reading and listening, generally get less attention than the other skills of speaking and writing. Here we look at some of the reasons they are avoided and why e should overcome these fears. Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences During my stay in Japan, Japanese people often told me how they can’t communicate in English despite studying the language for six or more years in school. In Japan, students in junior and senior high learn English grammar and vocabulary in compulsory formal English classes. English is also taught in elementary school as foreign language activities. Yet despite spending several hours in English classes, many Japanese people graduate high school with poor English communication skills. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Rachel M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. One of the issues that hinder the Japanese people’s ability to communicate in English is the English...  [Read more]