What are the job opportunities for a Japanese Citizen that is a Native Speaker?

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blackrose1
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What are the job opportunities for a Japanese Citizen that is a Native Speaker?

Unread post by blackrose1 »

So my partner is Japanese but his first language is English and he is a native at the same level as any american or british or any other mainland person of that sort. However, his passport is Japanese, and he has an Asian face. We have been having a LOT OF TROUBLE finding english teaching jobs for him especially in china! I am already hired as im white and we both have the same credentials! Where in Asia or in Europe can we both go together where we won't get paid 4 dollars an hour here in Colombia where we are. Thanks
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John V55
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Re: What are the job opportunities for a Japanese Citizen that is a Native Speaker?

Unread post by John V55 »

The Japanese are not well liked in China because of the war years and more recently, because of the territorial dispute. A Japanese passport, with an Asian appearance, teaching English as a NES, guarantees a low salary anywhere in Asia if you’re lucky, but you’ve already found that out. It’s just how it is, the anomalies between the passport, appearance and English as a first language are too obvious.

An idea might be to design a curriculum between you, or some lesson plans to detail your competence and include them in your applications and also display them on somewhere like LinkedIn.

Europe and/or America with its anti-discrimination laws are your best bet. No offence, but I hope his grammar is better than that in your post. If your applications mirror the grammar on display here, it’s hardly surprising you’re both on $4 an hour? :)
kizil
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Re: What are the job opportunities for a Japanese Citizen that is a Native Speaker?

Unread post by kizil »

Regardless of what his native language is, if your partner's passport and ethnicity are Japanese, his best bet in China will be teaching Japanese. While obviously not as common as English teaching jobs, Japanese instructor positions often open up at universities in China, and occasionally in language training schools and foreign language high schools. The pay and work conditions are often comparable to what EFL teachers get.

In your situation, I would start by finding a job for him (probably at a university) and then look for a job for yourself in the same city.
My Blog - All Things TEFL (information on finding jobs, lesson planning, teaching resources, and more)
kizil
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Re: What are the job opportunities for a Japanese Citizen that is a Native Speaker?

Unread post by kizil »

If you do decide to go the China route, and find a Japanese teaching post for your partner, a good place to start is here. Scroll through the list and look at the universities and "foreign language schools" (schools named "foreign language schools" are usually not language training centers, but public schools (or privatized public schools) with multilingual curricula, often including Japanese. I see quite a number of universities that hire Japanese instructors listed as well.

Of course, there is no reason not to continue looking for ESL jobs for him as well, but Japanese teaching might be a better bet.
My Blog - All Things TEFL (information on finding jobs, lesson planning, teaching resources, and more)
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