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What South Of Reality has to say about ESL and Nova - an exclusive interview
On January 22, 2008 in Interviews
Smug little bunny.
Today were back with South Of Reality hearing his opinion on English teaching in Japan. If you’ve had your head in the sand and have not heard about the Nova debacle, this post ought to “enlighten” (translated disgust) you.
DailyJ: Can you tell us a bit more about your experiences with Eikaiwa?
SouthOfReality: I have several years of eikaiwa experience and have worked for two of the big-4 schools. The non-NOVA experience was thousand times better than the NOVA one.
DailyJ: Any comment on the NOVA blow up?
SouthOfReality: NOVA has to be the lowest of the big-4 eikaiwa schools. It was a shit system when I was there and I doubt that things were improved there after I left. The practice of signing students up for 3-year contracts and spending all that money right away to keep expanding was foolish and Nozomu Sahashi should f***ing burn for his part in driving that company into the dirt.
DailyJ: What advice would you give to someone living in their home country who wants to become an ESL teacher?
SouthOfReality: If that person was considering eikaiwa work, I’d tell them to browse the big Japan forums, like the one at Gaijin Pot. Dave’s ESL Cafe is good, too. Eikaiwa is a business and employees are required to work as hard as necessary to bring in the bread. This may include 6 - 8 lessons per day, assisting with sales, product recommendations, student counselings… It’s not a walk in the park. On the other hand, it’s not rocket science and the work can be mind-numbing. But, anyone who’s outgoing and likes people in general will do alright in eikaiwa.
ALT work was different. I spent half of my time just hanging out with kids during club activities or chatting with Japanese teachers. It was a great experience. I’m glad I got a chance to see what life is really like in Japanese public schools. I’d recommend ALT work to those who are interested in becoming real, certified teachers.
Join us again tomorrow when we will chat with SouthOfReality about why he started his site and how it can help you. (Click here to subscribe via RSS)
Have a great day
DailyJ
[...] southofreality on But… It Was Really Tasty…Melanie on But… It Was Really Tasty…Daily J Topic Wh… on NOVA Is Finished… Or Is …southofreality on The Daily J Interviewerizabesu on The [...]
[...] we’re back again with South Of Reality. Yesterday he gave us his opinions on Nova and ESL. Now let’s hear a little bit about his site and some advice he has for anyone interested in [...]
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