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RE: Advice Before Deciding to Teach English In Japan, China or Korea
The need for teaching English in Japan is real! I ran around Tokyo for a month and didn't really run into anyone that would speak English. I went to just explore, live in some arcades in Akihabara, etc. so I wasn't too worried, it all worked out! But I pretty much had zero conversations.
If people can speak any English, they're super shy about it. Definitely a fascinating and unique corner of the globe, possibly my favorite.
Good informative article. Thank you.
Didn't expect them to. Went to foreign country to explore and play their video games, not to expect America 2.0.
Having traveled to nearly all continents, even to third world countries, utilizing English wasn't ever much of a hurdle since it's practically unanimously the intermediate international language as well as the primary language of business and aviation. Just commenting to say that this isn't the case with Japan in case people expected otherwise. I was also well aware of that before going, it ruled.
It's worth noting, though, that in Japan students are required to study English starting from the beginning of junior high school. The thing is, English education in Japan is often not sufficient for a variety of reasons, including emphasis on grammar for tests, rather than conversation proficiency, and learning from teachers who may not themselves understand or speak English very well. Yes, it's unfair to expect people to learn yours as a secondary language, but also Japan is aiming for greater English proficiency, and in line with this goal is a need for better English education.