If you are planning to become an English teacher in Japan than you've probably already read about, heard of, or have personally endured the awkwardness of giving an actual demo lesson.
There isn't really much information out there in regards to demo lessons. Your potential employer will probably give every little to no information (explanation) as to what they want to see from you.
In order for you to be prepared for your demo lesson you I first want for you to understand why parents want their child to go to these kinds of schools and what these schools want their students experience to be like.
You can also checkout my YouTube video for more advice and to see my sample lesson How To Prepare The Perfect English Demo Lesson
NOTE: Some schools will request that you teach a specific topic that has already been predetermined such as "Emotions".
You may be allowed to use the materials from the actual school to give your lesson.
There isn't really much information out there in regards to demo lessons. Your potential employer will probably give every little to no information (explanation) as to what they want to see from you.
In order for you to be prepared for your demo lesson you I first want for you to understand why parents want their child to go to these kinds of schools and what these schools want their students experience to be like.
You can also checkout my YouTube video for more advice and to see my sample lesson How To Prepare The Perfect English Demo Lesson
Schools Expectations
Schools want their students to learn English in a fun environment at any and all costs. Their goal is to show the parents that their child is having fun while learning. In order to accomplish this you will spend a lot of class time in which students could be learning how to read and write fluently in English, playing "English games" and singing ridiculous songs that bare no real meaning.
For example my current company ONLY hires native English speakers from America and they must be under 40, capable of passing a very strict physical exam, must hold a bachelor's degree in education.
This is why schools want you to be a part-time teacher and a part-time gaijin clown.
In a sea full of crams schools, preparatory programs, international schools, and private tutors schools and teachers alike must adapt what they offer to remain competitive in the English education market.
Unfortunately this means more work for you and often without an increase in pay, vacation or benefits and as for the teacher, greater difficulty/desperation as an employer trying t find potential applicants.
These things include......
You'll save money but the lessons will lack in quality from a non-native speaker as mistakes are inevitably bound to be made from accents, to incorrect verb tenses and lack of understanding for slang, and figures of speech etc.. In defense of non-native English speakers I'm American and I make TONS of mistakes myself so I can totally understand why you would too.
However while developing a non-native accent may been inevitable in most cases most of the native speakers that I have met are pretty bad at teaching English! Teaching is a skill it is not for everyone and just because you know how to speak English DOES NOT mean that you can teach it properly. This applies to everyone!!
Anyway lots of parents don't mind and would rather save money others want to make sure that they are giving their child an advantage in both their potential college and professional career.
This is something that I don't understand since Japanese is already a difficult langue to learn (ONLY because of the writing systems) and I'd say about 80% of the companies here don't do business in other countries especially not in America. I will never understand why this is a mandatory skill to have in order to really be successful here. However my opinion is irrelevant. English is in demand and sounding native is VERY desirable.
My ex-boyfriend and a few guys that I befriend were all students and alumni from Waseda University (which is one of the top 5 schools (#2 I believe) in all of Japan.) all spoke native level English. They never really accepted my compliments and simply brushed them off but I really couldn't tell the difference between them and an Asian-American (FYI Japanese people don't like being called "Asian" and they don't consider Japanese people living/born in other countries outside of Japan as REALLY being Japanese but that's for another post I won't get into this debate with you today)!
What they all had in common was that they went to expensive international schools, cram schools and studied abroad in America/Canada.
It is very unfair to me because basically if your parents couldn't afford to fork over half of their salary for their children to have a private English education you are arguably set back for life and will struggle as an adult to binge watch Netflix, Spotify, YouTube and shell out cash for private lessons in the hopes of improving your English to pass standardized tests for work in order to update your resume with something that will surely help yours stand out above the rest.
Understanding Why
Japan is full of English language learning schools. There is a ton of competition and each individual school has pros and cons for both the parents and students alike. While some parents will choose a cheaper school over a more expensive one, many parents are starting to realize or at least believe that there is a difference in the quality of their children's education based off of the school's tuition. Parents who pay more will natural expect more. The school has to give them a reason to spend more and to find a purpose, or some sort of reason to pay more.For example my current company ONLY hires native English speakers from America and they must be under 40, capable of passing a very strict physical exam, must hold a bachelor's degree in education.
The Applicant Pool
Considering that most of the English teachers in Japan are old men, don't have a bachelor's degree (and if they do its usually unrelated to teaching), lack experience in teaching, and simply lack a passion for teaching (no shade), having these seemingly ridiculous standards for hiring actual start to make more sense.This is why schools want you to be a part-time teacher and a part-time gaijin clown.
In a sea full of crams schools, preparatory programs, international schools, and private tutors schools and teachers alike must adapt what they offer to remain competitive in the English education market.
Unfortunately this means more work for you and often without an increase in pay, vacation or benefits and as for the teacher, greater difficulty/desperation as an employer trying t find potential applicants.
Staying Competitive
In order to be competitive schools have to offer things that are unique, rare, and highly sought after.These things include......
- Having native English teachers (preferably from America or at least Canada or the United Kingdom)
- Female Teachers (most people feel more comfortable learning from a woman)
- Physically Fit Teachers ( not obese or restricted due to health etc.)
- Young/Attractive Teachers (attracts students/ feelings of trust/ stereotypically nicer)
- Teachers with bachelor's degrees (preferably in education)
- Teacher's with musical/insturmental skills (assuming that you'll perform for the school)
- Teacher's with years of experience
- Inclusion of English games (that will be played to make things "fun")
- Inclusion of English songs (that will be learned thought the year)
- International Field Trips (students can study in New Zealand or Australia for a homestay and learning experience)
- Affordable pricing
- Small classes
- English conversation practice/presentations (Japanese students usually have little to no speaking experience from public school)
The Cost
Think about it from a Japanese parent's perspective. Would you rather pay $900 a month for an American teacher with a bachelors degree in education to teach your elementary aged kids or would you rather pay $350 a month for a non-native English speaker from India?You'll save money but the lessons will lack in quality from a non-native speaker as mistakes are inevitably bound to be made from accents, to incorrect verb tenses and lack of understanding for slang, and figures of speech etc.. In defense of non-native English speakers I'm American and I make TONS of mistakes myself so I can totally understand why you would too.
However while developing a non-native accent may been inevitable in most cases most of the native speakers that I have met are pretty bad at teaching English! Teaching is a skill it is not for everyone and just because you know how to speak English DOES NOT mean that you can teach it properly. This applies to everyone!!
Anyway lots of parents don't mind and would rather save money others want to make sure that they are giving their child an advantage in both their potential college and professional career.
English Culture
Japanese people need strong English skills in every area specifically reading and writing in order to get a good or high paying job. Most companies will request test scores and tons of companies won't even accept or seriously consider applicants who have low test scores or that attended low ranking universities.This is something that I don't understand since Japanese is already a difficult langue to learn (ONLY because of the writing systems) and I'd say about 80% of the companies here don't do business in other countries especially not in America. I will never understand why this is a mandatory skill to have in order to really be successful here. However my opinion is irrelevant. English is in demand and sounding native is VERY desirable.
My ex-boyfriend and a few guys that I befriend were all students and alumni from Waseda University (which is one of the top 5 schools (#2 I believe) in all of Japan.) all spoke native level English. They never really accepted my compliments and simply brushed them off but I really couldn't tell the difference between them and an Asian-American (FYI Japanese people don't like being called "Asian" and they don't consider Japanese people living/born in other countries outside of Japan as REALLY being Japanese but that's for another post I won't get into this debate with you today)!
What they all had in common was that they went to expensive international schools, cram schools and studied abroad in America/Canada.
It is very unfair to me because basically if your parents couldn't afford to fork over half of their salary for their children to have a private English education you are arguably set back for life and will struggle as an adult to binge watch Netflix, Spotify, YouTube and shell out cash for private lessons in the hopes of improving your English to pass standardized tests for work in order to update your resume with something that will surely help yours stand out above the rest.
My current job requests that....
- I teach my students at least 1 new English song per a month
- We play an English game of some sort during each class
- "Hello" and "Goodbye" song is sung at the beginning and end of each class
- I give at least 1 Homework assignment per a class
- Optional: Encourage conversation in English
All of these things seem very reasonable but if you've every worked at a cram school you will know just how ridiculous this is.
Students don't listen! They've had a long day at school. They have sports practice, piano and violin lessons after they leave their English lesson. These kids are hungry. Their English levels are also too different to be in the same class as their peers but unfortunately schools allow the parents to decide what class to put their kids in. This often means regardless of their speaking, reading and writing ability students in the same grade will be placed in the same class.
I can see the embarrassment of being a big kid and put in a class with little kids but you cannot catch-up to students who cn speak English at a 5thgrade level when you are at a 2nd grade level at best
As always expectations vary from school to school. Some schools are much more lenient and will not care about how bad simple and unprofessional your demo lesson was. A lot of the male teachers that I have seen act as if they are being invited to a child's birthday party and put on more of a circus show act speaking really loud and making big gestures in a rather goofy way. This is nice don't get me wrong! But these types of "clown presentations" lack creativity and persnickety schools might feel as though you aren't suitable for the job.
Now that you understand what the parents and schools want for their students and why let's talk about the actual demo lesson itself.
The Big Bad Demo
Ahh the moment that nobody was waiting for the demo lesson! It's okay to feel nervous and shy about presenting your lesson whether it be online via Skype or in person. It is a nerve wrecking experience for most. I know its hard but try your best not to worry about it! Remember you are the native speaker and you are the language expert!
I recommend watching some YouTube videos for inspiration and reading some lesson plans for kindergartners or 1st graders in America. Keep your lesson short sweet and simple! Your demo lesson can be as short as 15 minutes or as long as 1 hour depending on the school. Most jobs request a 20-30 minute demo lesson for a classroom of about 20-25 kids.
My current job only requested a 3 minute lesson!
NOTE: Some schools will request that you teach a specific topic that has already been predetermined such as "Emotions".
You may be allowed to use the materials from the actual school to give your lesson.
Your employer will typically and secretly judge you based on these five things...
- Your voice projection and presentation
- Clarity and speed of voice
- Creativity/fun
- Ease of understanding presented materials
- Timeliness
Speak loud and clear so that everyone in the room can hear you. You should seem genuinely happy (big smile!).
Don't increase your speed! Please try your best to speak with a clear accent and slowly so that you can be understood remember English is not their first language.
Employers love teachers who can incorporate songs, games, crafts and dances into their lessons
Your lesson should be easy to follow for someone who doesn't speak English. Think of charades! Again hand gestures, body movements, songs, videos and flash cards are your best friend.
Try to start and end your lesson promptly. Its okay to end your trial lesson a little early but try to avoid going over the allotted time or ending too early. Ask your potential employer if it's okay to end the lesson a little bit early before you start and hopefully as you show them what you have prepared.
Tips:
- It may seem over the top to have to put on a circus show for your students for both the demo lesson and possibly for future lessons too but you should keep in mind that companies are taking a risk by hiring you as there is a 90% chance that you will quit before your contract is up, or simply be a bad teacher. Their goal is to weed out potentially bad teachers.
- You may think that you aren't being paid so why go through so much for your interview or demo lesson but adding fun activities such as videos to watch and songs to sing and dance to will help you kill the trial lesson time.
- If you speak slowly and clearly and review vocabulary and practice dance movies or quietly listen to the songs before singing and dancing this will also help to kill time.
- You will earn some serious brownie points if you bring your own lesson materials and notes for the demo lesson as this shows your level of seriousness and professionalism.
- I would suggest using a simple topic that's easy to teach such as emotions, colors, or days of the week. Most schools will allow you to use their supplies and materials if you arrive early and simply ask them if it is okay to do so.
Thank you so much for reading! I hope that you found this information very useful. I wish you the best of luck in your search for a job in Japan! Please leave a review, comments, or suggestions that you may have below so that you can help other people who are interested in working and living in Japan too.
Any help or advice is appreciated!
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