Post: #1

Getting started/certified
You will be an English Teacher. There’s a lot of acronyms (ESL, TESOL, TEFL, CELTA, etc) regarding certifications and whatnot, but all of them involve teaching English to non-native speakers. The demand for English (teachers) continues to grow throughout the world, and the qualifications necessary to teach at the majority of schools is just possessing college diploma and being a native English speaker. Bonus points if you are white and have blond hair. You don’t need to know other languages besides English, though that certainly is useful. Getting certification might help you get a job, but is by no means necessary. Unless you find a cool program taught in a foreign country, I’d say save your money. I remember walking down Khao San Road several years ago, seeing fake TESOL certificates and thinking how that was probably a smarter option than what I did. The TESOL program I went to wasn’t bad or anything, it just gave me a piece of paper and not actual teaching experience. You’ll be fine with just a diploma and your smarts, it’s not that difficult of a job.

Finding work
If you live in any city that is a popular travel destination for foreigners, it almost certainly will have a large amount of ESL schools (I describe them as “vacation language schools”) that will have a rotating population of students throughout the year. There will be large schools like Kaplan and Berlitz that might have over 100 students, and smaller schools with only 10 or 20 students. They generally start paying around $20/hr, though you can easily make double that with a good gig. Don’t expect 40 hours a week though, “full-time” teachers will usually top out around 25-30 hours.

Getting hired
Again, assuming that you have a degree and are a native English speaker, you are at least qualified for substitute work at virtually any ESL school. Bang out a resume that emphasizes experience with traveling, foreign languages/cultures, and any/all teaching you have done. If you literally have none, just make up some shit, like you volunteered in college helping Mexican high schoolers prep for the SAT, or did some kind of exchange program in Korea when you were in junior high school.

Wear a nice collared shirt, pop into the school and ask for the hiring manager. Hand them your resume and stress that you’re looking for substitute work to begin with. This is important, as every ESL school needs quality substitutes on hand. And good substitutes quickly get offered more hours when enrollment increases and/or other teachers bounce.

This is a very transient profession. That can’t be stressed enough. What that equates to is a lot of flakey/unreliable/short-term only teachers, and the turnover rate at all schools is quite high. It’s a transition job for most, before they go abroad, enter grad school, etc. Accordingly, the academic coordinator (or whoever hires) is primarily concerned that you’ll show up on time every day. Do your best to demonstrate that you are dependable, and willing to substitute/be flexible at a moment’s notice.

When asked about your teaching style/approach, say something to the extent of “I use a communicative approach that incorporates a lot of group work/discussion/conversation. I try to give all the students plenty of opportunities to communicate with other and have a fun time doing it.” Basically, you should convey that you can make classes enjoyable, which makes the students (customers) happy. These schools are businesses above anything else, and showing that you understand that is important. This isn’t anything noble like teaching special-ed or disadvantaged kids, it’s just entertaining 4-15 people for a few hours with some grammar and other academic stuff mixed in.

Your co-workers and school environment
By and large, ESL schools are very female-oriented and lacking a strong male presence. Roughly half the male teachers/admin I worked with were gay, and probably another quarter were grizzled old burnouts. There are some cool guys here and there, but definitely not many red-pill dudes.

Most of the girls are your generic SWPL fare, in their 20s or 30s with some study abroad/travel experience. Generally a little nerdier/artsy-er and not former high school cheerleaders. A lot of feminist-leaning, strong and independent (but not really) grrlpower types with liberal arts degrees and hopes for something bigger. There have been cute girls at most of the schools I’ve worked at as well, so it’s not all bad.

The teacher’s room/lounge will serve as a locker room of sorts, where the hens will gossip about everything school-related. It’s best to stay out the fray and maintain a cool, friendly, but slightly aloof demeanor. By virtue of being one of the few straight, normal teachers that work there, you will get shit tested early and often as several of the girls will be sizing you up as a potential sex partner. Laying back and giving pithy one-liners will allow you to remain in favor with the majority of your co-workers without seeming shy/weird/antisocial.

Be very aware that most of the female teachers (basically the uggos) find it “creepy and gross” when male teachers get with students, especially when the desirable male students have no interest in said female teachers. They are bitter spinsters in training, so proceed with extreme caution with anything female student-related. You are being watched.

Your classes and students
Think back to learning English grammar in the 3rd grade, when you were bored to tears and chucking erasers at your buddies while the teacher droned on about some subject-predicate bullshit. Your ESL class should be the exact opposite. It needs to be fun, with a lot of conversation and interaction between students. Even in grammar exercises, always have them work in groups of 2, 3 or 4. Keep mixing them around, changing up activities, and maintain a high energy level in the classroom. At first, a standard class of 3 hours might seem long to fill up with stuff to do, but it will fly by once you get the hang of it.

As a reasonably attractive, straight male in a leadership/power position, you WILL attract a lot of female students. Just like American girls dream of going abroad and getting dogged out by some swarthy Italian or Spanish guy, many foreign girls also fantasize about/are open to a romantic relationship with an American guy. Even several years ago, when I had a mediocre physique and style, I got a lot of attention from cute girls of many different nationalities.

Discretion is everything when it comes to banging students. Be the fun, cool, laid-back, sociable teacher who often engages with your class(es) in activities outside the classroom. Organize trips to museums, ballgames, anything to show off your knowledge of the city and command a further leadership role. There will be school-sponsored dance parties and events with alcohol to promote hooking up, just make sure it’s in the bag and you both can keep a secret (though stuff eventually leaks out). Even better, if you have a cool place, throw parties there for considerable DHV points and the cuties will come.

Other good points about teaching ESL

Getting new friends/experiences/networks
Outside of traveling abroad, teaching ESL is probably the best way to meet foreigners and learn about new cultures. Eating lamb by hand out of a tin foil pan and smoking shisha with Saudi guys, going surfing and blazing up with German and Dutch dudes, those were some of the great experiences I had. You’ll have a worldwide network of contacts whenever you travel, so it pays dividends both in the present and future.

Developing leadership, vocal presence, and communicative skills
Have mentioned this several times already, and it bears repeating. Teaching requires that you are able to direct a class, and that can be challenging with beginner level students, among others. To avoid miscommunication and/or confusion, you’ll need to learn how to communicate in a very clear and simple manner. Projecting your voice and speaking very slowly translates well to embodying a strong and calm alpha presence. And for those who aren't naturally comfortable speaking in front of groups, teaching will forge you into someone who can command a room.

Becoming a skilled conversationalist
Building on the first point, you will be in constant situations of extended one-to-one conversation. At a place I worked early on in Japan, every night I had to grind through six straight 55 minute sessions of conversation, with no books or materials to use. This is hard to do, especially with shy/reluctant speakers. And it gives you the ability to talk to anyone. You learn to key in on threads and elicit description and thought from the other party. My comfort game with girls is much better than it used it be, and a lot of this stems from the work I've put in teaching.

Learning to improvise and show grace under pressure
Depending on the teaching situation you find yourself in, there will be some natural amount of unpredictabilty and disorder. Last second changes to classes, copier doesn’t work, etc. No matter how well you plan, shit happens and you have to react accordingly. Alpha traits of maintaining composure and not getting flustered/rattled in difficult spots are valuable here.

Teaching outside of the US
Eventually of course you’ll want to live and work abroad, and really, you can just as easily skip working in the US and find teaching jobs abroad from the start. I’m only qualified to give advice on Japan, so feel free to PM me with any questions. In general, the Middle East offers the most money, Latin America the cheapest living, and Asia a balance of pretty good money/standard of living.

Best of luck if you set out towards teaching ESL. It’s easily doable and a great way to spend a portion of your 20s/30s.

Post: #2

I did some volunteer work for the Columbus Literacy Council back in 2002. Lots of organizations take volunteers. I had no certs or anything, but it was a decent experience.

Post: #3

Great data sheet.

Post: #4

Thanks for sharing, great insight! Never thought about teaching english in the USA instead of abroad. At least a good chance to try it out.

Post: #5

Why not become actually licensed by your state to teach?

Post: #6

(08-01-2014 09:40 PM)MaleDefined Wrote:  Why not become actually licensed by your state to teach?

Often there are not so many benefits. Also, I know several licensed teachers who choose to work abroad because they get paid more, the job is better suited to lifestyle, cost of living is lower, quality of life is higher etc.

It obviously depends on where you work though. Some ESL jobs pay like shit, others pay very well.

Saudi Arabia my friend earns $6500 usd a month tax free, free accommodation, free flights, in his second year there. His first year he was on $4k a month.

Thailand, positions offer as little as $1000 up to $3000 depending on what you are doing and where.

Korea, typically $2100 a month salary and free accommodation, free flights, insurance and pension as well as a yearly bonus equivalent to 1 month pay.

In Europe there are lots of ESL jobs with various pay. Tons of positions in Spain and can earn around $40000 usd per year with vaughan systems.

South America, pay is low but so is cost of living.

And if you do an MA, uni jobs are the holy grail. High social status, good pay, long vacations, low working hours.

I'm interested in Japan, please let me know more. I've looked a bit online and pay seems reasonable. Is it typically $3000 a month? What other benefits? How easy are picking up private gigs?

Post: #7

Quote:Be very aware that most of the female teachers (basically the uggos) find it “creepy and gross” when male teachers get with students, especially when the desirable male students have no interest in said female teachers. They are bitter spinsters in training, so proceed with extreme caution with anything female student-related. You are being watched.

The CELTA mills have it the worst, during my time on the course I encountered tons of these hipster/feminist broads and they were positively disgusted when the women showed a real interest in getting together with me. So much so that I actually had a few complaints during my 'feedback' sessions and we had a class just about 'not picking up students'. YET, in the real ESL world, that is basically ALL there is... if you go to any foreign country, you'll have a ton of women 'studying' to basically fvck/marry the teacher. Results in a load of butt hurt hamsters who seem to think that YOU should be in the same boat they are in. They make it seem as if ESL is some really important job and one small grammatical mistake during a class and the student's lives will be ruined forever...

The other thing that I noticed was that ESL women on the courses were all FAT and would treat the foreign women like children as if their obesity somehow granted them superiority. Looking back on things, I took life way to seriously, the key to a super fun class is to chill, relax, talk and basically throw down GAME. Be it men or women, everyone really loves the charming teacher, he sets the mood for the class... almost every class delivered by the frumpy fatties is some 'upbeat/eclectic' mix of western ideals, feminism and nonsense.

What a stark contrast to how ESL really works abroad. I mean the majority of classes are taught to children and the adult classes are all taught by scumbags and sex tourists. In North America CELTA and other mills would have you believe that ESL is taught by beatnicks and hipsters. Those people are always the first to leave when abroad.

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#1 ESL in North America:
All textbooks are purchased from an expensive ESL bookstore.

#1 ESL Abroad:
All textbooks are just bad photocopies in binders.
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#2 ESL in North America:
Lessons involve 3 or 4 parts a listening, grammar explanation and chat session.

#2 ESL Abroad:
Lessons involve you talking/entertaining and about 30 or 40 people sitting in complete silence.
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#3 ESL in North America:
All the women teachers have short hair and are artsy losers who get their morning starbucks before entering class.

#3 ESL Abroad:
Women last about 6 months until they run home or start packing on the beef. If they had come with a
boyfriend, unless he is super whipped, she usually gets dumped and then proceeds to bitterly finish off the rest of her 'cultural experience' with drugs and alcohol or hanging with gays and lesbians.
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#4 ESL in North America:
You have to watch everything you say in class and make sure everything is very PC.

#4 ESL Abroad:
The most popular and longest running teacher in one adult center (About 10 years) talked about nothing but sex and how to have the best sex.
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#5 ESL in North America:
Little emphasis is ever placed on children and their classes are almost never talked about. It's very hard to track down any sort of training or jobs for kids. Women are suspicious of men who prefer to teach kids.

#5 ESL Abroad:
The majority of WELL PAID work involves kids. There are very few jobs where you can teach adults and you usually have to do 10 times the work just for one class. Teaching kids is an entirely different skill set and you will likely never use 'grammar' in ANY class, you will use hangman over 100 times though. Employers prefer to hire men as they control the class better and tend to stay in the jobs long-term.
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#6 ESL in North America:
CELTA/TESOL Courses are filled with women trying to 'find themselves' and going on 'eat, pray, love' journeys and a couple guys. On my CELTA course we had a 'cinematographer', 'grammarian', divorcee, yoga instructor, former ESL teacher who had taught in Japan (woman) she was hideously Obese [Godzilla] and another older obese woman who was bored with her life, 2 young 'hipster type' feminist girls straight out of university, an 'english' historian and a young 24 year-old hopeful[me]. It was a fvking nightmare the whole way as I was told I was 'offensive' on numerous occasions and at the end of the course the mangina instructors told me to not even consider going in to English at all even those I was the last one on the course out of 3 students who hadn't dropped out.


#6 ESL Abroad:
The reality was that I got a job in Asia the very next week and spent most of my time teaching kids, playing games and making flashcards. There was NO trace of any of these types of people and the ones that did come, only stayed a few months before leaving for home. The adult centers were all manned by MEN and HIDEOUSLY obese western women. There was never a mention of 'training', 'grammar' or anything related to the coursework on the CELTA and nobody cared that I didn't have a certificate or degree.
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#7 ESL in North America:
My colleagues were all highly educated 'university types' who considered themselves very intelligent and politically sensitive.

#7 ESL Abroad:
Work colleagues consisted of trades guys, ex-convicts, backpackers and sex tourists, the occasional grad would also wonder in but never stay.
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#7 ESL in North America:
You are led to believe that teacher/student relations are an absolute NO-NO and that you are a ambassador to your country.

#7 ESL Abroad:
Every male teacher in an adult school is banging someone in the class, sometimes multiple girls. Most women only sign up to meet a foreigner. Quite a few guys also bang the faculty and a lot of girls sign up to work the desk just so they can lock down a foreign guy.
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#7 ESL in North America:
No mention is ever made of dating locals EVER.

#7 ESL Abroad:
I had a girlfriend my second day in China, later became my wife... she led me to the best jobs in the city. I had a local girlfriend in every country I lived in within 2 weeks of being there.
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#7 ESL in North America:
The people who stay think they are doing an important job by helping students to succeed blah blah blah

#7 ESL Abroad:
The people who stay are either single guys or married men [locked down by locals]. Women who stay foreign long term go nuts, get fat, fall into alcoholism or suffer from EXTREME mental breakdowns trying to mate guard.


Reality from 13 years on the job: Brazil, Mexico, Korea, China, Japan, Peru and Canada.

Post: #8

2014: Goto Japan and teach kids, easiest job you'll ever have and parents will be throwing money at you on the side. They'll also introduce you to their 'single relatives or girlfriends'. That or you can fvck the Japanese faculty [hopefuls]. Brush up on your kids games before you go, play a ton of XBOX FPS games and get together with some friends to re-enact power rangers and gundam battles, this will prepare you for life as a GENKI teacher. The best way its every been described to me: Pretend you are Hulk Hogan when you walk into each class, lotta yelling, pointing, beating on your chest and jumping around like you are the best thing ever.

Everyone abroad should check out MES English, this guy makes AWESOME teaching tools. I'm a big fan of his Card battling games, they work REALLY well for both big and small classes. http://mes-english.com/

Learn to play MAGIC CARDS and you'll be able to understand kids better, especially in JAPAN.

Quote:I tell you, I'm always fascinated by people who AREN'T drinking and whoring degenerates who start teaching English for a McLanguage School. . . for God's sake, why? Who with any sense would enter a profession with terrible salary, terrible benefits, terrible hours, minimal possibilities of advancement, and no pension plan AND do it working for a foreign employer where you have very little legal protection? It's for fuck-ups, the chronically lazy, degenerates, the insane, and people with no qualifications -- end of sentence.

This is the reality of ESL: http://www.englishteacherx.com/

Post: #9

2014

Tokyo has opportunities to work around the clock. There are all types of schools and businesses and individuals who *want* to learn English at every hour of the day. As anywhere, your ability to communicate in Japanese will determine much as well.

Elsewhere in Japan there are definitely opportunities, but Tokyo dominates the international business stuff. Teaching Business English means more short-term contract work, where you piece together several separate jobs and perhaps also do some private lessons, which are easy to find. In theory this sounds good, but it will probably also involve hours of travel to different businesses, so you will need to grind. Some days I've been on the train/bus for 5 hours cumulative.

You could set $2000-$3000/month as a baseline for many teachers, particularly those with full-time work at schools with babies/kids/teenagers. The demand is constant, though, so if you hustle you can do much better. But the industry itself is where the real money is found. I've met several foreign guys who have been here for 10+ years and learned enough of the language and business environment to do pretty well for themselves.

The national health insurance you automatically receive in Japan is top-notch. I still continue to be amazed at how the medical/dental care I get is so good at such a low cost. It plays a big role in why I'm happy to stay here.

Post: #10

If the dental is so good in Japan, why do Japanese have such bad teeth?

Post: #11

(08-02-2014 08:02 AM)BadWolf Wrote:  If the dental is so good in Japan, why do Japanese have such bad teeth?

what's your definition of "bad teeth"

Post: #12

My point is, teach in the states for a few years and jump abroad teaching American or other native English speakers abroad.

The money is absolutely incredible, the connections are fantastic and you have a career that leads to larger opportunities should you want it.

Post: #13

(08-02-2014 08:44 AM)MaleDefined Wrote:  My point is, teach in the states for a few years and jump abroad teaching American or other native English speakers abroad.

The money is absolutely incredible, the connections are fantastic and you have a career that leads to larger opportunities should you want it.

What kind of salary are your talking about? I am assuming it would include private tutoring....

Post: #14

Quote:what's your definition of "bad teeth"

Japanese.

They all have those brown lines through their teeth, looks like a vein or something. When I was there, nearly every single chick had these busted ass teeth that were either brown or had some weird brown streak running through them... I thought Chinese had bad teeth but the Japs put them down every time. I can deal with my wife's uneven teeth and stuff, hey no problem... but that brown line or whatever that runs through Japanese teeth is just scary.

Post: #15

(08-02-2014 09:51 AM)Dantes Wrote:  

(08-02-2014 08:44 AM)MaleDefined Wrote:  My point is, teach in the states for a few years and jump abroad teaching American or other native English speakers abroad.

The money is absolutely incredible, the connections are fantastic and you have a career that leads to larger opportunities should you want it.

What kind of salary are your talking about? I am assuming it would include private tutoring....

I live like a king.

I mean this in the most motivating way and least dickish way possible, and this is not directed at you Dantes, but rather anyone reading this thread. If you don't believe me, fine, come visit me. I'll put you up in one of my extra bedrooms overlooking the city free of charge. We could sit on one of my balconies talking about life. I'd love to help you, and I bet you have advice to offer back to me as well.

I'm talking about a salary where I don't really pay attention to my expenses. If I wanted to take a year off or two to do my own thing I could. I love kids. I love showing others a better tomorrow, so therefore I teach. And you know what, I love it. I've been moving forward in putting a blog together of how to pull this off.

I didn't settle for some bullshit ESL $20/hour gig. I put in the work. Some of my work in the classroom is published in Ivy league education publications.

The point is, if you like teaching, love being around children, why create a limit of what a teacher can or should be?

Post: #16

(08-02-2014 10:07 AM)MaleDefined Wrote:  

(08-02-2014 09:51 AM)Dantes Wrote:  

(08-02-2014 08:44 AM)MaleDefined Wrote:  My point is, teach in the states for a few years and jump abroad teaching American or other native English speakers abroad.

The money is absolutely incredible, the connections are fantastic and you have a career that leads to larger opportunities should you want it.

What kind of salary are your talking about? I am assuming it would include private tutoring....

I live like a king.

I mean this in the most motivating way and least dickish way possible, and this is not directed at you Dantes, but rather anyone reading this thread. If you don't believe me, fine, come visit me. I'll put you up in one of my extra bedrooms overlooking the city free of charge. We could sit on one of my balconies talking about life. I'd love to help you, and I bet you have advice to offer back to me as well.

I'm talking about a salary where I don't really pay attention to my expenses. If I wanted to take a year off or two to do my own thing I could. I love kids. I love showing others a better tomorrow, so therefore I teach. And you know what, I love it. I've been moving forward in putting a blog together of how to pull this off.

My school pays for my apartment. They'd rather extend themselves and give me the cash to make me feel 'comfortable' rather than save money and put me in some shitbox.

One of their long term goals here is to mentor me to open my own American/diplomatic school abroad. People believe in my talent.

I didn't settle for some bullshit ESL $20/hour gig. I put in the work. Some of my work in the classroom is published in Ivy league education publications.

The point is, if you like teaching, love being around children, why create a limit of what a teacher can or should be?

Glad to hear it. I know a few people who have taught abroad and the salary seem to be just sufficient to cover expenses. It is good to hear about someone earning a healthy salary doing this kind of work.

Sending you a pm

Post: #17

Cool, where are you?

Are you a certified teacher, MaleDefined?

Will take you up on that offer to come stay at your apartment!

Post: #18

Solid post. I have been thinking about doing this for years and I have the perfect opportunity to do it right now (trying to find a new job anyway, just moved to a new city)

Awesome

Post: #19

(08-02-2014 09:50 PM)2014 Wrote:  Cool, where are you?

Are you a certified teacher, MaleDefined?

Will take you up on that offer to come stay at your apartment!

Yeah, I'm a certified teacher in the US. I taught for a number of years in The States before moving abroad. Generally speaking to even obtain a work permit overseas you need to have two years in a US classroom and be fully licensed, if you plan on teaching at a reputable school.

Within the field of international teaching there are generally three or four tiers. Most international teachers will start in the lower rungs and work their way up. It's possible to skip over some or many of the rungs depending on how well you have your shit together and the contacts you've made prior.

Yes, I'm sure there will be rough days and it's not easy to up and go half way around the world, but I'm at the point where I can go anywhere in the world knowing I'll land a job at the top of the heap.

Post: #20

Delete

Post: #21

Japan is a nice country but it also killed me when some months I had to pay National health insurance (18,000 yen) (every month)
State Tax ( 10,000 yen) (pay twice per year)
Insurance ( 1,000 yen) (every month)
National pension (18,000 yen) (every month)
cell (3,000 - 7,000 yen)

Some months killed me having to pay around 70,000 yen (about $681 in todays market) mostly to the Japanese government.
And some other miscellaneous costs starts adding up.

If the company hires you I wouldn't take anything under 230,000 yen a month contract. Anything less, then you might have to work + teach private lessons outside of work.

Long term , being an English teacher in Japan is kind of a dead-end job, unless you shoot for the colleges, private schools, and companies that aren't affiliated with dispatch companies. At the same time, its rewarding and I was happy with the arrangement I had.

ALSO word has it that in 2020, the Japanese government Ministry of Education? I think, is going to change the way English is taught in Japan, not sure what they are going to do but I suspect that dispatch companies are going to start squeezing more pennies out of their ALT's and cash out before it happens.

Post: #22

MaleDefined, that's bloody awesome

Well done!

Post: #23

(08-05-2014 10:32 AM)MaleDefined Wrote:  Yeah, I'm a certified teacher in the US. I taught for a number of years in The States before moving abroad. Generally speaking to even obtain a work permit overseas you need to have two years in a US classroom and be fully licensed, if you plan on teaching at a reputable school.

Within the field of international teaching there are generally three or four tiers. Most international teachers will start in the lower rungs and work their way up. It's possible to skip over some or many of the rungs depending on how well you have your shit together and the contacts you've made prior.

I jumped right into a top tier school. One of the top 15-20 international schools in the world actually, with potential to grow. See my post above.

At this point, you're dealing with schools with impressive credentials and the freedom to work outside of a structured system of high stakes education, while still being fully accredited stateside. For example, my school is affiliated with California and accredited by WASC. It gives you the freedom to do basically whatever you deem necessary to help children without adhering to state budgets or programs. If I walked into my principal and said I need XYZ for a program I want to start, I'd probably get funding beyond what I needed. It's really sounds too good to be true, and it is.

Yes, I'm sure there will be rough days and it's not easy to up and go half way around the world, but I'm at the point where I can go anywhere in the world knowing I'll land a job at the top of the heap.

Props.

Glad to see a fellow teaching vet do well. Look forward to you getting the website/blog off the ground.

Post: #24

(08-05-2014 01:53 PM)memcpy Wrote:  Japan is a nice country but it also killed me when some months I had to pay National health insurance (18,000 yen) (every month)
State Tax ( 10,000 yen) (pay twice per year)
Insurance ( 1,000 yen) (every month)
National pension (18,000 yen) (every month)
cell (3,000 - 7,000 yen)

Some months killed me having to pay around 70,000 yen (about $681 in todays market) mostly to the Japanese government.
And some other miscellaneous costs starts adding up.

If the company hires you I wouldn't take anything under 230,000 yen a month contract. Anything less, then you might have to work + teach private lessons outside of work.

Long term , being an English teacher in Japan is kind of a dead-end job, unless you shoot for the colleges, private schools, and companies that aren't affiliated with dispatch companies. At the same time, its rewarding and I was happy with the arrangement I had.

ALSO word has it that in 2020, the Japanese government Ministry of Education? I think, is going to change the way English is taught in Japan, not sure what they are going to do but I suspect that dispatch companies are going to start squeezing more pennies out of their ALT's and cash out before it happens.

This is a great point, very accurate as far as taxes you have to pay in Japan. It adds up.

memcpy what kind of tax returns did you get? I got roughly Y30000 and Y60000 back my first two years of filing taxes, but didn't understand how they calculated it exactly.