Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
Alumni Network
Teaching in Japan
I have always loved traveling and learning about new
cultures. I decided to complete the TESOL certification program at
Western so I could go oversees and teach for a year- it was the perfect
opportunity for traveling and earning money at the same time. I knew I
was interested in becoming a teacher, but before going through the whole
teaching program, I wanted to know if I would enjoy being in front of a
classroom 5 days a week. I finished the TESOL program in June and left
that August for a year-long teaching post in Japan. I got a job with a
private English school and lived in a small town an hour outside of
Osaka. My students ranged in age from 4 to 45. I taught classes of
3,4, and 5 year olds at a kindergarden Monday, Wednsday and Friday in
the mornings, and had classes of Middle School and High School students
in the evenings. I occasionally had 'reading groups' or 'conversation
groups' of stay-at-home or retired moms in the afternoons as well. I
got plenty of practice in creating lesson plans, assisting the program
director with curriculum development, and planning school functions. My
TESOL classes came in handy for all of these tasks, and I ended up
helping out other teachers who did not have any TESOL experience to draw
on. After my experience in Japan I knew that I would like to continue
in the teaching profession and I am now preparing to earn my Masters in
Teaching degree. I plan on teaching History/Social Studies and ESL at
the High School and possibly Community College level. My TESOL classes
gave me the chance to experience new cultures and bring those
experiences back home and into my classrooms.
Lindsey Richards
