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Post by clairefro on May 8, 2015 10:21:24 GMT 9
Hello!
I'm curious if any has or is considering to continue education (post-grad, etc.) without leaving Japan after completing the CIR contract. Is this possible?
Claire
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Post by Sparkles on May 8, 2015 10:36:50 GMT 9
I've never done it, but I've considered it. As far as my own research has taken me, it's entirely possible but could be a little difficult logistics-wise. Most 英語圏 CIRs' contracts start and end in July/August, so that can make it difficult to enter a Japanese school as their year usually begins in April. Now, I think, more Japanese universities are offering fall enrollments, especially for programs they think will attract international students, but they're still the exception rather than the rule. If you could go through the entrance exam/application process for a fall admission, I think it would be easiest and wouldn't require you to break contract. If you did get an acceptance for a spring/April admission while still on JET, you would need to break contract to accept it. (But if you knew you were accepted far enough in advance, say, December, you could in theory notify your CO that you would quit in, say, March, and they could get a new CIR in the April intake. Either way most COs require at least 30 days' notice before breaking contract.) You'd have to start studying within 90 days of leaving your workplace (I'm pretty sure) and also have to change your status of residence to Student (positive). (See a flowchart from Chiba JET here.) If you wanted to finish your JET year in July and apply for an April intake the next year with nothing lined up in between...that would create a sticky immigration/status of residence situation. You'd almost certainly have to exit Japan and re-enter under a different visa at some point. (Not to mention you'd have no guarantee of being accepted into a program.) I hope this was at least a little helpful! |
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Post by clairefro on May 8, 2015 11:05:30 GMT 9
Thanks for the details! Logistically it is a bit sticky no matter which way you look at it, but not impossible...
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mcduds
So jozu at chopsticks
Posts: 124
CIR Experience: 1st year
Location: Nagasaki
Gender (Pronouns): she/her/hers
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Post by mcduds on Feb 7, 2023 11:38:08 GMT 9
Reviving this thread hue.
It’s been a slow day at work today so I’ve been thinking about my after JET plans… Although there are good things about my placement, living on a remote island can be really difficult and because people speak such a strong dialect here I’ve found my spoken Japanese isn’t really improving. I’ve been looking at jobs for a few months to have an idea of possibilities after JET, but I honestly think since I’m hoping to leave my placement next year (maybe even early in April if an opportunity arises) I don’t have enough confidence in my business Japanese for a real job in Japan.
Most graduate programs are focused on ESL Japanese students so I don’t think it's a good fit, and most language schools in Japan only teach beginning to N2 levels. Does anyone know of good programs where I can polish my Japanese skills/ get language certification?
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Post by Dee on Feb 7, 2023 13:38:12 GMT 9
Reviving this thread hue. It’s been a slow day at work today so I’ve been thinking about my after JET plans… Although there are good things about my placement, living on a remote island can be really difficult and because people speak such a strong dialect here I’ve found my spoken Japanese isn’t really improving. I’ve been looking at jobs for a few months to have an idea of possibilities after JET, but I honestly think since I’m hoping to leave my placement next year (maybe even early in April if an opportunity arises) I don’t have enough confidence in my business Japanese for a real job in Japan. Most graduate programs are focused on ESL Japanese students so I don’t think it's a good fit, and most language schools in Japan only teach beginning to N2 levels. Does anyone know of good programs where I can polish my Japanese skills/ get language certification? There are some online courses you can take to prepare for the N1, but if you want to improve your business Japanese have you thought about studying for the Business Japanese Proficiency Test? |
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mcduds
So jozu at chopsticks
Posts: 124
CIR Experience: 1st year
Location: Nagasaki
Gender (Pronouns): she/her/hers
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Post by mcduds on Feb 7, 2023 14:08:57 GMT 9
Reviving this thread hue. It’s been a slow day at work today so I’ve been thinking about my after JET plans… Although there are good things about my placement, living on a remote island can be really difficult and because people speak such a strong dialect here I’ve found my spoken Japanese isn’t really improving. I’ve been looking at jobs for a few months to have an idea of possibilities after JET, but I honestly think since I’m hoping to leave my placement next year (maybe even early in April if an opportunity arises) I don’t have enough confidence in my business Japanese for a real job in Japan. Most graduate programs are focused on ESL Japanese students so I don’t think it's a good fit, and most language schools in Japan only teach beginning to N2 levels. Does anyone know of good programs where I can polish my Japanese skills/ get language certification? There are some online courses you can take to prepare for the N1, but if you want to improve your business Japanese have you thought about studying for the Business Japanese Proficiency Test? I've been doing a lot of self study on my own and I'm pretty successful in that I can read novels and articles with ease, but honestly I find when I study, no matter what I do I can't use the new grammar, vocab, etc. I guess I'm doing too much input and not enough output but a lot of the time when I try to use a new grammar point or word and mess up I get laughed at so its really destroyed my confidence in Japanese. I think maybe being in a classroom setting would help me build it back? Haha komaru |
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Post by Dee on Feb 7, 2023 14:27:22 GMT 9
There are some online courses you can take to prepare for the N1, but if you want to improve your business Japanese have you thought about studying for the Business Japanese Proficiency Test? I've been doing a lot of self study on my own and I'm pretty successful in that I can read novels and articles with ease, but honestly I find when I study, no matter what I do I can't use the new grammar, vocab, etc. I guess I'm doing too much input and not enough output but a lot of the time when I try to use a new grammar point or word and mess up I get laughed at so its really destroyed my confidence in Japanese. I think maybe being in a classroom setting would help me build it back? Haha komaru Wow, that's really rude. If you have the money to send on it, there are a lot of online Japanese schools that offer private lessons. If you were to do the private lessons you could focus on what you need to work on. My husband took online lessons from the Shinjuku Japanese Language Institute, of course he was in the beginner class but they seems reasonably priced and he liked his teacher. This school had an "advanced" and "business" Japanese classes. |
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mcduds
So jozu at chopsticks
Posts: 124
CIR Experience: 1st year
Location: Nagasaki
Gender (Pronouns): she/her/hers
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Post by mcduds on Feb 7, 2023 14:38:18 GMT 9
I've been doing a lot of self study on my own and I'm pretty successful in that I can read novels and articles with ease, but honestly I find when I study, no matter what I do I can't use the new grammar, vocab, etc. I guess I'm doing too much input and not enough output but a lot of the time when I try to use a new grammar point or word and mess up I get laughed at so its really destroyed my confidence in Japanese. I think maybe being in a classroom setting would help me build it back? Haha komaru Wow, that's really rude. If you have the money to send on it, there are a lot of online Japanese schools that offer private lessons. If you were to do the private lessons you could focus on what you need to work on. My husband took online lessons from the Shinjuku Japanese Language Institute, of course he was in the beginner class but they seems reasonably priced and he liked his teacher. This school had an "advanced" and "business" Japanese classes. yeah... :/ thank you for the resource! I'll check it out  |
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Post by genghiskhat on Feb 9, 2023 12:49:44 GMT 9
Reviving this thread hue. It’s been a slow day at work today so I’ve been thinking about my after JET plans… Although there are good things about my placement, living on a remote island can be really difficult and because people speak such a strong dialect here I’ve found my spoken Japanese isn’t really improving. I’ve been looking at jobs for a few months to have an idea of possibilities after JET, but I honestly think since I’m hoping to leave my placement next year (maybe even early in April if an opportunity arises) I don’t have enough confidence in my business Japanese for a real job in Japan. Most graduate programs are focused on ESL Japanese students so I don’t think it's a good fit, and most language schools in Japan only teach beginning to N2 levels. Does anyone know of good programs where I can polish my Japanese skills/ get language certification? I feel this about the spoken Japanese. But I think even if you don't really feel like you are improving, you actually are. It's just a bit too gradual to notice. And yeah, please laughing at your for making the effort to speak their language is not okay. I use Hellotalk a lot to practice speaking to people. If you are willing to put some money into it, something like iTalki could be good. |
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Post by Springjay on Feb 21, 2023 15:52:47 GMT 9
I second getting a private tutor, whether it's from a fancy language school or just a one on one lesson (like from an individual rather than a school).
I never would have progressed past N3 if it weren't for my amazing local tutor I used while on JET. I have a different one now that I do online lessons with but she is also fantastic. Both of them only charged 2,000 yen / one hour lesson, which is very reasonable IMHO, especially compared to what people pay here for private English lessons
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mcduds
So jozu at chopsticks
Posts: 124
CIR Experience: 1st year
Location: Nagasaki
Gender (Pronouns): she/her/hers
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Post by mcduds on Feb 22, 2023 10:30:29 GMT 9
Honestly yeah I think that's a good idea. I'm looking into paying for conversation lessons on italki so I can get solid, uninterupted speaking practice and feedback on my spoken Japanese because I did that back when I was preparing for the CIR interview last year and it helped a lot. I should have been doing them all along smh
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Post by wapiko on Feb 22, 2023 11:49:07 GMT 9
Honestly yeah I think that's a good idea. I'm looking into paying for conversation lessons on italki so I can get solid, uninterupted speaking practice and feedback on my spoken Japanese because I did that back when I was preparing for the CIR interview last year and it helped a lot. I should have been doing them all along smh You're in Nagasaki, eh? |
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mcduds
So jozu at chopsticks
Posts: 124
CIR Experience: 1st year
Location: Nagasaki
Gender (Pronouns): she/her/hers
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Post by mcduds on Feb 22, 2023 13:07:19 GMT 9
Honestly yeah I think that's a good idea. I'm looking into paying for conversation lessons on italki so I can get solid, uninterupted speaking practice and feedback on my spoken Japanese because I did that back when I was preparing for the CIR interview last year and it helped a lot. I should have been doing them all along smh You're in Nagasaki, eh? Yes I am! I live on one of the outer islands |
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Post by Springjay on Feb 24, 2023 12:26:51 GMT 9
I have another おすすめ but I don't know how I found it to begin with to suggest you do the same xD
sorry in advance if this gets rambly
It was maybe 2 or 3 years ago by now, and I think it just showed up because I was doing a lot of job hunting stuff, so I was getting a lot of targeted ads on Facebook
but there was some organization in Tokyo that was running a free online business Japanese seminar; it was targeted for international students, but when I emailed them they agreed to let me join. I did a placement test and was put in the lower group; so while the stuff I did is stuff you probably already can do as a CIR, they did offer more advanced groups too. But basically it was just a random Saturday where I got a one-off, free business Japanese class
I don't think I could find the name of that organization again, but if you start hunting around, get targeted ads, and find this kind of opportunity, I would recommend it. It was very random but helpful for me and I was glad I particpated in it!
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