English tutor to Japanese Professionals

Run-of-the-Mill Teachers Need Not Apply

We are a small online English school that provides one-on-one instruction to Japanese adults, mostly advanced professionals. We are currently looking for a few talented native speakers of North American English to join us as private tutors on a long-term basis. It is a perfect job for those who love the freedom of a location-unbound work style (e.g., digital nomads), and thrive on intellectually stimulating challenges.

We are no ordinary school. Unlike other "big guys," we have no canned courses. We always tailor lesson plans for each student for the maximum efficiency and efficacy. Because of the high quality of instruction we provide, we tend to attract advanced students, e.g., graduates of prestigious graduate schools in the US, wishing to advance their interests in the global arena.

We thus ask a lot more of you than other schools. The following are what we are looking for.

1. You are generally available to teach for us at 9pm, 10pm and 11pm one-hour slots on weekdays (Japan Standard Time, or JST). You are free to do whatever where you do not have any lesson bookings, but there will be no compensation for that time.

You are open to irregularities in your work schedule. Some students cannot commit to a fixed day and time because of their erratic work schedule. They choose us partially for this flexibility we provide.

2. You yourself have learned a foreign language as an adult. Your TESOL certification is an added plus, particularly if it is MATESOL or higher. You have taught English to adults, preferably in some professional capacity.

You have lived in a foreign country for an extended period of time and mingled with the locals using the local language (having lived on a military base does not count).

Unless your student is very advanced, you normally pair up with a Japanese instructor and share the teaching responsibilities with him. The Japanese instructor takes care of the areas he is better at, e.g., grammar and pronunciation. These areas could be hard for native speakers to teach, but this arrangement allows you to not be too concerned about it.

3. You have a bachelor's degree or higher. You are an independent thinker and creative problem solver who can think outside the box. You are inquisitive and reasonably knowledgeable about current affairs and have a balanced view of the world.

4. You can work mostly on your own, unsupervised, coming up with teaching materials by yourself if necessary. If you have to rely entirely on a textbook and its teacher's guide to teach, this job is not for you. The flip side of it is that it gives you much more freedom, with which you can hone your English teaching skills.

We do provide training and then further assistance when it is needed, though. In addition, our head instructor is a TESOL Ph.D. awardee, whose vast expertise you can tap into when you are unsure.

5. You are keenly aware that your attention to detail is what makes or breaks your instruction. You understand each of your students' unique needs and challenges, and can figure out how to best address them. When you are in a teaching session, you constantly monitor his reactions and make adjustments to make the content stick.

Are you up for the challenge?

If you are hired, we can provide you with some students to start off with as soon as you complete your initial training. Your pay rate starts at 2,500 yen for every 50-minute lesson plus any amount of time you spend on preparation and housekeeping regarding the lesson. There is going to be a probation period for a maximum of six months; you could be let go during this period if you do not meet our expectations. After the probation period, depending on how well you perform, your pay rate may go up to 3,000 yen or even higher. A few, for a fact, are currently earning around 4,000 yen per lesson.

Unfortunately, there will not be enough work volume to fully support you financially, unless you are living at a place where living expenses are small. You have to have your livelihood secured by other sources.

Here are a few non-requirements:

• You physically live in Japan -- This is an online job.
• You speak Japanese.

Lingua Espresso
A premier online English school