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So I'm due to graduate this year and the job hunt has been pretty unsuccessful so I'm considering taking 6 months/a year out to teach English abroad and learn a new language. Thinking probably China or Japan just now.

Has anyone done this? Recommended agencies or companies to apply to?

Also, do employers look upon this sort of thing positively or is it pretty redundant as a unique selling point since so many people do it now?

Kinboshi is yer man ... drop him a PM.

I went over to Japan on the JET Programme - http://www.jetprogramme.org/ - back in 1997.  A very well run programme and sorts out all the problems of you having to find a job and accommodation over there.

Unfortunately, if you're looking to go out this year, you're too late to do it via JET as the deadline for applications is sometime in the Autumn.  So unless you wanted to apply this Autumn for the following year, you'll have to consider alternatives.

Lots of people go over and get jobs directly with schools or at English language schools, such as Nova.  I'm sure it's a lot easier to find these now with the internet being what it is now.  You don't need to know any Japanese, the only requirement is that you have a degree in anything.  I did Japanese at uni, so what I did over there was slightly different, but it's a very easy country to live in even if you don't speak a word of Japanese when you go out there.

I think most of the contracts are for a year if you work at an actual school.  Nova and the other schools for adult English classes will be more flexible. 

I don't know how it works in China, although I have a few friends who taught English there for a few years and loved it.

Erm, Nova isn't an option any more... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nova_%28eikaiwa%29

Whoops.

Yeah, they can't get enough English teachers in China. I know a couple of people who've gone there to do it and I hear only good things.

The only thing was someone mentioned that it was tough to get on with some of the indiginous Chinese English teachers because they were scared that he would correct their pigeon English (that they were passing off as being fluent)

How so?

Do most people speak English?

Nah, they just take one look at you and figure you want burgers and porn, then ship accordingly and make change from your wallet. Toasty life

this made me lol as for some reason I pictured you saying it in a really strong japanese accent

Tsk - their reads would be wrong with me.

I'd be after sushi and porn.

Everyone in Japan studies English from an early age, so that means that everyone knows about 3 basic phrases.  Generally they can read and write English fairly well, and any university students have to pass an English assessment before they get a place.  So, it's not that the people speak good English that makes it an easy country to get around.  There are other reasons for that.

For one, all the road signs are in Japanese and English.  As are signs at train stations.  This makes getting around very easy.  Sometimes the ticket machines are in both English and Japanese, in fact most are.  Even the town I lived in which had a population of about 12,000 and was in the Japanese equivalent of Norfolk, had all the signs and ticket machines in English as well as Japanese.  If you're driving in Japan, well that's a breeze too as their cars are right-hand drive and they drive on the left like us.

Then there's the restaurants.  A lot of the time they have pictures of the food on the menu, rather than just text.  So you can point and order.  Some places have 'mihon' - which are plastic models of the food.  These are placed in the window, or in the kaitenzushi (the sushi joints with the revolving conveyor belt that Yo Sushi has mimicked) these are placed on the conveyor belt with what the food is written next to it.  Of course, this is often in Japanese but it can help.  Others have the menu in English as well as Japanese anyway, especially in Tokyo.

At the bigger hotels and restaurants you'll find the staff have a decent level of English, and if not they'll find someone who does.

I was there over 10 years ago, so it's probably changed lots since then.  But when I was there it was a very safe country.  Never felt threatened or unsafe walking the streets late at night, even in the middle of Tokyo.  People are generally very friendly to 'gaijin' and if you're over there teaching English you are respected (just like teachers over here).

Then there's the network of ex-pats and fellow foreign teachers who you can use to help you out when you're stuck.     

Japanese isn't actually a difficult language to learn the basics.  The basic grammar is very regular (on the whole), and learning basic phrases to help you get around is easy.  Of course, learning the written side of it takes a bit longer and is slightly more complex than remembering how to order a beer and asking where the loo is.

Oh, and the sushi and porn is just exquisite.

Thanks for the comments. I'm keen on Japan but would want to be in a big city, preferably Tokyo. How easy do you think it is to get a job relatively close to the centre of the bigger cities?

I think I'd starve if I ever went to Japan, I like their chicks though (http://www.instantsmileys.com/smileys/love-smiley-23.gif)

 Generally speaking you need a TEFL or CELTA to teach abroad in a "decent" school. Although you can get away with a degree, a lot of countries ie Korea, are trying to stop this.

This is quite a good site to help you:

www.tefl.com

Yea I've been having a look at that so will probably do some sort of course before going out. Although not sure where I'm gunna find £300 lying about!

Kinboshi, how long do you reckon you need to spend in Japan to be able to speak Japanese fluently assuming you put in the effort to learn it and speak it every day? I assume learning to read and write it takes longer than it does to speak fluent.

Depends on how you define 'fluent'? 

I had friends who went to Japan with no Japanese knowledge and after two years out there (they studied whilst they were there as well) they could get by fairly easily in day-to-day situations.  Obviously their vocabulary was limited, but that's going to be the same in any language.

I learnt how to read and write Japanese at uni, and so the focus was more on that rather than on the spoken side.  I went out to Japan after I'd finished in order to improve my spoken Japanese, as I don't think you can't learn it properly (or as quickly) without being immersed in the country and being exposed to the language all the time.

Lots of people go over to Japan and pick up a level of fluency in spoken Japanese, study some of the written side too, and then come back to the UK and do a masters or other course in the language to get a formal qualification.

That's a good point.  On the JET Programme it's not such an issue, but if you're trying to get a teaching job out there directly then TEFL would certainly be a benefit. 

mini thread hijack time. what's a sensible price for an airfare to japan? is £600-650ish return about right? I'm considering a trip in july/august but am so used to cheap fares that I have no idea what's right on real airlines