Question # 24. Do I need to know Japanese to teach ESL in Japan?

Do I need to know Japanese to teach ESL in Japan?

No. A teacher does NOT need to know Japanese to teach English. See what qualities a teacher does need in Question #23. Japanese is not one of the qualifications.

However, studying Japanese can make the teacher much more effective…usually.

Problem is…for a long time the students will know much more English than the new learner of Japanese. And the students do not pay to have the instructor practice Japanese with them.

However, if the Japanese learner can remember that, then learning the language can give them powerful insight that will in turn make them a better teacher.

In short…the Japanese learner will continually ask themselves, "What do I want to know how to say in Japanese?"

THAT is what their students want to know how to say in English. That sensitivity can make an average teacher a good teacher and a good teacher an excellent one.

I have had teachers who studied hard and those who hardly studied. Other teachers were beyond learning a new language – too old or too busy with family matters.

The best teachers were always good Japanese language students.

How much effort will/do you give to learning Japanese?