TESOL (English Teaching) Fall Internship
General Overview
We are looking for a diverse team of young individuals who can work together to provide a unique international experience on a university campus in Japan. No previous experience or specific qualifications are required.
Through this internship, interns get hands-on experience teaching and interacting with students studying English as a foreign language in Japan. As members of the Department of Contemporary English at Ibaraki Christian University, interns get the majority of their teaching experience working with university students. Additionally, as part of community outreach for the university, interns may have opportunities to teach and share their cultures at the affiliated kindergarten, local elementary schools, junior high schools and high schools during the internship. The internship provides individuals planning to teach as ALTs in Japan with experience looked for by the JET program and local Boards of Education. Former interns have also written about their experiences on applications for other internships, scholarship and grants, and for graduate school.
Job Description
Interns have three main responsibilities at the university. They lead 90-minute sessions of “Chat Hour,” once or twice a day to provide students with relaxed times to practice speaking English within a conversational setting outside of classes. Students from all majors at the university voluntarily visit Chat Hours to improve their English. Interns plan conversation topics and other activities to make Chat Hours interesting for first-time visitors and regular attenders. Additionally, Interns regularly act as teaching assistants in English classes, working alongside professional teachers. As teaching assistants, interns may be asked to talk within groups of students or as partners, observe presentations and give feedback, and even lead parts of activities depending on the desire and ability of the intern. Providing assistance in some classes will become part of the regular schedule for interns, while in other classes teachers may request interns for only one or two periods at a time. Finally, interns work together as a team with coordinators to organize and lead monthly events for students to enjoy time in English in fun environments in the evening. Events have included things like parties, contests, outside games, etc. The intern team, with advice from coordinators, decide the content of events, promote them to students and lead them as a team. At regular meetings, coordinators give feedback to interns to help them learn and improve all of these skills.
Hours and Duration
This internship is generally a 90-day post working 30 to 40 hours per week. Working days are somewhat flexible, so interns may ask time off for a long weekend to travel around Japan.
Learning Objectives
The objective of this internship is to teach interns how to interact with other cultures, how to teach language, how to lead groups of people, how to organize and run events for large groups of people. Learning and practicing public speaking skills also plays a part in many of these objectives.
Required Skills
There are no required skills to participate in the internship. We are looking for diligent, young people who want to learn and interact with people from other cultures.
Evaluation
Interns meet weekly with designated coordinators (teachers in the Department of Contemporary English at Ibaraki Christian University) for updates on plans and goals, feedback on performance and to generally check in on how life in Japan is going. For students who are participating in the internship for university credit, coordinators can fill out evaluation forms. Otherwise, the feedback about performance in various respects of the internship is done verbally on the spot, after classes or in weekly meetings.
Compensation
Upon completing the internship, interns receive a certificate of completion outlining the total number of hours tutoring, working as teaching assistants and leading culture-related activities such as events. This experience along with letters of recommendation from coordinators, help former interns get jobs as ALTs or enter the JET program in Japan. Interns also receive free Japanese lessons each week while working and a monthly stipend for meals on campus.