If you’ve spent any time at all browsing through forums on teaching English in Japan, you’ve probably run across more than a few horror stories. Topics range from working hours and conditions way in excess of what’s in the contract, to horrible living conditions and exorbitant rent. Some of this is avoidable if you take a careful look at your contract and ask the right questions before you take a teaching position. One of the most important part of the contract are the contact hours. We’ll look at this first.
Contact Hours – What They Are
Contact hours are actual hours spent teaching or being “in contact” with the student. The industry standard for full-time sponsored ESL instructors is 22-27 per week. They are not the same qualitatively as office hours. You can’t get up and get a glass of water, chat with a friend at the water cooler or check your e-mail during contact hours