A Life-Changing Experience - Teach English in Japan with Interac

As someone who has been working as an ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) for three years, I can honestly say it has been a rewarding and transformative experience. When I first started, I was understandably scared because it was a completely new environment for me. However, from the moment I joined, Interac provided incredible support that made the transition much smoother.

Interac’s guidance is outstanding. They walked me through every step of the way, answering all my questions and providing assistance whenever needed. What I appreciated the most is that their staff were always available to help, even going above and beyond their working hours to accommodate me. This kind of support really made me feel like I was never alone in this journey.

I absolutely love my role as an ALT. It has allowed me to grow both as a person and as a teacher. Not only have I learned so much about Japan’s culture and educational system, but I have also had the privilege of sharing my own culture with my students. The opportunity to create connections with students and see them grow has been incredibly fulfilling.

Being an ALT is a unique and enriching experience, and I am grateful to be part of a supportive organization like Interac that encourages growth and offers continued guidance.

Traveling abroad is an illuminating experience, but often a shallow one. Vacationers see only a glimpse of a nation's culture - one that is frequently distorted to appeal directly to them. Interac provides a chance for fuller engagement with a different land.

I had visited Japan years before, but I applied to Interac in hopes of seeing more of the nation than tourists typically experience. Through the program, I've been able to learn what it's like to live and work in the nation. I've met new people, learned new things, and have deeply enjoyed the chance to help students learn English.

Interac provides vital assistance in living in the country, especially for those with limited knowledge of the Japanese language. They help with housing and transportation, and teach some of the necessary basics for daily life.

Teaching with Interac has been an awesome experience, and I'd definitely recommend it to others!

I really appreciate being in this position. It is wonderful to be working full time and exploring the Japanese culture at the same time. In the school, I am very fulfilled to see the progress my students make on their own. I enjoy being part of their journey in learning the English language. I am also very grateful for all of the support from the company. They helped me establish my career as an educator in Japan. On top of that, they made sure I am well guided from settling at my actually placement to securing my Japanese driver's license.

Working as an ALT for Interac should only be a short-term endeavor. The quality of your assignment will more or less entirely depend on the school(s) you are placed at, because every school is different. Salary is just enough to survive; you will be most likely breaking even at best at the end of your contract. That being said, my experience as an ALT gave me the opportunity to make a positive impact in the local Japanese community. Teaching English was simply just the medium in which I did it. Although my placement was enjoyable, I know of many coworkers who had terrible assignments due to difficult teachers and/or students. However, as long as you find ways to keep your schools happy, you should have no issues. As far as the actual company goes, do not expect much assistance from most of the staff, as they are very unorganized or busy. Learn as much Japanese as you can before coming here, it will save you. Also do your due diligence on fax pas in Japan beforehand. The Japanese are very non-confrontational people and won't let you know if you do something taboo in their culture. This job is for you if you want to live out your dream of living in Japan for 1-2 years, or if you just want to get your foot into Japan before starting a career with another company. Do NOT do this job if you want to make money. You won't have much to work with at the start, but like any job, it will be what you make of it.

Working for Interac has been great, especially having non-existent Japanese language skills. I am especially impressed with their "Life Support", dedicated members of staff who will help you with anything that you don't know how to accomplish. Whether you are trying to find which bus to take to Fuji-san, or don't know how how to pay an overdue gas bill, the Life Support team will help you with step-by-step instructions. It makes living in Japan way easier than most programs who don't offer this.

Living away from your home country is a big leap of faith. ALTs share the same struggles relocating in Japan: language barrier, homesickness, culture difference and the like. Indeed, these may cause some to falter and eventually give up. However, there is no such job as rewarding as being an ALT. Sharing your culture and your langauge to Japanese students bring so much joy to me. And that is LIFE. Life without joy is no life at all. Having fun and sharing happines to my students make me a proud ALT of Interac.

For me it was a dream to be able to come to Japan and teach English. Though when that dream starts you must take steps that make sure you can enjoy it to the fullest.

I will say you will want to do some research on your housing and how to setup utilities for your home. You may need to look for specific internet providers depending on your location. You should also look into restaurants or grocery stores. Whether you cook or not we all need to eat so its good to know where you can obtain food and supplies from. If you are placed in a more rural area then this becomes bit more important as open times may be difficult to reach in-between work and going home. My first month was a fairly difficult due to my unfamiliarity with my area and utility workings so try to look ahead.

For teaching well...I was fairly new to teaching so I had a lot to learn. Thankfully you will be provided with resources which you can use to base your lessons off of and learn from. We also have training sessions periodically which can help your understand yourselves and your students better. The goal is to have fun. The students can be awesome if allowed to be so, have fun in your classes while also learning from each other.

It's all about communication. There are many ways to communicate with students, co-workers, and the community and while you may be teaching English you will need to learn other ways of communication so you can be effective in and out of the classroom. There are translation apps like "Google lens" which can be extremely useful if you need it at first but if you can slowly improve yourself with the language it'll benefit you overall. Use gestures and learn key words to help support your communication.

So what do you do after a work day? What ever you like, your in Japan so lets enjoy it!
There are tons of tourist attractions to visit, events to attend, sights to see. Everyone's version is different but when your done with your work day, you are free to explore to your hearts content. You will also will have a decent holiday during the summer and winter so plan out trips if you can. There is soo much to experience while in japan so take it one step at a time.

Live your dream that you've wanted to experience, with a bit of effort you can see it all.

My role in Interac as an assistant language teacher allows me to be fully equipped in class with enough preparation time and resources for my classes. Because of this, I don't take any work with me at home and I can fully focus on my life outside of my career. I personally love outdoors and sports and I'm able to fully immerse myself in those activities after work and during weekends. Time is so important to me, especially time I spend outside of work. I love that both my Japanese co-workers and Interac respect my personal time and are actually supportive of my hobbies.

My transition from The Philippines to Japan has been very smooth thanks to Interac's team who provided housing assistance (we didn't have to apartment hunt because of them), and the information provided regarding living in Japan. I remember they also gave us one week of paid training and one week of break to fully adjust before being dispatched to each of our schools.

If TIME and SUPPORT is very important for you, Interac is a great option.