Hello! It’s Cara Rosner here, a current ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) in Gunma, Japan! I graduated Montclair State back in 2021 and will be answering a few questions in regard to being an ALT on the JET Program!
- Q1. What is your typical day at work like?
- On the JET Program, you can be placed in a Elementary, Middle, or High school. Because of this, every situation is different (ESID), a common saying amongst the JET community. I’m at an Elementary school, so my tasks and day to day work life will be quite different from those in other schools. My hours I work and am at school is 8:30am to 4:15pm. I teach 1st-6th grades, working with the JTE (Japanese teacher of English) in 4th-6th, and with the home room teachers in 1st-3rd. At my school, we have 4 periods in the morning, and 2 in the afternoon, separated by lunch and recess. I tend to have most of my classes in the morning, after which I finish, I get started on making materials, like laminated picture cards or playing cards, for my upcoming classes. I also spend a lot of time organizing the English rooms and the materials in there. I play with the kids at recess, work on the English board, and in my down time, study Japanese, read, or make plans for future adventures!
- Q2. What do you do on your days off?
- I do a lot! Sometimes, I like to have a lazy day or dedicate a weekend day to cleaning my house, but I’m usually out hanging with friends or checking out different areas in Japan. We eat out, go shopping, play sports in the park or fields, and sometimes have big trips planned. For example, this upcoming weekend in July, I will be seeing the new Harry Potter exhibit in Saitama! Since I also have a friend in Tokyo, I usually go once a month to stay over at hers. There is always something to do, and with a bike, a Japanese driver’s license, and a great train system, I could go anywhere if I plan it out beforehand!
- Q3. What level of Japanese do you recommend for day-to-day interaction?
- This could be a difficult question to answer. In my experience, conversational Japanese is most helpful in creating and maintaining relationships with not only your teachers at school, but the students as well. Japanese children speak very quickly and sometimes I can’t catch what they said or mean. It’s very important to keep your spirits up though and bond with them in other ways if you aren’t confident in your Japanese. However, usually your JTE will speak English and that will be your lifeline in helping understand what’s going on in the office or at school if you feel lost. Even if there is still a language barrier, your school has your back and will help you with problems that arise during your time here. Don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone and try to strike up easy conversations with other teachers! It’s amazing how much you will improve.
- Q4. How do you make Japanese friends?
- I happen to be a very social person and have no problem chatting with people. The places I go to most often, the Lawson down my block, my hair salon, my favorite ramen shop, the grocery store, the gym and even the doctors, have people that I see consistently. They know who I am, I chat with them and get to know them, and have become friends with many Japanese people in and around my town. I would say the best thing is when you see a person more than 3 or 4 times, you’ve become acquainted, and eventually will be able to ask them questions and get to know them. It has greatly helped my Japanese as well, and I’ve made some amazing friends who aren’t only fun, but super helpful if I have a problem that I wouldn’t be able to do completely on my own.
- Q5. What would you say is your biggest obstacle living in Japan?
- Everyone is different and will have a different answer to this, but for me, it’s getting back on track with organizing and motivation once I take a break. After living here for almost 2 years, I’ve dealt with building issues, school issues, accidents, rentals, and other mishaps. But what gets me the most is the days passing by without feeling like I did anything worthwhile. The days go by very quick once you have fully settled and sometimes, I think they go too fast. I’d want to complete a task, or perhaps bike somewhere, or study, or do another one of my hobbies, but the day is already over! However, I’ve come to terms that this is ok! Sometimes, taking a break, for however long you need to get back to doing the things you like with enough motivation, is important. Yes, my time here is limited, but I’d rather be happy doing what I love after taking a long break than pushing through and ending up drained and not fully enjoying what I’m doing.
I hope this small Q&A was helpful and answered some of your questions about living in Japan! If you have any more specific questions you’d like to ask, feel free to send an email to me or dm on Instagram!
– Cara
Email: rosnercara@gmail.com
Instagram: carabarabear13