5 Tips for Teaching English to Adults — Part-Time Jobs in Tokyo at OCE

Teaching English part-time in Tokyo is one of the best jobs to get some money while being a student or if you are experiencing Japan with a Work Holiday Visa. With the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in the horizons, people from all over the world come to the Japanese capital to experience Japan first hand. While roaming around the city and visiting famous landmarks is an amazing way to experience the culture, nothing will make your experience more immersive than to talking to local people and getting to know their story. Teaching adult students will give you the opportunity to meet Japanese people from a diverse range of backgrounds that you would probably not be able to meet on your own. Without further ado, here are the 5 tips for teaching English part-time in Tokyo.
Be yourself
One of the most important things about teaching English part-time is making great connections with students. Since the students are customers, the best way to make connections is through adding value in their lives with not only your teaching skills but also your personality. Many part-time teachers who are freelancers or work in English schools know that students become fond of teachers not only because of their skills but also because of how they interact with them in a human level. Human beings love connecting with people who have the same values, ideas and ways of looking at the world.
In my personal experience, having a part-time job in an English school where adult students have the power of choosing their teachers has taught me that most of my students are very similar to me. Don’t be afraid to be yourself with your students, it is okay to talk about your life and hobbies while also asking asking about theirs. Japanese students want to relax and enjoy an international atmosphere where they can be themselves in a safe space. You should do it as well
Maximize your strengths
One of the most important parts about any job is knowing your strengths and what makes you different from the rest. Working part-time in Tokyo, in a school with teachers from different backgrounds, personalities and teaching style has taught me that it is possible to have a diverse way of teaching. Some teachers are very passionate and use motion and body language to teach. Other teachers are more chill, they are very sweet and teach in a very calm and relaxed way. When you are teaching, quantify what makes you great and use it to help the students. Some teachers like myself, since I’m a very expressive person, give students feedback through facial expressions. If the student makes a mistake, I will frown, touch my chin and make a “hmm?” sound. If they are correct, I will smile and nod.
Other teachers will do pair work before using the book, making the students talk between themselves in English will increase their confidence and use that as a warm up. Teachers who are more chill would give feedback to the students by complementing their effort and then giving them an answer. “Good job for trying, you’re almost there. What about this…?”. In addition, some teachers love using images or body language to explain vocabulary, while others would use the board and have the students make some activities. One of the teachers I really admire would have the students do small presentations about something they like, that would boost their confidence of speaking English while also practicing a bit of public speaking. As an English teacher, the possibilities and ways to deliver amazing and informative lessons that students will love are endless.
Be a Coach, not a counselor
Teaching English is more than reading a book in front of students or teaching grammar. Teaching is about coaching your adult students to become the best version of themselves by letting them do the learning. A counselor is someone who listens to your problems and needs, as a result they will tell you exactly what you need to do to improve. On the other hand, a coach is someone who uses the information you already know to guide you to solutions. In the case of the coach, instead of telling exactly the mistake and how to fix it, guide them on how to solve it and build confidence. We are not commanders but facilitators of English.
Minimize your Teacher Talking Time (TTT)
When I started my job as a part-time English teacher in Tokyo, my throat was hurting all the time because I was talking a lot in my lessons. Coming from a Latin American background where we love to talk and express ourselves through verbal communication, this was a tough one to master. My biggest mistake was that I was looking at myself as a conductor and my students as an orchestra. If the teacher is dominating and controlling, the students will most likely follow the lead of the teacher and not express a desire to speak more.
Usually, when Japanese people learn English in Junior High School and High School, they only learn basic grammar and some vocabulary and there is little chance to speak English at all. For that reason, many Japanese people want to speak English but find it difficult due to bad teaching practices of the past. If you talk too much, you take the opportunity to speak and may eventually make the student lose their confidence and give up in trying to learn English because they were not able to communicate with the teacher. In addition, Japanese students usually do not mention that they want to speak more but the truth is they do want to. Last but not least, it makes lessons boring and monotonous. Some strategies to reduce your TTT are:
- Use body language, gestures and facial expressions rather than words.
- Use guiding questions and clear examples so that students can mimic you
- Don’t mistakenly assume that a silent period is negative and awkward. This is a lesson and not a blind date. Allow the person time to think, tell them to ask you a question, there are so many ways you could use this moment and turn it into an opportunity to speak.
Have fun
Last but not least my last advice is for you to have fun and enjoy teaching English. Don’t see it as a routine job but as an opportunity to be creative and bring amazing value to your students. We understand students are customers but we also recommend you to see them as friends, it is okay to say a couple jokes, to share your story and to develop strong bonds with them. The job of an adult English teacher in Tokyo is not only to teach grammar and vocabulary but to also bring joy and value to the lives of your students. Do your best and do not forget to enjoy the process of teaching.
Here are Some Additional Quick Reads
https://www.thebrokebackpacker.com/teaching-english-japan/
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This post was originally posted on our blog here to help people find a part-time position in Tokyo, Japan.

