Berlitz

Berlitz has a pretty varied reputation around the world, however Berlitz Japan operates as a separate company from Berlitz International, and the results are pretty remarkable. It is run professionally and smoothly. Training was extensive, the materials have been thoroughly used all over the world (meaning they've been tested, tweaked, and so forth), and the benefits are attractive. Because Berlitz Japan is the largest market of Berlitz, new materials are often given to us first as the flagship country for testing, so our feedback is often requested and taken seriously.

My experience, on the whole, has been incredibly positive. I received extensive training before I started teaching, and then was given a probation period where my mentor worked with me frequently to give me advice and help. The staff at my office have likewise been overly accommodating and have become some of my closest friends in this country. As for actually moving here, the staff helped set me up with a landlord who didn't require key money (a huge expense in Japan) before I ever arrived so I didn't have to stay in a hostel while looking for an apartment. Likewise with a bank account, very few companies here are willing to work with foreigners fresh off the plane (only two banks I know will let you open an account without having lived here for at least six months), so Berlitz set up a deal with Citibank for its employees to get free accounts. I have more vacation days than most of my friends in America, and I'm at a really central nexus for travel.

I also love the kind of teaching I do. I'm not particularly inclined to teach children, so I was assigned (by request) to a business school. My students are funny and interesting. Moreover, Berlitz's tagline is that all lessons are student-oriented, meaning that they highly encourage us to personalize the lesson material to the student. The books are very supportive and very helpful, and I do use them quite a lot, but I'm always given the freedom to introduce new material, vocabulary, activities, etc. And, best of all, since I only work 26 hours a week (considered fulltime here), I have enough time to travel, to study Japanese, to go hiking, to do whatever.

Overall, it's been a fantastic experience. Even in the aftermath of the earthquake, when many people were leaving Japan in fear, I wanted to stay because of the amazing support and friends I had made. Best of all, the Japanese people are so polite and so kind and just all around wonderful (though a good deal more shy than most Americans I know). Before I came, I had very little knowledge or interest in Japan (my impression was mostly of anime and cosplay), but it's quickly become one of my favorite countries in the world (despite my continued disinterest in both anime and cosplay). Japan is an amazing country and I have absolutely no regrets in coming here. I'd originally intended to stay only a year, but my year mark is fast approaching and I've so far made no plans to go home. I think I'll be here a while.