AEON Corporation of Japan ESL Teacher Reviews

Pros

Getting to know the students and working with a range of levels is great. If you are just out of college or if you are looking for a way to teach abroad with little or no experience, this company is a good way to start as they will hire and train you. You have the opportunity to teach adults only or adults and children. Kids lessons can break up the monotony of teaching the same adults lessons repeatedly. Three weeks of vacation per year during Japanese national holidays, although traveling can be expensive because everyone is traveling during the same time. If you are recruited outside of Japan, the company has a single apartment for you, so you don't have to worry about key money. They also subsidize your apartment over a certain amount, helpful if you live in a big city.

Cons

Retail education at its finest. A lot of pressure is put on meeting the financial goals of the school. The teachers are expected to be salespeople too, and at times it feels as though you are recommending classes/materials just to fulfill that month's quota. The trust between teachers and students can suffer because of this. The lessons are very structured and don't allow the teacher much room to improvise or adjust the lessons to students' needs. The new digital format allows little time for teacher interaction with students. There's not much opportunity for a foreign teacher to move up. It's a Japanese company so there are only so many career opportunities for foreigners. Unlike some other language schools abroad, AEON does not pay your way to or from the country. There is a high turnover rate for foreign teachers. Most just want to live abroad for a couple of years or, they want to live in Japan but use this company as a starting point.

Pros

Support you at all aspects of your time while working and living in Japan. Decent pay for what you are doing

Cons

The schedule makes it difficult to spend time with anyone other than AEON employees. You are not allowed to use Japanese at work which makes learning the language more difficult.

Pros

I could not state one good thing. I became diagnosed with depression towards the end. I wanted to take it further, but it was their word against mine.

Cons

Blackmail, discrimination from head office, violation of privacy, filthy and damaged apartment, stolen money by staff (not expected in Japan).

Pros

If you are thinking about teaching as a career, especially language teaching, then Aeon is one of the best ways of getting classroom experience under your belt. Unlike ALT positions, the class is your responsibility and you are the one making the difference when it comes to your students' progress. Plus, all of the syllabus contents and lesson plans have already been provided so you don't have to worry about creating your own materials or plans (although some of them are getting out of date). The training was surprisingly good. I expected it to just be reading from textbooks and how to follow the lesson plans, but they covered a lot of actual teaching theory and techniques. The trainers also do follow up training and I can always call them if I have questions. I feel like I have really improved as a teacher, and I know that the job has given me skills that are going to help me when I start looking for my next teaching job.

Cons

Well, the reason I said my next teaching job is because that there is no real promotion in the company. After the branch school positions, there are maybe a couple of emergency teacher positions and then the trainers, but those jobs never open up, so you can feel like you are stuck at the bottom level. It 's easier just to work at a school for a few years so you can make connections to get a job with a different company.

Pros

Furnished apartment Legal paperwork assistance Set up a bank account Class materials are already prepared and structured Friendly/English speaking staff (at my location)

Cons

The hours (12-9pm Tues-Friday; 10-7pm Sat) Pay after deductions and apartment costs and utilities is about $1,300/mo Daily objections are not always clear Japanese staff have tasks that they want you to do, but don’t always tell you so you do not know what to prepare or what to do Unbelievably understaffed in the southern region Recruitment team is uneducated about locations and schools and gave false location information and school information (requested 0-5 kids courses and received 13)

Pros

The pay is pretty good compared to the other Eikaiwa companies. If you get a good school with good staff, it can be a really supportive and fun atmosphere. I went to a few schools, and most schools were very helpful. The benefits are good and usually if you have any problems, either the staff at your school or the foreign trainers at the head office are happy to help you out. Whenever I was sick, the Japanese staff took me to the doctor and helped me with the Japanese, which was really nice. They also set you up with the apartment and the visa, so a lot of the hard part is done for you for your arrival. The size of the apartment depends on where you are, but my apartments were both a decent size. You can take this as a pro or con, but you are also able to practice skills other than teaching, such as sales, professionalism, business tactics, etc. Of course, it makes the job harder, but you are getting more out of it and they are skills you can use to build a resume rather than just "teaching English," because you are involved in the business aspect of things. Outside of work, exploring Japan will contribute a great deal to your experience working in Japan. There are so many places to go and see, and your students are sure to recommend some great places too!

Cons

The hours are not ideal for a lot of people. It can be very difficult to take days off when you want sometimes. There is not a ton of room for growth because there are not very many top positions, and you have to be working in the company for a while to get there. It can be tough and busy depending on the school you are at and how busy that particular school is, but you get paid overtime if you are over a certain amount of classes per week, just like any other job that requires you to work extra hours. Other than that, your experience will largely depend on the school that you get.

Pros

- small classes -can teach every age group -great foundation for teaching esl in a foreign country -they provide a 3 year visa -they provide subsidized housing *which is a really HUGE plus -once you get into the routine of it (takes around 4 months), then you are set

Cons

-your work-life balance is mostly work + free overtime -staff only care about money and not the student's education -they make you use your relationship with the students to sell extra self-study programs -depending on your school, your co-workers can be the best supportive group you'll meet or they will ruin your life -you cannot take days off without major guilt trips even if a family member dies -you do your work on autopilot after a while

Pros

- excellent environment - students are great and motivated - friendly co-workers - trainers are always open for help/assistance

Cons

- can be overwhelming at times (not often, though) - kids' lessons can be challenging due to behavioral problems

Pros

Great if you like to teach. Students ranged all ages and adult students liked to socialise outside of class. Great atmosphere and resources.

Cons

Very corporate structure. Pressure on sales detracted from teaching at times.

Pros

Great environment, hours, and compensation.

Cons

Different working culture can cause misunderstandings.