Assistant Teacher?

[Teru_Futago]

Sorry if the same question was posted before, I'm new here.
I want to be an ALT, and I was wondering if the teacher I would be assisting would also speak English, or only Japanese? I want to be able to communicate with him/her, but I don't know very much Japanese.

[Gekishinken]

Sorry if the same question was posted before, I'm new here.
I want to be an ALT, and I was wondering if the teacher I would be assisting would also speak English, or only Japanese? I want to be able to communicate with him/her, but I don't know very much Japanese.

English, though how good they may actually be will depend on the teacher.

[LilyTook]

It depends on your placement and your grade level. If you're teaching elementary school in a somewhat rural area (as I am), your teachers there may know very, very little English and you may be expected to main teach most of the time. On the other hand, the Junior High School JTEs here all speak English, so as long as you're placed in JHS and above, you should be fine.

[Fukuisaurus]

Sorry if the same question was posted before, I'm new here.
I want to be an ALT, and I was wondering if the teacher I would be assisting would also speak English, or only Japanese? I want to be able to communicate with him/her, but I don't know very much Japanese.

As LilyTook said, it really depends on where you are placed. However, don't let your lack of Japanese ability deter you from applying! They will take your Japanese language level into account when deciding where you will be placed. If you don't speak any Japanese, they probably won't place you in an elementary school where nobody speaks English.

Remember that speaking Japanese is not a prerequisite to apply for the JET Programme. Our job is to be the resident "expert" native English speaker at our schools, and to bring foreign culture to our communities. Although I would strongly advise you to start learning Japanese if you do plan to apply. It will really improve your quality of life if you at least learn the basics.

[EricaHartmann]

You say that they probably won't do that, but it is still possible. On that note my BoE didn't even know my Japanese level, they straight out assumed I knew nothing.

Apply if you want, just make sure you're ready for a massive language barrier.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

If you don't speak any Japanese, they probably won't place you in an elementary school where nobody speaks English.

They did with me. But you get by, especially once you have a few months study under your belt.

[Siyris]

Sorry if the same question was posted before, I'm new here.
I want to be an ALT, and I was wondering if the teacher I would be assisting would also speak English, or only Japanese? I want to be able to communicate with him/her, but I don't know very much Japanese.

The answer varies depending on placement. Some schools there are no JTEs (Japanese Teacher of English)... though those are primarily elementary schools. At those schools, it's likely you won't be working with someone who speaks English at all, and if they do, it will probably only be a few words here and there. Typically at elementary, you work with the homeroom teachers of each class, rather than with a specified English teacher, though that's not always the case.

At Junior high and senior high schools, you will be working with at least one, and up to 12 JTEs, all of varying English levels. My last JTE had a middle English level, but no confidence in speaking, so she always used Japanese with me. My new JTE has a pretty high level of English but also low confidence.... however she and I are the same age, as is the art teacher and the math teacher, so we made a teachers' English speaking group and agreed to try and speak English with each other as often as possible.

From what I hear, senior high schools are the most likely to have a JTE that speaks fluently (or close to fluently). I know that at least in my prefecture, the shs jobs are fewer, but 90+% of the time, SHS ALTs are those who have lower language abilities, while JHS and ES ALTs are typically at a higher language level. Also, in my prefecture, the better Japanese you have the more rural you are likely to be. Mind you, these are just trends that I've noticed in my prefecture, and I have no clue if they are actual facts or just chance happenings (read as: Take this with a grain of salt).

Whatever the situation is, learning Japanese is a good plan, not only because it will make communication with coworkers and students easier, but it will also make relationships with coworkers better, take away at least some of the stress of living in a foreign country, and make it more likely that you will be able to make friends in your area.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

The answer varies depending on placement. Some schools there are no JTEs (Japanese Teacher of English)... though those are primarily elementary schools. At those schools, it's likely you won't be working with someone who speaks English at all, and if they do, it will probably only be a few words here and there. Typically at elementary, you work with the homeroom teachers of each class, rather than with a specified English teacher, though that's not always the case.
Whatever the situation is, learning Japanese is a good plan, not only because it will make communication with coworkers and students easier, but it will also make relationships with coworkers better, take away at least some of the stress of living in a foreign country, and make it more likely that you will be able to make friends in your area.

Just a FYI, but we still call the homeroom sensei JTEs.

And yes, being able to talk is good.

[Siyris]

Just a FYI, but we still call the homeroom sensei JTEs.

And yes, being able to talk is good.

I suppose that could vary depending on area then, because around where I am, we call only the English teachers JTEs and the rest Homeroom teachers or HTs. Could be that way because some of the ES around here do have their own JTEs as well as HTs.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

I suppose that could vary depending on area then, because around where I am, we call only the English teachers JTEs and the rest Homeroom teachers or HTs. Could be that way because some of the ES around here do have their own JTEs as well as HTs.

In my area only one ES that I know of had a JTE, and she got let go/shuffled elsewhere when the new school year rolled over.
In a way I'm sorta jealous, but in another way now that I have very basic Japanese I kind of prefer being 'the Eigo Sensei'. It means I get to plan things and more or less run them myself, which spares me the hassle of the BS Let's Chants and means I can spend more time having the students practice actual communication.