I worked for NOVA for 2 years in the mid-90s. At first it was a bit tough and stressful, but their method of teaching is very easy to learn and can be quite effective, if you have the right mind set, patience, and a good sense of humor. It wasn't perfect, but over all, it was a great experience. I met my wife while there and travel back quite often.
NOVA is now back up and running. Not sure if they've changed at all, but I'd work for them again.
I worked for Nova for 3 years and look back on it as a really enjoyable time. Met some great people, travelled a bit, earned good money and hopefully helped a lot of students to improve their English speaking skills. Sorry that lots of other people wont get that chance now.
1. Nova was good in some ways. For example, no other company will bring teachers to Japan, meet them at the airport, provide employment to them, teach them how to teach the lessons, find an apartment in Japan (almost impossible to do without knowing the system). There is NO other company who will do all that. People are too quick to bag NOVA.
2. Nova's weakness was the upper echelons were removed from teaching and not involved with educational program.
JET is not a company. It's a program under the Japanese government. JET would be the best way to teach in Japan in terms of pay. They even give you a plane ticket.
Hi, I worked 7 months for aeon, 4 for nova before the collapse. Aeon was good, but there were some drawbacks. Some of the drawbacks, you don't get paid to prepare lessons, this you do in your 'free' time, I believe geos is the same way, so at first you may be actually working 10 hours a so or more extra for nothing, also you have to sell a lot of extra materials, other than those things, it was good. You will teach classroom style and you can choose adults which I would recommend.
I guess I should add that as it is a monthly salary, the payment is not based on the number of hours worked. This is the same for pretty much any company that pays its workers a monthly salary. I know of a lot of people who work a lot of overtime and do not get paid for it (Japanese company workers). However, part of the contract at geos guarantees overtime pay, so it is better than many other Japanese companies in that way.
i worked for nova for 18 months and loved Japan! Thanks for the vid...love the heart behind it! Keep being an inspiration in the classroom too! The Japanese people rock!!! as you know:)
Is it a coincidence that NOVA started to go under AFTER the murder/death of a NOVA teacher from the UK last year? It could be a way for the Japanese to conceal and forever bury this dark humiliation.
Usually Japanese isn't used in the classroom as it cuts down on time for students to concentrate on English- some Eikaiwas even ban it altogether. For sure, knowledge of it can help with understanding student mistakes, though. Overall, the most important 'authentic' qualifications for teaching are patience and a sense of humour. These are the qualities that the most successful teachers I've met here have in abundance.
A working knowledge of Japanese is very useful, to be sure. It can be used to help beginning adults with vocab, help understand where the student's errors come from, and also to let kids know you understand them when they might try to make fun of you. ;)
However, patience is an absolute, a sense of humor is a bonus, knowledge of English grammar and parts of speech VERY useful, and, of course, a genuine care. These things are much more important than knowledge of Japanese, IMO.
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
The "bottom of the barrel" are the Nova "teachers." Now Nova went bankrupt, ^-^ and these disgruntled teachers try to seek overpaid jobs at other language schools. But even the crap schools like ECC and Geos have minimal standards. LOL! So these unemployable losers spend their days expressing hate toward Japan on YouTube.
Look, no-one here is expressing anything but love for Japan, or they wouldn't want to stay. It's just hard for people who made the move over here to get employment in a saturated market, with lower wages. Also, I met many good teachers in Nova way back when- maybe not all of them but enough to disprove that view.
Also, don't be so quick to write off people coming to Japan for a change of scene and to experience a new culture as 'losers'. A lot of people here do have qualifications- in fact most, due to the requirement of having a university degree. Maybe they prefer a traveling, interesting lifestyle to a boring desk-job at 'home'? Winner or loser is a relative term.
I'm sorry, your other comments were just too libelous too keep up here. I did meet good teachers at Nova with degrees from decent universities. Many had other careers they stopped for a while or skills they could use elsewhere, it's not true that people come here because of no other options (well maybe in some cases!). What let it all down was a management that tried to expand too quickly and lack of training. Experienced teachers also had little reason to stay on.
It is a shame, but I suppose things are bound to change. Travellers were always the antithesis to mainstream Japanese society, with their bohemian lifestyles and freedom-loving ways.
I suppose Japan has it's fair share of 'Neets' and 'Freetas' now, so it doesn't need travellers so much!
A lot of people were coming here with student loads to pay off and with ultra-low salaries in many disptach jobs that's pretty much impossible.
For the future, China has the most potential I'd say, as it has so much space. It just depends on them getting even more interested in Western culture.
One little thing, though- in the next few years, all the elementary schools will be studying English from native speakers, so Japan may become a booming place for English teachers again yet! (Of course, there still are good jobs, just less of them to go around.)
Actually, in many cases they have given up on attracting Western teachers and are hiring ones from Malaysia or Singapore. Nothing wrong with that, but it's a sign that the whole 'Lets Japan' thing might be over. Maybe 'Let's Korea', or 'Let's China' is next?!
Don't count on it. The air quality, working conditions, and pay are worse in China and Korea. China has nine out of ten of the world's most polluted cities.
Maybe some good will come of it. Partly this mess was created by the idea that the teacher is some kind of magician who will make your life happy- many students treated it as a main hobby, so it's not too surprising that they felt let down when they realised that for most teachers it was just a job (though ironically the real problem was overbooking).
As for Nova, they have been taken over by another company called G-Communication, that is slowly reopening the schools. I can't see the NOVAcation changing there, though my friends in other conversation schools have decent holidays- but nothing like the ones in regular schools here!
What's hardest now will be changing or even getting jobs- hundreds and even thousands of people are going after the same positions. And they aren't even all that good as they are with agencies. There is still a big need for teachers but I don't know if the conditions are getting any better. Enjoy it while you can!
This is true. Once everything is in harmony, it all goes so smoothly and everyone is so nice, life feels like heaven. But then when you need something important, it can be so hard to arrange.
We are forever on thin ice, but the sensation of skating is amazing!
I feel sorry for NOVA teachers who came all the way to japan to teach english with such excitment, but at the same time, as this person say, you have to be ready for such unexpected accident to happen especaially if your in foreign country.
And lets not forget that the real victims r the students.... they also have big ambitons or purposes to come to learn english.. Im sure they were enjoying the lesson so much...!! And now what will happen to them??
Sorry if i sounded argumentative.. any way your video was very good, i wanted to hear from someone who was actually working for NOVA. thank you for posting!
Hello, don't worry you don't sound argumentative. I think one of the problems is that Nova seemed so secure that people trusted it as a safe way to come to Japan. The students are also definitely victims and may never get their money back- it is hard to say that they are the 'real victims', though, as the severest hardships are faced by the teachers and staff.
The lesson to be learned for anyone relocating is to have enough funds for a situation like this. I just hope everyone will be okay and find a way to make something good out of the situation- one that has been a possibility for some time now, though was also never a certainty.
Well said and after so much of the Nova bashing that has been going on on-line great to hear a genuine account from an ex-teacher. Remarkable how he doesn't seem in the slightest bit jaded by the whole teaching English experience and still seems wide eyed by it all. Most people with a ew language schools under the belt are a cynical bunch.
Most people I hang out with have had (or having) many great times here. The conversation schools are a tough gig, unless you are naturally very outgoing with strangers, as you have to seem friendly all the time. High School teaching suits me just fine, I'm not sure I'd still be sane if I were still in the Eikaiwa world!
I don't think 'quality' was a major factor in Nova's collapse. It was more a matter of Nova misrepresenting the availability of lessons with students consequently not being able to book their preferred lesson times, canceling their contracts and not being able to receive a full refund for the remaining lessons.
Having looked into the history of this, you are right as to the cause- in fact the source of this was Japan's supreme court and only later did METI become involved. The dishonest sales tactics were the main problem, which goes right to the top- hence the ultimately damaging police raid on their head office.
But having said this, many refunds were also because the type of teaching was not what the students had been lead to expect- Nova habitually claiming that their teachers had 6 months of specialised training, whereas really there was only 3 days, by someone who themselves had once had 3 days. Other schools exaddurate, but Nova got caught doing so- If they had valued teachers more, if they had tried to attract more experienced ones, they might have saved themselves.
I worked for NCB 1992-1995, and if there is a Hell I'm going there for awhile for the role I served in getting students locked into their 2 year contracts. Once the law was changed allowing students to get out of their pre-pay loans, the writing was on the wall for all the eikaiwas.
I didn't mind working holidays, and I liked having Tue & Thu off always. I had a 25-hr schedule but the work was about 4hrs x 5 days basically.
lol, don't take this wrong way but you remind me of the main character in the movie Atlantis. (don't remember his name) but cute. ><
Blissi18 1 year ago
I worked for NOVA for 2 years in the mid-90s. At first it was a bit tough and stressful, but their method of teaching is very easy to learn and can be quite effective, if you have the right mind set, patience, and a good sense of humor. It wasn't perfect, but over all, it was a great experience. I met my wife while there and travel back quite often.
NOVA is now back up and running. Not sure if they've changed at all, but I'd work for them again.
kindlewood 1 year ago
きめぇ、ホモみてぇな喋り方してんな豚が
goku123531241 1 year ago
Very nicely done. I appreciate your natural humility. Are you a Christian?
yellowhusk 1 year ago
@yellowhusk
-Humility's also very much a Buddhist trait.. ;)
Pelagius69 1 year ago
I worked for Nova for 3 years and look back on it as a really enjoyable time. Met some great people, travelled a bit, earned good money and hopefully helped a lot of students to improve their English speaking skills. Sorry that lots of other people wont get that chance now.
Skyheights99 3 years ago
My opinion of NOVA:
1. Nova was good in some ways. For example, no other company will bring teachers to Japan, meet them at the airport, provide employment to them, teach them how to teach the lessons, find an apartment in Japan (almost impossible to do without knowing the system). There is NO other company who will do all that. People are too quick to bag NOVA.
2. Nova's weakness was the upper echelons were removed from teaching and not involved with educational program.
makinawdandy6699 3 years ago
what company do you recommend going with? Jett, AEON? Im getting my bachelors degree in December and want to teach in Japan for a year. Thankyou.
Josephmgo 3 years ago
JET is not a company. It's a program under the Japanese government. JET would be the best way to teach in Japan in terms of pay. They even give you a plane ticket.
therealJMTaylor 3 years ago
Hi, I worked 7 months for aeon, 4 for nova before the collapse. Aeon was good, but there were some drawbacks. Some of the drawbacks, you don't get paid to prepare lessons, this you do in your 'free' time, I believe geos is the same way, so at first you may be actually working 10 hours a so or more extra for nothing, also you have to sell a lot of extra materials, other than those things, it was good. You will teach classroom style and you can choose adults which I would recommend.
jinglerdodat 3 years ago
At geos, you get a monthly salary, up to 29.5 hours work. This includes lesson prep time, actually. Anything over the 29.5 hours is paid in overtime.
snarf66 2 years ago
I guess I should add that as it is a monthly salary, the payment is not based on the number of hours worked. This is the same for pretty much any company that pays its workers a monthly salary. I know of a lot of people who work a lot of overtime and do not get paid for it (Japanese company workers). However, part of the contract at geos guarantees overtime pay, so it is better than many other Japanese companies in that way.
snarf66 2 years ago
i worked for nova for 18 months and loved Japan! Thanks for the vid...love the heart behind it! Keep being an inspiration in the classroom too! The Japanese people rock!!! as you know:)
livingtri 3 years ago 2
Is it a coincidence that NOVA started to go under AFTER the murder/death of a NOVA teacher from the UK last year? It could be a way for the Japanese to conceal and forever bury this dark humiliation.
jeredweaver1of1 3 years ago
I 've seen other vids and the english teachers
don't know japanese very well. How can you
teach a langauge and don't know how to speak it well. Are the qualifications very low to teach there?
jas03000 4 years ago 4
Usually Japanese isn't used in the classroom as it cuts down on time for students to concentrate on English- some Eikaiwas even ban it altogether. For sure, knowledge of it can help with understanding student mistakes, though. Overall, the most important 'authentic' qualifications for teaching are patience and a sense of humour. These are the qualities that the most successful teachers I've met here have in abundance.
Starfires 4 years ago
@Starfires
A working knowledge of Japanese is very useful, to be sure. It can be used to help beginning adults with vocab, help understand where the student's errors come from, and also to let kids know you understand them when they might try to make fun of you. ;)
However, patience is an absolute, a sense of humor is a bonus, knowledge of English grammar and parts of speech VERY useful, and, of course, a genuine care. These things are much more important than knowledge of Japanese, IMO.
Pelagius69 1 year ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
The "bottom of the barrel" are the Nova "teachers." Now Nova went bankrupt, ^-^ and these disgruntled teachers try to seek overpaid jobs at other language schools. But even the crap schools like ECC and Geos have minimal standards. LOL! So these unemployable losers spend their days expressing hate toward Japan on YouTube.
shintaroDaKiIIa 4 years ago
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Look, no-one here is expressing anything but love for Japan, or they wouldn't want to stay. It's just hard for people who made the move over here to get employment in a saturated market, with lower wages. Also, I met many good teachers in Nova way back when- maybe not all of them but enough to disprove that view.
Starfires 4 years ago
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Also, don't be so quick to write off people coming to Japan for a change of scene and to experience a new culture as 'losers'. A lot of people here do have qualifications- in fact most, due to the requirement of having a university degree. Maybe they prefer a traveling, interesting lifestyle to a boring desk-job at 'home'? Winner or loser is a relative term.
Starfires 4 years ago
Anyone can buy a degree in two weeks!
Nova was finding teachers on craigslist. What do you think?
shintaroDaKiIIa 4 years ago
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I'm sorry, your other comments were just too libelous too keep up here. I did meet good teachers at Nova with degrees from decent universities. Many had other careers they stopped for a while or skills they could use elsewhere, it's not true that people come here because of no other options (well maybe in some cases!). What let it all down was a management that tried to expand too quickly and lack of training. Experienced teachers also had little reason to stay on.
Starfires 4 years ago
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It is a shame, but I suppose things are bound to change. Travellers were always the antithesis to mainstream Japanese society, with their bohemian lifestyles and freedom-loving ways.
Starfires 4 years ago
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I suppose Japan has it's fair share of 'Neets' and 'Freetas' now, so it doesn't need travellers so much!
A lot of people were coming here with student loads to pay off and with ultra-low salaries in many disptach jobs that's pretty much impossible.
For the future, China has the most potential I'd say, as it has so much space. It just depends on them getting even more interested in Western culture.
Starfires 4 years ago
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One little thing, though- in the next few years, all the elementary schools will be studying English from native speakers, so Japan may become a booming place for English teachers again yet! (Of course, there still are good jobs, just less of them to go around.)
Starfires 4 years ago
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Actually, in many cases they have given up on attracting Western teachers and are hiring ones from Malaysia or Singapore. Nothing wrong with that, but it's a sign that the whole 'Lets Japan' thing might be over. Maybe 'Let's Korea', or 'Let's China' is next?!
Starfires 4 years ago
Don't count on it. The air quality, working conditions, and pay are worse in China and Korea. China has nine out of ten of the world's most polluted cities.
thewhitekimby 4 years ago 3
and they eat dogs and cats
meph4 3 years ago
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Maybe some good will come of it. Partly this mess was created by the idea that the teacher is some kind of magician who will make your life happy- many students treated it as a main hobby, so it's not too surprising that they felt let down when they realised that for most teachers it was just a job (though ironically the real problem was overbooking).
Starfires 4 years ago
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I guess this isn't a message relating to your comment, but how many of the kanji do you know?
TVwatcha01 4 years ago
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As for Nova, they have been taken over by another company called G-Communication, that is slowly reopening the schools. I can't see the NOVAcation changing there, though my friends in other conversation schools have decent holidays- but nothing like the ones in regular schools here!
Starfires 4 years ago
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What's hardest now will be changing or even getting jobs- hundreds and even thousands of people are going after the same positions. And they aren't even all that good as they are with agencies. There is still a big need for teachers but I don't know if the conditions are getting any better. Enjoy it while you can!
Starfires 4 years ago
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It is hard to live there,but once u live there its paradise.
konzolmester 4 years ago
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This is true. Once everything is in harmony, it all goes so smoothly and everyone is so nice, life feels like heaven. But then when you need something important, it can be so hard to arrange.
We are forever on thin ice, but the sensation of skating is amazing!
Starfires 4 years ago
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his eyebrows look like fat slugs
mr40oz 4 years ago
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If you want to see them when they aren't resting on my forehead, just check out my "Mysterious Creature 3" video!
Starfires 4 years ago
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I feel sorry for NOVA teachers who came all the way to japan to teach english with such excitment, but at the same time, as this person say, you have to be ready for such unexpected accident to happen especaially if your in foreign country.
And lets not forget that the real victims r the students.... they also have big ambitons or purposes to come to learn english.. Im sure they were enjoying the lesson so much...!! And now what will happen to them??
lemi202 4 years ago
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Sorry if i sounded argumentative.. any way your video was very good, i wanted to hear from someone who was actually working for NOVA. thank you for posting!
lemi202 4 years ago
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Hello, don't worry you don't sound argumentative. I think one of the problems is that Nova seemed so secure that people trusted it as a safe way to come to Japan. The students are also definitely victims and may never get their money back- it is hard to say that they are the 'real victims', though, as the severest hardships are faced by the teachers and staff.
Starfires 4 years ago
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The lesson to be learned for anyone relocating is to have enough funds for a situation like this. I just hope everyone will be okay and find a way to make something good out of the situation- one that has been a possibility for some time now, though was also never a certainty.
Starfires 4 years ago
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Well said. Thanks.
cyborlite 4 years ago
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Well said and after so much of the Nova bashing that has been going on on-line great to hear a genuine account from an ex-teacher. Remarkable how he doesn't seem in the slightest bit jaded by the whole teaching English experience and still seems wide eyed by it all. Most people with a ew language schools under the belt are a cynical bunch.
TheEnglishGentleman 4 years ago
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Most people I hang out with have had (or having) many great times here. The conversation schools are a tough gig, unless you are naturally very outgoing with strangers, as you have to seem friendly all the time. High School teaching suits me just fine, I'm not sure I'd still be sane if I were still in the Eikaiwa world!
Starfires 4 years ago
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I don't think 'quality' was a major factor in Nova's collapse. It was more a matter of Nova misrepresenting the availability of lessons with students consequently not being able to book their preferred lesson times, canceling their contracts and not being able to receive a full refund for the remaining lessons.
jankenloser 4 years ago
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Having looked into the history of this, you are right as to the cause- in fact the source of this was Japan's supreme court and only later did METI become involved. The dishonest sales tactics were the main problem, which goes right to the top- hence the ultimately damaging police raid on their head office.
Starfires 4 years ago
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But having said this, many refunds were also because the type of teaching was not what the students had been lead to expect- Nova habitually claiming that their teachers had 6 months of specialised training, whereas really there was only 3 days, by someone who themselves had once had 3 days. Other schools exaddurate, but Nova got caught doing so- If they had valued teachers more, if they had tried to attract more experienced ones, they might have saved themselves.
Starfires 4 years ago
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I worked for NCB 1992-1995, and if there is a Hell I'm going there for awhile for the role I served in getting students locked into their 2 year contracts. Once the law was changed allowing students to get out of their pre-pay loans, the writing was on the wall for all the eikaiwas.
I didn't mind working holidays, and I liked having Tue & Thu off always. I had a 25-hr schedule but the work was about 4hrs x 5 days basically.
tachikaze222 4 years ago