Annica C.
About me
| Annica C. | |
| Language and Linguistic Science | |
| English Language and Linguistics | |
| Undergraduate | |
| Langwith | |
| 2011 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Assistant Language Teacher | |
| JET Programme | |
| Japan | |
| Education | |
| 2013 |
Like this profile?
Add this profile to your favourites so you can return to it later from your account.
A day in the life of a Assistant Language Teacher in Japan
My career history
After graduating I worked for two colleges at the University of Cambridge in Development and Alumni Relations, initially focussing on events and communications and moving into alumni relations and fundraising.
Where I hope to be in 5 years
I'd like to live abroad again, and am considering doing a Masters degree in Sweden. Long term, I'd like to work for an international organisation in project management or do something HR related.
My advice to students considering work
Only apply for the jobs that you actually want to do. Then put your very best into that one application. Then do another. Don't fire off tens of applications each day, employers can tell if you're genuinely keen on the role.
If you're interested in living and teaching abroad then make sure you're committed, find the right programme, try your best to express your positive attitude and flexibility towards unfamiliar situations. Seek advice from someone who's already done this and have realistic expectations. Consider doing a TEFL qualification if it will strengthen your application or if you'll gain experience from it (but do your research first as some are more internationally recognised than others).
My advice about working in my industry
If you're interested in living and teaching abroad then make sure you're committed, find the right programme, try your best to express your positive attitude and flexibility towards unfamiliar situations. Seek advice from someone who's already done this and have realistic expectations. Consider doing a TEFL qualification if it will strengthen your application or if you'll gain experience from it (but do your research first as some are more internationally recognised than others).
What I do
I teach English at Junior High school level in Japan. Duties including lesson planning, teaching, marking students' work, coaching students for speech contest and assisting with day-to-day activities within the school.
Skills I use and how I developed them
Extracurricular skills:
I have to use communication skills on a daily basis, both English and Japanese, and with practise and studying my Japanese is improving, but it certainly doesn't come easily. Sometimes I have to act out a word which ends up being amusing and I've definitely learnt to laugh at myself and to deal with the frustration that the communication barrier brings.
Patience is essential. I just try my best to smile and be encouraging when something isn't working and know that we can always try again. This skill comes from having a positive attitude, something which I always strive for.
What I like most
Teaching students and building a relationship with them, I also get to learn Japanese through English grammar explanations and watching students skills and confidence develop over time is extremely rewarding.
What I like least
There's a big language and culture barrier. It can be a challenge to accept that things are done differently and to understand why. It can be hard to get to know colleagues and to hold fluent and serious discussions due to my lack of Japanese skills and colleagues' lack of English. That being said, this is an immense learning curve for me and I wouldn't want to change it.
Next steps...
If you like the look of Annica’s profile, the next steps are down to you! You can send Annica a message to find out more about their career journey.