Job: Assistant Director – UC International for University of Cincinnati (Ohio)
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Posted by Jayme Tsutsuse (Kyoto-fu, 2013-Present), organizer of Cross-Cultural Kansai. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Position: Assistant Director
Posted by: UC International for University of Cincinnati
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Type: Full-time
Salery: $40,000 – 45,000
Overview:
Duties must be directly related to conducting, directing, or assisting in an academic program or academic unit, or directing or assisting with the direction of an academic advising office or center. These duties must comprise of at least 75% or more of the work assigned to the position.
The position must have primary responsibility for the administration of the program or unit. (Administrative work elements are considered secondary, non-academic, and must not exceed 25% of the work assigned.)
(Academic director positions located in an academic department or academic unit may use this title as a secondary appointment for faculty members serving as directors. Such appointments would remain secondary to the faculty appointment. )
(Faculty members holding this title as a secondary appointment are subject to those policies and procedures applicable to their primary appointment and retain faculty benefits.)
WIT Life #261: After Life
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WIT Life is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends along with her own observations.
Last night Japan Society concluded its Tribute to Donald Richie: Richie’s Fantastic Five with a screening of After Life (「ワンダフルライフ」), my favorite film from my favorite Japanese director, Hirokazu Kore-eda (The second part of the Richie Tribute, Richie’s Electric Eight, will start on March 13). It was released in 1998, and I remember catching it at the local arts cinema in my hometown. I hadn’t seen Kore-eda’s first film, Maboroshi （「幻の光」）, and I was blown away by After Life. Maboroshi was based on a novel by Teru Miyamoto, but After Life is Kore-eda’s original screenplay, one he created after interviewing hundreds regarding recollections of their lives. In the film as well he actually used some of these non-actors to tell their stories.
The movie takes place at a way station where people are sent after they die. They are to reside there for a week, during which time they must pick one memory that they are allowed to take with them into the afterlife. Each counselor is assigned about seven people who they must help make this decision. The style of each employee varies, as does the nature of their clients. We meet elderly deceased who fondly recall their childhoods, as well as young deceased who struggle to find meaning in their short lives. The audience also later learns that the reason Read More
I’ll Make It Myself!: Food Report: Sakura Season 2014
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L.M. Zoller (CIR Ishikawa-ken, Anamizu, 2009-11) is the editor of The Ishikawa JET Kitchen: Cooking in Japan Without a Fight. Ze works in international student exchange; writes I’ll Make It Myself!, a blog about food culture in Japan and the US; curates The Rice Cooker Chronicles, a series of essays by JETs and JET alumni on the theme of cooking/eating and being alone in Japan; and admins The JET Alumni Culinary Group on LinkedIn.
In part 1 of this two-part(?) series, I take a look at Starbucks’ annual sakura “latte,” Häagen-Dazs’ rose and sakura ice creams, and something special from Seattle!
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First, I’m very jealous of you all in Japan enjoying or about to enjoy the sakura food! I like to follow food trends, so, for posterity, here are some foods from cherry-blossom season 2014. Most of these are from international brands and chains that localize their products for Japan.
Screenshot of the Starbucks Products Page (2/16/2014) See also here.
【RocketNews24】There’s snow in my kitchen! Heaviest snowfall on record brings Yamanashi Prefecture to its knees
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Posted by Michelle Lynn Dinh (Shimane-ken, Chibu-mura, 2010–13), editor and writer for RocketNews24. The following article was written by Cara Clegg, a writer and translator for RocketNews24, a Japan-based site dedicated to bringing fun and quirky news from Asia to English speaking audiences.
We’ve already seen Hokkaido residents putting a damper on the fuss Tokyo-ites are making over a bit of snow, but Yamanashi Prefecture genuinely might be able to give them a run for their money. Huge amounts of the white stuff has been causing problems across the prefecture, but has been comparatively underreported compared to events around the capital.
Residents have been taking to Twitter to share these shocking images that aren’t making it onto the news. Check out these rather epic photos.
Job: Reischauer Policy Research Fellows Program (Washington, DC)
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Correction 02/19/14: The Reischauer Center is located in Washington, DC. This post previously listed Boston (incorrectly) as the location. Apologies for any confusion.
Received directly from the Reischauer Institute. Posted by blogger and podcaster Jon Dao (Toyama-ken, 2009-12). Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
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Overview:
Inaugurated in May, 2013, Reischauer Policy Research Fellows Program is a key program of the Reischauer Center. It isdesigned to support the Center’s research program, while also providing recent university graduates with broad practical experience regarding the public and private-sector policy analysis process in Washington, D.C. Fellows, who receive an annual stipend of over $21,000, are selected annually through a nationwide-search process. Fellowships are tenable for one full calendar year, and potentially renewable for an additional year. Read More
CLAIR Magazine “JET Plaza” series: Jody Maria-Ann Dixon (Yamanashi)
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Each month, current and former JET participants are featured in the “JET Plaza” section of the CLAIR Forum magazine. The January 2014 edition includes an article by current JET participant Jody Dixon. Posted by Celine Castex (Chiba-ken, 2006-11), currently programme coordinator at CLAIR Tokyo.
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“Internationalization is a reciprocal process. So, whilst the language is seemingly daunting, it holds the key to a side of Japan you are yet to see. Learn the language, and you’ll be amazed at the things it will teach you.”
Originally from Jamaica, Jody Maria-Ann Dixon (Yamanashi-ken, 2009- present) came to Japan for the first time on the JET Programme. The melting pot of cultures and experiences she had daily during her previous job as a Guest Services Manager and Environmental Project Manager at a resort, coupled with her previous academic pursuits (BSc Geography and Geology at the University of the West Indies) were a huge influence on her decision to join the Programme. She has been living and teaching in Fuefuki, Yamanashi, for the past five years and reckons that this experience has engendered a spirit of loyalty; deepened her respect for people and their cultures; and has helped her immensely in making decisions towards her lifelong career goals, which will be centred on international education.
Language and Reciprocity
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” – Nelson Mandela.
“Hello, Konnichiwa!” After four and a half years of walking down my senior high school’s corridors shoulder to shoulder with my Japanese Teachers of English, and hearing this familiar greeting, I am still tremendously appreciative of my students’ use of both English and Japanese interchangeably. Whether they believe that I still don’t understand Japanese (due to my minimal use at school), and they are making an effort to be accommodating; or it is simply an encoded reflex upon catching sight of me, it doesn’t diminish the warmth that the vocalization of a single, friendly, English word evokes.
Upon accepting my placement on the JET Programme, I was honestly blasé about the idea of learning the Japanese language. In my mind, I presumed two things: if it wasn’t a requirement for acceptance, it wasn’t a requirement for “survival,” and; with immersion, the acquisition of Japanese language skills would come easily and naturally. It was indeed sad, the hubris of this English monolingual. Consequently, I arrived in Tokyo in the summer of 2009, and shortly after being welcomed by the beaming faces of fellow foreigners with brightly decorated English placards, I was bombarded with signs, questions, choices and challenges, entirely in Japanese. Though I was to be a resident in this country – for what I didn’t know then, was going to be at least five years – for a moment, (that I didn’t allow to last too long), I was nothing more than a struggling “tourist,” being constantly aided by jovial and obliging individuals using a mixture of a smidgen of English, light speed Japanese, gestures noteworthy of a winning game of charades and a series of begrudging sighs.
No one, especially at the grand old age of 23, wants to feel helpless and illiterate. Whilst I relished being the novel neighbourhood foreigner, and welcomed the polite gestures and formal invitations extended to me, I constantly felt that there was something missing. Though there were always words being exchanged, I was failing horribly at meaningful communication. For a while, I felt cheated. My shortcoming of non-existent Japanese language skills had me teetering on the periphery of all the things life in Japan encompassed. If I wanted to regain my privacy; make connections and friends outside of my Japanese workplace; or indulge in and understand the folklore and traditions, etc. I had to make an effort to acquire some level of Japanese proficiency. I knew I was here to teach English, and perhaps about life in Jamaica if they’d agree, but I also understood very early, that in order to do so effectively, I would have to commit myself unreservedly to learning. Read More
Let’s Talk Japan, Episode 20 – Occupied Kyoto
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Let’s Talk Japan is a monthly, interview format podcast covering a wide range of Japan-related topics. Host Nick Harling (Mie-ken, 2001-03) lived in Japan from 2001 until 2005, including two great years as a JET Program participant in Mie-Ken. He practices law in Washington, D.C., and lives with his wife who patiently listens to him talk about Japan . . . a lot.
In this episode, Nick sits down with Washington, D.C. native Jan Evans Hauser to discuss her experience living in Kyoto, Japan during the American occupation following WWII.
At the time, Jan’s step-father was Brigadier General Eugene Harrison, who was the Chief of Staff to Major General Joseph Swing, the commander of the U.S. Army’s 1st Corps. During the occupation, 1st Corps was headquartered in Kyoto and responsible for administering the Southern half of occupied Japan.
Together Nick and Jan discuss what life was like in Japan immediately after the war and how Kyoto captivated her imagination, just as it has so many others.
If you have not already done so, be sure to “Like” the podcast on Facebook, and follow the podcast on Twitter @letstalkjapan. Additionally, please consider leaving a positive rating and/or review in iTunes.
Job: Native English Teachers (Osaka Prefecture, Japan)
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Application deadline is Thursday, February 20th.
Via JET alum and former AJET chair Matt Cook who is overseeing this program. Posted by blogger and podcaster Jon Dao (Toyama-ken, 2009-12). Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
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Position: Native English Teacher
Location: Osaka, Japan
Type: Contract
Salary: 303,000 yen per month
Overview:
We are looking for Native English Teachers for April 2014-March 2015. The Osaka Prefectural Board of Education is the most progressive, forward moving BoE in Japan, when it comes to English language education. If you’re interested in a career, and want opportunities to develop professionally, this may be the chance you’ve been looking for. Read More
“I didn’t have any idea what I was getting into when I arrived as a JET, or if I would even be here longer than a couple of years. However, working for the future of these children, and trying to give them more opportunities in their future, has become my greatest personal accomplishment and given my life new meaning.” (Courtesy of Matthew Cook)
By Eden Law (Fukushima-ken, 2010-11) for JQ Magazine. Eden is a member of JETAA NSW, based in Sydney, Australia, which is part of the thriving JETAA Oceania community that covers Australia and New Zealand.
As a JET Programme success story, that of Matthew Cook (Osaka-fu, 2007-12)’s must surely rank as being one of the most extraordinary and inspiring. Hailing from Blacksburg, Virginia in the U.S., Matthew’s interest in Japanese martial arts led to his participation on JET. Beginning a five-year tenure as an in Osaka ALT, he also served as AJET national council chair, working with the Japanese government as well as JET alumni associations, international corporations, and news media about the value of the programme and internationalization. In 2012, after his JET tenure ended, he was hired by the Osaka Prefectural Board of Education as their Native English Teacher (NET) Program Coordinator, and in the following year, became a senior staff member appointed to the revolutionary English Education Reform Project—and as far as anyone knows, a first for a foreign-born, former JET to be appointed to a senior government role in education.
Now almost a year after his historic appointment, Matthew generously took some time out of his packed schedule to talk with JQ about his role, and most interestingly of all, provide some frank opinions about the JET Programme and the state and future of English education in Japan.
First of all, let me just say, congratulations on your achievement. In a nutshell, how did you go from being an ALT to a senior staff position at the Osaka Prefectural Board of Education? Is that something you could have imagined doing when you first arrived as a JET in 2007?
Thank you very much. It’s been a whirlwind, these past few years, and the congratulations are appreciated. However, we believe the real work is just beginning now.
During my time as a JET, I had the unique opportunity to develop my own curriculum and methodology, teaching junior high and elementary school students. I taught phonics part of a methodology, with the goal of extensive reading. I also had the honor being the AJET national council chair my final year on JET. That experience opened a lot of doors, allowing me to meet some influential people that I may not have been able to meet otherwise.
One of those people was Toru Nakahara, who was named the superintendent of the Osaka Prefectural Board of Education on April 1 of last year. He holds the strong belief that English education has been a failure in Japan, and wants to reform the system altogether. He was one of the first people to take my opinions and experiences seriously, and believed that I could use them to play a key role in the reformation of English education in Osaka. Because of that, I got the chance to interview for a position on his special “English Reform Project Team,” fondly referred to as the “Seven Samurai.”
It’s something I never would have dreamed of in 2007. In fact, I didn’t have any idea what I was getting into when I arrived as a JET, or if I would even be here longer than a couple of years. However, working for the future of these children, and trying to give them more opportunities in their future, has become my greatest personal accomplishment and given my life new meaning.
“Seven Samurai” is a wonderfully evocative name. Who are the other members on the English Reform Project Team?
I was hired from outside the board of education along with Kiyoshi Takeda, who was a high school English teacher in Shiga prefecture. He took a couple years off, and a few years ago he graduated from Harvard with a master’s in educational leadership.
Colleagues who already worked for the board education were teamed with us, because they should have a good understanding of the internal processes of the board of education. Two members from the high school division, two members from the prefectural education center, and one member from the elementary and junior high school division.
I know it’s early days yet, but what kind of impact does the appointment of a non-Japanese (and a former JET!) to a government position have on English education and the perception of JETs in particular?
That’s a tough question for me to answer. It’s a huge leap forward, and very encouraging from my viewpoint. I hope that it opens the door for other government entities in Japan to see what’s possible and search out capable employees with broader experience and different perspectives to add to their workplace. If there’s anything that I’ve learned, it’s that diversity should be celebrated and encouraged.
Job: ESL Lecturer, SUNY New Paltz (NY)
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Posted by Jayme Tsutsuse (Kyoto-fu, 2013-Present), organizer of Cross-Cultural Kansai. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Position: ESL Lecturer
Posted by: Haggerty English Language Program, SUNY New Paltz
Location: New Paltz, NY
Type: Full-time
Overview:
SUNY New Paltz seeks a Full-time Lecturer for intensive English Language Program.
Job Duties:
- Teach academic English to university international students at all levels and in all skill areas
- Participate in curriculum innovation and materials review, coordination, and development
- Assist with testing and placement, orientation, student-centered projects, activities and workshops
- Provide individual mentoring to students and participate in cross-cultural activities and events
- Teach in summer program
Job: Associate Director – Center for Global Education, Gettysburg College (PA)
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Posted by Jayme Tsutsuse (Kyoto-fu, 2013-Present), organizer of Cross-Cultural Kansai. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Position: Associate Director
Posted by: Center for Global Education, Gettysburg College
Location: Gettysburg, PA
Overview:
Gettysburg College seeks qualified candidates for the position of Associate Director, Center for Global Education. This is a 12-month position. Gettysburg College currently sends approximately 60% percent of its student population off campus. As an institution, Gettysburg’s founding principles embrace a rigorous liberal arts education that fosters a global perspective, a spirit of collaboration, a dedication to public service, and an enriching campus life. Global citizenship is a strong component of Gettysburg’s curriculum and additional and creative curricular and co-curricular connections continue to be made to help our students to understand, flourish and lead in a multicultural and global community.
This position will have assigned advising (50%) and administrative (50%) responsibilities for global education activities in a very busy office with a high volume workload. In addition, the Associate Director will conduct various public presentations, be the primary contact for reentry programs including the Global Leaders of Gettysburg College; provide support for faculty leading course-embedded and short-term study abroad experiences; and provide assistance with other projects as assigned by the Director of the Center for Global Education.
Job: Assistant Director/International Student Advisor – Beliot College (WI)
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Posted by Jayme Tsutsuse (Kyoto-fu, 2013-Present), organizer of Cross-Cultural Kansai. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Position: Assistant Director/International Student Advisor
Posted by: Beloit College
Location: Beliot, WI
Overview
Beloit College seeks a dynamic and creative individual with a strong foundation in F-1/J-1 immigration regulations to serve as its International Student Advisor. Responsible for international student and scholar advising, the ISA facilitates the integration of international students into the college and local community and provides supports for students as they prepare for their futures.
Successful candidates will provide evidence they are adept using SEVIS, have effective strategies for communicating with students, and are resourceful. The ISA reports to the Director of International Education and within the Office of International Education, works particularly closely with an ESL instructor, intern, and student workers. The ISA also works with colleagues across the college as well as with community members, and must therefore be an effective networker. In addition to fulfilling the position’s primary functions, the ISA helps support campus internationalization more broadly. The ISA position carries the title of Assistant Director/International Student Advisor.
Located in a diverse community close to Madison, Milwaukee, and Chicago, Beloit College is a highly selective, residential liberal arts college of approximately 1,250 students from 48 states and 40 countries,10% of whom come abroad. Approximately 1/3 of international students are exchange students. Recognized as one of the Colleges that Change Lives, Beloit is committed to the educational benefits of diversity in our learning community and encourages all interested individuals meeting the criteria of the described position to apply. The College is particularly interested in candidates who can help prepare international students to draw on the liberal arts educations to thrive in an increasingly complex world.
Job: Immediate Opening – Japanese Speaking Program Trip Leader March 23-30 (Boston)
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Posted by blogger and podcaster Jon Dao (Toyama-ken, 2009-12). Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
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Position: Trip Leader
Location: Boston
Type: Temp
Overview:
The FGLP Trip Leader is responsible for the overall quality and execution of the Program. You will be a teacher, mentor and friend to the students while coordinating with other Trip Leaders as appropriate. This role is similar to, though broader than, a camp counselor. The Trip Leader plays a major role in student life. Following the detailed and pre-arranged Program itinerary provided, Trip Leaders lead students on excursions. You will have responsibility for the overall Program execution, the quality of the Program and students’ satisfaction. Read More
Job: Administrator for Summer ESL Camp in Japan
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[Steven’s note: “They are looking specifically for a JET alum for this position. Ideally, someone who could perform this role each summer as they run this camp each summer in Japan for about 6 weeks.”]
Posted by blogger and podcaster Jon Dao (Toyama-ken, 2009-12). Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
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Position: Japan Summer Camp Administrator
Location: Japan
Type: Temp/Seasonal
Overview:
We are looking for a person to be based in Japan to administer and help manage a series of English language camps for the summer of 2014. You will be responsible for overseeing a team of 7-8 American university students who will be teaching Japanese high school students, both boys and girls, to practice and become more comfortable with spoken English. Camps generally have a low student:teacher ratio of 10:1 or less to allow for meaningful interactions. Teachers will conduct seminars on topics of their choosing, lead communication classes and participate in panel discussions. As part of this role you will be a substitute teacher in case any of the 8 teachers is unable to teach on a given day. Read More
JET Alumni Speakers Needed for Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh)
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Update 02/13/14: The JASP and Pitt are still seeking speakers for their career event on March 21. Please see the updated details below.
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JET alum Amy Boots of the Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania is seeking JET alumni who can travel to Pittsburgh for a day to speak at a Japan-related careers program. Please get in touch with her if you can help with this great opportunity to demonstrate Return On JET-vestment.
Posted by blogger and podcaster Jon Dao (Toyama-ken, 2009-12). Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
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The Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania, in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh, will hold a career program for university students in the Pittsburgh area who are interested in a Japan-related career. We are looking for presenters with careers that make use of their Japanese language abilities or interest in Japan and are interested in meeting with college students and recent graduates and discussing their experiences in an informal setting. We are able to pay for transportation, one night at a hotel, and an honorarium for your time.
- Some of the program will be about the JET Program and how it can act as a stepping stone, but people with no JET connections are also invited.
- The program runs Friday afternoon 3/21 including a lunch, short info sessions and discussion panels – all casual so you don’t need to prepare much in advance, we will send a schedule and details.
- You can fly in Thurs night/Fri morning and we can return you Saturday or you can stay till Sunday (You would pay the additional 1 night hotel at your own cost or choose to find local accommodation elsewhere) – if you’ve never visited Pittsburgh, we are a great city with lots of museums, restaurants, etc.
- Pittsburgh JET alumni would also be happy to show you the city on Friday night/Saturday if you are interested, including happy hour and tour.
- If traveling is out of the question, we can also arrange for you to videoconference in on Friday afternoon or early evening, which we can thank you for with a gift or modest honoraria.
We have a lot of students of Japanese language or those with interest in international careers and they love to talk to people outside our normal Pittsburgh circles, and we’d love to discuss the program with you if you’re not sure. We also welcome contacts you may know who would be interested – contact Jenn Murawski atjennm@pitt.edu or Amy Boots at aboots@us-japan.org.
