Thumbnail

Interac Japan

Why choose Interac Japan?

Interac teachers enrich the lives of hundreds of thousands of school children every year by delivering interactive and exciting English lessons. Commonly known as ALTs, which stands for assistant language teacher, Interac’s teachers, working in the Japanese school system, enrich children’s lives by sharing their knowledge of English and communication skills and giving insights into other cultures.

Founded in 1972, Interac is Japan’s largest private provider of professional foreign teachers to the Japanese government through its ALT program. Interac is also a significant player in providing professional teachers for commercial and government organizations.

Reviews

Default avatar
Gerrit
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Japan has it all

Teaching teaching English in public schools is not everybody's cup of tea, however I have found being an ALT in Japan a very rewarding and fulfilling experience. I have had lots of laughs and fun, faced and overcame some unfamiliar challenges, and I count the last three years of working at Interac as an ALT as one of the happiest times of my life.

The Interac management staff whom I have been blessed to work with have all been super supportive and generous with their efforts to make my transition to, and settling into Japan as smooth as possible. The Interac policy of providing ongoing training throughout my employment was also of immense value.

As for Japan as a country, adventure and discovery awaits around every corner. From populous cities to beautiful nature, from exciting theme parks to historic castles, temples and shrines. Japan has it all and more.

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
Shirako, the male prostate gland from certain fish like cod, salmon, squid, or pufferfish. It has a kind of creamy, pudding-like texture and, if prepared well, not a very fishy taste.
Pros
  • Total immersion in a foreign culture.
  • Easy access to authentic Japanese food.
  • Natural hot springs.
Cons
  • High cost of living.
  • Very hot and humid summers.
  • No garbage bins on the streets.
Default avatar
Lancy
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

ALT laifu

My experience as an alt was made unique by the fact that I had such a wonderful school and excellent aupport from the folks over at interac. The students were a joy to work with as they were eager to learn about my culture as well as broaden their English language skills. The community I found my self in was full of friendly people who did not shy away from helping me intergrate. Sure there are some people who act strangely to other cultures, but even they warm up with time.
I would reccomend this programme to anyone!

What was your funniest moment?
The funniest moment was when some 1st grader students asked if I eat a lot of chocolate cause of my skin color, haha
Pros
  • Great students and colleagues
  • Great country to explore
  • Mostly friendly community
Cons
  • Though communities can be friendly, some people can act quite strangely
  • Though Japan is beautiful its also expensive, so need to supplement salary with second Job if you want to do a lot of travelling
Default avatar
Paul
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Living life as an ALT.

I started working as an ALT 7 years ago. My journey with Interac has been nothing but amazing. My first day at school is also the time I started loving Japanese schools. Kids are very lovely and though they don't speak English well, the way they try to communicate with you is admirable. It pushes me to give my best effort to provide engaging and fun way to learn English. Although, it is quite challenging at times as kids have a diverse personality, the key is to become very understanding, affectionate, friendly, and adaptable.

I live with my family in Okayama, located in western part of Japan. Being an ALT gives you more time for your family because of a good work-life balance. Your schedule will typically be from 8:15 pm to 4:45 pm and in other places it could be shorter, It will depend on where your assignment is. With my work as an ALT, I could really do a lot of things outside of work. I can still play with my lovely kids at home, movie time with my wife/family, go to gym for an hour or 2, and play basketball twice a week and join tournaments around Okayama prefecture.

What was your funniest moment?
At school where sometimes you will be asked to join the kids for lunch. The school's lunch is around 12:20 pm and sometimes earlier. But in Japan, the students prepare their own food and and it takes a lot of time. Normally, you will have to bring your food from the office. (By the way, the school lunch is my favorite part of my Japanese school life.) As I was on my way to the classroom where I will have my lunch with kids, I was very hungry. The very tasty looking food I was bringing tempted me to take a sip and taste the soup. I gave in, I tasted it. I didn't notice that the students are watching me from the second floor and they caught me doing it. It was kind of awkward but funny.

In my personal life when I was just learning Japanese. We were at our apartment and I was feeding my kids. Someone knocked on the door and I kind of panicked a little. I didn't know what to say, and I just said "Chotto matte. Kodomo wo tabemasu!" It literally means "Wait. I will eat children!" I didn't know how the person reacted and I am guessing he didn't take it literally. I just think he thought that I am a gaijin that didn't know what he's talking about.
Pros
  • Good work-life balance
  • Lots of time during summer breaks
  • Cultural awareness
Cons
  • Might move to different places/cities when the company loses contracts with the Board of Education.
  • Language barrier (could be developed)
Default avatar
Kou
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

In Japan

A great adventure and life starts with an open mind and an open heart to all possibilities. Being an ALT has been a mixed bag of emotions from worrying if your skills as a teacher are lacking or if it is the students who are unwilling to learn and if the teachers understand your lessons. These moments are tense, anxiety-inducing days that test your limits as an teacher, adult and more importantly as a person. However, this honesty is so that you are prepared to try your best in the toughest and when the moments of triumph come they are wonderful and sweet.
You are an ambassador and a student, you must never be afraid. Always try new things and give everything into seeing both yourself and others in a different light.

What was your funniest moment?
As I was working in the back, making flashcards, the students break time had started. Normally, I would be go out and play with some students, but today I had forgotten some things. But when I was coming out of the back a group of 10ish students cheered for me, like I was Gandalf the Grey with fireworks. I went outside and they said, "Monkey tag".
It was through these small moments that they learn and have fun with me as a teacher and see me as a sort-of-uncle like figure.
Pros
  • Helpful staff
  • Good hours
  • Time-off in Spring, Summer, and Winter
Cons
  • Pay
  • Bureaucracy
  • Contractual placements
Response from Interac Japan

Hi Kou,

Thanks for your review! I know exactly what you mean about the emotional challenges of working as an ALT. Sometimes you really don't know if it's you or if it's the kids. But as you said the result is a change in perspective. I think a lot of people who join Interac are looking for change in perspective and that's a big sign of success as an ALT and in living in Japan.

Regards,

George

Interac Head Office
Tokyo

Default avatar
Gerrit
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Japan has it all

Teaching English in public schools is not everybody's cup of tea, however I have found being an ALT in Japan a very rewarding and fulfilling experience. I have had lots of laughs and fun, faced and overcame some unfamiliar challenges, and I count the last three years of working at Interac as an ALT as one of the happiest times of my life.

The Interac management staff whom I have been blessed to work with have all been super supportive and generous with their efforts to make my transition to, and settling into Japan as smooth as possible. The Interac policy of providing ongoing training throughout my employment was also of immense value.

As for Japan as a country, adventure and discovery awaits around every corner. From populous cities to beautiful nature, from exciting theme parks to historic castles, temples and shrines. Japan has it all and more.

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
Shirako, the male prostate gland from certain fish like cod, salmon, squid, or pufferfish. It has a kind of creamy, pudding-like texture and, if prepared well, not a very fishy taste.
Pros
  • Total immersion in a foreign culture.
  • Reliable public transport and facilities.
  • Easy access to natural hot springs.
Cons
  • High cost of living.
  • Very hot and humid summers.
  • No trash cans on the streets.

Programs

Displaying 1 - 1 of 1

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Nav Tumber

Nav Tumber was born and raised in London and educated in Wales. He taught ESL in Japan with JET from 1999-2001 and became a language/managing consultant with Interac from 2002-2010. He is currently FX Analyst at ICAP Plc in the UK. Nav enjoys a little bit of everything, but a lot of football (soccer.)
Thumbnail

What inspired you to teach ESL?

Following university, a lot of my friends went on round the world trips coupled with 6 month working holidays in Australia or New Zealand. I wanted to immerse myself more in one country and use it as a base for further travels. I narrowed down the options to Japan, Venezuela and South Korea and of these, Japan held the most interest for me from my interests in video games, motorsport and new technology. ESL was the best way to earn money while experiencing the country.

Why did you choose Interac?

I wanted to work in schools in order to experience the culture and language more than in eikaiwa. It seemed a natural choice.

Describe your day to day activities as a teacher in Japan.

Everyday is different. The weekly schedule is rarely adhered to and there are so many things going on in the school that I could always have someone or something to tag into. You need to be proactive, if you just sit at your desk you will never be approached, so you have to get on with things yourself. In most of my spare time I would prepare lesson plans and do prep for my Elementary school classes where I ran the whole show. Eventually the lessons you plan for Junior High School also get used by the teachers and further from that in my 2nd year I was trusted to plan for one of the 4 lessons in the week with each class.

Each class is different and although you shouldn't, you do end up having your favorite students and classes. I would spend a lot of time with the kids between lessons and after school, if I didn’t join in with club activity I would watch them practicing, invariably gravitating to the students I got on well with, but trying to build relationships with others. Lunch was always my time and I asked to eat in the staff room and not with the students, after eating I would walk around the school and meet more people.

How has this experience impacted your future? How did you get promoted to Managing Consultant at Interac?

I work in financial services now on a Japanese desk. I don’t think the job itself made any difference but learning the polite levels of Japanese meant when I interviewed for my current role, I had the base language necessary to operate in what I do. Working in a Japanese school taught me a lot about interacting with others in an environment where you have to be proactive and start things yourself. If you don’t do that you will be left alone and that impacts negatively on your development and your general feelings.

That proactive approach and also being able to ignore negative events and not get bothered by them, or bother others is the way to help yourself. I always just got on with my own business and through performance was noticed by Interac management, who promoted me steadily through the rungs.

What is one piece of advice you would give to others thinking about teaching abroad?

Do it. When you get homesick, remember that in a few years time you will have had the biggest character building experience of your life and something you will remember forever.

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Ryan

Job Title
Managing Consultant, Kita Kanto Branch
Thumbnail

What position do you hold at Interac? What has been your career path so far?

I am the Managing Consultant (MC) for the Kita Kanto Branch which covers the Gunma, Ibaraki, Saitama and Tochigi prefectures. I started off as an ALT in September 2007 with Interac and spent my first three contracts until March 2010 in Ibaraki working as an ALT in two elementary schools and one junior high school.

After that, I moved to Tokyo and worked at two elementary schools, one of which was a special school in Shizuoka prefecture and I commuted by bullet train every Friday. I had to wake up at 4:30 in the morning for that assignment but I really enjoyed working with the students and staff at the very small school in the mountains.

In my second year in Tokyo, I was promoted to the position of Head Teacher for my particular board of education and during the year I started taking on training responsibilities as well. From April 2012 I was a full-time trainer for the Tokyo branch and in charge of nine boards of education.

From September 2013, I became the Managing Consultant and still remain in that position to this day. I currently am in charge of 163 ALTs living and working within the four prefectures listed previously.

Did you teach abroad? If so, where and what inspired you to go?

My only experience teaching abroad is within Japan. I spent a week here along with a week in Taiwan visiting friends in late December 2006. It was within 36 hours of going around Tokyo that I found I really wanted to stay and learn more about the people, culture and language. I also had been working in schools for the previous three years in America so the chance to experience more of Japan and still work with children made Interac a perfect fit for me. A little over eight months later I was working with Interac in Japan and have been here ever since.

What does the future hold for Interac? Any exciting new programs to share?

The Japanese government is strongly pushing for expanded programs within English education. With the Tokyo Olympics coming up in 2020, the country is ready to add nearly 8,000 additional ALT positions in the next few years in an effort to allow Japanese students to speak English at the same level or better than their Chinese and Korean counterparts. This means that along with the growing ALT market, Interac will continue to expand even more than the average of over 100 positions a year since I joined in 2007.

There are many new exciting developments we are working on such as a new set of lesson plans to match the textbooks being released next year as well as a standardized phonics program. On top of that, we are completely redesigning the initial training program and allowing for additional training to be done overseas before coming to Japan as well as after the initial training is finished to give our ALTs the smoothest transition possible into their new schools.

The next five years will be very exciting for the ALT market!

What's it like teaching in Japan? And what's one tip you'd give newbie teachers there?

I really enjoyed my experience teaching and many times when I am observing my teachers at their schools wish I could return to the position. I could speak for hours on end about the wonderful experiences I had and amazing people I met along the way. That's not to say that there were no difficulties along the way, but that should be expected when moving to a country as different as Japan is.

If I had to give one tip it would be to soak everything in and be as outgoing as possible. Even if you come to Japan with less than conversational Japanese ability, you are the one that has to make the initial move. If you do that, nearly everyone will reciprocate and include you in their lives, whether that's the staff in the schools, Japanese friends elsewhere or even the friendly man waiting at the bus stop. Japanese people tend to be a bit more shy than most westerners, especially when considering that communication has to be done in a foreign language. I can guarantee that my simple advice will make your experience in Japan much better.

What's the best story you have from your time working at Interac?

Wow, well there are so many as I alluded to earlier. If I had to choose one, I would mention one of my Tokyo schools. I had the pleasure of teaching at the same school for two years, meaning I taught the same children for those two years over two grade levels. One of my fourth grade classes in my final year actually invited me back along with their homeroom teachers from the previous five years to their sixth grade pre-graduation shaonkai (thank you event).

Not only that, I was asked to make a speech to the students and parents and then again to only the parents at a separate party to thank me for my work as their English teacher. It was an emotional day and one I will never forget. I sometimes still run into my students on the train in Tokyo!

Besides bringing a fun and educational experience to the Japanese classroom, my goal as Managing Consultant and the reason I still work here is to give others the chance to have experiences similar to mine that will change not only their lives forever, but the lives of their students as well. From speaking with my ALTs, many have been able to do that and some even go on to become teacher's in the home countries. That to me is truly rewarding.