TESOL/TESL/whatever else they call it these days

[HelixSundown]

So what's up with these myriad English-teaching certificiates? Are they worth anything in Japan? Could you hypothetically get a gig teaching English with them?

Just wondering. One of my friends has recently taken notice of my fervent study of Japanese and recommended I get a cert' and go over there. I'm sure it's not that easy but maybe the idea has merit, I have no idea. 宜しくお願いします！

[annie]

The certificate won't do a lot for you here in Japan. a BA is all that's required.

But, if you don't have any teaching/tutoring experience, then you might want to consider one of the courses. Most companies in Japan don't provide much training.

[sinbadx81]

For most eikaiwa (the English conversation schools) the certs aren't necessary. As annie said, you just need a BA. TESL/TEFL certs may be required by some schools, but there are plenty of schools that'll accept you without it. Just browse around on gaijinpot.com at the different ads to get a better idea.

They can give you an advantage over others if you take a proper course, but you'll be fine without one. If you want just a bit of experience, the online courses can help get you some grounding in teaching basics.

If you intend to stay long-term, however, a master's can help you land you a university gig.