@Michael: I don’t necessarily think that is true. I will admit my spelling is atrocious, but I have no problems with my grammar. (I am also a native English speaker teaching English in Japan. I work at an eikaiwa.) At my school they have their Japanese teachers who are in the position you are describing. Their grammar is great but they encounter the same problems in English that we encounter in Japanese. We can read a text book and recite it for someone, but when it comes to describing subtle nuances in difference (such as the other thread about の and こと) you need a native speaker to really be able to split hairs.

I’ve been asked to teach lessons on slang, colloquialisms, rude English and everything in between that you generally don’t find in a textbook.

@Josh: What Rachel and CorrBlimey said is your best advice.

@Hattori: Depending on your native language, there may be an opportunity to teach that in Japan as well. If you have that in combination with a high English fluency, your chances will be much higher. I have a friend in Japan in a similar situation. His first language is French and he is fluent in English and he has been teaching in Japan for 10 years and now has his own school.

• This reply was modified 13 years, 6 months ago by  KiaiFighter.
• This reply was modified 13 years, 6 months ago by  KiaiFighter.