Your Motivation for Teaching in Japan


The first question you should ask yourself in making the decision to go work in Japan is "why?" If you've already asked yourself this question, then ask again and consider the question even more carefully. I'm not trying to stop you from going--quite the opposite! It is simply that you should be well aware of your reasons before you set out. Understanding your motivation is the first step to preparing yourself for the trip and increasing your chances to make the most out of the experience.

There tend to be several basic motivations for making this move. They include: life experience; learning the Japanese language or about Japan, its people and culture; practicing TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages); making money; any combination of the above. The main distinction is that of integrative vs. instrumental motivation. With integrative motivation, you have the desire to become part of what it is you're studying; to integrate into the society, culture or people. With instrumental motivation, you have an "ulterior" motive; you do what you do in order to obtain something, to fatten your bank account or build up your resume. There is nothing wrong with either kind of motivation; if you want to go to Japan just to make money, that's fine. You should be aware of your reasons, however, and how they might affect your stay.

Here's the main idea: the more you integrate yourself into your environment, the happier you'll tend to be. The more you isolate yourself, the unhappier you will be. People whose motivation is only instrumental tend to be less interested in integration; they tend to stick with their own kind, isolate themselves from their surroundings and remain ignorant of the culture around them. Therefore, if your goals are primarily instrumental, you would be doing yourself a favor by adding some integrational goals as well.

I have seen the end result of both varieties of people living in Japan. Almost everyone I've known with purely instrumental goals wind up unhappy with their lot. They mostly hang out with other foreign teachers, and take a strange comfort in complaining endlessly about things that are wrong with Japanese society. They go back with full wallets and empty hearts. On the other hand, almost everyone I've known with even partly integrative goals--ones they take seriously--comes away with one of the best experiences of their lives.

So what can you do? Simple: learn about Japan before and during your stay; learn the language (you don't have to be fluent, just the basics is OK); make it your goal to meet your neighbors, or any Japanese people outside of work; get a hobby like Japanese archery, aikido, travel, study, and so on. Any of these will bring you closer to the place you live.

Perhaps you lack this kind of motivation because you've heard that Japanese people are exclusive, and not accepting of outsiders. This is false; they are just as accepting as anyone else can be. Also, you'll find it easy to make friends just on the basis of your native language: many Japanese will be happy to speak with you to practice their language or to get the chance to meet a foreigner, something most Japanese have never had the opportunity to do before.

If your goals are instrumental and you are not willing to incorporate any integrative goals, that may still work for you--but your chances of having a good experience are better with more integrational goals in mind.



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