|
Eikaiwa (英会話 in the original Japanese) is the Japanese word for "English conversation." Some speakers of English use the term to mean English language schools in Japan, which are also commonly referred to as English conversation schools. Eikaiwas are like juku in that they are on the whole private businesses. The Japanese educational system includes a mandate that English be part of the curriculum, however the focus is on English grammar. Consequentially, speaking and conversation skills are largely ignored, and so students turn to eikaiwa to learn how to effectively communicate in English.
The most widespread of the eikaiwa are known as the "Big Four" which are generally agreed to be:
In the past Berlitz was considered one of the Big Four, but its share of the market has declined over the years, and so ECC has taken its place on the list.
Eikaiwa teachers are typically paid a base salary of 250,000 yen per month, and because of Japan's peculiarly low tax-rate take home about 240,000 yen. This is comfortably enough to live on in the countryside but is hardly enough to get by on in the cities. The 'big four' Eikaiwa schools pay a Tokyo/Osaka weighting in recognition of this. Many teachers anyway pick up private students who they'll teach at home or in coffee shops in order to supplement their income.
South Korea is home to similar institutions, known in English as hagwons.
See also
|
