Editing Assistant Language Teacher (section)

==Being an ALT==
===Requirements===
The [[JET Programme]] set the general prerequisites imposed by [[Immigration to Japan|Japanese immigration]] ([[bachelor's degree]], [[health]], [[nationality]]) and the characteristics that can be considered to be sought by the [[Government of Japan|Japanese government]], [[board of education|boards of education]] (BOEs), and schools.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dpi.wi.gov/cal/wlcjflyer.html |title=Teach English in Japan |publisher=Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction |date=December 11, 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100207232329/http://dpi.wi.gov/cal/wlcjflyer.html |archivedate=February 7, 2010 }}</ref>

In the case of ALTs from private language teaching companies, further requirements may include items such as [[Teaching English as a foreign language|TEFL]] [[certification]], [[Japanese language]] ability (at least spoken) at a communicative level, teaching experience (both within Japan and in other countries) and other specialized skills ([[foreign language]]s other than English, IT, etc.) However, as a basic rule, the standards that are expected of JET Programme are still considered as norms among private language teaching companies that provide ALTs to BOEs, although agreements between BOEs and private companies often allow for a relaxing on some of these rules.

===Recruitment===
At one time, the majority of ALTs were recruited through the JET Programme, but now most are hired by private language teaching companies, also known as "dispatch companies", either within Japan or abroad. Once hired, ALTs are sent to work in junior and senior high-schools and, increasingly, in elementary schools throughout Japan. ALTs are either assigned to one main school, or can work at a number of different schools in their area. ALTs entering on the JET programme are not required to have any prior teaching experience or ESL training. Many ALTs hired privately have prior experience and/or training.

ALTs hired on the JET Programme typically enter either in July or August, but most private ALTs are usually on a contract which runs from April until at least the end of the third school term in March. Some AETs dispatched to City of Nagoya public schools have contracts that begin in mid-May and end in mid-February. Some ALTs also have set, paid holidays during the spring, summer and winter school vacations, in addition to all Japanese public holidays, but some ALTs are not paid between semesters or for national holidays, and do not receive paid vacation leave. By combining the 23 national holidays with the time off during school holidays, the actual number of working days per year is somewhere near 200 through private companies, which is one of the major attractions of the ALT position, however many schools require you to undertake other tasks when not teaching, so the actual hours worked are similar to other jobs in Japan. Most JET Programme ALTs are required to work through the school holidays, receiving the 23 national holidays plus annual leave as holiday time.

===Payment===
The pay for a private ALT is usually less than a full-time [[Eikaiwa]] teacher and far less than a teacher from the JET Programme (¥3.36 to ¥3.96 million depending on year in the program),<ref name="jetsalary">{{cite web |url=https://jetprogramusa.org/contract-benefits/ |title=Contract Information |year=2016 |website=[[JET Programme|JET Program]] USA |access-date=April 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180411174222/https://jetprogramusa.org/contract-benefits/ |archive-date=April 11, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> with some of the lowest salaries around ¥180,000 per month (¥2.16 million annually).

===Job duties===
An ALT's primary duty is to assist Japanese teachers of English to deliver lessons in the classroom, and may be involved in lesson planning and other language teaching tasks. Regarding Elementary school, the term ALT is often misleading, in many instances the ALT leads the class themselves, and may solely be responsible for total lesson planning (for the academic year and delivering the lessons). This is mostly the case with Elementary schools outside of the Kanto region. During such lessons, Japanese teachers often act as a support teacher or translator. In those instances the term "Assistant" Language Teacher becomes unsuitable, as the ALT is not "assisting" but actually "leading and facilitating" the entire English class. However, in Junior Highschool and Highschool, the degree to which the Japanese teacher of English actually uses the ALT is usually decided at the discretion of the Japanese teacher. Some allow ALTs to plan and lead language activities in class, sometimes for the entire class period, while others make minimal use of their ALT, such as limiting them to reading new vocabulary words for the students to repeat and having the ALT walk between the rows of students while the students do writing assignments. An ALT also contributes information to teaching advisors on phraseology and pronunciation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Positions|url=https://jetprogramusa.org/positions/|website=JET Program USA|accessdate=17 September 2017}}</ref>

ALTs usually take part in three to five classes per day. The classes are usually 45 – 50 minutes in length. An ALT participates in about 17 to 20 classes per week. Sometimes ALTs are asked to help teach special education classes, which may include students who have barriers to learning. They may also be asked to take part in after/before school club activities (''bukatsudō''), such as sports, calligraphy, music or ikebana, to learn more about the culture alongside their students and to foster international exchange. However, some ALTs choose not to participate, or go from group to group just to visit. The English level of the students varies from school to school, and at some schools the students and teachers are unable to communicate in English in any meaningful way. Higher level high schools sometimes have an English club, which the ALT would attend and assist in the students' planning and preparations for debate contests, speech competitions and English camps.

ALTs may also be asked to perform tasks normally done by Japanese students and teachers, such as cleaning the school, cleaning drainage gutters, and removing snow from parking areas. ALTs at some schools, mostly junior high schools, are expected to eat lunch with the students. These ALTs might not be allowed to leave the school for lunch or to run personal errands during their break. ALTs may be instructed to use non-standard English in front of students.  They are sometimes asked to perform clerical tasks, such as correcting student writing assignments, by the Japanese teachers. The overall duties of an ALT can vary hugely depending on the whims of teachers, schools, BOEs and cities. Responsibilities can be extremely minimal or more or less to the extent of a full time independent teacher. Therefore, contractual expectations and boundaries are not always matched by the reality of what's asked of an ALT at their schools.