Questions to ask before accepting a contract?

[cdvocean]

I have never traveled overseas before and am interested in accepting a teaching contract in Japan. I am wondering if anyone has some "must ask" questions I should get answers for, before I sign on the dotted line. I want to ensure I don't get taken advantage of...

Looking forward to any suggestions you may have.

[gfell]

Hello cdvocean!

That is an excellent question you asked. Am sure many other aspiring English teachers will have the same question.

Here is my list of questions you should ask. Note, these questions do not relate to your offer of employment as this should be clearly outlined in the contract.

1. How many foreign teachers are there currently?
   This allows you to gauge the size of the language school. I would be careful going to teach at a school with only 1 teacher. I would require more security with the school, because a small school may run out of money and not pay your wages.
2. When was the school established?
   Once again, you are trying to guage whether the school will go out of business or not whilst you are teaching there.
3. Can I talk to a current teacher by phone?
   This shouldn't be a problem if the school has nothing to hide.
4. What do the classrooms look like, the size and facilities of the school?
   I like to know the type of atmosphere and furnishings of the classrooms etc. See if you can ask for a photo or perhaps the school's website has images of the school on it.

I'm assuming all details on employment are already listed in your contract, but if not, be sure to ask the vital questions concerning your employment. Ie. teaching hours required, salary, benefits etc.

[Amit_kumar]

You better ask all questions you find must to know. Make sure that the contract you are going to sign is also in favour of you. Japan is the favourite destination of the teachers. The pay scale is also good there.

Best of Luck!!

[exported_kiwi]

Also, find out exactly where the school is because a lot of schools are way out in the boonies and you might find yourself stranded with nowhere to go but the campus which kinda limits what you can do in your leisure time. I don't imagine that this'd be a problem in Japan, but you never know!

I agree with Gfell, ask to speak to a current teacher but if none are available, that should raise a few flags in the ole grey matter. If this is the case, ask for the email addresses of previous teachers and ask them some questions about the school etc. Ask also about pay schedules and how much, if any, of your salary you can convert to foreign currency. Check also for meals,are they provided etc. Look at accommodation, where are they, on campus or not? Are they self contained and fully equipped etc. If they're not on campus etc, then how far is it to where you'll work and what's the cost relative to what you earn. There's so many questions to ask, so much to be careful of, so much to enjoy also.
let us know how things go and good luck!

My few cents worth here!

[JACOBKELL]

You need to ask about benefits, how long you will need to work there, it there a possibility for retirement, is it possible to get promotion.

[exported_kiwi]

Certainly ask about benefits such as health insurance and holiday allowances/airfare reimbursements etc. Retirement benefits, I think, don't apply to foreign teachers in most countries.
Other benefits may include school sponsored outings/field trips, cafeteria privileges, gymnasium use and many other things. As far as I can tell, these benefits vary from school to school and country to country.

[rwall7943]

I would have a lawyer look over the contract before agreeing to it, to make sure that you understand all of what is expected. And going oversees you really want to make sure everything is in order.

[exported_kiwi]

In an ideal world, a lawyer looking at the contract would be nice. The trouble with that is that surprisingly few lawyers would know Chinese law, unless they practice in China, and even fewer would have the local knowledge necessary to intercede on your behalf should the need arise.

Sometimes, the best thing would be to talk to current/previous foreign teachers about the school that sent the contract. Another way would be to ask questions in a forum such as this. There are plenty of folks out there who've actually made mistakes and have learned and collectively, I'm sure that the folks in that, or this, forum would be able to help far more than a lawyer could, especially if he's from the foreign teachers' home country.

I could be wrong, I don't know but this is what makes more sense to me.

My 2 cents yet again!