Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) Program

The Tyler-Yachiyo Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) Program has been a strong educational exchange between the two cities since 1991. The ALT Program, which was piloted one year before the official twining ceremonies occurred between the two cities, has been extremely successful.

To date, 49 Texas teachers have lived in Yachiyo and taught in junior high schools located throughout Yachiyo City. Thousands of Japanese students (over 1,000 students each year in ALT classrooms to date) and more than 280 Japanese teachers hosting ALTs in their classrooms, have benefited from the Tyler Yachiyo ALT Program.

Tyler ALT teachers also serve as coaches for the Yachiyo annual Recitation and Speech Contest. ALT teachers work side-by-side the regular classroom English teachers, assisting with lesson planning, and serving as important language role models in Yachiyo classrooms. ALT teachers participate in Japanese lessons one afternoon each week through programming provided by the Yachiyo Board of Education.

The ALT Program provides native English speakers in these classrooms, sharing not only language, but also cultural connections to the United States. Many others have benefited from the program (community members, additional students and teachers participating in the required junior high annual Recitation and Speech Contest, etc.).

The program has provided wonderful opportunities for teachers from East Texas, as well as teachers from neighboring communities in Texas, reaching both north and west of Tyler. Over the course of their annual teaching appointment, ALT teachers work at three (3) different schools.

ALT teachers can renew their annual teaching contract to stay multiple years in their ALT teaching positions, however they must return to Texas after a maximum 5-year period. 71% of the Texas teachers participating in the ALT Program (35 of out 49 teachers) have stayed beyond their one-year contract. Upon their return to the U.S., Texas ALT teachers have reported benefits such as increasing their understanding of the Japanese language and culture, increasing their ability to teach English to second language learners, gaining an understanding of the Japanese educational system, and having a greater understanding of how to build international collaborations as a result of their participation in the program.

Tyler Sister Cities provides information to our community about the City of Yachiyo’s Assistant Language Teacher opportunity. The employer for the teaching positions is the Yachiyo Education Board and therefore the program is organized and run by the city leadership of Yachiyo, who has established all employment criteria and makes all final decisions about the hiring of Assistant Language Teachers.

Program Details

The Yachiyo City Assistant Language Teacher program is open only to female college graduates (since teaching includes working in girls schools) from Texas.

Yachiyo City places a priority on graduates with degrees in education, English, Asian studies or other relevant areas. ALTs teach English to students at various grade levels and schools throughout Yachiyo, Japan.

Benefits

  • Salary $28-29,000/year
  • Health insurance
  • Paid vacation time: Approx. 20 days per year are provided by the City of Yachiyo.
  • Subsidized apartment: An apartment is provided at a discounted rent (the total cost of the apartment is subsidized by the City of Yachiyo). ALTs should expect to pay for utilities and the reduced rent, which typically costs about $150 – $200 a month. The monthly salary is approximately 264,155 YEN or $2,398.40 USD per month/$28-29,000 USD per year after taxes, and ALTs can typically save a lot of money during their time in Japan. ALTs are able to get a return for the Japanese pension portion of taxes taken out of their paycheck upon return to the US, after the proper paperwork is filed.
  • Round-trip airfare to Japan (reimbursed): A one-way ticket from the U.S. to Narita, Japan is paid by the City of Yachiyo. Each ALT purchases her own airline ticket (economy class), saves the receipt, and upon arrival to Yachiyo, is reimbursed for the ticket price. Once the contract is complete, the City of Yachiyo also pays for a return ticket. Additional travel can be completed at the ALT’s own expense. Once an ALT arrives to Narita, a representative from the Yachiyo Education Board provides pick-up service to Yachiyo.
  • Bicycle for local transportation

Past ALTs have successfully extended their yearlong contracts for up to five (5) years in order to continue teaching and experiencing the culture of Yachiyo and the surrounding area.

Basic Qualifications

  • Do you have a Bachelor’s Degree in Education, English, Asian Studies, or another relevant area?
  • Are you interested in teaching English to Junior High School students?
  • Are you self-driven, enthusiastic, energetic, and eager to work with teachers to prepare and deliver quality English lessons?
  • Are you adventurous enough to teach and live abroad for a year or more, rotating between various schools?
  • Are you looking for the ultimate experience to learn Japanese language and culture?

Yachiyo Board of Education Employment Criteria

  • Yachiyo City accepts applicants between the ages of 25 – 40 years of age.
  • Yachiyo City leadership will not accept males into the program since teaching includes working with female students. Therefore, they will only accept applications from university graduates that are single females.
  • Yachiyo City will not accept applicants who wish to bring family members with them as the apartments provided are not large enough to accommodate more than one person. In addition, no pets are allowed.
  • Yachiyo City has strict policies restricting males from entering female apartments which are located in their subsidized apartment building where all teachers are required to live.
  • Teachers are assigned to more than one Junior High school (generally 3-4 different schools) that are close to their housing.
  • Yachiyo City provides each Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) with a used bicycle upon request. They do not allow teachers to utilize rental cars during work hours. Usual modes of transportation are foot, bike, bus, and train. A car can be rented for weekend trips and used out of work hours if the ALT holds an international license.
  • Tattoos are strictly forbidden due to negative cultural interpretations. Therefore, Yachiyo City will not accept applicants if they have tattoos that are visible in areas not covered by a swim suit.
  • Teachers are expected to report out to their respective Sister City or sponsoring organization on a quarterly basis.

Apply Today

Please note, this program is temporarily on pause (as of November 2024).

For more information on the ALT program, please contact ALT@TylerSisterCities.org.