Did either of you know any Japanese before you left for Japan?
Neither one of us studied Japanese before we moved here. Darius lived in Kumamoto (Kyushu) for about 10 months right after college, and learned a bit then. But I spoke absolutely NONE! It's totally not required, and sometimes I think they prefer you to speak only English, so the Japanese teachers can practice their English on you. If you hope to learn a lot of Japanese, or are already proficient, you may want to consider the CIR position, where Japanese is required.
Did you know each other before you left, or did you meet there?
We were married when we applied for the program. When applying, you can request your top 3 choices of city/prefecture. If you want to be placed with a friend/spouse, you can write their name on the application, and the program does its best to place you together, or at least near each other. Most of the people around us came without knowing anyone, but it's easy to make friends with other JET's. However, if you get placed in a really small town, there may not be any other JET's for a little ways.
I heard that the pay is REALLY good there!
We get paid 3,600,000 yen, which is about $33,300 US, if the exchange rate is 108 to 1. It is good pay, and if you're careful, you can save some cash, pay off school loans, etc.
Do you have any idea of how many applicants there are, and how many places?
I've heard that in the US, about 3000 folks apply each year for some 1300 places. That's like 4 out of 9 applicants, not bad!
Can you tell me a bit about the interviewing process and screening process
Darius & I both interviewed in Houston, and there were two separate panels of interviewers, so 2 pple could be interviewed at the same time. My panel had 3 interviewers--one Japanese man, and a former JET, and a professor. It was pretty short, no more than 15 mins. I'd say.
Some questions I was asked:
What would you do if you were "groped" on a train?
What types of things would you teach students about your state (TX)?
What will you and your husband do if only one of you is accepted?
Why do you want to be on the JET program?
Some questions Darius was asked:
What would you say are the highlights of important US history? (YUCK!!)
How would you explain the Clinton sex trials to Japanese students?
Why do you want to be on the JET program?
Let's just say I'm glad I got my interviewers & not Darius' panel! I came out of the interview thinking I didn't do so hot, but I was accepted so it must not have been so bad. They basically ask a question or two to see if you can cope with life in Japan (like the groping thing happens somewhat frequently on trains here...but never to me). Also, I think one of the purposes of the interview is to simply listen to you speak, to make sure you don't have some difficult accent, since you're expected to be the model to your students.
Tell me about your transition from the USA to Japan, and what it has been like since.
When you first get here, you're on a high because everything is new & exciting. We were told to expect to be a little down in Dec/ Jan, which proved to be true. We were a bit homesick. But transition has been easy for us overall. It helps because we have our best friend here--each other! We're in a pretty small town, which has benefits that we get lots of invitations to go do things with Japanese friends & teachers. Staying busy helps you have more fun & be less homesick!
You said that some people pay US$500 per month for rent, what happens if it is so much that you can't afford the living expenses?
Every situation is different on this program. However, the pay is enough to cover these types of expenses. The biggest thing is that some people have to pay a large deposit on their house/apt. when they arrive. But the school is aware that some people are arriving without much $, so if your housing deposit is very high, the school may help you with the expense till your first paycheck arrives. The money isn't something to worry about in all honesty, because we are well-paid. Depending on your situation you may be able to save or travel more than other folks, but there is no reason to have true financial troubles on this program, you're paid plenty.
Have your Japanese lang. skill improved considerably, and would you say that you are now fluent in Japanese?
We are definitely not fluent! I'd like to be, but to be honest, we don't need to use Japanese that much. We are paid to speak English, so we do all day at school, with the students & teachers. Plus, we come home at night & talk to each other in English. Most people have plenty of time in their jobs to study & some do become fluent, but sadly, we haven't learned much, because it hasn't been necessary. Of course, if you come speaking Japanese, you'll definitely be able to use it! Again, if Japanese proficiency is your goal, consider taking a year or two in college, and applying as a CIR. They speak Japanese in their job daily, and their job is a lot more about using Japanese. If you're looking for a fun adventure, and don't speak Japanese, AET may be your job. I also think that in general the AET job is less demanding than the CIR position, which may be good or bad, depending on what you're looking for.
One more suggestion:
Before you come,
I think it's a good idea to have a plan for how long you will stay. You can
stay for a min. of 1 year, and a max. of 3 years. It helps to have a goal in
mind of how long you'll be here, so you can make decisions of whether you will
buy a car, where you will travel once you're here, etc.