Hi folks! I'm an American looking for some help. I graduated from college in 2014 with an English degree and a minor in Japanese with ten years of Japanese study under my belt by the end (fortunate enough to start in junior high). I had planned to teach in Japan after graduation but my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer for the third time in January of my senior year so I moved back home. She sadly ended up passing away in 2015 but a family friend offered to help me find a teaching job in Korea instead and I ended up there for a year. I loved living overseas but the job itself was miserable. I had no experience, no knowledge of the language, very little support from the school and I was teaching young kids (1st through 6th). By month three I was ready to leave but I finished out my contract and moved back to America. Remembering my mom's positive experiences with hospice care, I got a license to work as a nursing assistant with the intention to become a nurse. I've been doing that job for the past six years and, while I love it for a variety of reasons, it has become a dead end. The healthcare industry really took a hit in 2020 and it's not getting better. Many nurses I've worked with have encouraged me to do literally anything else, and at this point I'm inclined to agree. I'm very fortunate in that I don't have any student loans to worry about and I've been lamenting not using my Japanese language experience.
So all that being said, I'm strongly considering going back to teaching but I'm kind of lost. I assume getting a TESOL certificate is good place to start. Is the standard 120 hr course enough or should I look into the 200 hr option? I'm also considering pursuing the JLPT. My skills have gotten rusty but I believe I could reacquire them relatively quickly. Is there anything else I should be doing to prepare? Any routes I am more or less suited to? I am inclined towards teaching in a school but I'm open to eikaiwa. Thanks in advance for any advice.
by john_heathen