Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme

The Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme, now in its 26th year, is aimed at promoting grass-roots international exchange between Japan and other nations. It seeks to foster ties between Japanese citizens (mainly youth) and JET participants at the person-to-person level. JET Programme participants are employed as one of the following positions: Assistant Language Teacher (ALT), Coordinator for International Relations (CIR), or Sports Exchange Advisor (SEA). ALTs assist with classes taught by Japanese teachers of English (JTE) and are thus involved in the preparation of teaching materials and in extracurricular activities like English clubs or sports teams. More than 90% of JET participants are employed as ALTs. Just under 10% of JET participants are CIRs and major duties often include translation/interpretation for government officials, teaching community or school English classes, and international exchange event planning and implementation. SEAs work for local governments, coaching and promoting international relationships through the universal language of sports. SEAs are sports professionals whose role is to assist with sports training and the planning of sports related projects. The application deadline for the 2013 JET Program is November 21, 2012. Check out the website for more information and to apply.