English Tea Time #13 – Changing Jobs

Hello there! In today’s newsletter, I’d like to talk about changing jobs.

My Work Situation

I have my own little English school in Japan. Actually, it’s just one big classroom in my house. I started the school in 2010 and mostly teach groups of children.

Over the last few years, I’ve begun to worry about my job security. There’s a lot of new competition from Japanese cram schools, English learning apps and online lessons. On top of that, Japan is facing a population crisis (emergency). There are fewer and fewer children being born… which means fewer children learning English!

That said, I still have regular group lessons every evening. During the daytime, I teach a few private lessons to adults. Some of them are in-person (face-to face), but some of them are through an online language school.

Going Solo

Now that I have more social media followers, I should be able to quit the online language school and find students to teach by myself.

Some English teachers, yoga instructors, music teachers, and many more, use online scheduling services for their students to book (reserve) lessons and pay with a credit card. I think I can do the same.

At the moment, I’m just planning things, but stay tuned (keep following) for future announcements. 🙂

British English

Here are some common phrases used to talk about changing jobs:

Handing in your notice – Telling your boss that you’re going to leave the job.
Serving your notice period – The time between handing in your notice and leaving your job.
Landed a new job – When you’ve found a new job.
On the lookout for a new job – Keeping your eyes open, looking for a new job.
Putting feelers out – Looking for any new job opportunities, asking around about jobs.
Out of work – Unemployed, can’t find a job.
To be made redundant – Lose your job, not because of any fault of your own.
Going freelance – Work for yourself. Be your own boss.
Switching careers – Changing to a different type of work.

New Videos and Worksheets

Here are the latest videos and worksheets I’ve made:

Videos:

English Speaking Skills – Repeat English: It’s not that I…, it’s just that…
Short videos – See Instagram or YouTube.

Worksheets:

Speaking Skills: Speaking Gym: It’s not that I…, it’s just that…
News: Japanese company making more adult diapers than baby ones
True Stories: Three times the US lost a nuclear bomb

Study Tip

Watch English TV shows. Yes, yes, I know. It’s an obvious (clear) suggestion, but it really is a good way to enjoy a new language.

I’ve been watching a Japanese show on Netflix called “Extremely Inappropriate” (in English). My favourite character is “Mucchi-senpai”. Now, when I step into the living room, I put my hands on my hips and say, “Mucchi desu!”. I think it’s funny, but my wife doesn’t understand. 😅

Wrap-up

And that’s it! Thank you for joining me for tea! If you’re enjoying my blog and would like to get new posts in your email, please subscribe. If you have friends who might like these posts, please share this link with them. I really appreciate it!

All the best,

Nick