After arriving in Nagoya and settling in with your host family, you will technically begin working. This is the time when you will get acquainted with our little tropical hideaway, the Kyouikukan, plus a few other equally choice spots in the city. School doesn't resume until September, but you'll have plenty to keep you occupied in August. Besides apartment hunting and welcome parties, you'll have the following official activities to keep your mind from totally numbing in the heat:
Japanese Classes
These last for about two weeks, and are conducted at Nagoya University. They are mandatory classes, held from 9-12
in the morning, and are divided by proficiency level (e.g., beginners, low beginners, absurdly low beginners). These classes are very
relaxed and really are just for your benefit in learning some key phrases and greetings to help you get around. If you've studied
Japanese before, they will just be useful in getting you back in "Japan mode".
Workshops & Seminars with the Senior AETs
These will be held at the Kyouikukan. You'll get tips about a variety of subjects from
teaching strategies and materials to disaster preparation to the best Sunday brunch spot in Nagoya. Again, very low-key and informal.
Nagoya English Teachers' Summer Workshop
In late August, most likely after you've already found your place and are somewhat settled in, you'll likely be asked to attend the
Nagoya city English teachers' summer workshop for at least a day. Since at the same time you'll still be having your Japanese classes,
you'll only have to attend an afternoon or two, while your senior AETs will be there all day. If it's anything like previous years,
you may be asked to "teach" a class of English teachers with a JTE as an example lesson. It may sound daunting, especially since this
will be before you actually have taught a real class, but it's not that bad. Hopefully we'll prepare you enough in the seminars so that
you don't have any problems.