This is an internet based Westgate Corporation review. Detailed information about Westgate Corporation in Japan is needed by teachers around the world. Westgate Corporation is a Language Institute in Japan and it’s in need of ratings. Ratings and comments will help other teachers learn more about Westgate Corporation. If someone was interested in teaching in Japan, would this school be a good place to start? Is Westgate Corporation a great place to work or is it in need of improvement?
Name of School: Westgate Corporation
| City: | Country: |
| Various | Japan |
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| Language Institute |
Overall Quick Rating: 
(56 votes, average: 2.59 out of 5)
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Awful experience, total waste of my time. I have a Master’s degree and loads of teaching experience in non-TEFL, including university level experience. I filled out their cumbersome application, interviewed, went all out to get them references, did their initial assignment, and had to keep going back to re-submit things that they did not find 100% to their liking. Then, after all was said and done, they said, “Oh, we want actual classroom TEFL experience”. There are better, more professional organizations through which you can teach abroad than these jerks. Don’t even bother.
I worked for the Westgate Corporation last year. As for my background before teaching for them, I have my teaching degree and a TESOL certificate and have taught in high schools in Canada.
I found the application process easy and straighforward. Everybody was courteous and did their best to help. My program coordinator was really nice, as were my students. I taught small classes, and sometimes nobody showed up (which became a small problem sometimes), but overall, it was one of the best and most rewarding teaching experiences I have ever had.
I got my own apartment because my boyfriend came with me, but I heard decent reviews about the apartments Westgate provided. My travel expenses were paid for to and from work, and they covered more than what they stated for my airline ticket. I had to take 3 trains to work (which took an hour), but I got to see Mt. Fuji on clear days on my way. I taught 6 classes a day and 1 English Challenge class. I had one break for lunch and one for planning. My day ended at 6:45, but that changed depending on what school you were placed at. It was common for us to have long weekends, and we also got a week off paid.
As for lesson plans, I taught the same lesson all day. Some other teachers taught a couple different lessons, but in our planners, the lessons were mostly done for us along with suggestions for activities.
My co-workers were professional, friendly, and collaborated well. It was a great environment!
I definitely recommend this company! It is good for a short experience if you want the flavour of Japan. If this company exists when I am older, I will likely do this when I retire!
I had a similar experience to Anonymous on Feb 3rd. MA and over 1500 hours of ESL teaching experience in Japan.
At the interview, I was asked for different references than the ones initially provided. We discussed who he wanted as a reference, and I confirmed verbally the three references I would send once I got back home. After sending the references he specifically said he wanted, I received an email an hour later saying those references would not suffice.
Additionally, I kept receiving housing and visa questions even though I live in Japan on a spouse visa. I read on some other websites that the classes offered are not really university classes, but extra classes students can take for no credit. So I suppose that I am glad I abandoned my application.
I had a similar experience to Prefer Not To and Feb poster. MA w/ teaching credential, loads of Japan/U.S. experience, and Japanese fluency. Sent in all materials required only to be suddenly asked for an entirely new list of bizarre things. It was a bit like dealing with a neurotic, pill-popping relative who keeps changing his mind. So I put my energies into better, more professional positions. Also, I do not like the way they continually spam Japan job websites. One or two ads is enough people!
I worked for Westgate two different times and I am scheduled to teach for a third time this spring 2010. First of all, Westgate has two university programs, an university academic program and an extra-curricular program. The academic program is for credit and operated that way. The extra-curricular program is not for credit and the main focus is for students to practice and have fun.
The courses are operated on the university campus and you are teaching university students in both programs. The academic program requires similar qualifications as applying directly to the university. The extra curricular requires a bachelors degree and some EFL/TESOL experience.
Anyone who thinks they can get a university job in Japan or most countries with a bachelor degree is lying to themselves. In Japan, university positions are highly competitive and most people who have those positions are highly qualified.
So, if you want to go to Japan and have a reliable position and experience life there, this is a good opportunity. It is not a career move, or does Westgate ever say they offer careers. I think they are really straight forward about what they are offering.
The company, like most Japanese companies are highly regimented and structured. As a foriegner you may not have ever experienced working in a company this structured. At times it is annoyingly monotonous to deal with all the policies and requirements to fullfill your job role, but this is what it means to work in Japan at some companies.
Personally, I never liked all the structure, rules, and sometimes I felt like I was being treated as a child, but Westgate has a tremendous responsibility so I understand where this comes from. Also, most of the things they ask you to do, such as the records and assessment are simple. Almost any teaching job requires administration work on some level. However, I never had any issues with them, and they always treated me fairly. One semester I hurt my knee in some sports activity and Westgate helped me take care of everything. They reimbursed me for all my out of pocket cost in a very timely manner. Another time, I had lost my wallet, credit cards, everything, and was completely out of money and they gave me an advance without making any issues out of it.
Generally speaking, if you can get through all the preliminary application procedures and e-training then it’s a fairly easy job. It’s your basic day job with evenings and weekends off. I had plenty of time every evening to do things and hang out around my neighborhood, meet friends on the weekends or do short trips around the area.
I think the pay is average, not the best you could get in Japan, but for the work load it is ok. Again, if you want a stable position for 3 months that allows you an opportunity to get a feel of Japanese life, then you can’t go wrong. The only real thing I thought was a bit overpriced was the housing, but housing in Japan is not cheap and when you weigh out your options you will see that the Westgate housing is sufficient for what you get.
I made many friends at the program and had a lot of fun with students. Most of the students are a bit shy but they really open up after they get to know you. My advice would be, if you come to Westgate to work, don’t try and change things. People that come and want to do things differently and make an issue out of everything will soon find themselves frustrated. Japanese people will never say no to you, but they will give you big hints about what is ok and what is not.
Basically, you can run your classroom however you want as long as your lessons are good and students have fun. Westgate has their own methodology which can be useful because the students know it, but if you don’t feel comfortable using it, there is not any pressure about it. Again, as long as you can provide a coherent and structured lesson which follows the course materials.
There are many things that Westgate is responsible for that you may never know or realize so they are always very cautious and concerned about your behavior and attitude while you work with them. They feel responsible for you, and the government basically expects Westgate to babyset you so there is a lot of pressure on there end to keep things running smoothly. If you come to work for them, put your self in that position, as someone responsible for a large group of foreigners who come from different walks of life and backgrounds. Then you might understand why they are a bit uptight.
One last thing, Westgate has many policies/rules, but they are for their protection against lawsuits and defamation. Don’t blab your life to any of the staff, especially about what you do on the weekends. The staff will ask you at the staff meetings every week. You can say something noraml like went sight seeing, had dinner with a friend, went to a movie. The staff are listening for warning signs for potential problems so keep things private and you can have a normal lifestyle. Basically, don’t boast about how wild you were on the weekend. Partying and being loud in your apartment is sure to get you in trouble. Generally, the walls are paper thin in most apartments, and Japanese people are very respectful of others so noise is not tolerated very well. If you want to be loud go to a bar or Izakaiya.
Honestly, I never had problems except once. My first time working for Westgate the company put about 20 of us in the same building, which if you know foreigners, that was a bad idea. hahaha! One evening after the 2 day training seminar, and after people were acquainted with one another, we got back to our apartments and the weather was really nice. Many people sat outside of their apartments and started drinking and suddenly it turned into a rather large foreigner party which freaked out the neighbors who called the police. The police came and asked us to stop and break it up so people dispersed. The police were cool about it and very friendly. I think whoever reported our party must have made it out to be much more than it was. I think this is why the police were surprised to see us just hanging out, talking and drinking. Anyway, the police called Westgate the following day and Westgate started their own witch hunt to get details about who was their and what happened. In the end, nothing came of it. I mean, what were they going to say. They asked us not to have parties as it disturbed the neighbors and so we toned down and kept things more reasonable. We were basically the only ones living in the building so we had small parties inside and never had any problems. The next time I came to work for Westgate they had learned to spread us out so we couldn’t do that again. hahaha! So there might be a few people in the same building with you, but maybe not.
Ok, I think this paints a good picture of Westgate. I would recommend Westgate to someone who is looking for a chance to experience Japan and earn some money as they do it. It’s not a career move, but you can gain some experience in Japan that can lead to another position—if you want to stay there.
I think the best thing you get from Westgate is the visa as it is very difficult to find work if you are outside of Japan. Anyway, if you have questions please send me an email. I might bump into you in a few weeks. Cheers.
I’m currently working for Westgate, and it’s pretty much just as Melissa described it above. The reason I’ve decided not to renew is that I find the workday terribly long. I leave my place at 8:30am and don’t get back until 8pm. I only have one foreign co-worker at my school, and he doesn’t like to talk, so it has also been rather isolating for me. Otherwise it’s been a decent gig.
I would love to work for Westgate in the future. Even though there are mixed reviews, the length of the contract appeals to me. 3 to 4 months work and then giving you the freedom to travel either within Japan or Asia. Also, Westgate of course supply you with a 1 year working visa, so you could in fact, look for another job post contract.
Tofu Boy,
Thanks for the detailed info about Westgate. I’m seriously looking at this company and want to say thanks for the in-depth review. Taking the negatives into account, it still seems like a good option.