the value of English

My employer pays me a little more than $2,600 every month.

My private student pays me $0 every month.

I did not have any part in deciding how much I am paid for my services as a high school English teacher, but I was the one that decided how much I am to be paid for my private English lessons.

That�s right, I think that the English language has no monetary value.

In Japan, it�s very common for English lessons to cost $30 and up per hour. Many fellow JETs accept the opportunity to acquire private students and make a tidy side-profit, although it is a breach of our employment contract to hold any sort of secondary occupation.

English is something that I acquired free-of-charge and I�d like to pass on the gift.

Did my grandmother charge me money when I pressed her for a story from her childhood? No. Did my father tell me to go get a quarter for him each time I interrupted him and asked what that word meant? No. Why should I do so to someone else?

Of course, I�m not the only one giving in this relationship. By meeting with the student (student = 20-something Japanese person), I am getting a considerable amount in return.

1) I am getting the chance to socialize with someone in my age group. I have exceedingly limited social opportunities in my town. It�s residents are old, nearly all my coworkers live out of town, and the business district is exceedingly lacking in vitality. Each time I left my Japanese class (it�s in Gifu, a large city about 30 minutes away), I found myself burning for a chance to socialize. My classmates all have families to go to afterwards, but I do not. It didn�t make sense to me that I should come to a city where social opportunities abound and still feel lonely. Now, I meet with my student after class and get to be a 20-something �shootin� the shit� with another 20-something.

2) I am learning, too. I am learning about Japan, Japanese, and the Japanese. I�m of the opinion that information from a native is better than information from a fellow foreigner. Foreigners broadcast unhealthy amounts of hearsay.

I know that two items usually does not constitute �a considerable amount�, but they do when they have the potential of improving my quality of life as much as the two items above. The only two negative aspects of my life here in Japan are 1) that I have limited social opportunities and 2) that I know very little about the culture I�ve submerged myself in. Being the tutor of this particular student gives me considerable opportunity to attack those two issues and render them inconsequential.

I�d like to challenge any JETs (teachers affiliated with the same program as myself) reading this to honestly consider their own situations. Did you give in to greed? Are you the one coming away from the meeting with more than your fair share? If your answer is yes, then why don�t you do something to change the fact? I assure you, it�s a positive step for the greater good.