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After studying Economics and Japanese at the University of Sheffield, Tom Luff taught English in Kawagoe, Saitama, Japan for two years on the JET programme. 
Choosing my gap yearThe JET programme was advertised at my university. I wanted to go to Japan, to explore the culture, and develop my language skills. Teaching English provided the best opportunity to do this. Before going to Japan I did some basic English language training and when I was in Japan I had Japanese language training. I worked in a high-school, teaching students aged 15-18. My gap year experiencesMost of the time I taught alongside the Japanese teacher, helping to bring the lessons to life with role-plays, presentations of topics about my home country, games and music. I also spent time planning lessons and marking exercises and ran an after school English club for students interested in learning more. This still left me time to study Japanese, and during my time in Japan I progressed through number of levels of proficiency. The most rewarding part of the experience was seeing my pupils improve through the year. Particularly good was the English club, since all those who attended were really enthusiastic about learning English, and they progressed fast. The benefits of my gap yearI benefited hugely from my participation on the JET programme. It was great to see my impact on my pupils, and to see their development throughout my time at the school. At the same time, I developed my own Japanese language proficiency, and came away with a good level of fluency. I also made a number of really good friends, who I am still close with (and saw again when I recently visited Japan). It was a good experience to spend time away from home, and to learn how to get by in situations sometimes slightly outside my natural comfort zone. The career benefits of my gap year were more indirect. Upon my return I started an MSc in Development Studies. The thinking space (and the money) provided by the JET programme helped me make up my mind to do this. I then did a traineeship in the EU Commission in Brussels, working on EU-Japan issues. Since then I have been working in central Government. While my work has, thus far, tended not to have a direct connection with Japan, the different perspective I gained from living in a foreign country (and from being a foreigner) has really helped me. Also, although no longer teaching, the experience of teaching and coaching has very useful application in the wider workplace, especially for communication, presentation and people management. My adviceI would advise other graduates planning to teach abroad to do some basic research about the place you are heading to. Local knowledge opens up so many more opportunities, and helps you avoid misunderstandings. Also get a bit of teacher training before you go - there are lots of really useful tips and techniques that can come in handy. Finally, try to be open-minded to new and different experiences. Further information: | 
