This might seem like a too basic question, and you might be tempted to just answer “everyone!” But I’d caution you to think carefully about how to answer the question: who wants to study English in Japan? Then if you can identify with some accuracy who your ideal student is, it informs what you teach, how you teach it, how you find new students, how much you can charge in fees and, in short, whether you can enjoy life and thrive as a self-employed English teacher in Japan.
Here’s a partial list off the top of my head, at least how I might slice and dice the market, but you may have different experiences and see different opportunities. Great! There is no definitive right (or wrong) answer…
Full-time students — from kindergarten to university, these are the bread-and-butter for most eikaiwa. Mine included.
Businesspeople — some have specific needs dealing with English-speaking clients, others have just a general desire to improve their English to get ahead at the workplace. But there are businesspeople and there are businesspeople. Sure, there are the salarymen and office ladies, but there are also the restaurateurs and medics, the airbnb instagramers and Tiktok influencers.
Retired folk — I have a few such long-term students and some of the most enjoyable to teach are the retired ladies who want to enjoy using English.
Full-time parents/housewives — Their motivations are often expressed in what studying English can do for them to help their kids, at least that’s what they say.
English teachers — it may seem counter-intuitive, but some of the best students I’ve had were Japanese teachers of English (in juku or schools). They need to keep their English skills sharp, after all. The good ones at any rate.
Neighbours — Sure, they overlap the above categories, but I think they deserve their own entry. They are often your first students, and if you can serve their needs you can serve anyone’s. Conversely, if you can’t win over your neighbours, who can you win over?
There are other ways to divide your market. You might consider the reasons or motivations people choose to study English separate or in addition to the above categories:
The status conscious — they consider learning English to be necessary to their position in society.
The fantasy fulfillers — they maybe have an unrealistic idea, but a powerful motivation all the same in which they believe English fluency will make all their dreams come true.
The fun seekers — They are learning English because they find it intellectually or socially fulfilling.
The lonely — sometimes your role is as a secular priest, to hear their complaints, woes and confessions, all on the understanding that what is spoken of in the classroom, stays in the classroom.
How do you see your market? Which segments would you most like to teach? How could you reach those segments? Who would be ideal online students and who would want to meet in person? What would you teach them? How would you keep them coming back for more?
On Friday’s Staffroom Podcast Episode 42, I discuss which kinds are the best students to have, at least in my experience.
See ya then,
Patrick