10 TEFL Skills to Help You Thrive as a Teacher in Japan

Understanding the Top TEFL Skills to Use in Your Classroom in Japan 

Many ALTs worry that they need to be confident, outgoing or highly experienced to succeed. In reality, thriving as an ALT teacher in Japan is often about adopting small, international habits, maintaining clear communication, cultivating cultural awareness, and showing a genuine interest in your students. With time, reflection, and support from Interac, every ALT can build up the skills they need to succeed. 

In this guide, we’ll explore 10 essential TEFL skills you can develop as an ALT in Japan, how these skills connect to cultural expectations like being Genki and ways to build your professional confidence for long-term career growth.  

1. Clear and Effective Communication 

 Clear communication is one of the most important TEFL skills for teaching in Japan. Students may have limited English proficiency, so speaking slowly, using simple sentences, and repeating key points helps them understand lessons, even if their language level is low. 

Non-verbal cues such as hand gestures, facial expressions, and demonstrations are equally important in Japanese classrooms; they often communicate more than words alone. As you gain experience, you’ll naturally learn which explanations work best for your students and adjust your communication style to suit different classes. 

At Interac, we provide full support, training and collaborate with schools to ensure you feel confident in the classroom. 

2. Cultural Awareness and Being ‘Genki’ 

Cultural awareness plays a significant role in how ALTs are perceived in Japanese schools, and it is closely linked to the concept of being Genki. You can read our blog to learn more about what ‘genki’ means for ALTs in Japan. Being Genki in the classroom isn’t about being loud, extroverted, or constantly upbeat. Instead, it’s about showing that you are approachable, engaged, and willing to connect with your students and colleagues. 

Small habits can make a big difference, such as greeting students clearly, using open body language, maintaining eye contact, and showing a genuine interest in their responses. These behaviours help students feel more comfortable and help Japanese teachers feel confident working with you. 

If you feel your genkiness is limited, don’t worry. Like many TEFL skills, this can be practised and developed. Observing how Japanese teachers express enthusiasm through smiling, clear speech, or simple gestures is a helpful place to start. Over time, these small actions become more natural and help build confidence in the classroom. 

3. Adaptability and Flexibility 

Japanese schools can be unpredictable. Classes can vary widely in ability, lesson plans change, and schedules shift. Being flexible is a valuable TEFL skill that helps you stay calm and responsive when things don’t go as planned. 

Rather than aiming for perfect lessons, adaptability allows you to adjust activities, simplify instructions, or change your approach based on how students respond. This flexibility becomes easier with experience and helps lessons feel smoother for both you and your students. We provide full training with Interac and lesson plans so you can have a clear idea of activities that work in a classroom. 

4. Patience and Empathy  

Learning a language takes time, and students may feel shy or less confident when using English. Patience and empathy help create a supportive environment where students feel safe to try, make mistakes, and improve. 

Showing encouragement, acknowledging effort, and allowing students time to respond are important TEFL skills that build trust. These moments of understanding can make a big difference in students’ confidence and motivation. 

5. Creativity in Lesson Activities 

Creativity doesn’t mean designing out-of-the-box ideas for lessons every day. Often, it’s about finding simple ways to make English engaging. Language learning games, pair work, or short challenges can help students feel excited to participate. 

As one of the core TEFL skills, creativity helps keep lessons enjoyable and memorable, especially for younger children. Over time, you’ll develop a set of reliable activities that you can adapt for different classes and levels. 

6. Classroom Management 

Classroom management is about guiding behaviour calmly and consistently, and not being too strict, so children still feel encouraged to express themselves and join in. Clear instructions, structured activities, and predictable routines help students to understand what’s expected. 

Even as an assistant teacher, developing classroom management as a TEFL skill helps lessons to run more smoothly and supports your Japanese colleagues. Confidence in this area grows naturally as you become more familiar with your students and school environment. 

7. Cross-Cultural Communication 

Teaching in Japan means working closely with people from different cultural and educational backgrounds. Cross-cultural communication is an essential TEFL skill that supports teamwork and builds positive working relationships. 

Listening carefully, asking questions and observing how colleagues communicate can help you adapt. Over time, this awareness makes collaboration feel easier and more comfortable. 

8. Confidence and Classroom Presence

Confidence in teaching doesn’t always come from experience alone; it often grows through practice. Speaking clearly, maintaining eye contact and being approachable all help to build a calm classroom presence.

This skill develops gradually. Even if you feel nervous at first, repeated exposure to teaching situations helps confidence grow naturally, especially when supported by feedback and encouragement from your tutors in the classroom and the Interac team. 

9. Basic Japanese Language Skills 

While being fluent in Japanese isn’t required, learning simple phrases is useful. Greetings, classroom expression and common phrases help with daily interactions and show respect for local culture. 

 (お元気ですか) “Genki desu ka” = How are you? 

(元気だね!) “Genki da ne!” = You’re energetic!

(元気です。) ”Genki Desu” = I’m fine/doing well.

You can also check out other common phrases you will hear in the classroom in Japan; learning a few of these will help to improve your confidence when starting and improve your overall adjustment to living in Japan. 

10. Resilience and a Willingness to Learn 

Approaching your experience with a willingness to learn is one of the most important TEFL skills you can develop. Each challenge becomes an opportunity to grow, both as a teacher and as an individual. 

Final Thoughts – Building TEFL Skills for Long-Term Growth in Japan

Developing strong TEFL skills as an ALT in Japan is a gradual process. Each classroom experience, conversation with colleagues, and small adjustments you make contribute to your growth as a teacher. Whether it’s improving your communication, becoming more culturally aware, or finding your own level of genkiness, these skills develop naturally over time as you spend more time in the classroom. 

What’s important to remember is that there is no single ‘ideal’ teaching style. Success comes from being consistent, open to learning, and willing to adapt to your students and school environment. With the right support, guidance and mindset, every ALT can build confidence over time. 

These TEFL skills don’t just help you in the classroom; teaching also builds great transferable skills to support long-term career development, making your experience in Japan both rewarding and meaningful.

Explore Living and Working in Japan as an ALT

Now that you understand the TEFL skills needed to thrive and how genkiness fits into the classroom in Japan, you have everything you need to put them into practice.

Working as an ALT with Interac offers the opportunity to experience life in Japan while developing your teaching skills in a supportive environment. With training, guidance and ongoing support, you can grow at your own pace while making a meaningful impact on students’ learning English. 

If you would like more help on moving to Japan, advice on career opportunities, school culture and settling in smoothly, you can get in touch with us today. Our team would love to talk through the opportunity and answer any questions you may have.