A Guide to JET Program Acronyms and Terms
Like many other jobs and industries, the JET Program has its fair share of acronyms and unique terms that can be confusing and even overwhelming when you are going through the application and interview process of becoming a JET.
USJETAA has put together this reference guide to help familiarize you with all the terms you will encounter as you begin your journey as a JET.
AJET = Association for Japan Exchange and Teaching
The Association for Japan Exchange and Teaching or AJET is a national support and social network for current JET Program participants in Japan. Run by volunteers, it organizes a range of cultural, sporting and charity events, publishes books and information and represents JETs and their concerns to CLAIR.
AJET has many prefectorial chapters all across Japan, and participation rates and general level of AJET activity varies from place to place.
AET = Assistant English Teacher
AET and ALT essentially refer to the same job position/duties and the terms are often used interchangeably with preference varying from one organization to the other. The JET Program currently uses the term “ALT” to refer to its Assistant Language Teachers.
AGM = Annual General Meeting
Most if not all JETAA chapters hold an AGM once a year to attend to chapter business such as electing their officers and discussing activities and budgets for the coming year. The term is not used in relation to the national or international level.
ALT = Assistant Language Teacher
Assistant Language Teachers or ALTs are placed mainly in public schools or local boards of education and teach English in Elementary, Junior High and Senior High schools all over Japan. ALTs assist with classes taught by Japanese Teachers of English/Language (JTEs/JTLs) and are thus involved in the preparation of teaching materials and in extracurricular activities such as English clubs or sports teams. More than 90% of JET participants are employed as ALTs.
Which schools an ALT teaches at will depend on the contracting organization that the ALT is employed by. In general ALTs employed by municipal Boards of Education teach at Elementary and Junior High, while prefectural ALTs teach at Senior High schools, although exceptions to this rule do occur. Some ALTs are based at a single school (base-school ALTs) while others visit a number of schools in their local area (one-shot ALTs).
BOE = Board of Education
A Board of Education is the city or prefectural body responsible for the management of schools of their particular area.
Board
This term can apply to boards of advisors or directors, but in some chapters is used to refer to the chapter officers as a group. For example, JETAA International has a Board of Advisors (selected by the Chair), JETAA New York has a Board of Directors (elected by the members and which then selects the chapter officers), and JETAA Rocky Mountain uses the term to refer to its elected officers. Consequently, the term “board” can sometimes refer to vastly different entities and people should keep this in mind when using it.
CIR = Coordinator for International Relations
JET Program applicants with a functional command of the Japanese language can apply to work as CIRs, assisting local government offices in international exchange activities at the local level. Just under 10% of JET participants are CIRs and major duties often include translation/interpretation for government officials, teaching community or school English classes, and international exchange event planning and implementation.
Duties for a CIR may include:
Receiving guests from abroa
Editing and producing pamphlets in English or Japanese
Advising and planning international exchange programs
Teaching English (or other languages) to government employees and local residents
CanCon = JETAA Canada National Conference
Over the years, the annual Canada National Conference has come to be known as CanCon and is usually referred to this way except in official circumstances.
CC = Chapter Council
This is the governing body in JETAA USA comprised of representatives from each chapter that is responsible for overseeing the Country Reps and governance of the organization in general, including debating and voting upon matters of importance to the organization and community.
ChR = Chapter Representative
The term “Chapter Representative” is used widely in bylaws and other documents concerning JETAA, but its exact definition has been left intentionally vague to allow for the broad range of positions and titles employed by chapters around the world in their various governance structures. It can be commonly considered to include anyone who is or was in a position of responsibility, selected through some process, whether they held a traditional officer position such as president, treasurer, etc., or some other function. Ideally, however, they have represented the chapter at a national conference or other outside meeting and therefore have experience beyond internal chapter matters.
CLAIR = Council of Local Authorities for International Relations
“CLAIR’s objective is to ensure that the JET Program runs as smoothly and successfully as possible for the local authorities (contracting organizations) and individuals involved. In order to achieve this, CLAIR advises host prefectures and designated cities, contracting organizations and participants.” - JET Program
CO = Contracting Organization
JETs are not employed directly by the national Japanese government, the “JET Program” or CLAIR. Each JET Program participant signs their employment contract with an individual contracting organization or CO.
For ALTs, COs can be prefectural/designated city boards of education, municipal (city/town/village) boards of education or individual private schools.
For CIRs and SEAs, COs can be the prefectural/designated city government, a municipal (city/town/village) government or a related organization.
Contractual differences:
Although each contracting organization bases their employment contract on the model JET contract, the actual terms can and do vary between COs. This results in disparities between JETs and is a frequent source of resentment for many. Differences can include the amount of nenkyu allocated and the conditions under which these can be taken.
Aside from written differences in JET's contracts, their interpretation also varies widely between COs. Some COs require their ALTs to come into the office during school holidays, while others do not; some COs subsidize rent, while others do not. Each JET's individual relationship with their supervisor can often be the determining factor in how they are treated.
CR = Country Representative
Country Reps are alumni who have been selected by the members or chapters in their home country to fulfill various national-level roles. This selection may be done by election or some other system, but should be in some form the result of member input through a fair and open process. Different countries view the roles & responsibilities of the position differently, though these may include some combination of information provision and / or coordination, support for members and / or chapters in their activities, serving as the primary point of contact for CLAIR, MOFA, or other outside entities, and representing the country on the Executive Committee of JETAA-I.
ESID = Every Situation Is Different.
This is the famous catchphrase of JETs, and if you haven't heard it yet, be prepared to hear it a lot over the application/onboarding process. Things can vary wildly from JET to JET depending on your placement, CO, and even individual schools. Even within a city, JETs can have very different experiences both in and out of work.
FOJ = Friend(s) of JET
People active in JETAA activities who were not themselves participants in the JET Program. It can refer to spouses of JETs, people who have supported the Program by participating in activities such as the recruiting or interview process, or simply people with an interest in Japan.
GIH = General Information Handbook
This handbook is provided to JETs at Tokyo Orientation, though a digital copy is also available every year. The GIH serves as your main source of information directly from the program itself on everything from how to work a Japanese ATM, to rules on maternity leave, and how to submit pension refunds. It is available in both English and Japanese, so you can easily share the information with your CO.
HRT = Homeroom Teacher
Homeroom teachers tend to be found in ES (elementary schools) since instead of having dedicated teachers for each subject, it's just the homeroom teacher teaching everything. In most elementary schools you'll teach alongside each individual HRT as opposed to a dedicated English teacher.
inaka = meaning “countryside” in Japanese.
JETAA =JET Alumni Association
JET participants are expected to continue to play a role as a bridge between Japan and their home countries after their time on the JET Program. Former JET participants have founded alumni associations in their home countries/areas and in Japan named “JET Alumni Associations.” There are 50 chapters worldwide, with 19 JETAA chapters throughout the US. Although many of the hubs are near a Japanese diplomatic mission (consulate or embassy), several chapters also have sub-chapters to serve alumni in outlying areas.
Participation in JETAA is a great way to connect with others who have similar interests and experiences and to remain connected to Japan.
JETAA USA = is an autonomous, entirely volunteer-run national organization comprised of the 19 US chapters and the three Country Representatives they elect. It is funded largely by the Japanese government.
JHS = Junior High School
JLGC = Japan Local Government Center
Some but not all of CLAIR’s overseas offices are called Japan Local Government Center (New York, London, etc.). Why the offices were not simply called “CLAIR _____” is not definitely known, but may have been considered a more self-explanatory name.
JTE = Japanese Teacher of English
The Japanese Teacher of English or JTE is (usually) the primary teacher in the English classroom. ALTs assist JTEs with their work.
At Elementary school, “JTE” usually refers to the homeroom teacher, who may or may not speak English. At Junior and Senior High schools, “JTE” refers to a qualified English teacher.
MEXT = Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
“The Japanese authoritative body on all matters relating to education. Although the activities and duties of MEXT are all-encompassing within the realm of education, JET Program participants will see MEXT most with regards to orientations, seminars, and teaching guidance.
MEXT takes a proactive approach to helping ALTs by providing seminars and workshops at all JET Program conferences. MEXT also provides school education training and guidance to ALTs. Another fundamental role of MEXT is to evaluate and construct the education curriculum, implement policies, and set education standards and texts. These policies and standards directly affect the classrooms where ALTs teach.” - JET Program
MIC = Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications
“The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is involved with the JET Program in countless ways, most notably in administrative areas, such as calculating financial resources and determining acceptance guidelines for each participating country. . . .MIC also allocates local taxes to help cover a portion of program expenses such as each participant’s remuneration and travel expenses.” - JET Program
MOFA = Ministry of Foreign Affairs
“MOFA recruits and selects participants through its overseas embassies and consulates. Through these overseas embassies and consulates, MOFA runs information sessions for interested applicants, reviews applications, holds interviews, and notifies successful candidates. MOFA also provides essential information for new JET Program participants about how to embark upon the life-changing journey to Japan. Pre-departure orientations and Q&A sessions help to ease anxieties and ensure that new participants can begin the JET Program fully prepared. MOFA’s involvement does not stop there. When JET Program participants return to their home countries, MOFA often sponsors a “welcome back” reception and works closely with the local JETAA (JET Alumni Association) to see that the friendships and ties that participants made in Japan remain strong and true.” - JET Program
NatCon = JETAA USA National Conference
In recent years, the JETAA USA National Conference has come to be commonly known as NatCon (see CanCon, above).
Nenkyu = meaning “paid time off” in Japanese.
PA = Prefectural Advisor
Prefectural Advisors typically cover workplace disputes (that cannot be handled within the workplace), questions about your contract, and other miscellaneous concerns. They are also the ones responsible for putting together your prefecture’s orientation and skills development conferences.
PC = Program Coordinator
These people are almost always former JET Program participants who now work at embassies/consulate offices in their home countries or at CLAIR’s Department of JET Program Management. These individuals are responsible for overseeing correspondence with the Ministries involved with recruitment and selection of new JET participants. They are involved in placing JET Program participants in contracting organizations after being notified of successful applicants by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and many other tasks including conducting promotional activities regarding the JET Program, and preparing and implementing orientations and conferences.
pred = Short for predecessor
The outgoing JET who served in the same/similar position as you will be serving.
RR or RA = Regional Representative or Regional Advisor
These people are fellow JETs and your nearest contact for any questions you have about daily life in your region. They likely have the best idea as to where to rent a car, which doctors in your area speak English, and how to dispose of your trash. Their title and description varies from prefecture to prefecture,but in most cases these folks are the people to talk to before you take anything up to the PA.
SDC = Skill(s) Development Conference
These conferences are typically held once a year to help JET Program participants with their work related duties. They are typically mandatory for every JET in the prefecture, but serve as a great opportunity to learn, network, and connect with other JETs/JTEs across your prefecture.
SEA = Sports Exchange Advisor
SEAs work for local governments, coaching and promoting internationalization through the universal language of sports. SEAs are sports professionals whose role is to assist with sports training and the planning of sports related projects.
SHS = Senior High School
SIGs = Special Interest Groups
Groups focused on specific topics of interest to current and former JETs that provide a community for discussion and sometimes action. Primarily used by AJET, but applicable to alumni activities as well.
successor = A new JET who will be replacing an outgoing JET.
USJETAA = United States Japan Exchange & Teaching Program Alumni Association
That’s us! USJETAA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that strengthens US-Japan relationship through the network of 40,000 alumni of the JET Program and the 19 JET Alumni Association chapters across the United States.
You can read more about USJETAA and become a member to get our monthly newsletters and stay informed as to what is going on in the JET community.
Heard of any terms that we are missing?
Fill out the form below so we can expand our reference guide for new JETs.
