Some of the top performers at Dean Morgan language school are female teachers. Marion Chamaret is one example. Born in Paris, she first came to Japan in 2007 as a tourist. She liked it so much that she decided to come back. The fully bilingual professional teacher of English and French is now an assistant manager at Dean Morgan, and when she is not working, plays the drums in a J-pop band.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when you first came to Japan to work?

Japanese administration, all the paperwork, because I didn’t understand anything. Even opening a bank account was difficult.

Tell us about your career at Dean Morgan.

I teach Tuesday to Saturday. Usually I start at 12:30 (10 a.m. twice a week) and teach until 9:30 p.m. On a busy day, I can have up to eight lessons (40 minutes each). I enjoy the work because everyone is really good at adapting their lessons to each student. The atmosphere is relaxed and makes the students feel comfortable.

What do you find most satisfying about your job?

When I start teaching beginners in French, and English also, it is a pleasure seeing them after six months being able to have a conversation.

What is your life like away from work?

I love going to the cinema and watching DVDs. I also play the drums in a J-Pop band every weekend. The band’s name is Puchu Maru. We have a MySpace page and we recently started doing small gigs in Shinjuku, Shimo-Kitazawa and Koenji.

What do you like most about Japan?

I like the food, manga, Japanese movies, and I feel that Tokyo is still relatively safe.

What are your future plans?

I plan to stay here for a long time. I really enjoy my life. I have a great job, good friends. I started out as a freelance teacher. I was recently promoted to assistant manager and look forward to becoming a full branch manager in the near future.