STEP 2 - CHOOSE a teacher or a school

After you pay 500,000 yen to a school and start taking lessons you might get some surprises. It makes sense to do some research before making your decision. There are thousands of things you can look into but here are some suggestions to give you some ideas.
a)Look around the school.
Do the toilets work?
Are the air conditioners too cold?
Are there any windows or plants?
Are the seats comfortable?
Is the carpet cleaned (more than once a month)?
b)Meet and say hello to some teachers as they walk around the school.
Are they friendly to students?
c)Ask about the teachers.
How many teachers are in the school?
How long have they been teaching English?
What countries are they from?
What are their approximate ages?
How many classes do they teach a day?
d)Ask about the school.
What textbooks are used?
How many student levels are there?
How can students progress to the next level?
Can students book into the classes they want to?
How are the lessons chosen for each class?
How do students get feedback?
e)Take a trial lesson.(Man to Man and Group)
f)Find out about cancellation fees. Cancelling a lesson and cancelling your whole contract.

On the other hand you might want a private teacher. (Man to Man and group lessons are options). Teacher-Student introduction site are getting more and more popular. Check out http://www.senseisagasu.com. Check out my personal site to see if I'm looking for private students or not. http://www.geocities.jp/eikaiwalesson

Like joining a school, there are many things you can research but it's not as important. If something goes wrong, just tell your teacher that you'd like to stop your lessons for a while because your getting busy with ......work. Then, find another teacher.