Hi folks,

I'm a Film History PhD candidate, just about to enter the third year of my programme, and the last funded one. I'm currently considering applying to teach English in Japan for a year next year, and whilst I think it should work out OK, I could really do with some outside opinion.

All my research and secondary material is digitised, and I can communicate online with my supervisor and research team. I have a timeline of outputs for the year I'd be away (including a book that my research team is putting together, and a dedicated journal issue), and the teaching programme that I'm looking at gives me enough time to work on writing up and corrections as needed.

I'm already in the writing phase, and will have a first draft complete by mid-to-late-April at the latest. I can do corrections from distance, due to my primary materials all being fully digitised.

The programme is paid, so I would be able to support myself, and I would be able to fly back for my viva without issue thanks to abundant allowed leave days, and financial support from my parents.

I'm not sure I want to stay in academia post-PhD, and Japanese language skills (as well as high school teaching experience) would potentially make me more employable in a wider spectrum of fields.

*However* it would be a year without being available for postdocs, university work, or conferences. There's a high potential for getting distracted from the PhD whilst away. Teaching English abroad might not make me much more employable in university settings. If I needed new datasets for fundamental corrections, I couldn't get them (I'm hoping this would have been flagged up by now though!). I worry that I'm missing something glaringly obvious that would make this totally unthinkable.

Does anyone have any input? I really want to do this, but not if it is guaranteed to tank my life afterwards!

Thanks! Sorry for the massive post! :)

I reckon a year's break is fine - just put a spin on it with the transferable skills you will have learnt :)