Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf

As you can imagine The Inspector gets quite a few postings of a somewhat ehrrm, uncharitable type. I would now like to set the record straight:

• I like buses but have no desire to throw myself under one.
• I have no desire to get to know "the boys" down a dim alleyway at night!
• My sexual preferences are none of your business and in any case I would need to do a fair bit of yoga to have a sexual relationship with myself so comments of that type are sheer wishful fantasy.
• "Go forth and multiply" was how it was put in the Bible. Please don't reduce it to two short words.

Why does this blog exist? For the following reasons:

1. Why should any professional have trained for at least three years Graduate study and then be expected to get some Mickey Mouse overpriced diploma to......
2. Teach for less than you pay a toilet cleaner, a dishwasher or any job in McDonald's. No offence to people working in those industries but you didn't have to spend a lot of time, energy and money to end up being exploited.
3. Megalomaniac, egocentric school owners and petty DOS' are often the norm, especially in China and Korea.
   
4. What sets TEFL/ESL apart, is that too many schools hide behind a fictitious facade of corporate professionalism, when in reality far too many bully, overwork and underpay their teachers and do not deliver what they promise, Shane Schools is a fine example.
5. EFL teachers have no union with any teeth.
6. EFL teachers are often cheated by schools running outrageously expensive TEFL Cert. courses.
   
7. TEFL career prospects are worse than a turkey's at Christmas

That dear readers is why this blog exists. To inform and enlighten the innocent TEFL lambs and warn them of the Big Bad Wolf.

Inspector McHammered of the Lard
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International House

What! International House I imagine you're thinking. This time The Inspector has gone too far. Calm down, relax. I'm not blacklisting International House London, whose courses (albeit expensive)I have no gripe with (for the moment). I'm blacklisting the International House franchise project which lets any old Tom Dick Harry or Carlos, Pierre or Norbert start up and use, or rather abuse, the International House name. Shame on you International House. If you want to expand, do it honourably and manage the overseas scam "International House" schools to the same standard you would expect in London.
How many teachers have signed up for one of your overseas courses with one of your franchise schools without knowing that they were not the real thing. And don't waste your time replying that the courses are underwritten, supervised by International House London. It all looks nice in print but IT ISN'T HONEST.

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Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Val Ferret, Switzerland

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TEFL Italy ESL Jobs in Italy

ITALY!

The Mad Hatter's Tea (T for TEFL) Party
A country of contrasts. From Potenza to Pasta and Milan to Mafia. It's dangerous to generalise, but the Italians can be the most charming people you have ever met and at the same time the most devious. Girls do take warning, the Inspector has heard of randy Italians so desperate for a quick fix that they have been know to lie down and look up your skirts! Amazing but true.

Even back in Roman times you could see sophistication and savagery together in the same society. The porn paintings in the brothels in Pompei take some beating.....














....now they just throw the TEFL teachers to the lions.

Expect to be a bit schizo when it comes to teaching English in Italy. You'll meet some wonderful people, but the whole country can be a bit like the Mad Hatter's Tea Party or should I say TEFL Party.

I'll be returning to this posting a lot over the next few days. Just to link everything together for starters here's a list of schools in Italy to avoid:

British Institutes Italy
The British Schools Italy
Anderson House, Bergamo
Inlingua Naples
Angloschool, Potenza

Update March 4 2007
AVOID
Living languages, Reggio di Calabria, Italy
Inlingua Avellino

Unless, that is, your a masochist!

Click here to see a model Italian lesson.

Inspector McHammered of the Lard
FOR BLACKLIST NOMINATIONS CLICK HERE

Executive Language Services ELS Paris

The owner of this outfit is a Dorothy Polley, otherwise known in the Trade as "Mad Dorothy". The Inspector rests his case Millud.
Her madhouse can be found at the following address:
Executive Language Services
20, rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie
75004 PARIS

Inspector McHammered of the Lard
FOR THE MOST RECENT POSTING CLICK HERE
FOR BLACKLIST NOMINATIONS CLICK HERE