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Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
The TEFL Whitelist is Born
Check it out by clicking HERE
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Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
_________________________________________________________
Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
Monday, February 04, 2008
The Index - What Index?
There has been such a glut of postings that the index is clearly in dire need of updating. The TEFL Blacklist is also in need of some light hearted comments to counterbalance the recent outpouring of bile on the "nominate a school for blacklisting" section.
The Inspector will have to give the gorgeous Margherita the night off and burn the midnight oil in order to make the Blacklist a shade less black. In any case If I carry on at this rate she'll cause me to slip a disc. At least young Hamish McHammered has now gone. Took a job to get Ryanair to take his caber on the plane as sports luggage but we finally managed it!
Anyone care to nominate a very good school? Now is the time.
_________________________________________________________
Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
The Inspector will have to give the gorgeous Margherita the night off and burn the midnight oil in order to make the Blacklist a shade less black. In any case If I carry on at this rate she'll cause me to slip a disc. At least young Hamish McHammered has now gone. Took a job to get Ryanair to take his caber on the plane as sports luggage but we finally managed it!
Anyone care to nominate a very good school? Now is the time.
_________________________________________________________
Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
CBI Canadian Bilingual Institute in Bratislava, Slovakia (Slovak Republi
Phew! The Inspector is Mcknackered. Surely there can't be that many bad schools out there. Rest assured if you have been unfairly listed here then just drop a quick word in his ear.
CBI Canadian Bilingual Institute in Bratislava, Slovakia (Slovak Republic). This English school has the worst management, an incredibly greedy owner, and doesn't take care of its teachers.
Teachers are coaxed into signing a contract, then after they arrive (paying their own travel expenses) are told about other personal expenses, deductions, and work requirements that weren't in the contract and never mentioned during interviews (I even asked a direct question regarding some of the matters during an interview, and once I started working found out that I was lied to!).
They also think they are above the law - illegal contracts, screwing up people's visas, income tax problems, etc.
Terrible!
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Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
Anglo European Study Tours AEST Summer Schools
Another comment that appeared on the "nominate a school for blacklisting section."
WARNING to anyone who'll apply for summer work with AEST summer schools. I worked as Assistant Course director last year and it was by far the shoddiest shadiest bunch of cowboys I've come across (and in 10 years I've seen a few!). I worked in Galway, We were forced to pay £25 to receive our own wages (well overdue, needless to say) transferred into a UK bank account . I rang their bank (Coutts &Co. no less) and was told that it was NOT necessary to pay anything for a 3-day transfer: I rang the AEST head office in London to tell them this, they blatantly lied, I told them I'd just got off the phone to the bank who told me otherwise and they simply slammed the phone down on me. It would of course have been easier if teachers could have been paid in euro from AEST's Bank of Ireland account, though again they told me this didn't exist, even though at the end of the course I had to pay a company there with - surprise, surprise - a cheque from their non-existent account.
Apart from staff money problems, the kids had no books, pens, etc. Teachers resorted to buying these and paying for photocopies out of the own pockets.
There is another centre in Dublin, I finally tracked down the DoS there and if anything their situation was even worse: NOBODY got paid from the beginning to the end of the school. Half the teachers left before the end, simply giving up on the prospect of seeing any money. Regarding understaffing, in our centre the DoS ended up simply going round the pubs in the evening trying to find extra teachers (he found one, actually a qualified TEFL teacher, who lasted one day and then left in disgust).
It makes me sick that though we were treated like slaves, lied to and ignored by head office, I read the contract they had with an Italian government body, and they got 517,000 euro for the Galway centre alone. Yet didn't fork out for a photocopy budget or board markers for teachers. nice. (Anyone who doubts this can have a photocopy of the contract which I have). Yet they STILL wanted more money: they knowingly accepted more kids than they had accommodation for, even suggesting at one stage that Italian teenagers could simply sleep two to a bed (I kid you not)!
SO PLEASE: SPREAD THE WORD!!!!!
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Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
Daleena International Language Centre in Malaga, Spain
Interesting comment.
Not too sure if this is strictly one for the blacklist as I doubt this school really exists!!
Just wanted to warn others not to waste time with these guys- any recruitment process will end with them asking you to wire money.. its just a scam!
They may operate under other names also- but if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
_________________________________________________________
Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
Not too sure if this is strictly one for the blacklist as I doubt this school really exists!!
Just wanted to warn others not to waste time with these guys- any recruitment process will end with them asking you to wire money.. its just a scam!
They may operate under other names also- but if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
_________________________________________________________
Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
North China Electric Power University.
Nearly at the end of the many comments that have recently appeared on the "nominate a school for blacklisting section."
This one is notable in that the person concerned has come out and given his name (I think!)
North China Electric Power University.
Michael Coombs, an English teacher from the UK who was employed by the university, was disappointed to find that he was not given the three room apartment with all facilities he was promised. Instead, he was placed in foreign students accommodation. Living conditions included: One room; No hot water until 18:00; Absolutely no guests allowed except from 16:00 until 22:00, and then only two guests maximum; Main doors locked at 23:00 with no exit/entrance for residents until 06:00, any attempt met with abuse by the night watchman; A small kitchen shared with many students, from which food was consistently stolen; Improperly fitted windows and doors resulting in coldness and mosquitoes. He was told throughout the four months he was there that he would be moved to the three room apartment with all facilities soon. Eventually he resigned.
_________________________________________________________
Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
This one is notable in that the person concerned has come out and given his name (I think!)
North China Electric Power University.
Michael Coombs, an English teacher from the UK who was employed by the university, was disappointed to find that he was not given the three room apartment with all facilities he was promised. Instead, he was placed in foreign students accommodation. Living conditions included: One room; No hot water until 18:00; Absolutely no guests allowed except from 16:00 until 22:00, and then only two guests maximum; Main doors locked at 23:00 with no exit/entrance for residents until 06:00, any attempt met with abuse by the night watchman; A small kitchen shared with many students, from which food was consistently stolen; Improperly fitted windows and doors resulting in coldness and mosquitoes. He was told throughout the four months he was there that he would be moved to the three room apartment with all facilities soon. Eventually he resigned.
_________________________________________________________
Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
British Institutes (BUSTO ARISIZIO)
Another comment that appeared on the "nominate a school for blacklisting section."
British Institutes (BUSTO ARISIZIO)
I lasted a month and actually left without pay because I was so keen to Foxtrott Oscar.
I worked in Japan and Poland before B.I Busto Arsizio so I wasn't completely green to the situation.
There are too many ridiculous things to mention. Most of them happened to us (another guy left just after me) and a whole lot more happened to the people who we replaced (they all lost money).
In short, stay clear!!
_________________________________________________________
Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
British Institutes (BUSTO ARISIZIO)
I lasted a month and actually left without pay because I was so keen to Foxtrott Oscar.
I worked in Japan and Poland before B.I Busto Arsizio so I wasn't completely green to the situation.
There are too many ridiculous things to mention. Most of them happened to us (another guy left just after me) and a whole lot more happened to the people who we replaced (they all lost money).
In short, stay clear!!
_________________________________________________________
Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
Berlitz Istanbul, Turkey
Another comment that appeared on the "nominate a school for blacklisting section."
I wouldn't recommend Berlitz Istanbul. If you are interested in seeing a foreign country for 6 months and experience a new culture then this place is a no-brainer. But, if you are looking for medical benefits, a teacher's permit, travel pay (all promised in the original contract) forget it! There is no honor by this thief. They even pocket the teacher's income tax at the end of the year!
Strong stuff! Anybody care to add to this. I'll remove it if nothing more substantial emerges
Addendum
Indeed it has. The Inspector's Investigations unearthed the following ancient (2003)
observations elsewhere on the web!
_________________________________________________________
As you have all probably seen, Berlitz Istanbul is hiring once again, and I wanted to warn the uninitiated out there that they are a very poorly-run organization and I would advise anyone against taking a job with them. The reason they are always hiring is that their teachers are always quitting. Avoid them like the plague.
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I have been contacted by Inlingua Istanbul and noticed that their Web site contained "Berlitz." Are they one and the same, or affiliated??
_________________________________________________________
Check this site out for more info on what life is like working at Berlitz Japan and Korea.
_________________________________________________________
I've said this before as well Berlitz has a bad reputation in Taiwan and Korea and, depending on your school, Japan.
If you are patient and look carefully, I believe better schools can be found than Berlitz.
Check this site out for more info on what life is like working at Berlitz Japan and Korea.
I just finished reading another thread on the Saudi Arabia Forum here at Dave's and it looks like Berlitz in the M.E. offers a pretty weak package for prospective teachers.
I've said this before as well Berlitz has a bad reputation in Taiwan and Korea and, depending on your school, Japan.
If you are patient and look carefully, I believe better schools can be found than Berlitz.
_________________________________________________________
I also advise teachers to avoid Berlitz Istanbul. Speaking from experience, I can say that their management staff is very difficult to work with and they really don't seem to care about their teachers at all. Probably the reason why their turnover is high (the average teacher stay seems to be about two or three months). Also: if you do get into negotiations with these guys, beware the contract. They may tell you it's just a formality, but they're actually very serious about it and may try to pursue you in court if you attempt to quit. It may be worth getting a lawyer to look at it beforehand. Bottom line: it's possible to teach there, but be very wary and stand your ground at every turn.
_________________________________________________________
Hi folks,
No one answered the previous poster, is there a sneaky relationship between Inlingua and Berlitz? I've been looking at the Inlingua in Baglarbasi, does anyone know anything? I'm limited in that my credentials are in Spanish, not ESL, and that seems to limit my choices a little bit.
Should I be lying awake tonight like this: ?
Gracias,
stural
_________________________________________________________
I was offered a position with Berlitz in Beyoglu some weeks ago. Since I'm domiciled in Hong Kong, this entailed packing my belongings, giving notice, arranging transportation etc. One week before I was due to leave Hong Kong I was told by the Berlitz center manager that I could not be hired after all, because the Turkish Ministry of Education had issued a directive that prevented them from recruiting staff in Hong Kong. As far as I know, Turkish schools do not make a practice of recruiting people in Hong Kong, so I found it rather surprising, to say the least, that the MofE would bother formulating and issuing such a specific directive. Predictably, when I asked Berlitz for further clarification (and the name of someone at the ministry with whom I could communicate) my letter was ignored.
I've not been able to determine, by my own efforts, if such a directive was ever issued but I have been offered employment with another Istanbul language school, so I'm very much disposed to believe that I was lied to. If this is an example of the way in which Berlitz treats people I'm not surprised at all that they have such a poor reputation.
_________________________________________________________
I know this is a bit late to respond, but I was very moved to reply once I read what Iskender wrote.
I did work at Berlitz Istanbul for an entire year. YES! I finished my contract- but I got stiffed for half of the expenses for getting my work permit. I was told that he was not going to pay for my honeymoon. I left screaming nasty things like you are a lying SOB. He agreed with me and said he had no problems sleeping at night and disinvited me to enter his facility again.
Things are not right in Berlitz Istanbul and Marc47, you hit the nail on the head when you said you may have been lied to. This is the biggest problem of Berlitz in Istanbul. The owner and manager is a pathological liar. He really can not help himself.
just a few examples---I have a friend who went to interview with him for teaching the lawyer class. Another friend, who also finished a full one year contract had totally created the materials and the format of this class. The interviewing friend was told that she could not speak with the previous teacher because said teacher had left Turkey and was back in the US. LIE!!! The interviewing friend had had dinner with the ex-teacher the night before. The interviewing friend was then told that there were no materials to be seen for the class because the ex-teacher took them all when leaving Turkey. LIE!!!!!
The same ex-teacher friend had dinner with the ex-law class. The next day, the class was told that the reason for the delay in restarting their class was that the teacher died. When confronted with the fact that their teacher was very much alive and enjoying sheep for dinner, they were then told that Solmaz never told them it was that teacher, but a teacher. Strange that none of the teachers that were working at Berlitz at the time had heard of any teacher dying.
The personal problems mentioned by Iskender most likely have to do with rotten scheduling of classes, disorganization, weird contracts, low pay, lack of pay for long travel times, and various other job related reasons that have nothing to do with personal problems. I knwo of several instances of teachers during my year and just after who "ditched" Berlitz Turkey.
As far as the center thriving goes- all of the Asian based teachers are having to travel to Europe in order to have classes to teach. There ARE NO CLASSES in the Suadiye branch. It seems ridiculous to say recruiting because of expanding. Summertimes are not good for getting hours at Berlitz Turkey. I know of several instances of teachers who "ditched" Berlitz Turkey
Solmaz does do lip service in regards to "caring" about teachers and students and talks about his "happy family." Unfortunatly, most things come with strings. They also come with nasty things said about the students- "All students at the center are lazy Turkish B*******. He also has an unwritten rule that teachers are not to speak to each other. The Turkish staff is supposed to stop this action.
"The teachers are expected to work hard." Yes indeedy! I went several months working every single day because I needed the hours. I managed to earn an average of about 460 dollars per month for the year I was there. I also spent 6 hours a week travel for one class that paid me for 9 hours of work.
" I am satisfied with the work and I love living in Istanbul. I also find it comforting to work for a place that is secure and likely to endure the economic rollercoaster when other centers may fold."
I admit that I was satisfied with the quality of my students and that when I had a normal schedule, I was satisfied with the work. I too love living in Istanbul, but I find it much much more comforting to work for a University where I have REGULAR hours, am paid at the first of the month instead of two weeks later, actually have insurance and PAID SSK (unlike my entire years time at Berlitz Istanbul), and am paid for vacation time.
There is so much more to be said, but I believe I have said enough. Berlitz Istanbul is an experience I am glad to put behind me. Anyone who is considering working at any location should speak to people who have worked there in the past. I am happy to be finished there.
"I wouldn't write off working for Berlitz because of the comments of those who have no experience working there ..."
I am a real person who worked at Berlitz Istanbul. I have no qualms about signing my name either. I SURVIVED BERLITZ-TURKEY!
_________________________________________________________
This may also be a bit late to post but from my experience with Berlitz Istanbul it is best not to even begin negotiations with them. I accepted a job with them via email and when I came to Turkey highly regretted it. I spent only two days in the Berlitz office and left before my relationship went any further. The management was rude and unthoughtful and my gut told me to get out. I never taught a course there nor did I finish their training.
Just to get an idea of how little time I spent with them I'll give some background info. The training I did do consisted of sitting in a room by myself and watching 8 hours of videos. The next day I sat around my house all day waiting for them to call me and then finally when I was asked in at 3 was rushed through some of their books so that I could teach the next day. It had been my understanding via the emails we had that I would come in and discuss the job but was put in a room with the contract and when I asked questions was told don't worry, just sign. I had purposely not signed the contract from outside of Turkey because I wanted some other people there and the contract itself asked for someone from the AKYO corp (which owns Berlitz) to be there, I felt pressured into signing something I never should have and due to me being too trusting and advice I had received from a TEFL course I took that I could do no better than Berlitz unfortunately I signed.
Before I told them I would not work with them I had two Turkish lawyers look at the contract. Both told me that it is not valid for various reasons. I received a nasty email from the manager and was told not to respond by my lawyer. A couple of months later I received a court order from them asking for over $USD2500 in damages! Luckily I have a lot of connections in Turkey that are taking care of this. None of the other expats here I have spoken to nor any of the heads of other private language schools I have talked with have ever heard of a case like this going this far.
My advice is stay away from a place like Berlitz, go with your gut feeling and check out all your options! Istanbul is a great city, and Turkish people are very kind. If you are thinking about coming here there are many better jobs at private language schools like International House and English Time that not only pay better but treat their workers with more respect. Even better if you enjoy working with children many schools hire foreign staff to teach English. Good Luck and be wary of Berlitz!
_________________________________________________________
I see Berltiz is advertising yet again!! I wanted to add to my previous message for those who just don't know!
Beware of any email from a person named “Dave Smith” in correspondence with Berlitz Istanbul. There is no such person and there has never been any such person at Berlitz Istanbul. “Dave Smith” is a creation of Solmaz, owner and manager of Istanbul Turkey. Several people have fallen for this unethical created version of a “fellow American, who just loves working at Berlitz Istanbul” and have come to Istanbul only to find out that this “great” guy that they had been emailing about working for Berlitz Istanbul is admitted to be Solmaz himself. Solmaz has said that he emails people with the name “Dave Smith” so that people feel good about Berltiz Turkey and want to come work there.
I personally find it disgusting and highly unethical to represent oneself as an American working at Berltiz Istanbul when he is the owner of a franchise with well known problems with many past employees- as well noted on this board.
Don’t just accept any American sounding name as a reference. It is easy to lie via Internet and as stated in the past- it is easy for this person to lie to your face too.
_________________________________________________________
Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
I wouldn't recommend Berlitz Istanbul. If you are interested in seeing a foreign country for 6 months and experience a new culture then this place is a no-brainer. But, if you are looking for medical benefits, a teacher's permit, travel pay (all promised in the original contract) forget it! There is no honor by this thief. They even pocket the teacher's income tax at the end of the year!
Strong stuff! Anybody care to add to this. I'll remove it if nothing more substantial emerges
Addendum
Indeed it has. The Inspector's Investigations unearthed the following ancient (2003)
observations elsewhere on the web!
_________________________________________________________
As you have all probably seen, Berlitz Istanbul is hiring once again, and I wanted to warn the uninitiated out there that they are a very poorly-run organization and I would advise anyone against taking a job with them. The reason they are always hiring is that their teachers are always quitting. Avoid them like the plague.
_________________________________________________________
I have been contacted by Inlingua Istanbul and noticed that their Web site contained "Berlitz." Are they one and the same, or affiliated??
_________________________________________________________
Check this site out for more info on what life is like working at Berlitz Japan and Korea.
_________________________________________________________
I've said this before as well Berlitz has a bad reputation in Taiwan and Korea and, depending on your school, Japan.
If you are patient and look carefully, I believe better schools can be found than Berlitz.
Check this site out for more info on what life is like working at Berlitz Japan and Korea.
I just finished reading another thread on the Saudi Arabia Forum here at Dave's and it looks like Berlitz in the M.E. offers a pretty weak package for prospective teachers.
I've said this before as well Berlitz has a bad reputation in Taiwan and Korea and, depending on your school, Japan.
If you are patient and look carefully, I believe better schools can be found than Berlitz.
_________________________________________________________
I also advise teachers to avoid Berlitz Istanbul. Speaking from experience, I can say that their management staff is very difficult to work with and they really don't seem to care about their teachers at all. Probably the reason why their turnover is high (the average teacher stay seems to be about two or three months). Also: if you do get into negotiations with these guys, beware the contract. They may tell you it's just a formality, but they're actually very serious about it and may try to pursue you in court if you attempt to quit. It may be worth getting a lawyer to look at it beforehand. Bottom line: it's possible to teach there, but be very wary and stand your ground at every turn.
_________________________________________________________
Hi folks,
No one answered the previous poster, is there a sneaky relationship between Inlingua and Berlitz? I've been looking at the Inlingua in Baglarbasi, does anyone know anything? I'm limited in that my credentials are in Spanish, not ESL, and that seems to limit my choices a little bit.
Should I be lying awake tonight like this: ?
Gracias,
stural
_________________________________________________________
I was offered a position with Berlitz in Beyoglu some weeks ago. Since I'm domiciled in Hong Kong, this entailed packing my belongings, giving notice, arranging transportation etc. One week before I was due to leave Hong Kong I was told by the Berlitz center manager that I could not be hired after all, because the Turkish Ministry of Education had issued a directive that prevented them from recruiting staff in Hong Kong. As far as I know, Turkish schools do not make a practice of recruiting people in Hong Kong, so I found it rather surprising, to say the least, that the MofE would bother formulating and issuing such a specific directive. Predictably, when I asked Berlitz for further clarification (and the name of someone at the ministry with whom I could communicate) my letter was ignored.
I've not been able to determine, by my own efforts, if such a directive was ever issued but I have been offered employment with another Istanbul language school, so I'm very much disposed to believe that I was lied to. If this is an example of the way in which Berlitz treats people I'm not surprised at all that they have such a poor reputation.
_________________________________________________________
I know this is a bit late to respond, but I was very moved to reply once I read what Iskender wrote.
I did work at Berlitz Istanbul for an entire year. YES! I finished my contract- but I got stiffed for half of the expenses for getting my work permit. I was told that he was not going to pay for my honeymoon. I left screaming nasty things like you are a lying SOB. He agreed with me and said he had no problems sleeping at night and disinvited me to enter his facility again.
Things are not right in Berlitz Istanbul and Marc47, you hit the nail on the head when you said you may have been lied to. This is the biggest problem of Berlitz in Istanbul. The owner and manager is a pathological liar. He really can not help himself.
just a few examples---I have a friend who went to interview with him for teaching the lawyer class. Another friend, who also finished a full one year contract had totally created the materials and the format of this class. The interviewing friend was told that she could not speak with the previous teacher because said teacher had left Turkey and was back in the US. LIE!!! The interviewing friend had had dinner with the ex-teacher the night before. The interviewing friend was then told that there were no materials to be seen for the class because the ex-teacher took them all when leaving Turkey. LIE!!!!!
The same ex-teacher friend had dinner with the ex-law class. The next day, the class was told that the reason for the delay in restarting their class was that the teacher died. When confronted with the fact that their teacher was very much alive and enjoying sheep for dinner, they were then told that Solmaz never told them it was that teacher, but a teacher. Strange that none of the teachers that were working at Berlitz at the time had heard of any teacher dying.
The personal problems mentioned by Iskender most likely have to do with rotten scheduling of classes, disorganization, weird contracts, low pay, lack of pay for long travel times, and various other job related reasons that have nothing to do with personal problems. I knwo of several instances of teachers during my year and just after who "ditched" Berlitz Turkey.
As far as the center thriving goes- all of the Asian based teachers are having to travel to Europe in order to have classes to teach. There ARE NO CLASSES in the Suadiye branch. It seems ridiculous to say recruiting because of expanding. Summertimes are not good for getting hours at Berlitz Turkey. I know of several instances of teachers who "ditched" Berlitz Turkey
Solmaz does do lip service in regards to "caring" about teachers and students and talks about his "happy family." Unfortunatly, most things come with strings. They also come with nasty things said about the students- "All students at the center are lazy Turkish B*******. He also has an unwritten rule that teachers are not to speak to each other. The Turkish staff is supposed to stop this action.
"The teachers are expected to work hard." Yes indeedy! I went several months working every single day because I needed the hours. I managed to earn an average of about 460 dollars per month for the year I was there. I also spent 6 hours a week travel for one class that paid me for 9 hours of work.
" I am satisfied with the work and I love living in Istanbul. I also find it comforting to work for a place that is secure and likely to endure the economic rollercoaster when other centers may fold."
I admit that I was satisfied with the quality of my students and that when I had a normal schedule, I was satisfied with the work. I too love living in Istanbul, but I find it much much more comforting to work for a University where I have REGULAR hours, am paid at the first of the month instead of two weeks later, actually have insurance and PAID SSK (unlike my entire years time at Berlitz Istanbul), and am paid for vacation time.
There is so much more to be said, but I believe I have said enough. Berlitz Istanbul is an experience I am glad to put behind me. Anyone who is considering working at any location should speak to people who have worked there in the past. I am happy to be finished there.
"I wouldn't write off working for Berlitz because of the comments of those who have no experience working there ..."
I am a real person who worked at Berlitz Istanbul. I have no qualms about signing my name either. I SURVIVED BERLITZ-TURKEY!
_________________________________________________________
This may also be a bit late to post but from my experience with Berlitz Istanbul it is best not to even begin negotiations with them. I accepted a job with them via email and when I came to Turkey highly regretted it. I spent only two days in the Berlitz office and left before my relationship went any further. The management was rude and unthoughtful and my gut told me to get out. I never taught a course there nor did I finish their training.
Just to get an idea of how little time I spent with them I'll give some background info. The training I did do consisted of sitting in a room by myself and watching 8 hours of videos. The next day I sat around my house all day waiting for them to call me and then finally when I was asked in at 3 was rushed through some of their books so that I could teach the next day. It had been my understanding via the emails we had that I would come in and discuss the job but was put in a room with the contract and when I asked questions was told don't worry, just sign. I had purposely not signed the contract from outside of Turkey because I wanted some other people there and the contract itself asked for someone from the AKYO corp (which owns Berlitz) to be there, I felt pressured into signing something I never should have and due to me being too trusting and advice I had received from a TEFL course I took that I could do no better than Berlitz unfortunately I signed.
Before I told them I would not work with them I had two Turkish lawyers look at the contract. Both told me that it is not valid for various reasons. I received a nasty email from the manager and was told not to respond by my lawyer. A couple of months later I received a court order from them asking for over $USD2500 in damages! Luckily I have a lot of connections in Turkey that are taking care of this. None of the other expats here I have spoken to nor any of the heads of other private language schools I have talked with have ever heard of a case like this going this far.
My advice is stay away from a place like Berlitz, go with your gut feeling and check out all your options! Istanbul is a great city, and Turkish people are very kind. If you are thinking about coming here there are many better jobs at private language schools like International House and English Time that not only pay better but treat their workers with more respect. Even better if you enjoy working with children many schools hire foreign staff to teach English. Good Luck and be wary of Berlitz!
_________________________________________________________
I see Berltiz is advertising yet again!! I wanted to add to my previous message for those who just don't know!
Beware of any email from a person named “Dave Smith” in correspondence with Berlitz Istanbul. There is no such person and there has never been any such person at Berlitz Istanbul. “Dave Smith” is a creation of Solmaz, owner and manager of Istanbul Turkey. Several people have fallen for this unethical created version of a “fellow American, who just loves working at Berlitz Istanbul” and have come to Istanbul only to find out that this “great” guy that they had been emailing about working for Berlitz Istanbul is admitted to be Solmaz himself. Solmaz has said that he emails people with the name “Dave Smith” so that people feel good about Berltiz Turkey and want to come work there.
I personally find it disgusting and highly unethical to represent oneself as an American working at Berltiz Istanbul when he is the owner of a franchise with well known problems with many past employees- as well noted on this board.
Don’t just accept any American sounding name as a reference. It is easy to lie via Internet and as stated in the past- it is easy for this person to lie to your face too.
_________________________________________________________
Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
Eurolingua Brno, Czech Republic
This comment appeared on the "nominate a school for blacklisting section."Eurolingua in Brno, Czech Republic is best to avoid.
"After one interview and seeing the premisis, I opted not to take a job offer with them and decided that I will not work with them ever.
The woman who runs the place has very little in people skills or social graces and said to my face that she refuses to hire people legally, won't help employees with taxes. Basically, she said she gives you the money and the rest is your problem and don't ask her for help.
The bureaucracy in the Czech Republic for foreigners is quite daunting, so you certainly don't need an employer like this
While I have not worked there personally, I have a colleague and a former student who both have done teaching work there (they are both Czech) and neither had much good to say about the owner of the school or her people skills, they also went on to say that many students were not happy at the owner's business practices on one level or another."
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Not too sure whether this schools deserves a mention here. Any comments either way (nothing nasty please) would be of help.
In any case a degree of caution never does any harm.
Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
Friday, February 01, 2008
Korean Xenophobia - The Inspector's last Word (probably)
LOST IN TRANSLATION
"Is Korea still an isolated country? Many have been calling for a "global Korea" over the last decade, stressing that globalization is the only way for survival. The number of foreigners living in the country exceeded the 1 million mark last year, but many of them say Korea lags far behind Singapore or Japan. There is plenty of inconvenience in their everyday life here, from basic communication and asking for directions to applying for credit cards and using the Internet. They also say Koreans still have little regard for the feeling of foreigners.
John (25), a Canadian English teacher in Seoul, has a problem with, of all things, his mobile phone. Despite plenty of battery power, his mobile phone goes dead a lot because he is on a pre-paid plan. In Korea, it is difficult for foreigners to subscribe to normal, post-paid plans, apparently because service providers fear they could scram without paying their bills.
Michael (42), an American who has taught English at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies for three years, has a similar problem. Last year, he went to an airline office to buy a flight ticket for the Christmas holidays carrying W3.5 million (US$1=W936) in his backpack -- and with Korea’s small-denomination banknotes that’s a lot of paper -- because he could not get a credit card. "I tried to apply to two banks for a credit card. But the only reply I got from their clerks was, 'No, sorry.' They neither attempted to explain to me why they were not issuing a credit card nor gave me any brochures in English."
Foreigners in Korea complain that it is very difficult to get ID numbers to use in the basic service sectors, including financing, the Internet, and communications. Most foreigners carry alien registration cards and numbers provided by the Korean government. But they are no use in everyday life, which makes it much more difficult to book train tickets, buy movie tickets in advance, or make online payments.
Korean websites use strict criteria for foreigners who wish to subscribe to their services -- and there are no set standards either. It is possible for foreigners registered with the Immigration Office of the Justice Ministry to apply for services on portal sites such as Naver and Empas with their ID numbers. But they are required to send copies of their alien registration cards by fax if they want to use services on CyWorld or CGV. And errors frequently occur even on Naver during the subscription process.
Banking is another headache. Even if a bank decides to issue credit cards to foreigners, services differ greatly depending, it seems, on the individual clerks who deal with them. One clerk at a call center of Kookmin Bank, the country's largest bank, said, "If you carry a professor's visa but don't have a third guarantor, you have to give proof of a salary of over W50 million a year." But another clerk said, "If you carry a professor's visa, you don't need proof of income."
What is the situation in other Asian countries like Japan and Hong Kong? In Japan, foreigners can immediately subscribe to mobile phone services and medical insurance if they carry an alien registration card. They are not discriminated against in terms and conditions or benefits from such services. Most portal sites in Japan like “livedoor.com”, the most popular site among Japanese netizens, only require foreigners to present basic information such as names and addresses, without asking for ID numbers.
In Hong Kong, foreigners also have little trouble subscribing to mobile phone and credit card services, even if they don't have third guarantors or make security deposits. Major banks in Hong Kong, such as HSBC, Standard Chartered and Heng Sheng Bank, allow foreigners to apply for credit cards three months after they open accounts -- on the same terms and conditions as local residents. Foreigners can also apply for housing loans after verifying their credit status, including income, just like local residents.
In Singapore, foreigners with employment passes, are not discriminated against in applying for mobile phone or credit card services. If they have employment passes and bank accounts, they can apply for bank loans. Ryan (32), a Canadian English teacher who arrived in Korea two years ago after living in Japan for three years, said, "Foreigners experience more inconvenience in Korea than in Japan because Korea has no universal standards. It seems Korea hasn’t even set its own standards yet, let alone using global standards."
Courtesy of english.chosun.com
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Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
Are There any Good TEFL Course Providers?
This question was posted deep in the bowels of The TEFL Blacklist. It's a good point and therefore The Inspector hereby invites all and sundry to comment.
Hello Inspector Mchammered
Interesting blog, found while I was searching for a training centre.
Whilst you have merrily bashed several training facilities, you have recommended none. Are there no schools that make the grade?
I would love a nudge in the right direction so as not to waste my hard-earned pennies on shysters and thieves.
Thank you.
January 31, 2008 7:53 PM
For a very good reason Toni Q. This is a blacklist and not a TEFL Whitelist.
However a few pointers wouldn't hurt the Inspector! So.................
In general ensure that your course lasts at least a month with plenty of teaching practice. Don't be fooled by "International House" as although the London courses are good (albeit ludicrously expensive given TEFL salaries), some of the International House "affiliates" or rather franchises are dreadful and clearly there is enough evidence that they don't all operate to the same standards. International House Kuala Lumpur is notorious.
Trinity (who actually removed accreditation from Windsor TEFL and Paul Lowe) or Cambridge approved is a positive sign. Google the hell out of your shortlist as the Internet often yields unexpected nuggets of information. Expect the course to be very hard. There are simply no shortcuts. The weekend or online courses might get you a job in Tibet but you won't learn anything much about TEFL.
Just remember only a tiny % of all the language schools make it onto the TEFL Blacklist. There are plenty of good ones out there.
Oh and don't expect unbiased helpful advice from Richard Bradford and the folks at Cactus TEFL or for that matter i - i or Saxoncourt Recruitment. Their priority is parting you from your hard earned cash.
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Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
Hello Inspector Mchammered
Interesting blog, found while I was searching for a training centre.
Whilst you have merrily bashed several training facilities, you have recommended none. Are there no schools that make the grade?
I would love a nudge in the right direction so as not to waste my hard-earned pennies on shysters and thieves.
Thank you.
January 31, 2008 7:53 PM
For a very good reason Toni Q. This is a blacklist and not a TEFL Whitelist.
However a few pointers wouldn't hurt the Inspector! So.................
In general ensure that your course lasts at least a month with plenty of teaching practice. Don't be fooled by "International House" as although the London courses are good (albeit ludicrously expensive given TEFL salaries), some of the International House "affiliates" or rather franchises are dreadful and clearly there is enough evidence that they don't all operate to the same standards. International House Kuala Lumpur is notorious.
Trinity (who actually removed accreditation from Windsor TEFL and Paul Lowe) or Cambridge approved is a positive sign. Google the hell out of your shortlist as the Internet often yields unexpected nuggets of information. Expect the course to be very hard. There are simply no shortcuts. The weekend or online courses might get you a job in Tibet but you won't learn anything much about TEFL.
Just remember only a tiny % of all the language schools make it onto the TEFL Blacklist. There are plenty of good ones out there.
Oh and don't expect unbiased helpful advice from Richard Bradford and the folks at Cactus TEFL or for that matter i - i or Saxoncourt Recruitment. Their priority is parting you from your hard earned cash.
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Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Guardian Languages - Languages Out There
The Guardian Sweat Shop
Well I think we can all guess what you are up to Jason. Your business "Languages Out There" is a veritable TEFL sweat shop.
My son Hamish McHammered is arriving at the airport later on today so just a brief note on Jason West and his antics.
Young Hamish McHammered
Unfortunately dear Jason a full blacklisting is now in order for you ma lad!
If the Guardian wants to descend to the TEFl sewer through some kind of licensing/franchise (we've been here before with
International House methinks) then don't expect your noble sleuth to respect this kind of pricing structure which does the world of TEFL and teacher's pay generally no favours at all. Oh and if you want to get in touch with Alex Case, who does sterling work on Tefltastic, contact him directly, don't bother posting messages ostensibly for him, but in reality for a wider audience, on the TEFL Blacklist. They will simply get binned and you are now blacklisted after ignoring my last warning about sneaky behaviour.
To quote.........
Prices
" Teachers’ lesson plans come with a site licence. This allows the lessons to be used with all pupils at one language school location. Schools with more than one location should contact us to find out about our generous offers for multiple site licences.
Learners can buy self-study packs, and schools can also buy them for individual pupils. Don't forget Engage, our VoIP client – it's free to download! Learners only pay for the time they spend practising with fluent or native English speakers. The rate is £6.95 per hour (which is less than £0.12 per minute!) They can also use Engage free of charge to practice with other learners.
£6.95 an hour!. Once again thanks to the EL Gazette for exposing this shyster. And shame on the Guardian for not choosing their partners more wisely.
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Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
The Guardian Newspaper - Yet Again!
Your intrepid sleuth received this posting from the Guardian. He appears to have ruffled their feathers of late.
"Can you contact me at info@guardianlanguages.co.uk so that I can send you some information about Guardian Languages that you might like to read, check for yourself on our website and then publish?
Thanks
Jason"
Well Jason if you think the Inspector's brains have been so addled by fermented yak's milk that he is going to send you his IP address (for the uninitiated each email carries an IP address which is like giving someone your phone number) you are an optimistic idiot.
To send dear old Jason an email, the Inspector might as well give just him the phone number of his hotel in Pamplona.
Why don't you give me your home address, Jason, and I'll send Lady Florence McHammered around for a quick chat ;)
Dream on Jason.
By all means post a reply but try that sneaky dodge once more and your right of reply will vanish forever.
What has happened to the Guardian lately. It used to be a respected newspaper. I suspect they are a bit short of cash.
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Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
Monday, January 28, 2008
The Korea Times
It seems to be contagious. First the posting where "i-to-i TEFL - Up to their Old Tricks" tells us all that we are not meeting the high standards of TEFL in China (LOL) and NOW Korea has a pot at us The Koreans seem to suffer from Xenophobia . The irony is that Korea is an absolute hell hole most of the time for TEFL (check out the Korean section of the TEFL Blacklist). Read on dear readers what the Korea Times has the cheek to write about us. The land of the hot dog (yes they eat the woof woof kind and adore putrid cabbage) should be avoided. Barge poles out and give the place a very wide berth.
53% of Foreign Tutors Lack Teaching Degrees
By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
More than half of foreign teachers at elementary and secondary schools have no English teaching certificates. Of 3,808 native English-speaking teachers, 2,002, or 53 percent, didn't have teaching certificates such as TESOL and TEFL as of September 2007, according to the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development, Sunday.
TESOL is short for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and TEFL means Teaching English as a Foreign Language. Among 1,806 foreign nationals who hold English teaching certificates, 532 teachers had teaching licenses from their countries, 1,134 had TESOL or TEFL and 140 had both.
``Native English speakers holding English teaching certificates are most preferred and applicants need to have an education major or teaching experience of more than one year if they want to work with us,'' said Kelly H. Ye, coordinator in recruiting native English speaking teachers at Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE).
However, schools, in practice, have difficulty hiring certificate-holding teachers. Currently, Korean elementary and secondary schools are hiring foreigners as teachers aides, as this is legal, for English conversation classes. Native English-speaking nationals with a bachelor's degree or above can apply for English teaching or E-2 visa.
By region, South Gyeongsang Province had the highest ratio of ``licensed teachers,'' with 60 percent. The province had 163 foreign nationals with teaching certificates out of 270. Following South Gyeongsang were Gwangju and South Jolla Province with 57 percent.
In Seoul, 54 percent had certificates while the ratio fell to 47 percent in Gyeonggi Province.
Ulsan City had the lowest ratio of licensed native English teachers with 23 percent and Daejeon City also showed a low ratio with 26 percent.
Korea has seen a growing number of foreign English teachers and accordingly the number of foreigners forging their degrees to get E-2 visas is also increasing, according to the Korea Immigration Service. A total of 692 foreigners with fabricated degrees were caught as of August 2007.
Meanwhile, top educators in 15 cities and provinces requested President-elect Lee Myung-bak to ease English teaching visa regulations that restricts foreign English teachers by national in a meeting with Lee at the Lotte Hotel in central Seoul, last Friday.
Regarding this, an SMOE official said they can secure more qualified teachers by expanding English teaching visas to more countries. ``If Asian teachers are allowed at schools, we can also place those teachers in math and science classes for English immersion programs planned by the incoming government,'' said Choi Chun-ok, the supervisor in charge of recruiting foreign teachers at SMOE.
kswho@koreatimes.co.kr
Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
Sunday, January 27, 2008
i-to-i TEFL - Up to their Old Tricks
Come Into My Parlour Said the Spider to the Fly......
This outfit are cowboys and dangerous to boot. Check out the tales of woe from the Chinese section on the TEFL Blacklist and compare it to the absolute idiocy they claim below. As with Cactus Tefl it's all about selling courses, in the case of i-to-i of less value than parrot droppings. Do NOT be conned by the bullsh*t below. The TEFL schools in China are in dire need of some form of accreditation not the teachers.
You may get lucky and find a decent school. But google the hell out of it first or you could have a very very nasty experience.
Why is it that such outfits as i-to-i who know that TEFL in China can be very dodgy print such rubbish just to make a cheap buck.
Shame on you i-to-i.
EFL teachers avoid them and their rubbish curses (what a freudian slip! I should of course have written courses but curses is more appropriate) like the plague. If you seriously think a weekend course will teach you how to become good teacher then dream on because they are taking you for mugs and making megabucks. They are a total disgrace.
As for the four week tefl course. These cowboys sell loads of weekend courses. Here's what they have to say....
Become a fully qualified TEFL teacher in just 2 days
We've been running Weekend TEFL courses for more than a decade and in the last year alone we have trained more than 4,000 new TEFL teachers. Our courses are accredited by two leading independent organisations and our TEFL certificates are recognised by thousands of language schools worldwide. You can do a Weekend TEFL Course in the UK, USA, Australia, Canada, Ireland and Greece.
Spotlight Asia
Seeing as its Spotlight Asia month we thought we'd give our monthly update a bit of an oriental theme, so you'll find it's packed full of information about one of the world's most popular TEFL destinations - China!
China
If you're looking for the complete cross-cultural experience then you need to consider China. This incredible country boasts a unique and intriguing cultural heritage. It flows through every strand of modern Chinese society, from architecture and fashion to crafts and lifestyle. TEFL teachers will find themselves on a journey of discovery, as they live in the local community and work with the local people.
A few words from China…
I've always wanted to go to China so after spending three years studying history at Hull I decided to reward myself with a well-deserved holiday. I went away for two weeks and I loved every moment of it. When I got back I tried to settle back into life in England but all I could think about was going back - so here I am, three months later, teaching in X'ian!
The city is great, it's so filled with history that I never get bored. I've been to the Terracotta Warriors museum which was great and I even met some of the i-to-i volunteers there! I've done a bit of travelling on weekends too but I'm just as happy to go out walking in the hills. It's really beautiful here - nothing like living in Hull - and I can't get over how green everything is. I'm finally starting to get to grips with the language but I can't say I'm very good. It's given me a lot more respect for my students and I'm a lot more sympathetic now, but I don't think I'll ever be fluent!
The teaching is going really well too. It was a bit scary at first but I soon settled in. It doesn't feel like a job, more like an extended game, which is just what I wanted.
Dawn, 23, Cambridge, UK
Jobs in China
Immerse yourself in one of the world's most fascinating cultures by choosing a teaching opportunity in China! With such a rich cultural history, China offers one of the most incredible travel experiences available and teaching English will give you a unique perspective as you explore the land and work with its people.
Our Paid Teaching Placements have been specially designed to make finding work abroad as stress-free as possible. We'll train you, find you a job and even pick you up from the airport so you remember your first hours in China for all the right reasons. Click here to find out more.
TEFL Abroad courses in Beijing
China's sprawling capital, Beijing is everything you could expect from the world's fastest growing economy; a center of commerce, culture and community which throws up surprises at every street corner. In this incredible setting you could find yourself learning all the skills you need to teach English as a foreign language.
What you'll get:
4-week intensive 120 hour TEFL/TESOL course.
An internationally recognized certification.
At least 8 hours of practical teaching experience in a real TEFL classroom.
And much, much more…
Click here to find out more about our TEFL Abroad courses.
TEFL News
Increasing demand for TEFL certification in China
Demand for TEFL teachers in China is extremely high but with no laws covering the qualifications required to teach English problems have inevitably arisen. Prospective teachers without TEFL qualifications or a thorough grasp of the English language have invaded the market, lowering the standard of teaching and creating a bad reputation for foreign teachers. Demand remains high but employers are becoming increasingly suspicious and it is now vitally important that TEFL teachers searching for jobs in this area of the world make every effort to impress their prospective employers.
Taking a TEFL course with a respected TEFL provider is the first step toward proving your commitment to quality teaching but if you want to avoid the problems entirely you might want to consider one of our Paid Teaching Placements. We work hard to build strong relationships with language schools around the world, so that you can secure a TEFL position with as little stress as possible.
We've developed a four step guide "Your International Career in Four Easy Steps" to show you exactly how to do it. Click here to take a look.
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Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
The British Council Gets the Boot (Russian)
That last bastion of the empire the British council is beating a hasty retreat from Russia.
This what the EL Gazette has to say about the sorry sage. Full marks to the EL Gazette which is now recommended by the TEFL Blacklist. I may be wrong but they seem to have developed a real cutting edge of late and are reporting stuff that normally just gets ignored. Obligatory reading for anyone interested in the seamy side of TEFL.
You can find the EL Gazette by clicking here.
THE BRITISH Council is to hand over its nine regional centres across Russia to local partners, typically state-run institutes of higher education, by the end of this year. This reduces the Council’s presence to Moscow and St Petersburg, but with direct teaching operations there suspended.
Martin Davidson, CEO of the British Council, insisted in a press statement that it is still very much committed to improving Russian access to British culture and education. The Council points out that centres will effectively be under new ownership but will continue to run a similar range of services, for example teaching-resource libraries, with support from London.
The move is hardly surprising, considering the Council’s increasingly beleaguered position in Russia. In December 2006 the teaching centre in Moscow was forced to close its doors after a long-running dispute over its legal status; in March 2007 a senior manager from the Council was one of four diplomats recalled from Russia amid wellpublicised tit-for-tat expulsions of embassy staff. Strained Anglo-Russian relations have implications well beyond the work of the Council in the Russian regions. UK language teachers entering Russia have faced a more complex and time-consuming visa process, a development condemned by Amy Cartwright from the Association of European Businesses.
The closures are consistent with the British Council’s latest European strategy, unveiled in March 2007, which aims ‘to free up resources currently tied up in physical premises and give millions more people around the world access to educational opportunities … through partner organisations and increasingly through our own online sources’. In addition to existing web-based products such as Learn English (www.learnenglish.org.uk), the Council aims to introduce new internet services in early 2008, revealed Paul Webb, senior English language consultant in Moscow.
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Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
This what the EL Gazette has to say about the sorry sage. Full marks to the EL Gazette which is now recommended by the TEFL Blacklist. I may be wrong but they seem to have developed a real cutting edge of late and are reporting stuff that normally just gets ignored. Obligatory reading for anyone interested in the seamy side of TEFL.
You can find the EL Gazette by clicking here.
THE BRITISH Council is to hand over its nine regional centres across Russia to local partners, typically state-run institutes of higher education, by the end of this year. This reduces the Council’s presence to Moscow and St Petersburg, but with direct teaching operations there suspended.
Martin Davidson, CEO of the British Council, insisted in a press statement that it is still very much committed to improving Russian access to British culture and education. The Council points out that centres will effectively be under new ownership but will continue to run a similar range of services, for example teaching-resource libraries, with support from London.
The move is hardly surprising, considering the Council’s increasingly beleaguered position in Russia. In December 2006 the teaching centre in Moscow was forced to close its doors after a long-running dispute over its legal status; in March 2007 a senior manager from the Council was one of four diplomats recalled from Russia amid wellpublicised tit-for-tat expulsions of embassy staff. Strained Anglo-Russian relations have implications well beyond the work of the Council in the Russian regions. UK language teachers entering Russia have faced a more complex and time-consuming visa process, a development condemned by Amy Cartwright from the Association of European Businesses.
The closures are consistent with the British Council’s latest European strategy, unveiled in March 2007, which aims ‘to free up resources currently tied up in physical premises and give millions more people around the world access to educational opportunities … through partner organisations and increasingly through our own online sources’. In addition to existing web-based products such as Learn English (www.learnenglish.org.uk), the Council aims to introduce new internet services in early 2008, revealed Paul Webb, senior English language consultant in Moscow.
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Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
The Guardian Guards Its Profits!
Thanks for the EL Gazette for the next couple of stories. The first is about the Guardian which it is now alleged is breaking the law!
BRITAIN’S LEADING left of centre newspaper company is paying freelance native speakers of English the UK minimum wage to conduct conversation classes online. Guardianlanguages. com, a website belonging to the Guardian News and Media Group, is offering £5.52 an hour to native speakers.
Paying minimum wage is not illegal; advertising for native speakers is more contentious. To 'justify discrimination' Guardian News and Media believe they have to show that it is a ‘proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim’, according to Jason West, whose company, languagesoutthere, developed the programme. Legal advice given to the Gazette states that courts require hard evidence in order to justify discrimination. We asked the Guardian for their evidence but none has been provided.
Only native English speaker ‘partners’ qualify for payment but no educational requirements are specified. Qualified EFL teachers with nothing better to do will also initially be paid minimum wage rate. West is confident that over time qualified teflers will earn more as users are asked to rate the lessons they receive and ‘partners’ receiving consistently good ratings can ask for an increase on £5.52.
Qualified teachers in London earn about £20 an hour for private conversation classes. Those who do sign up in the hope of earning more than £5.52 an hour can opt to download one-hour lesson plans costing £20. In the UK 120 hours of course material retails at around £25. The same amount of material would be £2,700 from guardianlanguages. Asked to justify the cost difference West said he was confident about both quality and price of the materials. 'Self-study students can purchase packs for just £1 each,' he pointed out.
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Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
BRITAIN’S LEADING left of centre newspaper company is paying freelance native speakers of English the UK minimum wage to conduct conversation classes online. Guardianlanguages. com, a website belonging to the Guardian News and Media Group, is offering £5.52 an hour to native speakers.
Paying minimum wage is not illegal; advertising for native speakers is more contentious. To 'justify discrimination' Guardian News and Media believe they have to show that it is a ‘proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim’, according to Jason West, whose company, languagesoutthere, developed the programme. Legal advice given to the Gazette states that courts require hard evidence in order to justify discrimination. We asked the Guardian for their evidence but none has been provided.
Only native English speaker ‘partners’ qualify for payment but no educational requirements are specified. Qualified EFL teachers with nothing better to do will also initially be paid minimum wage rate. West is confident that over time qualified teflers will earn more as users are asked to rate the lessons they receive and ‘partners’ receiving consistently good ratings can ask for an increase on £5.52.
Qualified teachers in London earn about £20 an hour for private conversation classes. Those who do sign up in the hope of earning more than £5.52 an hour can opt to download one-hour lesson plans costing £20. In the UK 120 hours of course material retails at around £25. The same amount of material would be £2,700 from guardianlanguages. Asked to justify the cost difference West said he was confident about both quality and price of the materials. 'Self-study students can purchase packs for just £1 each,' he pointed out.
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Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
The Tefl Blacklist Oscars 2008
The Inspector has been guilty of gross neglect of The TEFL BLACKLIST over the festive season. He is however pleased to announce that nominations for the TEFL BLACKLIST Oscars have now officially opened.
So feel free to let rip with your tales of woe, shoddy school management, non-payment of wages, exploitation etc.etc.. You know the ropes I'm sure.
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Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
So feel free to let rip with your tales of woe, shoddy school management, non-payment of wages, exploitation etc.etc.. You know the ropes I'm sure.
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Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
Sunday, November 25, 2007
i-to-i TEFL
Live Travel Earn?
Just a suspicion and the Inspector may be wrong but a recent scouring of the Internet led your intrepid sleuth to believe that many sites critical of i-to-i TEFL have been taken over by i-to-i TEFL themselves. As the saying goes, if you can't beat them buy them (or something like that).
Is this invasion of the body snatchers in TEFL?
Check it out for yourself. Do a google on "The TEFL-blacklist" and see how many sites default to the i-to-i TEFL website.
If your noble sleuth is wrong and has over indulged on fermented yaks milk please do let him know.
You can find the entry on i-to-i TEFL by clicking here.
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Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
Korean Foreign Teacher Recruiting Association
The Inspector, as his readers know, has never ever heard of a good Korean school. Any job offers from Korea should all be treated with extreme caution.
What a cheek then for "Korean Foreign Teacher Recruiting Association" to set up a teacher blacklist. So now any teacher daring to complain about shoddy treatment in the land of the hot dog "literally -it's a national dish with real woof woofs" now gets blacklisted!
Barge poles out and at the ready troops. If ever you hear of the "Korean Foreign Teacher Recruiting Association" head for the hills. They are well and truly blacklisted.
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Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
Saturday, November 24, 2007
The British Council, Cairo
kgec
The Inspector's hat goes off to Sandy McManus for having unearthed this awful job offer. Advertised on Tefl.com, here it is - including spelling mistakes:
The British Council, Cairo is recruiting a Training co-ordinator to begin at the start of January. You will be responsible for developing the British Council’s in-house and external teacher training capacity, as well as for the training and development of newly qualified members of the teaching staff. Duties may include working on in-service distance DELTA and locally-run CELTA training courses. Applicants will need teacher training skills and should be an approved Local Tutor for DELTA.
This post offers the opportunity to work in a thriving teaching centre delivering a range of course types. Teachers are encouraged to develop their professional skills through the PMPD cycle, and the opportunities that Cairo as a regional training centre offers (including DELTA and Teacher Training). Cairo is a safe 24-hour city with restaurants, shopping and leisure facilities to suit all tastes.
The closing date for applications is 11 November. Further information online at http://trs.britishcouncil.org or write to steve.oxley@britishcouncil.org.eg for an application form.
Egyptian authorities will only award a visa to British Council teachers who possess a UK passport. Egyptians do not need a visa in order to work in Cairo.
Preferred nationalities: Egypt, United Kingdom
Preferred qualifications: CELTA, Cambridge Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults, Trinity Cert. TESOL, Trinity certificate or equivalent TEFL qualification
Native English speaker/s only
Teaching experience: 4 years minimum
Qualifications
UK or Egyptian passport essential. English native speaker or equivalent ability.
TEFL certificate (CELTA or equivalent) plus a minimum of 4 years post-certificate teaching experience.
Experience of training teachers involved in a wide range of classes, levels and age groups is also essential. Local DELTA tutor status is desirable, as is a British educational background.
Compensation
Salary is paid in two elements: £3600 per annum paid in Sterling, to a UK bank account. Plus a local salary paid in Egyptian Pounds on a variable scale according to qualifications and experience. The scale ranges from LE 69180 to 89352 per annum.
Additional allowance of LE 350 per month for extra responsibilities.
Air fares to and from the UK / Egypt are paid for you and accomapanying dependents. Generous baggage allowance, plus medical insurance for you and accompanying dependents.
35 days annual, plus another 5 days until further notice. Settling-in allowance plus time off for finding accommodation.
32 hours of Arabic language training is also provided free of charge.
As Sandy points out the local salary only actually amounts to a few hundred pounds a month, accommodation isn't included and more to the point the job description is less inviting than a couple of years in a Siberian salt mine. Now what was that expression.......... something like if you pay peanuts you get monkeys. Well if anyone accepts this "job?" they need their head examined.
Methinks this job will probably win next years TEFL Oscars for the worst TEFL job in 2007.
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Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
The Inspector's hat goes off to Sandy McManus for having unearthed this awful job offer. Advertised on Tefl.com, here it is - including spelling mistakes:
The British Council, Cairo is recruiting a Training co-ordinator to begin at the start of January. You will be responsible for developing the British Council’s in-house and external teacher training capacity, as well as for the training and development of newly qualified members of the teaching staff. Duties may include working on in-service distance DELTA and locally-run CELTA training courses. Applicants will need teacher training skills and should be an approved Local Tutor for DELTA.
This post offers the opportunity to work in a thriving teaching centre delivering a range of course types. Teachers are encouraged to develop their professional skills through the PMPD cycle, and the opportunities that Cairo as a regional training centre offers (including DELTA and Teacher Training). Cairo is a safe 24-hour city with restaurants, shopping and leisure facilities to suit all tastes.
The closing date for applications is 11 November. Further information online at http://trs.britishcouncil.org or write to steve.oxley@britishcouncil.org.eg for an application form.
Egyptian authorities will only award a visa to British Council teachers who possess a UK passport. Egyptians do not need a visa in order to work in Cairo.
Preferred nationalities: Egypt, United Kingdom
Preferred qualifications: CELTA, Cambridge Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults, Trinity Cert. TESOL, Trinity certificate or equivalent TEFL qualification
Native English speaker/s only
Teaching experience: 4 years minimum
Qualifications
UK or Egyptian passport essential. English native speaker or equivalent ability.
TEFL certificate (CELTA or equivalent) plus a minimum of 4 years post-certificate teaching experience.
Experience of training teachers involved in a wide range of classes, levels and age groups is also essential. Local DELTA tutor status is desirable, as is a British educational background.
Compensation
Salary is paid in two elements: £3600 per annum paid in Sterling, to a UK bank account. Plus a local salary paid in Egyptian Pounds on a variable scale according to qualifications and experience. The scale ranges from LE 69180 to 89352 per annum.
Additional allowance of LE 350 per month for extra responsibilities.
Air fares to and from the UK / Egypt are paid for you and accomapanying dependents. Generous baggage allowance, plus medical insurance for you and accompanying dependents.
35 days annual, plus another 5 days until further notice. Settling-in allowance plus time off for finding accommodation.
32 hours of Arabic language training is also provided free of charge.
As Sandy points out the local salary only actually amounts to a few hundred pounds a month, accommodation isn't included and more to the point the job description is less inviting than a couple of years in a Siberian salt mine. Now what was that expression.......... something like if you pay peanuts you get monkeys. Well if anyone accepts this "job?" they need their head examined.
Methinks this job will probably win next years TEFL Oscars for the worst TEFL job in 2007.
_________________________________________________________
Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Windsor TEFL and Paul Lowe - Truth will Out
It seems that young whippersnapper Sandy McManus has got himself into a spot of bother again. It would appear that Windsor Tefl and Mr Paul Lowe are in need of a another good cucumbering. The Inspector has received this request for help and as always your beloved sleuth will go where angels fear to tread.
Read part one of the Windsor-Tefl saga here....
And after a good slug of fermeted yaks milk (on the rocks) read part two
Oh dear! Please do your best to publicise this ... or something!!
"Sandy"
Blog-City Ltd wrote:
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 12:38:21 +0100
From: Blog-City Ltd
To: teflsandy@yahoo.ie
Subject: [blog-city] Legal Requirement
Hi Sandy,
We've had correspondence from Edwin Coe LLP on behalf of a Mr. Paul Lowe. As you can well imagine from the first sentence of this email, he's not writing to wish us well :)
Could you please, as per our terms and conditions in this matter, remove ALL references to Mr Lowe and his "Windsor TEFL" company.
All references need to be removed within 24 hours or we have to do it
for you. We are not obliged (even though asked) to give any information
about you whatsoever, we can only hand over such information to a law
enforcement agent. We need only take down the defamation until a court order says we have permission to put it back up.
If you would like the name and address of the solicitor to press for a
court process, I can oblige. Bear in mind however at this moment they do not know who you are or where you live and if you contact them, this information will be used to press charges against you I suspect.
If you can let me know when all references are removed, I will confirm
via email I concur you have complied willingly.
-Mayoress,
Blog-City Ltd.
_________________________________________________________
Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
Thursday, November 01, 2007
TEFL International
Complete ignorance is no excuse. A rap over the knuckles for Inspector McHammered of the Lard. Many thanks to Lozza for alerting the Inspector. Both ELT World and TEFL Watch cover this story in greater depth. The postings are preserved for posterity here just in case they get pulled or are bullied off the web. They are edited in parts as some of the allegations are a bit close to the bone. This story clearly needs a transparent and full response from Bruce at Tefl International as the allegations are very serious.
...............
Courtesy of Tefl Watch..........
Firstly, I believe TEFL International markets their teaching English as a second / foreign language courses in a dishonest way. For example, in their advertisements, the Oregon Institute of Overseas Education is shown to have made what appears to me to be a special agreement with TEFL International. That sounds very interesting indeed. A quick visit to the OIEE website shows that they have an impressive array of international experiences and internships available, that is until one digs a bit deeper. I discovered that many of the experiences centered around TEFL International TEFL courses.
At this page http://www.teflintl.com/internships.htm , I discovered that it is claimed that the OIEE is a US non-profit organization. I decided that I would check out the online search facilities and see if it was registered in Oregon. I didn’t find a listing for it at the Secrettary of State’s website. I discovered this tidbit “TEFL International teacher training is validated by Oregon Institute of International Education” at http://www.teflintlindia.com/language_06.htm .
So just who owns the Oregon Institute of International Education? A whois shows a company in India (not Oregon??) and it’s hosted on the same server that hosts TEFL International. A little more searching and we get this address, 38/53-55 Moo 1, Klaeng, Muang, Rayong 21160, THAILAND from http://www.oiie.org/Coutactus.htm . Now, how many of you think that TEFL International owns the Oregon Institute of International Education?
This begs the question, why would TEFL International need to invent an institute that they own and then say that the organization that they own is connected to themselves and has endorsed them? Is self validation a good thing? Is this very transparent?
Honesty isn’t about one issue in my book. To think that a course provider is dishonest, I think one needs a bit more proof. I didn’t have to look far to see more issues. One example is TEFL International’s implied(at least as I think when I read it) claim of connection to the University of Washington. Ok, maybe they don’t come out and claim it, but I can’t help but think they are claiming it when I take a look at a website of TEFL International’s and see the University of Washington name. I can in fact remember back when I heard that TEFL International students could apply for credit at the U of W. Not so, at least according to reports I have seen from people claiming to work at the University of Washington. If TEFL International was not connected with the University of Washington and they made claim to the contrary, would that be dishonest? I can’t tell you, but I’m sure you can answer it in your own mind.
TEFL International is an Oregon Non-Profit Corporation. They are organized as a Public Benefit non-profit company. Some doubt the claim, but I have verified it. TEFL International is required to file Charity Reports with the Oregon government as well. I checked out the website and the last time one was filed was back in 2005. I think they are a bit late in their filings, but I am not sure. One thing that has struck me though is the number of complaints I have heard that the owner and CEO of TEFL International is misappropriating funds. As a non-profit public benefit corporation, it’s my understanding that they need to look out for the public benefit and shouldn’t benefit their directors. I am curious what kind of oversight the Oregon government is giving to a company that is registered in their state.
I saw their 2005 report and it was interesting, revenue of less than $800,000. That means about 500 students at $1500 a pop. I find that hard to believe. They give courses in so many locations, I feel very sure the number is higher than that. What about the people who go for the 6 month internships? It seems like the number they are quoting is on the low side. But maybe I am wrong. I wonder what it would take to audit the books of TEFL International? Since it is a public benefit corporation, are the books open for the public to look at? If they are submitting false reports to the state of Oregon, is that honest?
In the next part, we will look more at the business practices of TEFL International, including the treatment of teachers and trainees. We will investigate more the ramifications of taking a course at TEFL International. We will attempt to answer the big what if question, what happens if a course provider goes out of business. The only disclaimer I give you is that all of the above is opinion and you are encouraged to check out the opinion I gave for yourself and see what you come up with.
Most of the comments in support of TEFL International seem to be focused on the quality of the course in Ban Phe and its trainer. Nothing in its induction should be construed as a statement on the quality of their TEFL course, instead its a focus on their business practices as we see it. The business practices seem to me to be downright dirty at best.
“Nemesis” and “Andy”, the two administrators of TEFLWatch, have been involved in a merry go round of emails with Bruce V, the head of TEFL International. At issue is the part I of this series, it was an opinion piece and well labeled as such. From what I understand in the emails he has been sending, it seems that he doesn’t want people to state their opinions. This begs the question, why does the owner and CEO of TEFL International not want people state their opinion?
Bruce V also admitted in email to contacting the boss of our admin Nemesis. Nemesis feels as though the contact occurred before he was asked to leave from the school, Bruce claims it was after Nemesis was asked to leave from the school. Either way, how did Bruce know what school Nemesis worked at? How did Bruce V know Nemesis’ full name? Very few people knew Nemesis’ personal information, just the admin of Ajarn.com and the admin of Ajarnforum.net. In fact, Nemesis received a personal message from LDMA, the admin of Ajarn.com saying that Bruce V knew the personal information of Nemesis and was looking for him. Either way, they claim not to have divulged the information, but it all just sounds creepy to me. I have a creepy feeling about Bruce V.
Edit: More truth has come to light and this needs to be corrected slightly. Bruce did not contact Nemesis’ current school at the time, he contacted a previous school and Bruce claims it was AFTER Nemesis had left Thailand. Bruce did not have some personal information that he was thought to have had. LDMA, for his own reasons, relayed to Nemesis that Bruce had information, including Nemesis’ real name, Ajarn Forum nick, and current school. There are still some questions left, but not for Bruce, rather for the owner of Ajarn Forum.
This is not a witch hunt against TEFL International, it is a genuine warning against what we feel to be creepy business practices by the supposed largest provider of TEFL Courses in the world.
TEFL International not only trains teachers, but has work programs. One project currently being run is their Thai Special Project. They train teachers for a month and then farm them out to schools. After a few months they give them a TEFL certificate. It sounds like a good deal, but the devil is in the details.
I talked to one member of the project in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand. He recounted how he was picked up in the airport with a group of other trainees. The van brought to pick them up was woefully too small, as if no one even knew how many trainees were expected. Trainees didn’t receive a month of intense training, instead they received a few days of training and were sent to work at schools. Trainees felt disappointed at the management of the program that they paid good money for. Bruce V promised to make it right, but some trainees felt he was holding the TEFL certificates hostage. Teachers put in a woefully inadequate program would be out their money and time..and have no TEFL certificate if they quit or get fired because they tell the truth.
There are also allegations that TEFL International and Bruce V has outstanding salary obligations that they have failed to meet. One teacher claims to have been waiting since February for his salary when it is alleged that Bruce V bought out an agency and then abruptly ended the contracts early so he could avoid paying summer salary.
Now, granted Bruce V has claimed that TEFL International is not related to TIEC, the agency bought out. They just happen to be owned by the same man, Bruce V. According to what I was able to see, it looks like Special Program Trainees are being placed at schools that TIEC has contracts with. If TIEC is totally unrelated to TEFL International, then is TEFL International, a US non-profit, getting paid properly by supplying workers to TIEC? Is Bruce V getting personal benefit from TEFL International? Is there a conflict of interest?
My father always told me that when a company is failing to pay wages due, is delivering a sub-standard product, and skirting the law, you had better stand clear of that company. I’ll let you be the judge whether or not this applies to TEFL International.
So what does this all mean to current and former trainees? Well, if TEFL International folded, there is no external accreditation of the TI TEFL course and therefore the value of the certificate would be unknown, unlike Trinity and CELTA TEFL courses that still maintain their value even after a course provider closes down. I guess only time will tell.
And finally courtesy of ELT World....
TEFLWatch has been reporting on this story for awhile, but it needs to get out to a larger audience. I'll just give the facts.
1) TEFL International bought out an agency that supplies teachers in Thailand. He took over them in January. He had teachers on contract through the end of March and the end of April. At the end of January, all teachers were paid. At the end of February, Bruce ordered his right hand man in Songkhla Thailand, to cancel the work permit and visas for ALL of the teachers. He paid most, but not all of the teachers their salaries for February. Sine March and April are vacations(but covered as paid in the contract), he told the teachers that they were laid off and he wouldn't pay them for March and April.
2) One teacher, who was the only foreigner teacher at his school, didn't get his salary for February. He was paid for January, but not February. They gave him a run around and then he came to TEFLWatch. Bruce has said that he won't pay this teacher until this teacher removes all of his postings about TEFL International.
3) During the firing of teachers in February. Bruce's right hand man, under direction from Bruce, tried to get one particular teacher arrested on trumped up charges of XXXXXXXXXXXXX (censored until some solid proof arrives by your noble sleuth).
4) In May, after the vacation, he had replaced the teachers with trainees who were paying to take his course. He also had the teachers open account where he was a signatory on the accounts so that he would have access to their bank accounts at all times.
5) Bruce's right hand man realized that he was duped by Bruce into doing some very evil things and he has repented and is trying to help teachers affected by TEFL International.
Bruce of TEFL International has written off both #1 and #2 cash flow problems that weren't his fault. I'm sorry, I don't accept that. If you don't wages to your teachers, I don't care if you have cash flow problems or not, you are a bad employer.
The worst thing of all is that Bruce is now trying to get the teacher mentioned in #2 jailed. See, in civilized countries, truth is an absolute defense of libel and slander charges. Not so in thailand. Now, TEFL International is trying to jail this teacher. I have no doubt he'll be successful in that since it's obvious that negative things were said about the company, but it's the truth. Of course, in Thai courts, the truth matters little.
The only chance to stop this largesse of TEFL international is to spread the word. Bruce controls ESL Cafe and most other major tefl sites through his advertising budget. I'm asking that we spread this word. If they do jail this teachers, I want it every newspaper. I want it know that TEFL International jailed a teacher because that teacher complained that they didn't their salary.
Now, Bruce is going to find out about this thread. He'll come here and talk a lot about how much he is a victim of vicious lies. He'll go on and on about that. I've seen it myself. Unfortunately, he's admitted to not paying his teachers what they are due. That's hardly the actions of a victim.
Keep this in mind. His money has silenced more threads on ESL cafe than anyone else. He has cheated teachers out of their due salary. He is trying to jail a teacher.
What do you think? Victim or victimizer?
Well I never! is there any truth in the above litany of alleged sins?
_________________________________________________________
Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
Saturday, October 20, 2007
ITC-training.com - International Tefl Certificate Barcelona
This tale of woe which happened a few years ago in Barcelona, Spain has been saved for posterity, as the company in question still appears to be trading. This is not an official blacklisting more of a warning to be careful when dealing with this organisation. If they care to respond I'd be more than happy to post anything they have to say and as usual if they are innocent will amend or remove the article (which appeared in The Prague Post as their head office appears to be based in the Czech Republic). They may well be a type of Catus Tefl outfit selling anything to anyone as long as the commision is right, so your beloved Inspector feels that a warning notice needs to be published to all you unsuspecting Teflers.
Angry students struggle for refund
Company boss says money repaid, denies wrongdoing
By Peter Kononczuk
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
Angry students claim a Prague-based training company left them stranded in Spain after canceling their course and then -- for months, despite repeated promises -- failed to refund the fees they had paid to train as English-language teachers.
The owner of ITC International TEFL Certificate s.r.o., Iva Brozova, denies she defrauded clients. She insists that students who were owed money have been repaid, and that her firm has had a good record for a decade.
However, her company has had its membership canceled by the College of Teachers, a professional body that says ITC has not complied with rules requiring integrity and conduct that does not bring the profession into disrepute.
Around 18 people, most from the United States, enrolled in an October course in Barcelona run by ITC, which is based in an office on Kaprova street, near Prague's Old Town Square.
Bridget Lynott said she paid 1,050 euros ($1,400) for the four-week program in teaching English as a foreign language, known as TEFL, a type of qualification required by many language schools around the world.
"I left my work and home to relocate to Barcelona. I paid for accommodation, health insurance and flights," Lynott said. "However, upon my arrival in Spain, on Oct. 7, a representative of ITC informed me that the course was canceled. On Oct. 8 the office was closed down ... I was unable to reach anyone in Prague or Barcelona and my messages went unanswered."
Lynott said her fellow students have filed a complaint with the FBI in the United States and with police in Barcelona.
After The Prague Post spoke to Brozova, Lynott said Dec. 20 that the ITC boss had finally assured her a refund has been made and faxed Lynott a receipt of the money transfer.
"As of yet, I have not received any money but it can take up to several days," Lynott added.
However, Nicole Flessati, a 29-year-old Swiss-American, who teaches English in Barcelona, said she had not been repaid the fees she paid for the canceled October course.
Other students who signed up for training in Spain are also angry.
"Many of us saved up all of our money for this trip and changed our lives around to travel across the world only to do this program," said 22-year-old Bob Murphy of Chicago, speaking by phone from Madrid.
"The majority of us are recent college graduates who spent all of their money on the course along with flight, insurance, and housing," he added. "I, however, was extremely fortunate because my bank returned the majority of my money to me because of 'services unrendered.' I was very lucky though."
Erwin Ebens, 40, told The Prague Post that he was the director of an ITC course in Barcelona in September, which was interrupted when staff walked out.
"The owner was often late paying many staff. That's why many of them left. They did not want to work in those circumstances," Ebens said. "By the fourth week of the course, all the staff had walked out in Barcelona -- four part-time freelancers and me. It was very stressing and unpleasant."
Ebens said he agreed to come back and finish overseeing the last two days of the program.
"To date, some staff still have not been fully paid. I am still owed about 1,000 euros by ITC," Ebens added.
Conflicting versions
Brozova, however, gave a different version of events. She insists that her firm is not in financial difficulties, says staff members have been paid and denies that students arriving in Barcelona were left stranded.
"The trainers delivered the whole product [in September] ... There was a health problem with the main trainer, and that's why we also canceled the October course," Brozova said.
She added, "All money was returned to the clients' accounts," and said students had been warned beforehand that the October course had been canceled.
Brozova said that over the past 10 years her company had graduated more than 3,000 students.
"They are satisfied and successful. The October course is the first we have ever canceled," she continued, adding that students were offered a January course in Prague as a replacement without extra payment.
Meanwhile, a number of the students were incredulous that ITC was still listing courses in Barcelona next year on its Web site, even though the firm says it will scrap its training programs in the Spanish city from January.
Challenged Dec. 20 as to why Barcelona courses were still being advertised on the Internet, Brozova simply replied: "It's not on the Web site." Barcelona courses were still on the site as of the morning of Dec. 21 but were removed that afternoon.
On the reasons that the Barcelona program would be shelved, Brozova said "the rules are getting more and more strict," for Americans who want to work in Spain, and "we do also try to find a job for our graduates, so it doesn't make any sense for Americans to go to Spain, not being able to work there."
Meanwhile, a woman who said she worked at ITC's Prague office until she quit on Dec. 14 said she thought it was "really wrong" that the company was still listing a training program in Barcelona on the Internet at the time she resigned.
"It's part of the reason I left. There were a lot of decisions made that are totally against my ethics. I think it has to stop," said the woman, who asked not to be named.
She added, "I don't want to be responsible for a course breaking halfway through and then having to deal with all the people who put all their savings into this and who then come with all these expectations and then [have] their dreams shattered. That would be awful."
The woman added that she believed courses run by ITC in Prague would continue unaffected.
Membership canceled
Matthew Martin, a spokesman for the College of Teachers, a body for the teaching profession in Britain that awards accreditation for schools internationally, said his organization has rescinded ITC's membership. He added, however, that as far as its course material was concerned, ITC was "a very reputable organization."
Brozova suggested that a business rival had written to the College of Teachers to complain against her company.
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Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
The Pain in Spain
Much as the Inspector has maligned the Guardian for hidden link selling to those shysters Cactus Tefl, here is an article from the Guardian well worth reading..............
Tales of bad employers abound in the Spanish Tefl industry. Jasper Knight tells you how to spot a good job and how to protect yourself once you get it.
Spanish friends often bemoan that while living in Spain is great, working in Spain is not. Private language academies are no exception and tales of unfair work practices, exploitative employers, poor pay and dubious payslips are all too common.
There are positive aspects to working for an academy. In contrast to private classes, they provide financial stability (some even pay a salary) - many classes last the academic year and there are fewer cancellations.
Through an academy, morning and afternoon classes are far easier to find - these are times that are notoriously difficult to fill with private classes. Most provide materials, a course outline and the Head of Studies is on hand to provide help and advice, which can be essential when teaching children. Academies are also good places to find private classes, either through recommendation or by subtly poaching students.
The problem in Spain is that there aren't many academies that treat their employees very well. Academies recommended by teachers are few and far between. Also, they are not altruistic educational institutions, but businesses that need to turn a profit. The student is the client, and what is good for business is not necessarily good for students or staff.
Some academies put students into the next level even if they fail, so that they continue to receive their money. This makes teaching harder. Many people who run academies appear unconcerned if their students don't learn anything. To them, the teacher's job seems to be to entertain, to ensure students are happy and, more importantly, to keep the euros rolling in. Experienced teachers expect nothing less, and many prefer to be left to teach what they want, how they want.
Legally, all employers have to give their staff contracts. After one year, employees are entitled to a permanent contract, with paid holidays and no dismissal without a redundancy payment. Academies get around this by offering temporary contracts for seven or eight months, and rehire teachers after the summer.
The holidays are therefore a period of uncertainty and worry. Teachers have to find additional employment in July, August and September, often working in summer schools or living off savings. Some contracts state that they finish at the "end of the course", leaving plenty of room for interpretation - some teachers have been given just one day's notice. Be warned that the academic year finishes on June 30th, and contracts may be terminated even if classes run until the end of July.
A contract is only really important if teachers plan to stay for the longer term, but many teachers work without a contract because they aren't given the choice. If teachers are working legally, they and their employers have to make social security payments.
Working for a year entitles you to three months' unemployment benefit at 70% of your salary. The Spanish benefits system is modelled on a savings scheme - it is your money, and it is set aside for you. However, very few academies declare everything you earn. Instead, many only declare between 10% and 50% of your salary - the rest is handed to you in an envelope. This creative accounting means that when it comes to claiming unemployment benefit, teachers are entitled to very little.
According to the agreement made between the government and the unions, teachers should earn 8.90 euros an hour. Assuming that English teachers do 30 minutes' preparation, arrive 10 minutes early for class and travel around one hour for every hour they teach, ¿8.90 is not a good deal.
Some academies pay less, while others pay up to ¿20 an hour. Teachers work, on average, 20 hours a week. Some teachers may be salaried to work 10 hours but will actually work more and only get paid for 10. Wages in Spain are generally bad. Since the introduction of the euro, prices (especially property) have increased while wages have not. Marking extra exams, writing reports, collecting and dropping things off, taxiing other teachers to classes in the academy's car, meetings and preparing specialised topics also take up more of the teachers' time. All of which is covered in the hourly rate for contact classes.
Teachers have been told that they can't be sick; one girl who had lost her voice still had to give her classes by writing on the board. Bullying is not unheard of. Some managers use meetings as a platform to publicly criticise teachers to the point where staff are literally terrified in case they have done something wrong; no matter how petty, small or ridiculous. One teacher ended up having anxiety attacks before meetings. Friends have spoken of being insulted and shouted at in front of students for minor things. These are extreme examples, but they are too often heard.
So why do teachers put up with it? Competition is tough and teachers know that, if they complain, they won't be rehired in September. Some academies receive five to 10 CVs a week, meaning that teachers can be replaced, as one manager put it, "with one phone call". In reality, a contract offers little security.
So what is the best way to deal with exploitative employers? Don't be afraid of moving on, try to work for at least two academies, and find as many private classes as possible. Talk to other teachers to discover the employers that take care of and listen to their staff. However few, they do exist; you just have to look for them.
_________________________________________________________
Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
Tales of bad employers abound in the Spanish Tefl industry. Jasper Knight tells you how to spot a good job and how to protect yourself once you get it.
Spanish friends often bemoan that while living in Spain is great, working in Spain is not. Private language academies are no exception and tales of unfair work practices, exploitative employers, poor pay and dubious payslips are all too common.
There are positive aspects to working for an academy. In contrast to private classes, they provide financial stability (some even pay a salary) - many classes last the academic year and there are fewer cancellations.
Through an academy, morning and afternoon classes are far easier to find - these are times that are notoriously difficult to fill with private classes. Most provide materials, a course outline and the Head of Studies is on hand to provide help and advice, which can be essential when teaching children. Academies are also good places to find private classes, either through recommendation or by subtly poaching students.
The problem in Spain is that there aren't many academies that treat their employees very well. Academies recommended by teachers are few and far between. Also, they are not altruistic educational institutions, but businesses that need to turn a profit. The student is the client, and what is good for business is not necessarily good for students or staff.
Some academies put students into the next level even if they fail, so that they continue to receive their money. This makes teaching harder. Many people who run academies appear unconcerned if their students don't learn anything. To them, the teacher's job seems to be to entertain, to ensure students are happy and, more importantly, to keep the euros rolling in. Experienced teachers expect nothing less, and many prefer to be left to teach what they want, how they want.
Legally, all employers have to give their staff contracts. After one year, employees are entitled to a permanent contract, with paid holidays and no dismissal without a redundancy payment. Academies get around this by offering temporary contracts for seven or eight months, and rehire teachers after the summer.
The holidays are therefore a period of uncertainty and worry. Teachers have to find additional employment in July, August and September, often working in summer schools or living off savings. Some contracts state that they finish at the "end of the course", leaving plenty of room for interpretation - some teachers have been given just one day's notice. Be warned that the academic year finishes on June 30th, and contracts may be terminated even if classes run until the end of July.
A contract is only really important if teachers plan to stay for the longer term, but many teachers work without a contract because they aren't given the choice. If teachers are working legally, they and their employers have to make social security payments.
Working for a year entitles you to three months' unemployment benefit at 70% of your salary. The Spanish benefits system is modelled on a savings scheme - it is your money, and it is set aside for you. However, very few academies declare everything you earn. Instead, many only declare between 10% and 50% of your salary - the rest is handed to you in an envelope. This creative accounting means that when it comes to claiming unemployment benefit, teachers are entitled to very little.
According to the agreement made between the government and the unions, teachers should earn 8.90 euros an hour. Assuming that English teachers do 30 minutes' preparation, arrive 10 minutes early for class and travel around one hour for every hour they teach, ¿8.90 is not a good deal.
Some academies pay less, while others pay up to ¿20 an hour. Teachers work, on average, 20 hours a week. Some teachers may be salaried to work 10 hours but will actually work more and only get paid for 10. Wages in Spain are generally bad. Since the introduction of the euro, prices (especially property) have increased while wages have not. Marking extra exams, writing reports, collecting and dropping things off, taxiing other teachers to classes in the academy's car, meetings and preparing specialised topics also take up more of the teachers' time. All of which is covered in the hourly rate for contact classes.
Teachers have been told that they can't be sick; one girl who had lost her voice still had to give her classes by writing on the board. Bullying is not unheard of. Some managers use meetings as a platform to publicly criticise teachers to the point where staff are literally terrified in case they have done something wrong; no matter how petty, small or ridiculous. One teacher ended up having anxiety attacks before meetings. Friends have spoken of being insulted and shouted at in front of students for minor things. These are extreme examples, but they are too often heard.
So why do teachers put up with it? Competition is tough and teachers know that, if they complain, they won't be rehired in September. Some academies receive five to 10 CVs a week, meaning that teachers can be replaced, as one manager put it, "with one phone call". In reality, a contract offers little security.
So what is the best way to deal with exploitative employers? Don't be afraid of moving on, try to work for at least two academies, and find as many private classes as possible. Talk to other teachers to discover the employers that take care of and listen to their staff. However few, they do exist; you just have to look for them.
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Inspector McHammered of the Lard in Pamplona, Spain
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