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What Is Wall Street English Like As An Employer? (Adults)
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JRJohn



Joined: 21 Jun 2006
Posts: 175

PostPosted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 2:38 pm    Post subject: What Is Wall Street English Like As An Employer? (Adults) Reply with quote

I have been offered an interview from WSI and I am being considered for jobs in Beijing or Shanghai. I am not sure at this stage, and I need more info. I would like to speak to teachers who have taught in those branches.
I am being considered for a job teaching adults.
1) Is WSI centrally run, or is it a franchise like EF. OR is it half and half?

2) What is the morale like among the teachers? Is it (a) fairly high, (b) stressful and desperate, or (c) a case of having good days and bad days?

3) What are the potential problems?

4) Do people usually complete their contracts? What about getting fired?

5) What is their housing policy? Does housing take a huge slice of salary?
Would I be expected to pay a big housing deposit?
6) Do they help with visa costs?

I would be grateful for any help you could give about teaching with WSI in Beijing or Shanghai. Thank you very much.
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jg



Joined: 26 Mar 2003
Posts: 1263
Location: Ralph Lauren Pueblo

PostPosted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 7:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am curious about Wall Street as well. *bump*
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Qaaolchoura



Joined: 10 Oct 2008
Posts: 539
Location: 21 miles from the Syrian border

PostPosted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 2:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wall Street China is the largest corporate-run branch of Wall Street, most or all of the others are franchises, though often�as in Turkey, Russia, and Indonesia�it's the same franchise across the whole country. Those are the only branches who I've interviewed with (and I asked a lot of questions about the company), so I can't comment on China.

As for the quality of Wall Street China, I can't comment on that, since not only have I never worked there, I've never even applied to work there. If nobody here gets back to you, why don't you ask to speak with some current, or better still, former teachers?

I will say that the Wall Street Method seems to attract a lot of criticism if you search it out on the Internet, though personally I like it (at least in principle). I assume you've asked your own questions about the method in interviews?

Regards,
~Q
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Denim-Maniac



Joined: 31 Jan 2012
Posts: 1238

PostPosted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 6:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think a forum member called songbird used to work for them in China. PM her maybe?

Just had a friend who was turned down after interviewing for a position in SZ. He liked the look of their set-up and thought they were professional and switched on ... but thats just his impression following an interview.
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L00kingforwork



Joined: 15 Jun 2012
Posts: 25

PostPosted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 1:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Check out this article: http://news.echinacities.com/detail/7350-The-Teaching-Ladder-Major-Training-Centres-in-China

Not sure how accurate the information is because I've never worked for any of the big chain school. It should give you some ideas about what you're getting yourself into.
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Qaaolchoura



Joined: 10 Oct 2008
Posts: 539
Location: 21 miles from the Syrian border

PostPosted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 6:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

L00kingforwork wrote:
Check out this article: http://news.echinacities.com/detail/7350-The-Teaching-Ladder-Major-Training-Centres-in-China

Not sure how accurate the information is because I've never worked for any of the big chain school. It should give you some ideas about what you're getting yourself into.

It's interesting that in WSI "Promotion/relocation possible" is put in the con column, while in EF and Shane the opportunity for promotion/relocation is in the pro column. Does this mean that internal promotion/relocation is less common at WSI China than at those companies, or does it just mean that the author made an error?

~Q
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natjones



Joined: 18 Nov 2009
Posts: 30
Location: USA

PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 9:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My friend worked for them in Shanghai for 2 years and Beijing for 1 year and had good things to say. He said they were well-run (none franchised), treated employees well, and had good lesson plans. He said having the adult students was great.

He did add that they were quite intense to work for, requiring pretty constant teaching. Eventually, he said he was too old for the energy required and went to teach at a university with few hours.
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haopengyou



Joined: 02 Mar 2009
Posts: 197

PostPosted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 2:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have talked to a few people who worked for them. It seems that all of these franchises use a cookie cutter, somewhat impersonal approach to teaching. The people that I talked to who adapted to this approach liked the experience. Those that like to personalize their teacher style didn't like it at all.
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darkcity



Joined: 23 Dec 2008
Posts: 54

PostPosted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 7:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just to correct you ��in first-tier cities, EF is centrally run. All other EFs are franchises.

With that said, their package is almost identical to EFs, except they offer two schedules (18 hours or 38 hours of teaching, something like that) and a slightly higher salary.

Their lessons are cookie-cutter, but I think there are some chances for you to spread your wings in a few classes intended for the students to produce language.

If you're looking for a way in China, I say, why not? Go for the easy schedule first, and I think there's a chance for you to switch over to the heavier schedule if you like.

Disclaimer: I didn't work there, just interviewed. Didn't go through with it as I got something bigger and better.
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Qaaolchoura



Joined: 10 Oct 2008
Posts: 539
Location: 21 miles from the Syrian border

PostPosted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 8:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

darkcity wrote:
Just to correct you ��in first-tier cities, EF is centrally run. All other EFs are franchises.

With that said, their package is almost identical to EFs, except they offer two schedules (18 hours or 38 hours of teaching, something like that) and a slightly higher salary.

Their lessons are cookie-cutter, but I think there are some chances for you to spread your wings in a few classes intended for the students to produce language.

If you're looking for a way in China, I say, why not? Go for the easy schedule first, and I think there's a chance for you to switch over to the heavier schedule if you like.

Disclaimer: I didn't work there, just interviewed. Didn't go through with it as I got something bigger and better.

Sorry, I'm somewhat confused by your post. Are you talking about Wall Street or EF?

Wall Street is indeed centrally run in all Chinese locations, while EF's China branch is franchised in all but four cities. According to their ads, Wall Street offers 18, 24, and 30-hour packages, though if you interviewed them and they told you 18 or 38, well it sounds odd, but I'll take your word for it.

~Q
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reactionary



Joined: 22 Mar 2008
Posts: 60

PostPosted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 2:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wall Street is OK when you're simply teaching classes. The problem is they're always trying to offer more to students and organizing/planning it is left up to the foreign trainers.

Social Clubs are usually semi-prepared but tend to be a mess that require a lot of pre-class prep.

English Corners are ever increasing and you generally create those from scratch.

Expect to host a 2 hour party every 2-3 months full of games designed for children. Make sure there's not too much English involved.

Also expect to take students on "outings" every couple of months. Singing, dancing, walks in the park, etc etc.

You've got a one hour planning period everyday. Good luck getting all of that done within an hour and maintaining any sort of standard.

Their standard classes soon become routine pieces of cake, though.
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KopiKopi



Joined: 01 May 2011
Posts: 49

PostPosted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 4:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Don't.
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Nexus11



Joined: 18 Nov 2009
Posts: 38

PostPosted: Thu Mar 07, 2013 4:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just finished a year at Wall Street in Shenzhen. Over all, I really enjoyed it and would recommend it, although it isn't for everyone.

Most of the lessons for Encounters and CC classes are pre-made. This will be about two thirds of your classes. If you like having lessons laid out for you that you simply need to execute, its great. If you like to have the flexibility to put your own style and philosophy into your classes, you will get frustrated.

Social Club materials are technically provided, but they are hit and miss when it comes to quality. Sometimes you need to create extra activities because the ones provided are inadequate. However, topping up an existing lesson usually isn't too time consuming.

English Corners, of which you will usually have 3-4 per week, are not prepared. You need to make them from scratch. Despite what the trainers will tell you, you cannot make a good one in 20-30 minutes during your service hour. During your first 3-6 months, you will spend a lot of extra time making these. At that point, you can start repeating the old English Corners, so your prep time goes way down.

Wall Street has a very specific study method for the students and there is no wavering from it. Some teachers like having a very structured system since it takes responsibility off of them, while othes feel handcuffed by it.

You work evenings and weekends. This schedule does indeed make it more difficult to meet people. At about the 3 month mark, I was not happy working there. However, I learned a few things over time.

Firstly, make friends with students. I kept my distance at first, wanting to remain "professional." However, the students love it if you are willing to socialize with them. Whether you like to go to the bar, ride bikes, play badminton, or relax at the spa, you will find students who share your interests. As long as you aren't sleeping with any of them, they will still see you as professional, like taking your classes more, and you will enjoy having more of a life outside of the classroom.

I worked under two Service Managers for my contract. Both were reasonable guys who I had no problems with, but I've heard not every center is so lucky.

There are opportunities for advancement, but you have to keep in mind what kind of future you are looking for. Being a service manager is like being a manager in any other type of company. You'll be working your butt off to meet sales targets and balance stats. It isn't really a teaching job. If middle management is the type of thing that appeals to you and you are willing to do a lot of unpaid training, you can easily get a promotion after one year.

The money is quite good for an entry level position (16,000RMB/month), but you work a lot, especially in your first 3-6 months to get it. You also only get 10 vacation days a year.

Over all, I was happy with my experience. If it wasn't for a snafu with my visa, I would have signed on for another year. I still might return after taking a visit back home. Amongst my co-workers, the feeling was mixed between people like me who were satisfied enough to stay and those who opted to move on. Only one co-worker left mid-contract, and he left because he wanted out of China, not because of a problem with the specific school.

I'm not going to say that Wall Street is for everyone, but it is definitely good for some. Hopefully this information can help people decide if it is a good fit for them.
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Denim-Maniac



Joined: 31 Jan 2012
Posts: 1238

PostPosted: Thu Mar 07, 2013 7:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice to read a detailed review ... there is always lots of talk about people like WSE, but not much in the way of detail. I have been slightly tempted to apply to them in SZ myself.

Can I ask ... how close to the workplace did you live? How much did it cost to rent each month incl utilities etc? And Im right in saying there is no end of year travel money right?
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Nexus11



Joined: 18 Nov 2009
Posts: 38

PostPosted: Mon Mar 25, 2013 4:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sorry for the slow answer. I don't log in often. Housing is up to you. I chose to live about 10 minutes walk to the school. Housing varies depending on your branch. I had a small one bedroom apartment in a decent building and it cost 3200/month. My friend at another brsnch paid 2400 for a really nice three bedroom place.

There was an end of the year bonus. I believe 3000 rmb but don't remember. Definitely smaller than the Korean bonuses I was used to.
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