Job Discussion Forums

[yoxat]

I am looking into going to this school in Feng Xian China to prepare for teaching, but I only know about it through the internet. www.boland-china.com.
I have also read here a couple of times that you can't teach in China without a degree, but I don't have one, and I have been offered a job from a state sponsored school, so I don't think this is correct.

[Edward]

I don't know about the school, but the website looks good. I know there was another TEFL training center in South China, and I considered attending it. I may take the course you mentioned, because in my opinion, the INTERNET courses offered by various agencies online are a bunch of useless CRAP!

How on earth could anyone expect to get REAL honest to goodness "one on one" teaching expertise and so on through the Net. The TEFL course is very intensive from what most people who have taken it around the world have told me. A number of people can't pass the course at the end of the one month training.

Remember, ANY training is better than NO training, even if the teachers and material are HALF A**!

And about the degree; China is one of the few countries you don't need ANY degree in...remember, you are here to be a "dancing, singing bear", and attraction for the schools to show off to money paying parents.

There are some people here in China, with wonderful degrees related TO teaching, but many that are here simply do NOT have the credentials [me included]. I am hoping to change that over the next 4-5 years while I am here though, because I take it serious. I taught computer classes in USA, so my background is somewhat unrelated, that is why I also wish to take a good TEFL course.

So if you feel it is worth your money, or to improve your teaching skills then by all means TAKE THE COURSE! Many "teachers" come here with absolutely NO experience standing before people and teaching, much less putting together good lesson plans and creating their own materials. And the principles and techniques you will learn in the TEFL will really move you toward being a better, if not excellent teacher of English!

Michael

[Roger]

The Boland School is run from Brno in Czech, or so I hear, by an American woman. Some of my intelligence I owe to kvido benak whom you can meet on the Europe forum.
The college near Xuzhou looks great on the website but I doubt it is as good-looking in reality. I have been to Xuzhou. Not a particularly touristy place, nor do local people have the kind of money to put their progeny through such a college.
I guess Boland and the Xuzhou school are in cahoots to recruit ESL teachers for profits to be shared between the two of them.
The TESOL course Boland offered last year was held in Czech, and you were promised a job in China. A bit circuitous, if you ask me!

[davidm]

Hi, yoxat! I'm registered for the Boland School's TEFL course that starts in mid-June. I've been in contact with Katie Boland at the school since I first signed up with the school a few months ago. She has been very quick and helpful in responding to emails, which I take to be a good sign. I don't have any other way of knowing anything about the school, but since I'll be fresh out of college and will have no formal training or experience as a teacher, I figure that a month's training in China has to be better than nothing.

When were you thinking of going?

[yoxat]

Hi Davidm

What a coincidence. I will be there at the same time as you. I hope we are not sending our money only to find out there's no school. I have communicated with Katy too. I have received the pre school package on grammar. I guess I will see you there. You can email me at [email protected] if you like.
Sincerely
Michael

[naturegirl321]

Roger
I thought that I should set the record straight about the Boland School.
I speak from experience of doing the course in Czech and teaching in China. The Boland school isn't in cohoots with a Xuzhou college. There are about an hour and a half away from each other by bus. The Boland school is a private language school in FengXian, the same place where the training centre is for the people who want to be TEFL teachers.

The students are mostly middle school students, but there are some adult classes.

Like many schools, the expect their teachers to teach their method and like to hire their graduates. It's a 140-150 hour course with an internship and very very intesive grammar. There are high standards as well.

Katie Boland is honest and has run the Czech school for over a decade. The teaching environment here is very close as well.

HOpe that this helps!

[Roger]

Thanks, Seth, I take note of your corrections. I had some correspondence with Katie Boland some time ago, and somehow this is what I came to believe.

[naturegirl321]

No problem, by the way, my name is Sharon.

[Roger]

Sorry, Naturegirl321 alias Sharon - the second time this week that I slipped up this way! I really need some therapist, I guess!

[aaronschwartz]

No therapist Roger, just a break from all the crap you have endured.

[Jules22]

I have corresponded with Katie Boland, I can second that she replies very quickly and was helpful in answering my questions. I don't know about their training courses.

[Midlothian Mapleheart]

Edited to remove offensive content.

Middy

[GoPies]

I did the Boland TEFL course in January.
The "school" was in Suzhou, which is a great city to live in. It is not really a school, more an office space converted into small classrooms. They offer free English classes to the locals and you get to practise on a range of abilities and a range of age groups, from primary school to adult business people. I note that they have expanded to a couple of other locations in China.
From talking to colleagues, the syllabus is very similar to the highly regarded CELTA course. The teachers were, in the main, very competent. Katie herself is excellent.
There were about a dozen people in my course, from all over the world. I was the only Aussie (and the only one with previous teaching experience). Others were from US, UK, Canada, Germany, Holland and the Philippines. We all got on well together.
I am surprised that people with no direct knowledge of the course have responded to the OP. I tried to get information before I did the course, but Boland had had a few problems and had relocated, so information was out of date.
I would wholeheartedly recommend the course from the point of view of being an excellent preparation for teaching English in China.

[Chris_Crossley]

I don't know whether Jules22, Midlothian Mapleheart or GoPies have noticed, but this thread was started in March 2003!!!!

[GoPies]

What tha????