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LongShiKong
Joined: 28 May 2007
Posts: 1082
Location: China
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 Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 4:04 pm Post subject: Saxoncourt / Shane English - your experience |
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I've recently begun teaching with Shane English in CHINA. I know they run schools in Poland and would to know from those who work there how it differs from here. This is what I just posted on a Japan forum about Shane there--incidentally, Shane Lispcombe founded the school there in the '70s:
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I've been at a new Shane in China for 2 months. The 15 yr old system I came from was twice as organized as Shane (at age 34).
There are too many flashcards--100s--and yet, no list available anywhere--not even from head office. For SPEC1* I'm supposed to use cards from 4 different sets and yet colour flaschcards are duplicated in at least 2 different sets as are numbers. Some of the flashcards are even ambiguous in the way they've been illustrated.
The Playtime, E-Z Colour, and FAB Red books are merely colouring books. Likewise, the SPEC books have limited classroom value. Strangely, there's not even a teacher's book for the Playtime or E-Z Colour--courses that tend to be the most lucrative for this market.
The FAB Red CD contains only '80's New Wave inspired songs--barely acceptable for classroom use, but are students expected to sing along at home? They hardly reflect the actual language taught in the class including my N.A. pronunciation.
The 'level check' test (initial placement test) and corresponding form seem a complete afterthought rather than something carefully thought out and continually revised over the past 34 yrs. There's not even any teacher/course evaluation form for adults to fill in.
As for the elitism, I've suggested we put up a Cdn and US flag next to the Union Jack at the gate of our school. There're no Brits here.
Having never been to Japan, I'm curious---is the heavily drill-oriented teaching method that Shane uses common there? During training in Shanghai, we covered well over a dozen drilling methods. I know the highly successful author of Longman Superkids series that's more popular there relies heavily on drilling.
* I assume the books are the same: Playtime, E-Z Colour, FAB, Open Door, SPEC, Take Off, etc.)
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LongShiKong
Joined: 28 May 2007
Posts: 1082
Location: China
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| Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 1:52 am Post subject: |
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What?!?!
Ninety odd views of this thread and no response? Does anyone know what name Saxoncourt goes by in Poland. It's obviously not Shane. |
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lundjstuart
Joined: 01 Jul 2008
Posts: 211
Location: Warsaw, Poland
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| Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 6:19 am Post subject: |
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| LongShiKong wrote: |
What?!?!
Ninety odd views of this thread and no response? Does anyone know what name Saxoncourt goes by in Poland. It's obviously not Shane. |
www.google.pl try there! |
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Master Shake
Joined: 03 Nov 2006
Posts: 1202
Location: Colorado, USA
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| Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 7:57 pm Post subject: |
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Saxoncourt is called 'Target' in Poland.
It took me about 2 seconds to find this out on google.pl. |
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lundjstuart
Joined: 01 Jul 2008
Posts: 211
Location: Warsaw, Poland
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| Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 10:47 pm Post subject: |
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| Master Shake wrote: |
Saxoncourt is called 'Target' in Poland.
It took me about 2 seconds to find this out on google.pl. |
Amazing! |
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sparks
Joined: 20 Feb 2008
Posts: 632
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| Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2012 2:38 am Post subject: |
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Master Shake wrote:
Saxoncourt is called 'Target' in Poland.
It took me about 2 seconds to find this out on google.pl.
Amazing! |
Actually, it is quite amazing! In the whole of human history for what percentage of it have we been able to answer almost any question that pops into our brains at the touch of a few buttons? My how quickly we become accustomed to even the finest luxuries. |
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jxyz
Joined: 07 Mar 2011
Posts: 16
Location: Riyadh
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| Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 10:39 am Post subject: |
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[quote=Master Shake]Saxoncourt is called 'Target' in Poland.
It took me about 2 seconds to find this out on google.pl.[/quote]
Google is great but doesn't give the nitty gritty. The 'Target and Shane' that exists now is one of the ghosts of a much bigger company that closed in 2002. I notice that 6 of the 8 customer references on their website are from clients they haven't had for ten years. It is a fairly small set up. |
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okedata
Joined: 29 Jan 2012
Posts: 23
Location: out in a desert
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| Posted: Sat May 26, 2012 10:56 pm Post subject: |
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The poster above seems to be fairly accurate. Most of the operation became a company called Resource - which was pretty good to work for.
Passing the Saxoncourt offices the other day there was no sign of life. Have they finally closed altogether or just moved? |
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LongShiKong
Joined: 28 May 2007
Posts: 1082
Location: China
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| Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 3:13 pm Post subject: |
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| okedata wrote: |
The poster above seems to be fairly accurate. Most of the operation became a company called Resource - which was pretty good to work for.
Passing the Saxoncourt offices the other day there was no sign of life. Have they finally closed altogether or just moved? |
Back in 2005, Bialonoz rated Target as 'not so good' so if Resource is the new Target perhaps they've improved.
Seems the only Shane schools still in existence are in Thailand, Taiwan and here in China ironically (Japanese aren't very well liked here on account of WWII). Even Shane Lipscombe sold his flagship Japan operations so they're under another name presumably. And in Canada where I'm from, 'Global Village had long ago severed ties with Shane English. |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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| Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 5:02 pm Post subject: |
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Back to the original question, which interests me in an abstract way:
The school described in China is heavily focused on children, I assume, from flashcards and singing exercises, and Play-time focus. For adults, I think what Long Shi Kong is interested in most is probably level placement and what's involved.
Could you guys address what the Resource/Target school(s) in Poland is/are like in these regards?
I'd be interested, again just in the abstract, as I've been involved in quite a few discussions recently regarding the important differences in EFL Asia versis EFL Europe in general. |
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okedata
Joined: 29 Jan 2012
Posts: 23
Location: out in a desert
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| Posted: Tue May 29, 2012 10:53 pm Post subject: |
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| spiral78 wrote: |
| Back to the original question, which interests me in an abstract way:Could you guys address what the Resource/Target school(s) in Poland is/are like in these regards? . |
Resource was great to work for, first class teachers and DOS, decent money etc - I did 6 years there, however it was bought by an overseas recruitment company around 3 years ago who didn't concentrate much on the language teaching side and withdrew altogether from Poland over a year ago. Resource was never part of Saxoncourt/Shane or connected to them in any way.
The remnant of Target that was left after Resource started was renamed 'target and shane' sometimes trading as Saxoncourt Poland and just seems to have melted away. They are/were part owned by Saxoncourt/Shane. I used to know plenty of ex-colleagues there from Target days who weren't hired by Resource and unfortunately none had a good word to say about them. |
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