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[teachalot]

I would like to warn anyone thinking of working on IMEC College, Kajang, near KL, Malaysia to think twice.

While the Canadian and British manager and DOS will appear decent and charming upon your initial meeting, the office has an extremely unpleasant, backbiting atmosphere, and ridiculously long working hours.

I was accommodated in a shared house with the most unpleasant and unfriendly person I have ever met, who did not even say hello, or ask about my journey when I arrived, and totally ignored me the whole time i was there. This was in keeping with the attitude of all the foreign staff that I had the misfortune of meeting there.

The apartment itself, for which I was obliged to pay a huge chunk of my wages, was in the gorgeous surroundings of country heights, but as they are private grounds, taxis and buses did not service the estate, meaning staff are obliged to walk 1-3 km to work, depending on where they are housed. Additionally, while students and other estate residents can all use the clubhouse facilities, such as a swimming pool, teachers are banned for using them despite paying rent.

At work the amount slandering and bullying that went on by the bules was hideous. The atmosphere was extremely competitive, with staff using foul, degrading language behind supervisors' backs to try to undermine their position, and shunning, and ostracising ignoring anyone that was not in their slanderous group.

Competitions and commission, similar to what is practised in call centres, is implemented to keep up the pressure. Although contractual hours are about 40 per week, staff remained in the office late into the evening, compiling spreadsheets, calculating exam scores. warning letters to students, reports, preparing for classes, and writing students' reports.

In fact, leaving the office at the scheduled time is frowned upon and nobody does it. All staff work at least 50% longer than they are meant to. All teachers take large piles of marking home with them on holidays too.

As for the teaching itself; the most teacher led, traditional methods are expected/ I was repeatedly warned that my students were talking during paired discussions and fluency practice , and having too much fun during mingles. The focus is on reading and writing, and totally archaic. The classroom was in terrible disrepair with no windows, and sometimes fewer seats than students.

Accordingly, behaviour management issues take up a lot of the class time, and discipline is the predominant focus. The foreign teaching staff seemed to me to resemble security officers more than teachers, and students, thoroughly bored with the lessons, are constantly threatened and punished. The atmosphere is draconian and students are often required to resit courses, at the expense of their parents.

Luckily, I escaped this unfortunate institution, but would not with the experience upon anyone.

[adaruby]