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Demand in the Czech Republic

 
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sisyphus



Joined: 20 Sep 2009
Posts: 170

PostPosted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 7:58 am    Post subject: Demand in the Czech Republic Reply with quote

Recently there has been a considerable tail off in business for language schools here mostly down to the economic recession and also the Czech owned schools 'hegemonic' (thats the politest word I can find) and not altogether honest acquiring of all the major contracts.
In which areas (i.e child education, adult etc) do we think will be the greatest growth in future years...? A penny for your thoughts...The Sisyphus
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smithryansmith



Joined: 27 Dec 2008
Posts: 75

PostPosted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 11:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My ideas. I think the market for teaching pre-schoolers has boomed in the last few years and will continue to be strong as czech parents see this as a way of giving their children an "edge", starting to study English from an early age (it will be awhile before we see if this early learning idea pays off for them)

I think there will be a decrease in "company courses". companies paying for English lessons for their employees as this is one of the first areas that a company can cut when looking to decrease its expences.

On the filp side, a poor economy often means that people will be looking to make themselves more qualified. This often means improving their c.v. with certifications, etc. We have seen an increase in Czechs interested in cambridge exam preparation, IELTS and the like. It will be more students working on their own initiative, paying for courses themselves rather than having their company pay. Which is good for private teachers, not as good for language schools.
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corij



Joined: 03 Dec 2009
Posts: 26

PostPosted: Sun Dec 06, 2009 7:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My partner and i took a teaching course at in Prague in autumn, but just couldnt find any work . We stuck around for 2 months but werent getting anywhere fast.
I guess the recessions hit Prague bad,same as most places .

we also got scammed on our accomodation while on the Tefl course


Last edited by corij on Mon Nov 15, 2010 6:39 am; edited 2 times in total
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Kofola



Joined: 20 Feb 2009
Posts: 159
Location: Slovakia

PostPosted: Sun Dec 06, 2009 9:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm not sure I agree that businesses will be the ones to cut courses. Many a manager has said to me over the last year that the worst thing a company can do is just cut training full stop. Training is seen as important in preparing the workforce for the better times ahead. Not just any old training though - the focus is on quality and clearly defined ESP courses that give the employer exactly what they need.
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smithryansmith



Joined: 27 Dec 2008
Posts: 75

PostPosted: Tue Jan 26, 2010 10:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Kofola wrote:
I'm not sure I agree that businesses will be the ones to cut courses. Many a manager has said to me over the last year that the worst thing a company can do is just cut training full stop. Training is seen as important in preparing the workforce for the better times ahead. Not just any old training though - the focus is on quality and clearly defined ESP courses that give the employer exactly what they need.


Thats good if they dont. And I think good companies wouldnt. Im just afraid many "so'so" companies might look at language training as an extra expense. but i hope you are right.
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muser



Joined: 28 Mar 2010
Posts: 7
Location: St, Petersburg, Russia

PostPosted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 3:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It sounds like an educated guess that training will be cut - in Russia that has happened with some companies which were looking to cut costs. Of course there will be some directors and companies taking nobler positions on this issue, but I imagine they are exceptional. (Just guessing from out here though.)
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mr tree



Joined: 09 Oct 2007
Posts: 98
Location: Prague, CzR

PostPosted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 7:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Kofola wrote:
I'm not sure I agree that businesses will be the ones to cut courses. Many a manager has said to me over the last year that the worst thing a company can do is just cut training full stop. Training is seen as important in preparing the workforce for the better times ahead. Not just any old training though - the focus is on quality and clearly defined ESP courses that give the employer exactly what they need.


i've talked to a lot of people about this, and tend to agree basically with what smithryansmith was saying. the counter-argument that i've heard is that Czech businesses are basically cheap, and price-motivated - they'll take whatever product is the cheapest, regardless of quality. hence the big language schools doing alright.

seems a nonsense to me though, because surely they'll be a point, as Kofola says, where quality will replace price as the motivating factor. put simply, in my experience i don't think firms actually get much tangible benefit from the money they spend on language lessons. remember, these are often used as an "employee benefit", an extra perk with which to entice new employees - so the actual quality of the lessons can be an after-thought.

i can't imagine that situation remaining long-term. savvy companies will realise that this is "training", and will want effective results. and motivated students will find good language teachers. as ryan concludes, i think short-term the situation will benefit private teachers, and hurt language schools. long-term, hopefully there becomes a focus on better education within schools, cos in my experience the Czech school system is laughably bad at teaching kids English...
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Jacetheace



Joined: 12 Aug 2010
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Sun Aug 29, 2010 6:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

FTR I found it extremely difficult when I was applying to schools last year but friends searching now for teaching jobs are apparently finding it alot easier.
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spiral78



Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash

PostPosted: Sun Aug 29, 2010 8:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is the peak hiring time of the year. Were you searching in the late August/early September window?
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