Job Discussion Forums

ajmci · Joined: 24 Nov 2006 Posts: 27 Location: Edinburgh

I see Nicola Chapman is advertising on TEFL.com for teachers to join ALS.

I worked for them for 2.5 years back in the 90s, before the Milan school went bust. I had a good time BUT I WOULD NOT RECCOMEND WORKING FOR THIS OUTFIT!!!!!

They use a very strict form of the Callan didactic method, which requires almost 100% TTT. This often works well for low level students, but the method is severely limited and does not allow the students any form of free expression.

There are no games, no conversation, no music, no role play, no pair work, and no creativity in this method. It is possible to teach well using it, but it's very one dimensional.

Nicola & her partner Andrew McClay are dubious characters who, in my opinion, are only involved for the money. They know how to sell and how to milk the cash cow they have created...but they are sadly lacking in human compassion or educational commitment.

I admit I am a little bitter: on my last day of work for them I was informed by fax that I would not be receiving a 1000E bonus I had been promised. Why not? The school had been broken into and robbed while I had been in charge...they had no insurance and so 'claimed' this money back of me!!

Work for them if you wish...but I'd be very careful...they'll make a lot of promises but the reality is rather different!

Italy is a wonderful country, and there are a lot of excellent teaching opportunities there...but this is not one of them!!

Please contradict me if you know different!

Mickyman · Joined: 12 Sep 2011 Posts: 15

... You don't say!
At the interview in London they told me exactly what I wanted to hear (low hours, good pay, travel fees to and around Rome etc)... In Rome they withdrew �100 '''''training''''' deposit plus ANOTHER �100 ''''''''''flat deposit'''''''''', neither of which I saw again. Plus they have an illegal payment method whereby they stagger your monthly wage - two-thirds at the end of the month, the rest 2 weeks later - so it's impossible to leave on equal terms! And when you write down your travel fee to Rome on a piece of paper, they probably roll up the piece of paper and stuff it where the sun don't shine.
Oh, and this 'stimulating teaching system' is the most mind-numbing, stressful waste of time since history began.
So if you're gonna work for 'em - don't.

eurobound · Joined: 04 Apr 2011 Posts: 155

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

stressful as in boring and mindless?
or is it more about waiting for the students to complain, as you're clearly not offering much.....?
or stressful in that it's negatively affecting your CV?

eurobound · Joined: 04 Apr 2011 Posts: 155

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

Sure - if one isn't planning to stay in the field longer than a year or two, it could be a reasonable choice. I knew waves of teachers who went through Berlitz on the same principles.

Mickyman · Joined: 12 Sep 2011 Posts: 15

Scambuster · Joined: 29 Jun 2012 Posts: 2

The couple who run these shonky outfits Super Rapid English or Accerated English Schools, are called Elaine Chapman and Andrew Maclean. They have been doing the same routine for years and geting away with it. This how it works I know because I was one of their victims):
1. They advertise for graduates usually in London "no teaching experience required". This attracts the many unemployed recent or older graduates.
2. They hold spruiking meetings and 'select' their new recruits. The talks tells how you can live the Itailan dream like a part in 'La Dolce Vita'. You live in a Villa, ride around on a motorino, you only teach for 20 hrs a week, it sounds too good to be true... well..it is.
3. You get recruited, they may fly you there on the cheapest fare or make your own way to Rome or whereever. You may only teach 20 hours a week BUT the hours are staggered throughout the day so you may have to travel to Frascatti from Rome so over an hour to start at 8am, then teach maybe one or 2 hours, then travel back to Rome and teach at the school or a company for a couple of hours, then nothing till the evening. In reality you are on the go up to 12-14 hours a day. You also have to mark homework which takes hours a day so the 20 hours a week is lies lies lies.
As for payment, they are patchy an often (usually) late, they deduct invented deductions, alter your timesheets, and generally can treat the teachers very poorly. Getting the drift ??

Some of the teachers I knew there were living in the Salvation Army hostel (Chapman and Macleans version of an Italian Villa). Other all lived in pretty cruddy locations.

The teachers don't last long hence their repeated recruiting drives in London. If they do stay, they usually have some serious character defect.

If you are desperate for a job, well you can get by and learn how to run a shonky business and the basics of the Callan method - which is questionable but you can exploit the experience to your own benefit and move on to one of the many professional schools which is usually what happens.

These people have left a long trail of casualties behind them and I am amazed they are still in business. Just be warned if you decide to accept a job from these people, there will be smoke and mirrors, and all will not be as it's promised by a long stretch.

Mickyman · Joined: 12 Sep 2011 Posts: 15

You're absolutely right. After the promises they made in London I feel around 500 quid down on the deal - they stole 600,000 lire 'deposits', only coughed up two thirds of my month's pay, and as for paying my travel to and around Rome... People should sue.
Their partner in crime (literally) is Ian Paul McAndrew, another swindler.
PS The swindle continues, look how they present it all http://www.totalesl.com/job_print.php?postingtype=job&id=29056 - Beijing anyone? Their website says 'London', 'Hong Kong', 'Sydney' and even invents addresses. Reality: a tiny office in Rome. There's no end to these crooks.

**beer-goggles** · Joined: 18 Mar 2013 Posts: 10

so why not report them to the authorities if you have been rippe doff or short changed??? Question

GonnaBe · Joined: 10 Jun 2012 Posts: 20 Location: California

Ok, so in light of the other Italy thread about visas -- despite all this lunacy -- do they get you a working visa? (might be worth it...)

GB

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

Sashadroogie · Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 12:33 pm Post subject:

No visas for non-EU applicants. Too hard a process even for a real school. Too many EU applicants who don't need a visa.

Anyway, for a really super fast way of learning English, just watch Friends : )

Grimace420 · Joined: 24 Sep 2011 Posts: 88 Location: Madriz

Ixnay on the Iendsfray. It will put us all out of work.

Xie Lin · Joined: 21 Oct 2011 Posts: 731