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karley
Joined: 04 Jul 2005
Posts: 7
Location: montreal quebec.
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 Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 1:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Alex Shulgin wrote: |
CELTA is the best regarded and most widely accepted of the initial training courses. There are other choices. The Trinity cert TESOL is almost as well accepted and regarded as the CELTA. The TEFL international cert is becoming well regarded but still has a way to go in Europe. The SIT cert TESOL will probably be accepted. But CELTA is the best choice in terms of what schools/recruiters are looking for.
Don't do any course which takes less than four weeks of full-time study. Don't do any course which doesn't include supervised teaching of real language students. |
i have a TESOL certificate from global tesol (http://www.globaltesol.com/). it was a good course and i also am working on a specialization (tutoring english), so i will get a certificate for that as well. |
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karley
Joined: 04 Jul 2005
Posts: 7
Location: montreal quebec.
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| Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 1:56 pm Post subject: Re: watch out |
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| biffinbridge wrote: |
| Currently in Poland.Watch out for Profi-Lingua.They paid me late in December,(breach of contract) and I have resigned.They are threatening to take me to court for about 75,000 zl,(no that isn't a mistake),unless I find them a new teacher.Meanwhile last week they were trying to get the natives to sign forms in Polish saying that we were tax registered in the UK.Therefore I really don't understand why they have been taking 20% tax...I don't even have a NIP number. |
i was just looking into profi-lingua and it seemed like a really good school. damn!
there is so much to research. |
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Bialonoz
Joined: 27 Sep 2005
Posts: 57
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| Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 3:21 pm Post subject: Re: watch out |
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| biffinbridge wrote: |
| Meanwhile last week they were trying to get the natives to sign forms in Polish saying that we were tax registered in the UK. |
But what language would you expect it to be in?? 
Seriously though, this all sounds fishy about the tax. Liability for tax payment in Poland is partly on the individual, and if Profi-Lingua haven't been forwarding the amount they've deducted to the tax office, there could be problems for the teachers in April.
They should give all staff a PIT11 at this time of year. They are obliged to. This is like a British P60 and it is neccessary to have when you make your tax declaration in March. A copy also goes to the tax office. It looks to me like they can't reconcile the amounts that should be on the form to what they actually did. Potentially nasty for them - this could be their way out.
A school called T*rg*t did something similar a couple of years ago.
I wouldn't worry too much about them suing you though, they'd be more worried about a visit from the tax inspectors should their employees make a complaint. |
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Tumteetum
Joined: 04 Feb 2005
Posts: 144
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| Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 3:24 pm Post subject: Re: watch out |
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| karley wrote: |
| biffinbridge wrote: |
| Currently in Poland.Watch out for Profi-Lingua.They paid me late in December,(breach of contract) and I have resigned.They are threatening to take me to court for about 75,000 zl,(no that isn't a mistake),unless I find them a new teacher.Meanwhile last week they were trying to get the natives to sign forms in Polish saying that we were tax registered in the UK.Therefore I really don't understand why they have been taking 20% tax...I don't even have a NIP number. |
i was just looking into profi-lingua and it seemed like a really good school. damn!
there is so much to research. |
I wouldn't be put off solely by that experience. There are many Profi Lingua schools in Poland and although I've never worked for any of them them I know 2 teachers who have and they have nothing but good things to say. |
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Kymro
Joined: 19 Oct 2003
Posts: 244
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| Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 9:33 pm Post subject: Re: watch out |
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| Tumteetum wrote: |
I wouldn't be put off solely by that experience. There are many Profi Lingua schools in Poland and although I've never worked for any of them them I know 2 teachers who have and they have nothing but good things to say. |
Profi-Lingua is not a franchise, unlike, for example, Bell and International House.
Therefore one school is very much like any other.
Profi-Lingua is by far the nastiest organisation in the language teaching market in Poland, (and there's little shortage of competition).
Beware.
Last edited by Kymro on Fri Feb 17, 2006 10:23 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Kymro
Joined: 19 Oct 2003
Posts: 244
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| Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 10:05 pm Post subject: Re: watch out |
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| biffinbridge wrote: |
| Currently in Poland.Watch out for Profi-Lingua.They paid me late in December,(breach of contract) and I have resigned.They are threatening to take me to court for about 75,000 zl,(no that isn't a mistake),unless I find them a new teacher.Meanwhile last week they were trying to get the natives to sign forms in Polish saying that we were tax registered in the UK.Therefore I really don't understand why they have been taking 20% tax...I don't even have a NIP number. |
You've changed your tune somewhat since last summer.
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?p=271990#271990 |
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biffinbridge
Joined: 05 May 2003
Posts: 701
Location: Frank's Wild Years
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| Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2006 1:42 pm Post subject: erm |
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| Now I speak with the voice of Profi experience.They lie like ****.Don't go near them ever.P.M. if you like. |
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Alex Shulgin
Joined: 20 Jul 2003
Posts: 553
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| Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2006 4:28 pm Post subject: Re: watch out |
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| biffinbridge wrote: |
| Currently in Poland.Watch out for Profi-Lingua.They paid me late in December,(breach of contract) and I have resigned.They are threatening to take me to court for about 75,000 zl,(no that isn't a mistake),unless I find them a new teacher.Meanwhile last week they were trying to get the natives to sign forms in Polish saying that we were tax registered in the UK.Therefore I really don't understand why they have been taking 20% tax...I don't even have a NIP number. |
Souds like a phone call to the tax office might be in order. Not because you want to grass them up of course. Just because you need to check that you don't have any outstanding liabilities due to the actions of your former employer.
Those silly numbers clauses are becoming very common and are complete bullshit. There is no way in hell that they can sue you for 75,000. They know that. Their lawyer knows that. They would never go to court. The clause exists solely to intimidate people into doing what the school owner wants them to do.
Here in Warsaw there are clauses about how you have to pay 37,000,000PLN damages to the school if you leave and then within 3 years teach a student which you taught while with the first school. That kind of clause is perfectly legal. Provided your former employer is still paying you while you can not work with certain students. More than a couple of schools have threatened legal action against teachers for teaching former students and some have even filed cases. No school has ever gone to court because they know that they will lose and so have to pay costs.
Don't worry at all about the 75,000PLN they think they can take you to court for. Send them a letter similar to that given to the plaintiff in Arkell v. Pressdram. |
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Pollux
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Posts: 224
Location: PL
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| Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2006 7:19 pm Post subject: |
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Biffinbridge,
Is your biff with Profi over them not paying you on time or about taxes?
If you're screeming 'breech of contract' because they didn't pay you on time once, then you'd better be sure that you'd never been late for class, or you'd never broken some other contractual 'rule.'
I don't know the school, but it seems petty and childish to hold everyone to the exact letter of law, or contract in this case.
Alex is right, they won't sue you if you leave.
Just leave if you're unhappy and find another job. Do you really want to work with people you don't get along with?
Remember, you can be right and still lose. You're not on your own turf and you don't have the resources to fight them. Don't be intimidated, and move on, mate. |
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Kymro
Joined: 19 Oct 2003
Posts: 244
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| Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2006 3:10 pm Post subject: Re: watch out |
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| Alex Shulgin wrote: |
Those silly numbers clauses are becoming very common and are complete *beep*. There is no way in hell that they can sue you for 75,000. They know that. Their lawyer knows that. They would never go to court.
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I am a little concerned with the above advice.
Generally, I take Harry (Alex) as my oracle and guide in all matters Polish, and would actively encourage others to do the same.
He has an unfailing instinct for being proved wrong on every issue he has ever made a pronouncement about.
I listen carefully to what he has to say, and then do the exact opposite of what he suggests.
In this case, however, Harry has given Biffin precisely the same advice as myself - to ignore the threats of legal action.
If I was Biffin, I'd be seriously concerned, any advice given by Harry on legal matters has invariably been proved wrong in the past, why should things turn out differently on this occasion  |
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biffinbridge
Joined: 05 May 2003
Posts: 701
Location: Frank's Wild Years
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| Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2006 3:35 pm Post subject: erm |
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I got on fine with my colleagues BUT...
my beef is with them breaking my contract first and then threatening me over a contract break.It's about being lied to about my rate of pay,my bonuses my lack of medical cover,the attempt to trick me over tax,about the discrimination caused by giving Poles workshops but not native speakers,it's about the the strong arm tactics they use to string you into agreements,'we can't pay you',it's about them not giving a fig abut their students,it's about finding out that you are actually employed by 2 companies not one....need I go on? I could.
And, to top it all ,unlike me most of their teachers have very little experience and many no finished qualifications.You don't read that in the ad. |
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Alex Shulgin
Joined: 20 Jul 2003
Posts: 553
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| Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2006 1:11 pm Post subject: Re: watch out |
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| Kymro wrote: |
| I am a little concerned with the above advice. |
Well done Warren. Managed to add another post to your impressive record of never posting here to offer useful advice and only to attack people. Good work. I'm sure that everybody here wants to work for a school like Go! Languages where the boss is as unpleasant as you are.
Also nice to see that you're still obsessed with Harry. I just love the fact that I know exactly who you are, what you look like and where to find you while you know nothing about me.
If you want to talk about legal advice then perhaps you'd like to talk about libel and slander. Remember those charming posts you made on Polang a while back? Pity about the IP address that they came from. |
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Bialonoz
Joined: 27 Sep 2005
Posts: 57
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| Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2006 4:54 pm Post subject: |
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Boys, boys, boys!
Alex is right though. Legal cases here drag on for years, and few schools can afford to do anything about breach of strange clauses in the contracts. Poles can often be scared by such things because weird legal stuff has sometimes happened here. Mostly in the past. I don't think you should worry much about penalty clauses.
I doubt any school would want the kind of publicity that such a case would generate. Nor would they want the expense which simply wouldn't be worth it.
You should worry though about the tax. You wouldn't want a nasty shock in April due to your ex-employer's wrongdoing. Perhaps one of your students is an accountant. She/he may be able to advise.
Is Profi-Lingua really that bad? A friend of my husband worked there a couple of years ago and he wasn't too impresssed either...... |
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Kymro
Joined: 19 Oct 2003
Posts: 244
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| Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 11:17 am Post subject: Re: watch out |
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| Alex Shulgin wrote: |
Well done Warren. Managed to add another post to your impressive record of never posting here to offer useful advice and only to attack people. Good work. |
Well, the advice I gave Biffin 6 months ago concerning Profi-Lingua was pretty sound.
Biff admitted in a private p.m that everything I'd written about them was correct.
He could have saved himself a lot of potential grief by listening to me at that time.
You, by contrast, said you'd heard good things about the school, and questioned my honesty and motivation.
Oh, and you don't really offer useful advice, but rather boast about purchasing $250k flats, and new BMWs, a somewhat unrealistic expectation for those of us in Poland, (the majority) who don't happen to be the idiot offspring of rich, indulgent parents.
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| I'm sure that everybody here wants to work for a school like Go! Languages where the boss is as unpleasant as you are. |
Well, your mate CROGO sent me his CV.
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| Also nice to see that you're still obsessed with Harry. I just love the fact that I know exactly who you are, what you look like and where to find you while you know nothing about me. |
Yawn.
Do you seriously deny being Harry
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?p=36512#36512
Perhaps Biff, who's in Warsaw, could meet the both of you.
And btw, is the second sentence intended to be a threat
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| If you want to talk about legal advice then perhaps you'd like to talk about libel and slander. Remember those charming posts you made on Polang a while back? Pity about the IP address that they came from. |
You mean when Harry was being attacked by a poster he imagined to be myself.
Why, if you are not indeed Harry, should you take it so personally
Last edited by Kymro on Wed Nov 01, 2006 5:11 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Alex Shulgin
Joined: 20 Jul 2003
Posts: 553
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| Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 3:53 pm Post subject: Re: watch out |
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| Kymro wrote: |
| You, by contrast, said you'd heard good things about the school, and questioned my honesty and motivation. |
The person I know working at Profi is still there and is still happy. I note that you are still unable to make even a single post which doesn't attack somebody or some company.
| Kymro wrote: |
| Oh, and you don't really offer useful advice, but rather boast about purchasing $250k flats, and new BMWs, a somewhat unrealistic expectation for those of us in Poland, (the majority) who don't happen to be the idiot offspring of rich, indulgent parents. |
You do seem to be obsessed with my parents and how rich they are. The answer is that they aren't rich. Clearly you've never heard of this thing called bank loans. Simple really, just go to a bank, show them papers proving how much you earn and they will lend you money. You might want to drink away all your money but some of us prefer to invest it.
| Kymro wrote: |
| Well, your mate CROGO sent me his CV. |
Does he still want to work for you now he knows how exceptionally unpleasant the owner of Go! Languages is?
| Kymro wrote: |
| And btw, is the second sentance intended to be a threat :?: |
Do you want it to be? Sorry but I won't waste my time on you. Especially when from the sounds of it there are more than a few people in Szczecin who've had quite enough of you.
| Kymro wrote: |
You mean when Harry was being attacked by a poster he imagined to be myself.
Why, if you are not indeed Harry, should you take it so personally :?: |
A poster who was not you but just happened to use the same IP address as you have been known to use? You forget that I'm a member of Polang too. |
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