Job Discussion Forums

Keith_Alan_W · Joined: 26 Mar 2006 Posts: 121

http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/index.cgi?read=11085

There was a "volunteer" company operating in Shanghai when I was there. The company claimed the same as this ad does, but the students they were teaching were the rich kids who's parents paid a high price to the company that supplied the volunteers. In fact, the teachers I met, not only didn't make any money, they had to pay for their lodging and crappy school meals!

Why would anyone stay in a job like that you ask. Well, the company took all the teachers' passports for 'security reasons', and in China you can't get a train ticket or go to hotel without showing your passport first. so the teachers were basically prison slave laborers!

Their web site claims that teachersw need to pay a fee (A $500 non-refundable deposit secures your place in the Cultural Extremes project you�ve chosen and is payable on-line or via personal check within the US)

Keith_Alan_W · Joined: 26 Mar 2006 Posts: 121

TEFL International (same guys as Cultural Extremes) have a new posting:

http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/index.cgi?read=11164

Same BS
Same Scam

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124

At least you are allowed to comment on it. The TES in England pretty well forbids you to make any adverse comment on their advertisers. May have something to do with draconian British libel laws though.

It does seem Dave has got the balance right. He will take any advert that is not obviously illegal, but runs a forum where people can comment freely, even though advertisers may feel that it is biting the hand that feeds them.

mlomker · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 378

It costs money to maintain a server and pay for bandwidth. The Internet isn't 'free'--somebody has to pay for the forum.

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

Cough, cough!
How true is your tale? Could you elaborate, please???

YOu allege that in China, anyone wishing to purchase a train ticket must show a passport!

Is that a fact in SHANGHAI, perhaps?

If so, SShanghai must be an isolated place! In the whole rest of the PR of C you go up to the ticket window in any train station and patiently wait your turn, then make your ticket purchase.
No documentation is required!

Keith_Alan_W · Joined: 26 Mar 2006 Posts: 121

Roger

Well, it's been a number of years since I was in China. Either the Laws have changed, or I've confused China with another country.. Mexico perhaps.

I do know for a fact that in China, the hotels will report you to the police if your visa is expired and that in Mexico city you have to put your bags through a bomb detector before getting on busses leaving the city, which are then periodically stopped and searched by the military for bombs and drugs... and bribes possibly.

Yes it is a true story. That's why I started this thread.

Sgt Killjoy · Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Posts: 438

Yeah, pay to volunteer teach. It is less then honoarable to take advantage of people who are trying to do good by volunteering. If the organization was transparent with its finances and what it did with the money then it might be ok, but a for profit company making double profits off of the gullibility of both students and teachers? Sound like they are Hall of Shame material.

william wallace · Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 2869 Location: in between

Keith_Alan_W · Joined: 26 Mar 2006 Posts: 121

william

It is only Canada and the USA that don't require pics with job applications.

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

Super Mario · Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2006 5:57 am Post subject:

There are lots of these "voluntourism" ads doing the rounds. You pay money to work for nothing. Every school owners dream. And meanwhile, what happens to the salaries of those who rely on teaching for their livelihood?

That these outfits are touted by ESL/EFL websites is even worse.