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Willy_In_Japan
Joined: 20 Jul 2004
Posts: 329
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 Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 3:28 am Post subject: |
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Yeah, JET is probably the best deal of the bunch, but to be honest I am really just a warm body with a degree, who is almost certainly capable of churning out lessons. I am not a teacher (I'm not really into children for starters!), and I don't think I am heading in that direction! I understand what you are saying, but I really think an Eikaiwa would be a better fit for me.
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If you don't like 'children' don't make the mistake of thinking that Eikaiwa is going to be only adults.
I had to use hand puppets and sing songs when I worked at GEOS to kids as young as 2 or 3. Playing on the floor in a suit. I have never had to use hand puppets or sing the 'Hello' song teaching 13-15 yr olds at Junior High. |
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callmesim
Joined: 27 Oct 2005
Posts: 279
Location: London, UK
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| Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 3:51 am Post subject: Re: Picking a conversation school, NOVA, GEOS, ECC, e.t.c. |
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| PAULH wrote: |
| Both ECC and NOVA are cut from the same cloth, but ECC offers longer (unpaid) holidays. |
ECC's holidays are paid. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 4:18 am Post subject: Re: Picking a conversation school, NOVA, GEOS, ECC, e.t.c. |
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| callmesim wrote: |
| PAULH wrote: |
| Both ECC and NOVA are cut from the same cloth, but ECC offers longer (unpaid) holidays. |
ECC's holidays are paid. |
all seven weeks? |
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callmesim
Joined: 27 Oct 2005
Posts: 279
Location: London, UK
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| Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 2:09 pm Post subject: Re: Picking a conversation school, NOVA, GEOS, ECC, e.t.c. |
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| PAULH wrote: |
| callmesim wrote: |
| PAULH wrote: |
| Both ECC and NOVA are cut from the same cloth, but ECC offers longer (unpaid) holidays. |
ECC's holidays are paid. |
all seven weeks? |
yup. They don't spell it out on their website (which I think is odd) but it's all paid. |
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stillnosheep
Joined: 01 Mar 2004
Posts: 2068
Location: eslcafe
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| Posted: Thu May 11, 2006 6:44 am Post subject: |
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The generally accepted eikaiwa ranking seems to be:
Aeon
ECC
Geos
Berlitz
Nova
ECC seems to have the better holioday deal. Nova get by far the greatest flack, although Shane and Smith's organisation also seem to attract far more than would be expected from their market share.
Although the JET scheme offers by far the best pay and conditions deal, lead-in times are about 9 months long and the 2006 are already selected. Amongst the dispatch companies Interac seems to have a horrible rep and I have heard good things about some Altia positions. |
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Willy_In_Japan
Joined: 20 Jul 2004
Posts: 329
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| Posted: Thu May 11, 2006 11:50 am Post subject: |
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I don't know why Aeon has such a great reputation. They operate exactly the same as GEOS as far as I can tell.
They used to be the same company at one point until a disagreement between the owners, so there is no surprise there.
Geos gives a week off at Christmas, a week during Golden Week and 10 days holiday a year. National holidays that dont fall on a monday are given as well. |
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Firestarter
Joined: 12 Feb 2006
Posts: 55
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| Posted: Thu May 11, 2006 3:04 pm Post subject: Re: Picking a conversation school, NOVA, GEOS, ECC, e.t.c. |
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| PAULH wrote: |
I will also add that NOVA salaries have gone down 25% compared to salaries earnt 15 years ago when you factor in cost of living increases. |
I was under the impression the cost of living has gone down significantly over the last fifteen years..... |
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Firestarter
Joined: 12 Feb 2006
Posts: 55
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| Posted: Thu May 11, 2006 3:14 pm Post subject: Re: Picking a conversation school, NOVA, GEOS, ECC, e.t.c. |
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| callmesim wrote: |
| PAULH wrote: |
| callmesim wrote: |
| PAULH wrote: |
| Both ECC and NOVA are cut from the same cloth, but ECC offers longer (unpaid) holidays. |
ECC's holidays are paid. |
all seven weeks? |
yup. They don't spell it out on their website (which I think is odd) but it's all paid. |
Yeah all the holidays are paid. It's fairly clear on their website, in my opinion (http://www.japanbound.com/moreholidays.html), and it was certainly a big selling point at the interview. Most ECC vacation is fixed however, with only five flexible days. It's my understanding that several years ago, ECC teachers agreed to exchange half of their flex holidays for a greater number of fixed days. Helps the company operate and gives teachers/staff members more time off. It's tough only having five flex days a year, but it's worth it to get more paid vacation as far as I'm concerned. All in all, it's actually pretty sweet. At my company in Canada (as with most companies in Canada), we got ten days of per year and that was that. Seven weeks? I'll take it. |
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Perpetual Traveller
Joined: 29 Aug 2005
Posts: 651
Location: In the Kak, Japan
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| Posted: Thu May 11, 2006 5:53 pm Post subject: |
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If you don't like children then AEON could be a good option, they have schools that cater strictly for adults, however, I think you may to do a trade off as you won't get part time work with them. Still it is something to think about, it was definitely a factor in my decision to apply to them, I've been working with kids the last three years and decided I was ready for a change.
PT |
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Angelfish
Joined: 18 Jan 2006
Posts: 131
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| Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 2:18 am Post subject: |
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A Geos working week consists of 25 teaching hours, 4 non-teaching, not 40.
I've just started with Geos in Chitose and so far I don't have a bad word to say about the company (except for one of the new trainers in the London office who is quite corporate scary). |
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patsensei
Joined: 06 May 2006
Posts: 27
Location: Tokyo
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| Posted: Sat May 13, 2006 12:05 pm Post subject: Re: Picking a conversation school, NOVA, GEOS, ECC, e.t.c. |
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| underblow wrote: |
AEON
PROS: I don�t know anything about them yet!
CONS: I don�t know anything about them yet!
Thanks!! |
Hi about AEON. I've been working for them about 3 years part time in the evening teaching telephone/internet lessons. I think they have treated me pretty well. I don't have any contact at all with the regular staff except by email and occassionally telephone. Recently I heard that the pay became a bit more stringent but my contract hasn't changed. About working in a regular school at AEON I couldn't say.
Good Luck! |
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underblow
Joined: 06 May 2006
Posts: 9
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| Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 6:58 pm Post subject: |
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Again thanks for the all the feedback.
I'm not dead set against teaching children, but working in large classes of them day in day out would strain me more than teaching small classes of adults with some children (this is what I understand the eki classes to be mainly like).
I am getting the impression that there isn't much to choose between when it comes to ecc, geos and aeon. I think I will probably apply to all three, and skip gaba alltogether, and hold nova & jet back as last ditch options. I'm still pretty keen on ecc's 7 weeks holiday though! I don't mind too much if its fixed. Just so long as I don't have to go to work! I am still looing into the sub-shifts issue though.
I noticed that in the last week or so that the Japanese economy has started expanding for the first time in years. What are the bets the expenses rise faster than wages??
thanks! |
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