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dez
Joined: 02 Jul 2003
Posts: 52
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 Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2003 1:49 am Post subject: Kai En ETC - Shanghai |
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| Can anyone tell me anything about Kai En English Training Center in Shanghai? Thanks. |
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Wolf
Joined: 10 May 2003
Posts: 1245
Location: Middle Earth
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| Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2003 8:12 am Post subject: |
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Oh, I can tell you this
But that's all. Except that their manager likes to respond to posts I make after two months pass  (yes that's weird but it's the only fact I know about them.) |
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MyTurnNow
Joined: 19 Mar 2003
Posts: 860
Location: Outer Shanghai
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| Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2003 12:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Wolf wrote: |
| Except that their manager likes to respond to posts I make after two months pass |
Sounds about right. I traveled from another city to interview with them earlier this year. I wore my clean shirt and a tie and everything, and never even got so much as an e-mail from them afterwards. Nice folks.
I did get a look at one of their facilities...pretty underwhelming and the class I saw in session was jam-packed into a tiny little room. But my general impression, despite their lack of basic courtesy and crowded Ming-Dynasty facilities, is that while we aren't exactly talking Mother Teresa here you could probably do worse in terms of treatment. I get the impression that teachers are expected to be able to include a strong element of entertainment into their classes.
MT |
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struelle
Joined: 16 May 2003
Posts: 2372
Location: Shanghai
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| Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2003 1:39 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| I did get a look at one of their facilities...pretty underwhelming and the class I saw in session was jam-packed into a tiny little room. |
I used to work for these guys and they have two branches. I know exactly which school you're describing, and I agree the conditions could be a lot better. Teaching there last summer when it was 30 degrees with no air-con was a nightmare. However, Kai En has another branch in downtown Shanghai near Nanjing Road that is much more modern and attractive. It's back to hot classrooms and no AC again for me, however, as I'm now teaching in the suburbs. I've been counting the days and now it looks like the weather has finally cooled down.
Steve |
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dez
Joined: 02 Jul 2003
Posts: 52
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| Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2003 6:13 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the link, Wolf, I should have done a search. Good insights into the school there.
They haven't bothered to respond to my e-mail yet either but after that read I don't think I'll pursue it anyway.
The pay they offered in their ad seemed good. Perhaps too good. |
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kensensei
Joined: 22 Apr 2003
Posts: 78
Location: Shanghai
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| Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2003 11:16 pm Post subject: |
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I have worked short-term at Kai En and found it a rewarding experience.
With all schools there is good and bad, but I found the management extremely supportive when it came disciplinary problems and getting paid on time. This is the benefit of having a Western management on your side. There is good feedback system that keeps your classes interesting for you and your students.
I disagree with you about the salary being high. I found it to be average. In fact, I turned down another job offer that paid better than Kai En because I didn't want to teach jr high summer classes. Kai En got me the students and the hours I asked for.
As posted already, the central branch is way more modern and convenient than the other one. Also, they have yet to update their [original] textbooks so that teachers REALLY need to put in a lot of prep time bringing the old ones to life. It is also sometimes difficult to get management to shell out money to update older computers and equipment (i.e photocopier).
All staff were friendly and supportive of me. Good people!
Overall, a challenging and satisfying work environment. |
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Ted
Joined: 06 Feb 2003
Posts: 36
Location: Tokyo forever
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| Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2003 12:32 am Post subject: |
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If you only worked there for a short time why would you take the time and effort to constantly defend them with just a little bit of negativity to make it look balanced. You are clever, Ken 
The school was started by two Irishmen who left Taiwan with the hopes of bringing a particular form of edutainment to a new market.
They made their buckets of 'dosh' bringing in entertaining teachers who usually burnt out quick. Then they sold out to a British media company who were sold by K and B into getting into the Shanghai market (because K and B wanted to get out!)
All you do is dance for the customers. The books are all copies of parts of interchange, Look Ahead, etc. that K and B put together to save money. The market is dry now and the new company is already feeling the financial loss. Will it even exist in 2004?
And they wanted me to invest in it  I walked in there in June and the current staff all quietly looked at me thinking I was a teacher applying there. "No, No, No" were what the stares were trying to tell me.
 TED |
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struelle
Joined: 16 May 2003
Posts: 2372
Location: Shanghai
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| Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2003 3:10 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| As posted already, the central branch is way more modern and convenient than the other one. Also, they have yet to update their [original] textbooks so that teachers REALLY need to put in a lot of prep time bringing the old ones to life. |
This can have advantages, though. One of the best things I enjoyed about Kai En was the freedom to tailor-make my own lesson plans and execute them. Given the small class sizes (around 15 students), ample time with students, and the high emphasis on student-centred learning, it was the ideal environment for this. The textbooks were useful, but more or less a guide - students needs came first and every class was different.
Other schools don't always give this freedom. When I did my CELTA course, they kept saying that new teachers had to work their way up in schools before they could do curriculum work. That means most new teachers are restricted to using the textbook which the school issues. If a new teacher can experiment with materials, that is a huge bonus.
Right now in my new job I still plan my own materials, but the limited class time (40 minutes per period) makes it difficult to really extend them. I just rattle through the lesson plan because time is short. Long class times, i.e. with Kai En, made it possible to get more out of the materials.
| Quote: |
It is also sometimes difficult to get management to shell out money to update older computers and equipment (i.e photocopier).
All staff were friendly and supportive of me. Good people!
Overall, a challenging and satisfying work environment. |
Agreed here. I thought it was silly that they didn't want to spend money to upgrade the equipment, especially the photocopier which kept breaking down before class.
Then again this is a syndrome of many language schools. Even in Bangkok, at a modern computer school, they only supplied 5 computers for 20 teachers to use and a piece of crap printer that would always jam. This was infuriating to say the least.
Despite the problems with equpiment and conditions, good work environments happen because of the people.
From the outside observer's point of view, classes at Kai En look like they're done for entertainment. But if you look into the theory and teaching methods (most of which model Stephen Krashen), there is a substantial academic program in place. While it looks like students are being entertained, they are in fact processing and working with newly acquired language.
Steve |
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Ted
Joined: 06 Feb 2003
Posts: 36
Location: Tokyo forever
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| Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2003 3:16 am Post subject: You have a point |
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| the freedom to tailor-make my own lesson plans and execute them |
Yeah. Sure. I've got a copy of their book right here. A little bit of interchange, some pictures and copies from other books here and there. Lots of pictures of girls with some saucy games like "Dating questionaire" for when K and B were younger and taking the students out to the Long Bar for happy hour after class
It's a pretty sweet business model. Just put a roof over their heads, get the students in and let the teachers do what they want to entertain, need 3 students to break even with their low overhead, don't re-invest back in the business but put it in London real estate. If the students don't like the show, bring in someone funnier. I just didn't like the way they had a Euro clique there and the student numbers were looking small for the money they were asking for.
T |
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