Job Discussion Forums

tilkster · Joined: 05 Oct 2003 Posts: 7

Hi,

I'm researching language schools for a possible ESL opportunities in Taiwan. Does anyone have any good or bad experiences with Kojen English Language School?

Thx.,
Martin.

Aristotle · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1388 Location: Taiwan

Do you want the long list or the short one?
A.

tilkster · Joined: 05 Oct 2003 Posts: 7

You can email me ([email protected]) the long list or post the short one.

Your choice.

Thx.,
Martin.

brian · Joined: 15 May 2003 Posts: 299

You could do a lot worse than Kojen if you are a new comer to Taiwan and havent taught before. I personally wouldnt work for them as I believe that some of the other big chain schools offer better prospects, but Kojen has plenty of happy teachers - and considering the numbers of teachers they have working for them, the number of complaints is only a small fraction of this workforce.

Most of the complaints regarding Kojen are made from people who signed a 12 month contract and broke this contract. This obviously causes inconvenience to all - the school, the co-teachers, the kids and the foreign teacher. Almost all schools would try to discourage teachers from leaving early and Kojen is no exception here. The other type of complaint often involves pay rates. Considering that many teachers are newly graduated and can offer no experience in teaching, what Kojen offers is quite reasonable.

The good things about them is that you know that you will be legal, you know how many hours you will be required to teach and how much you will get paid, you WILL get paid when you expect and be taxed at the correct rate, you will be given all of the materials that you need and be fully trained in how to teach their books (which is particularly relevant if you have no teaching experience. Pormotion opportunities also exist if you are planning on being here for more than a year or two.

I wouldn't work for them because I dont like the books they use and there have been complaints about the numbers of hours teachers are required to teach - some say the hours are not enough, others say they are too much.

Anyway, all the best whatever you choose.

Aristotle · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1388 Location: Taiwan

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?t=5922

tilkster · Joined: 05 Oct 2003 Posts: 7

tilkster · Joined: 05 Oct 2003 Posts: 7

Stephen · Joined: 02 Feb 2003 Posts: 101

ELSI/Kojen is a chain school. I know some people who are/were happy working for them, and some people who worked for them and hated it. What does this say? Well, chain schools vary a lot from branch to branch, and while so some branches may be great to work for, some may not be. My advice with any chain school is to find out as much as you can about the branch you will be placed in.

Good luck
Stephen

brian · Joined: 15 May 2003 Posts: 299

Stephen is right on this. Many of the larger chain schools have a mix of branch (company owned and run) and franchise schools. A lot of problems seem to arise through franchise schools. It can be difficult to check this out, but do your best.

Other chain schools include Joy, Sesame Street, Kid Castle, Jordans (watch out for this one as far as the franchise school problem), Jumpstart / Headstart, Happy Marian. They all offer pretty much the same deal.

Confirm hourly rates of pay, minimum and maximum numbers of teaching hours, office hours, holidays, training requirements, and be wary of salary positions to ensure that you are getting value for your hours spent at work.