Job Discussion Forums

[andypiner]

I often find that when things go well people are generally content to get on with their lives and don�t think too much about making recommendations. On the other hand when things go badly there always seems like more of a motivation and a reason to make a comment.

Having read the extremely negative review of the CELTA course at ILA Viet Nam in Ho Chi Minh City on this site I felt I should offer another view from the perspective of someone else who has done the same course.

Although one of the unique things about the CELTA is that you only ever do one and so have little to compare it to, there were a number of things about this course at ILA which made it a particularly rewarding and positive experience.

Firstly, before arriving in Viet Nam ILA provided me with an impressive and useful pack of information that gave me a clear idea of what to expect from the course.

Secondly, ILA did a very good job of breaking the ice before the beginning of the course by putting on dinner and drinks for all the students to give us all the chance to meet each other informally before the formalities of the course itself.

Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly from my point of view, the support that is available to CELTA students at ILA is, as far as I can tell, one of the things that sets it apart from most other CELTA courses. The tutors were all extremely friendly and approachable and set aside a significant amount of time each day to offer one-to-one advice and support on lesson planning. I have spoken to people who have taken CELTA courses elsewhere (including at very well known institutions such as International House in London) and this degree of support is definitely to the credit of ILA. The feeling that I got throughout the course was that the support structures were there to help everyone develop to their full potential as teachers in what is a tiring and stressful four weeks. The support from the tutors was also very evident in all the materials and ideas that were offered during the daily �input sessions�. I have since been able to use a lot of these ideas to get me through the difficult first few weeks of post CELTA teaching.

If you are considering doing a CELTA course and are interested in Viet Nam (which is a wonderful and friendly country) then I would highly recommend ILA from my own personal experience. The CELTA course is a difficult challenge for anyone but if you approach it with the right commitment and expectations I think that the set up and tutoring at ILA will allow you to get the most out of it.

[Widespread123]

I am taking the ILA CELTA course in April and I am beyond nervous. I am glad you gave a great review but it sounds TOUGH!!!

[FriendlyUser]

I did my CELTA in Prague this January. Here in HCMC I spoke with some people they're doing it now.
To me the ILA CELTA sounds good and apparently they give them more support than what was given to me and my colleagues

[lizarddoctor]

Since you have been through the course, would you care to comment on how many people are running through the CELTA course in HCMC with the intention of working for ILA only to get turned away when the course is over. I do have at least 6 people in the last 3 months saying that ILA was intent on hiring them over the internet when they signed on to the cert program, but weren't foriegn enough, or you don't have a degree we can use, or too old to work at ILA when they were finished with the training?

It's a fact and it's happening now even though ILA needs a lot of teachers so they don't get fined for over expansion.

[Tanker]

[fischerles_hump]

[lizarddoctor]

There has always been a young demographic hiring practice at ILA, so there is no need to quote the fact and get worked up about it. More common in Korea and Taiwan than in Vietnam, but exists none the less. My own comment towards it is due to the fact that ILA is in fact leading perspective teachers into believing that they will get hired into ILA's pyramid of labor once they complete their CELTA coursework and turning them away. ILA has all their info to let them know ahead of time that they don't fit their elaborite quality control system before they get smacked with around 1500$ for a cert or could just take them on part time as there are others in there without certs that are working part time. Nothing short of get the money first and avoid answering till questions later.

How about your perspective hump on the over expansion which may result in stiff penalties for the school for getting a little ahead of themselves? If the VNese are sitting around the dinner table, then all you happy folk over there must be discussing it too, right?

[Tanker]

Tanker

[fischerles_hump]

It's just an accounting system. It cuts both ways, if you take a lot of time off because you are sick, then you might operate on minus hours in your overtime bank. Which means that you owe the school money but you are guaranteed the same monthly salary. And no you don't have to pay interest on that money. Fluctuations in the currency market are always going to have more of an impact that any interest anyway, and you might lose out, or you might do alright out of it, depending on which way the market goes.

[fischerles_hump]

Hey Lizard,

Just seen your question. Can't say that I am over the moon about the whole expansion thing. It means that the decent managers are going to be spread around more thinly but other than that it hasn't had much of an impact. Am a bit curious about your attitude towards the CELTA. Why should it guarantee you a job at the end of it? As far as I know they don't make any secret of their requirements for teachers when they sign people up for the course. If I can use the analogy of university, when I completed my degree I didn't feel the university was duty bound to over me a professorship. I paid for my degree, and that is what I got.

Each new teacher must cost the school a shed load in terms of marketing outlay and advertising. The consensus on these boards seems to be that ILA needs teachers. Surely from a financial point of view the best thing for ILA to do would be to drop their native speaker requirement and employ everyone off the CELTA thus saving them money. The only reason I can see for them not doing that is maintaining a quality threshold on new teachers. Any ideas?

[Tanker]

[fischerles_hump]

I've worked at the school for a couple of years, I've got a few gripes but overall am pretty happy. Everything I've said is factually correct.

[teacherviet]

Dear Mr Hump

I have also worked at ILA for many years as a teacher and a manager. In fact, some of your statements concerning the currency markets and ILA�s overtime payment system, are factually, incorrect!

Here are the facts:

Full-time teachers at ILA are guaranteed 82 hours of contact teaching per month. Should a teacher conduct more than 82 hours, the hours above 82 are put into an �overtime bank�.
The maximum number of hours that are allowed to accumulate into the �OB� is 50. If a teacher teaches more than 82 hours, and the �OB� is full( 50 hours), he will be paid for the extra hours that month. For example, if a teacher delivers 102 hours of contact hours in one month and the �OB� is 45, he will be paid for 97 hours and his �OB� will be 50. In addition, ILA teaching contracts do not include sick pay or paid holidays. However, teachers are allowed to take holiday without pay. Therefore, should a teacher�s combination of �OB� hours and the number of hours he delivers in a month, be less than 82, he will only be paid for those hours, not 82. When a teacher leaves ILA, they are paid all of their OB hours. This includes teachers who do not complete their contracts due to unforeseen circumstances. There is no school in the world, including ILA, which would allow teachers to owe them money. How long have you been in the EFL industry? I suspect, not very long. I apologise to other readers for the elementary math lesson but I believe you do not understand the contract you signed.

Your comments concerning currency markets also needs to be corrected.
ILA pays in Vietnamese Dong, therefore, you should be commenting on the Vietnamese Dong not other currencies. According to major financial institutions and foreign banks in Vietnam, the Vietnamese government will continue to manage the depreciation of the Dong against the USD at about one per cent per annum, at least in the short to medium term. 12 month term deposits in Vietnamese Dong are currently paying interest rates of between 7.5-9.5% depending on the individual bank concerned. I will let you do the math on why ILA has the �OB� system. Another reason ILA has the OB system is to prevent unethical and immoral teachers from leaving ILA without giving any notice.

I forgot to ask you whether you have a full-time contract with ILA. Do you? I believe you don�t since you made the following statement, �I�ve been teaching for 15 years and they wouldn�t offer me a job type thing�. I think you mean contract?!

MOD EDIT