Job Discussion Forums

oich · Joined: 19 Jul 2003 Posts: 25

Hello everyone,

Just a quick note to enquire as to whether there are any more new ECC teachers (starting in February) lurking around the forum. I know there was a couple of threads discussing ECC a few months ago from people who had got jobs with ECC. Now it is nearly departure time I thought I'd send out another message to try to get a thread going, in the hopes that when the time comes to fly out there may be a few familiar personalities, if not faces, to help us newcomers adapt a little quicker.

I'm starting in Osaka on 21st February. Hope to hear from people soon. Very Happy

april · Joined: 07 May 2003 Posts: 83 Location: Australia

I'm a new ECC recruit but my visa won't be processed in time for February, so looks like I'll have to wait until April. Well I don't mind so much because that'll give me time to save up some money!

oich · Joined: 19 Jul 2003 Posts: 25

april · Joined: 07 May 2003 Posts: 83 Location: Australia

I rang ECC in Japan about another matter and was told then that my visa wouldn't be processed in time for February. But other than that, I haven't heard anything since receiving my initial letter saying that I had got the job. Have you? Have they sent you any info packs or anything? Once the New Year break is over I'm gonna choof off an e-mail asking if they got my transcript and other documents.

In the meantime I have to study up on boring grammar!! I was told I had to at the interview. Yuck yuck yuck! Oh well.

Canuck2112 · Joined: 13 Jun 2003 Posts: 239

April, assuming you don't already have this book, I'd check out "Practical English Grammar" by Michael Swan and a co-author who's name I can't recall at the moment. I believe that's the title...the cover is bright orange anyway. It's actually makes (re)learning grammar relatively painless.

oich · Joined: 19 Jul 2003 Posts: 25

cangel · Joined: 12 May 2003 Posts: 74 Location: Jeonju, South Korea

I was a JET for 3 years. I returned to the US in July 2003. I didn't find any work I really enjoyed so I took a position with NOVA. I'll be arriving in Osaka on February 26th. I guess there is some sort of initial training and after that I'll be sent to an as of yet undisclosed location in Kyushu. I spent my 3 years in Fukuoka City which is a fabulous place to live and work so I'll keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best. Good luck to you.

april · Joined: 07 May 2003 Posts: 83 Location: Australia

Canuck2112 - Thanks for the suggestion. I�ve been looking at my library database and also Amazon.... I have found �Practical English Grammar� but by A.J. Thomson And A.V. Martinet. Books by Michael Swan that I have found are �Practical English Usage� and �Basic English Usage�. I�m guessing that the book you are referring to would be the first one (published 1995), it doesn�t have an orange cover but that doesn�t mean much.

Oich - yeah I got that info...you're referring to the couple of pages about working visa, health certificate, accom and arrival details right? I just thought they would have sent more info by now. Maybe they will after the New Years break.

cangel - I have also previously lived in Japan (worked with Nova for 18 months), and then returned back to my home country. I also couldn't find a job that I liked so I'm heading back to Japan as well. I had a two week holiday last month to make sure I was making the right decision (and also to watch the kyokushin world championships!), not just remembering the good times I had. Stepping off the plane I felt like I had arrived back home!

Jax · Joined: 28 May 2003 Posts: 16 Location: UK

Is anybody else supposed to be starting with ECC from the UK? I had my interview back in summer last year (when the last thread was going I think) and got a place. My start date was February this year. I received an apologetic email from ECC in September last year telling me that the training in Tokyo had been cancelled in Febrary and that my start date had been moved to March. I emailed back to say this was fine and not to worry. Since then I haven't heard from them at all. I emailed them last week with my concerns - as March is less than seven weeks from now - but received no reply. I just emailed again this morning.

I don't want to be seen to be pressurising the company (but I have had to put everything on hold assuming I have a job waiting for me in less than two months) and so I tried to keep the emails calm and polite. But I am starting to get really paranoid that I'm being either strug along until they decide they want a new teacher or that I've been dropped completely and been left to figure this out for myself. From what I heard about ECC in this forum and elsewhere I thought they were a decent company and unlikely to do this sort of thing. It just strikes me as strange that they were obviously quite organised and up to date when they last emailed me as they knew five months ahead of time where they were with their trainig schedules (September-February) yet we are now weeks away from the March date and I have had no contact whatsoever.

Is anyone having the same problem? Sad

april · Joined: 07 May 2003 Posts: 83 Location: Australia

Hi Jax, I just got word from ECC 2 days ago that I will have my training in Tokyo starting March 29. I assume you will be too. I'd say that if you haven't heard from them within the next couple of days, give them a call.

Start packing cause I'll see you over there!!!

oich · Joined: 19 Jul 2003 Posts: 25

Jax · Joined: 28 May 2003 Posts: 16 Location: UK

Well, I'm kind of glad I'm not the only one! I'm glad you heard already April - looks like we'll be doing the same training course so I'll be seeing you there soon I hope! Hooray!

So long as they get in touch..... They'll have a couple of emails waiting between the two of us, Oich - so they ought to get moving. Not surprised you're worried, you should definately call.

Cheers guys - lets hope its just a minor hiccup or two!

oich · Joined: 19 Jul 2003 Posts: 25

Got an email back today saying my visa stuff should arrive any time, so now it's clear my emails haven't been disappearing into a black hole o' doom; but I'm still waiting for Osaka-specific info (housing, etc.). I requested a read receipt for all my emails, so I know that the one to Osaka hasn't been read yet, but I'm more reassured now. Good luck you Tokyo lot!

april · Joined: 07 May 2003 Posts: 83 Location: Australia

Have you guys booked your flight yet? I can't remember what they told me, like if I have to arrive on a certain date so that they can meet me at the airport and take me to the apartment. I'd rather arrive when I want to and meet them at a train station. I can't find anywhere on the info they gave us what the deal is with that. (Because I have a couple of events happening in March in Tokyo that I wanna get to!...I've lived in Japan before...) I have not heard anything about accommodation, only visa and training schedule.

And another question - are you guys studying up on your grammar? At my interview I was told I had to as i just scraped by the test (and I knew I had to anyway, my knowledge of grammar terms is(was) awful!), but I'm thinking maybe I am now going overboard with it, a little obsessive compulsive. I wonder just how much we are expected to know. (think I'm a little nervous about starting a new job and what is expected of me!)

cpreece · Joined: 30 Sep 2003 Posts: 3 Location: Edmonton, Canada

Hi,

I poseted a new thread about new ECC teachers on this forum earlier today but failed to check if anyone else had done the same! My husband and I will be starting on March 13 in Osaka.

We hope to meet some of you there!

Carol and Mark

P.S. Is there anyone else starting March 13?