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luvnpeas
Joined: 13 Jan 2004
Posts: 6
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 Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2004 7:03 pm Post subject: Employers that Give a Certificate (TEFL, etc.) |
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| I see Hess claims to award you a TEFL certificate after completion of a one year teaching contract. Are there other employers that do that? How is Hess? |
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Mozilla
Joined: 16 Mar 2003
Posts: 90
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| Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2004 3:14 am Post subject: |
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The TEFL certificat is a joke. It's about as useful as going to "Joe's ESL school" and getting "Joe's TEFL" certificate.
It's used as a tool by Hess to sucker in people who don't know any better. I once overheard one of the district managers flat out tell that to one of his new teachers.. |
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Mozilla
Joined: 16 Mar 2003
Posts: 90
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| Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2004 3:15 am Post subject: |
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The TEFL certificat is a joke. It's about as useful as going to "Joe's ESL school" and getting "Joe's TEFL" certificate.
It's used as a tool by Hess to sucker in people who don't know any better. I once overheard one of the district managers flat out tell that to one of his new teachers..
Avoid chain schools at all costs. Go to Aristotle's website. Follow his teaching guidelines as if they were the next ten commandments. |
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Aristotle
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1388
Location: Taiwan
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| Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2004 5:35 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
I see Hess claims to award you a TEFL certificate after completion of a one year teaching contract. Are there other employers that do that? How is Hess?
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As Mo. pointed out any TEFL certificate you get from Hess will not be of much use outside of Taiwan. On Taiwan it may help a little but you have to weigh that against the humiliation of your potential employer laughing in you face when you hand it to them.
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| Avoid chain schools at all costs. Go to Aristotle's website. Follow his teaching guidelines as if they were the next ten commandments. |
I wouldn't go so far as the Ten Commandments. You would not be in danger of eternal damnation if you don't follow some fairly good advice. You may however end up broke and deported.
Good luck,
A. |
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brian
Joined: 15 May 2003
Posts: 299
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| Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2004 10:23 am Post subject: |
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| Mozilla wrote: |
| Avoid chain schools at all costs. Go to Aristotle's website. Follow his teaching guidelines as if they were the next ten commandments. |
Here's what I think of Aristotle's ten commandments. Please feel free to reply:
[1. Don't take a job from overseas, you need to be in Taiwan to find a good job.]
Yes, agreed. This is certainly good advice for all newcomers. Ignore this at your own risk.
[2. Do not work for a school that has any complaints filed against it.]
This may prove difficult. Some of the best schools here in Taiwan have had illegitimate complaints made about them by teachers that they have fired. It may be best to advise that people take extra care researching schools that have had complaints made about them. Researching boards will show that sometimes 'a complaint' is followed up with an explanation from the school and some supporting posts from other ex-teachers. I would argue that these schools would be good ones to work for as they want to ensure the quality of their teaching even if that means sacking a trouble maker.
[3. Stay out of Chaiyi and Taidong counties.]
It is ridiculous to suggest that whole counties should be avoided simply because of some rumors that have never been substantiated. In fact the supporting evidence from people who actually live there seems to suggest that the rumors are not rumors at all but malicious lies.
[4. Don't use a recruiter or work for chain schools if you can help it.]
While recruiters can generally be avoided, there are some good ones out there so feel free to use them if you think you really need to. Just take care not to be taken for a ride. Chain schools are often the best ones to work for. You know that you will be legal, you know that you will get paid, you know that you can get as many hours as you want, and you have a good support system of other foreigners around.
[5. Do your homework and get a multiple entry, tourist visa for business purposes.]
This would only apply to those choosing to work illegally in Taiwan. Legal employees don't need to worry about messing around with visa trips every couple of months. Get legal, get a work permit, get an ARC and you will see how easy things can be here.
[6. Only allow a school to sponsor your ARC if you are 100% sure they won't unofficially deport you and only if it is absolutely necessary.]
It would be very difficult to be 100% that you could trust anyone. I would suggest that it might be better to avoid getting an ARC from a school that you have some reason to distrust and go for others that you have no reason to distrust (which would generally be the big chain schools).
[7. Visa runs are worth the price and not just because of the money or visa.]
Visa runs are unnecessary if you are working here illegally. They are costly, inconvenient and dangerous (in that you could be refused re-entry to Taiwan at any time). Get legal and relax.
[8. When things go bad and they usually do for newbies, quit and find another job quickly.]
Only a small percentage of people run into serious problems here in Taiwan. The suggestion otherwise is irresponsible and unsupported by the facts. Certainly, feel free to quit your job if you are not happy. It's not worth sticking with a job that isn't making you happy.
[9. You can only do 8 if your employer doesn't own you.]
Employers don't own you and you can leave them at any time, reasonably, if you use your smarts.
[10. Find a school that has been around for a few years, has a good reputation and is professionally run by teachers, not egocentric business people.]
Care to list a few. This would be helpful info.
Sorry to be so critical, but I would hate to think that someone would actually read this and feel that it is actually good advice. I think that you need to update this info A. as it is kind of out of date. |
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TaoyuanSteve
Joined: 05 Feb 2003
Posts: 1028
Location: Taoyuan
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| Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2004 6:29 am Post subject: |
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| I agree with Brian. Some of the principles of Aristotles commandments such as avoiding recruiters and being in Taiwan to secure a good job make sense. However, I think being legal is the best way for those qualified to obtain arcs. The notion that a visa trip is worth the money doesn't make any sense to me. You are forced to leave and re-enter regularly. On any such trip you can be denied re-entry. Also consider last year's sars problem. It must have been an interesting time to be going on such trips. With a resident visa, you aren't required to leave at any time. Perhaps I am a-typical, but contrary to Aristotle's assertion that most "newbies (what a condescending term)" encounter trouble, I didn't experience any trouble in my first year. In fact, neither did anyone I know. |
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