Job Discussion Forums

[mrbuzz]

I can guess from the context of posts, but what exactly is a language mill? Are there good language mills and bad language mills? How's the pay at a mill? Do they require less experience and qualifications? If I'm looking online how I can I tell if a school is a mill?

[johntpartee]

Language mills are places that have a curriculum ETCHED IN STONE. You WILL follow their lesson plans, their syllabus; usually no deviation is tolerated. Students learn very little because they are forced to memorize everything (as is the teacher), so everybody is parroting everything like good little Nazis. Did I mention the constant migraine headache?

[Trifaro]

Here is a better answer - a language mill/training center is a private school that the students pay to attend in their spare time. Some cater to adults while others to kids.

Most adult training centers have the students study on a computer and then take 1 class with the foreign teacher in order to move to the next "lesson". There are other "complementary" classes for the students to sign up for as well.

Wall Street English, Web and EF are probably the "best" adult training centers. If you were to work for any of those centers, you'd have 25 to 30 hours in class per week. Basically 5 or 6 classes a day, 5 days a week. Most likely you'd work at least 1 weekend day. You would also have limited holidays, perhaps 5 days off in a row for Chinese New Year, National Day and May 1st/Labor Day with a few days off for other holidays such as Qing Ming.

The salary is good, but you definitely work for it and when you do the math, it really isn't much better than a university job. In some cases, it is worse. I make around 7k a month for half the hours = basically the same. I'm looking forward to my nearly 2 months off beginning December 30th.

Personally, I think 8k a month with a free apartment is a good university deal. More is better.

[mrbuzz]

It sounds like working at a language mill is not much fun. Is Wall Street English considered to be a mill?

[johntpartee]

Yes.

[johntpartee]

Yes.

[mouse7]

i see the point of calling language centres mills and i have worked for some places which i feel could have this label attached to them.
however i think it is sometimes easy to call all language centres this when some are not. if you opt to work for a language centre then you have to realise you are working for a business where the owners are money concerned. but this does not always mean that this affects you and your teaching style.
i have also worked in centres where they have no syllabus or are very lax about the syllabus and allow you as much creative input as you like. if you want to follow the books you can but you can also branch out to use your own methods and choose your own subjects.
its true that you will almost definitely work some or all of the weekend but often you will get 2 weekdays off in lieu. the holidays can be annoying as you won't get as much time off as your friends in the public schools. often language centres for kids will have winter/summer camps and adult centres will continue as usual for the most part.
i actually have no experience in public schools though so i cannot affer you any direct comparisons. just that language centres aren't all bad.

[Trifaro]

I worked for Wall St. before and thought it was a good job. Look into it.

I'm happy now earning less. If you choose to work at a training center, always make an extra copy of the handouts for your files.

Good Luck!

Oregon v. Auburn - War Eagle!

[therock]

A language mill is a private language school which require you to be in the school 8 hours per day, 40 hours a week. They usually require you to teach between 20 - 25 classes per week, while the remaining time is "office duties". Most classes for language mills are in the afternoon and evening. Most teachers who work at a mill usually you have to work on weekends.

[vikeologist]

I've always thought that people were using 'language mill' on this forum as a derogatory term for chains of schools which just treat teachers as expendable items to be put into their system, used up and spat out. Although I didn't think that was a fair description of, for instance, EF, there's no denying that some or many people have had bad times working for these places. What the hell, it's a catchy name.

However, if we're going with the definitions cited in this thread, then I have to question which schools are like this. Not one thing in Johnpartees desciption was true of the EF school I worked in, and with regard to Trifaro's post, I don't think that we should refer to every private training centre as a language mill, never mind suggest that all private centres are like the one he descibes. The only things in his post that were true of my experience is that we worked 5 days a week and only had about 20 days paid holiday a year (oh the inhumanity!). But certainly, if you want a small amount of work and lots of holidays, then a University gig is the correct choice. I have one now and can hardly look my ex-colleagues from EF in the eye from shame.

I think it would be best just to say that EF, Shane and the other big companies with lots of schools in China are 'language mills'. Within that generic term are a huge amount of differences.

[vikeologist]

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

I guess my school is classed as a language mill. I work long hours and get a good-ish salary.

Of course I'd snap at a chance for lower working hours but at the same rate but haven't seen anything out there.

When I get older I might take a uni job.

[Niederbom]

I work between 15-20 hours per week for 8,000/month + free housing at a private TOEFL/IELTS training center, which probably counts as a "language mill." But it's not half bad. I prepare one course, and then I've prepared them all. Sometimes, I have to print out a few handouts, but usually, I've prepared so many computer files/lesson plans/materials that all I do is show up and turn on the projector. I make up my own lesson plans, and as long as the students don't complain (they haven't yet, 3 months since I started), the administration doesn't give a damn what or how I teach.

So, the point is, every language school is different. Some unis suck ass too, especially the ones in the "suburbs" that have an 11 pm curfew. It's better to search for a long time than to take the first place that calls you back.

I can't believe I almost worked for "blacklist" Aston and then a Uni with a curfew before I found this job.

[TexasHighway]

Vikeologist wrote:

[Teatime of Soul]

Not all, in fact, not even sure most Language Training Centers require 40 hours a week.

I suspect most do not, but am willing to be persuaded by new information.