Job Discussion Forums

[sisyphus]

In what area would you begin? I mean Children, Firms, Soft Skills?

Seems to me the 'General English' trade has died a death in Europe.

[riverboat]

In Paris it would have to be Business English. If I was setting up as a freelance, I'd target the big consultancies and maybe try to sell from an "English for Consultants" angle (basically IT/management/finance project work) since I feel like nearly everyone in Paris is a consultant of some kind (I clearly exaggerate but still).

The main contexts that would be rehearsed would be presentations, small talk/social skills with clients, conf calls, report writing and meetings - which require functional skills such as giving advice, brainstorming, delivering bad news, making arrangements, summarising, updating etc. Plus more general skills such as LC with many and varied accents, business vocab etc.

[naturegirl321]

I'd go with either kids, exams, or business English. That's where the money is.

[Mrs McClusky]

I would get a serious financial backer, the days of the small, friendly family type ESL school are dead

[basiltherat]

my tupenceworth ....

exam preparation courses, american or british depending on where you are going to set up.. gmat, toeic, toefl, ielts, fce, cae, bec etc ..... even ket and pet.

best
basil

[sisyphus]

[jpvanderwerf2001]

I have started a school here in Vladivostok.
Our most popular courses, by a long shot, are adult elementary and adult pre-intermediate. These are followed by small kids (4-6 year-olds), and then business English (pre-int/int). Of course, demand is location-specific; what's popular in Vladivostok, say, would probably be very different than in Western Europe, where people have had good access to general English for a long time.
If I were to start an EFL business on my own, without the financial backing I enjoyed, I would definitely start small and let it grow organically. It takes a lot of dough to make a go at a medium-sized or large school. Get some money together, rent a room or two, and give small-group lessons, and go on from there.

[nickpellatt]

My response to this thread is highly improbable, and pretty impossible ... so disregard it as you see fit

I would love to set up some kind of organisation that sponsored and arranged short term visas for disadvantaged teens from Africa and Asia to visit the UK on short stays of up to 3 weeks. In that three weeks they would have English lessons and activities (kinda like a typical summer school set up), and have homestays with trusted (and checked out) families. This would give them an opportunity to vist the UK, improve or practise their English with native speakers, and a chance to see the world they currently only dream about.

[hollysuel]

My dream is to open a 'bed & breakfast' here in the states close to a golf course and other things to do (but in a small town). I would then market abroad and offer 'language travel' packages where I would offer language training in the morning and then the students/guests can go golf or whatever in the afternoon.

[dmocha]

Catering to organizations that have money is the way to go. Specialist programmes in ESP areas like English for nurses, English for air crew, English for hotel front desk staff, English for you get the idea. Concurrent with that, external exam courses in TOEIC etc will always sell. Of course in places just opening up to EFL (out of the way Russia for example) the fish will bite a bare hook. In the well-fished places, you�ll need better bait.

[basiltherat]

sorry to go off topic but i just couldn't let this one pass unscathed.

[MotherF]

Kids,

Parents will do without in order to give their kids a percieved advantage.
(and I say that as a parent)

As for the B and B idea in the US.
Back when I was in Japan (mid-90s) I thought that's be a great hit among the Japanese--now who knows. But near a good fishing lake or river. I was amazed at how popular fishing was among the Japanese. It would also be good if there were a bunch of those outlet malls near by. English and fishing for the men and English and shopping for the women. I thought the Branson Missouri area seemed suitable for that purpose.

[cassava]

[timothypfox]

Basil,

With all due respect to you, I wouldn't pat yourself on the back too much about the greatness of Britain or the EU. Money may be a big motivating factor, but it is only one piece of what is important in life. Britain and the EU may have jobs, but culture and community in many countries in Africa for example make daily life for immigrants to places such as the UK stodgy, unfriendly, and empty. Many people I met in New York (a place with about 60% of the population made up of immigrants) often complained that they were in New York for work and would return home if they could. But, people who grew up in New York City couldn't imagine life anywhere else.

Best,
Tim

[basiltherat]