Job Discussion Forums

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

John,

Been contemplating completing your survey, but a few questions have been rolling around in my mind.

You never said where you plan to set up your school. Granted, you are collecting information from around the world, but don't you think it would make more sense to poll people from the country where you plan to set up shop?

Also, along the same lines, this same question applies to your question no. 10, specifically... "Would you be interested to know more about my school when it is closer to opening?" I think most people would rather know at least what country you had in mind before answering.

John Kopetz · Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Posts: 8

It's a fair question, perhaps I did explain myself well enough in my second comment on this board, but even if I did its unlikely that people are going to want to read all the verbiage that has passed through by now.
To summarise more explicitily than last time:
I have taught in five countries, and have connections in most of them. At the moment I am in my home country investiating how to finance this idea. In a couple of weeks I plan to go and visit two or three of those countries to try and decide which will be the best choice. My decision is affected by costs, competition and local legal environment, among other things.
Also, as people rightly pointed out at the beginning of this debate, EFL fiends get everywhere, so I don't want too much explicit information about how or where is a good choice on the web, lest someone steals my dream from me...
However, when I am closer to my goal, I will be doing more localised surveying, not least to see if sufficient teachers are attracted to where I want to go. In thinking about how to set up a school, I can't figure out what is worse: having to pay for empty classrooms when I we have students but not enough teachers, or having to pay teachers but not being able to find enough students...

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

No offense, John, but your last post was practically uninformative.

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

I have to agree. I think it's perfectly fine that you conduct a survey here, but I think you are prejudicing your (possible) results by being so hermetic--not only in terms of getting specific info from folks working in the countries you are interested in, but also because there seems to be an attempt to take rather than give on your part. A decent survey, with results disclosed on this forum, could be very beneficial to all the folks who participate here. I think you are playing with your cards too close to your chest, which invites suspicion and rejection.

lagerlout2006 · Joined: 17 Sep 2003 Posts: 985

Or at least maybe which continent? I thought of replying . but if your'e thinking of opening a school in Ecuador it's a waste of time time for both of us...Two things might make peple suspicious. There is no website-the survey is just going to a Yahoo e-mail address which anyone can open in 2 minutes. Also the first questions are to state your school and salary...

I may be missing something but I don't see what could be learned from it..There are so many sites for jobs-discussion forums blacklist forums etc etc to find things out. And so many country specific sites forumosa or ajarn or whaever....Anyway good luck...

John Kopetz · Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Posts: 8

Everyone's highly suspicious eh.
My home country is the UK. There was no particular reason I didn't put it up. As to the countries, I have taught in Turkey, Russia, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Mexico (Oh and the UK). As to which I am considering, I don't really like the idea of putting that out, since I think it will prejudice the answers. The point of the survey, which I am quite happy to make public (hence the last question), was simply to look at trends in the industry rather than country specifics, which I would deal with later.
the idea of how I wrote the questions was to make them as open as possible, and that is the way they have been answered, people only divulge what information they want to.
As to the email address, I didn't want to invite yet more spam into my personal address, when setting one up it seemed logical (although the implication seems that it was also suspicious) to use an address related to what I want to do.
I agree that plenty of people have and will opened businesses around the world. But if I have suspicions about underdeveloped markets, then its only natural that I should be a little protective about some information. Not from teachers per se, but all these advertisers etc that use and abuse these pages.
I am trying to address the concerns you have about this as far as I can. In the end, if people don't like the survey they simply don't answer it, and I will draw my own conclusions about what to focus on when I set up a school.

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

John, since I don't see any offer from you to share with the folks on this forum the results of the survey you are asking us to participate in, I believe you are continuing to invite suspicion.

As for the countries you are considering, I have been in Mexico now for the better part of 12 years, and although I am not working at a language school, I did direct one for several years, and can tell you that a good language school is always welcome in any community--regardless of the competition factor.

John Kopetz · Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Posts: 8

Moonraven,
This is a line from my last message:
"The point of the survey, which I am quite happy to make public "
Maybe I am just a lot worse at communicating than I realised. but I intended it to say that I was happy to share the results openly.
As for the good school/competition factor, agree completely. I am looking for an unsaturated location because its obviously a high risk venture and its easier to convince investors when they can see the clear demand. Its not so easy for me to persuade them that I can do it better (although I am certain I can, almost anyone that wants to can).
Let me state categorically, because its probably what put people's backs up: I am quite happy to make public here, on this website, or anywhere else, the results of my survey. Not that the results are so useful at the moment. People seem quite ready to spend time discussing the survey, but not answering it. I have come to accept that this survey has been an exercise in communication with teachers, and seeing things from a school perspective, rather than a way to learn more about what teachers really value.

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

John,

Since I have been on both sides of this--as a teacher and as the director of a language school--let me throw another variable into your hopper. I can't say anything about other countries, but here in Mexico one is much better opening a school in an area where there are already several schools--as it indicates that there is a viable market for the product. That market takes time to build in many communities, so going into one where the infrastructure is already in place makes more sense than going broke while you try to market a product in an area where the need has not been proven.