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skarper
Joined: 12 Oct 2006
Posts: 477
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 Posted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 3:21 pm Post subject: |
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I would advise discretion in this poaching activity. I don't thing it's morally wrong but it could cause a lot of bad feeling.
(BTW I do mean the language mills/chains when I mean big players.) Some of these are only a few notches up from gangsters (and I think we have virtual gangsters at the lowest level). I don't think anybody would suffer direct harm for poaching a few students but you could get into a terrible argument and there might be threats of immigration problems and the standard 'You'll never work in this town/country again.' How much they could make this stick I don't know.
If I wanted to poach a few students from a school I was teaching at I'd drop a subtle hint while out for a social drink/meal with the students. Just say you have a lot of free time before your next job and let them have contact details - those interested will get in touch.
I've often thought the way forward for EFL in Asia is cooperatives run by teachers who mean to stay long term in the country. These used to be quite common in the UK but have mostly be bought out by big chains like International House. I'm not sure if the powers that be would be willing to entertain such an idea. They seem to like the big chains with their high fees and low standards of education and teacher pay/conditions. |
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Anh Dep
Joined: 16 Mar 2013
Posts: 56
Location: Bangkok Thailand
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| Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 5:41 am Post subject: |
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| It all reverts back to the one common denominator here in Asia.....MONEY. |
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LettersAthruZ
Joined: 25 Apr 2010
Posts: 466
Location: North Viet Nam
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| Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 9:30 am Post subject: |
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| skarper wrote: |
| I wish the government would encourage and facilitate this kind of initiative, but there is no incentive for them to do so and I worry the big players would use their influence to stamp it out if it started to threaten their business. |
When I freelanced in Ha Noi and Hai Phong, I saw this kinda shit allll the time! The two types that always had a target planted on my back were the Private English language centres/schools (competition......higher caliber/lower price then some of the cowboys that THEY hired) and also the Public School teachers (whose students were not taking THEIR "private extra instruction" classes that they ran out of their house [which is now actually against the law for Public School teachers to do today, but thjey still do it anyways], but rather their students were taking MY classes).
Yep.....I would receive strange visits from guys with the Department of Education and Training (and i KNOW WHO paid them off to come and give me a visit) and it became just another annoyance and I got tired of raising my rates that I charge my clients to cover it, so I just left the cities!
It IS fun, and you DO have control over your content......but there ARE a lot of headaches, plus a lot of resentful Vietnamese that you have to keep looking over your shoulder for!! |
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vabeckele
Joined: 19 Nov 2010
Posts: 439
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| Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 9:45 am Post subject: |
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| LettersAthruZ wrote: |
| skarper wrote: |
| I wish the government would encourage and facilitate this kind of initiative, but there is no incentive for them to do so and I worry the big players would use their influence to stamp it out if it started to threaten their business. |
When I freelanced in Ha Noi and Hai Phong, I saw this kinda shit allll the time! The two types that always had a target planted on my back were the Private English language centres/schools (competition......higher caliber/lower price then some of the cowboys that THEY hired) and also the Public School teachers (whose students were not taking THEIR "private extra instruction" classes that they ran out of their house [which is now actually against the law for Public School teachers to do today, but thjey still do it anyways], but rather their students were taking MY classes).
Yep.....I would receive strange visits from guys with the Department of Education and Training (and i KNOW WHO paid them off to come and give me a visit) and it became just another annoyance and I got tired of raising my rates that I charge my clients to cover it, so I just left the cities!
It IS fun, and you DO have control over your content......but there ARE a lot of headaches, plus a lot of resentful Vietnamese that you have to keep looking over your shoulder for!! |
Yes, Vietnam is not a place to be doing better than your neighbours, they will soon put a stop to all of that nonsense. |
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LarueLarry
Joined: 05 Jul 2013
Posts: 32
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| Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 3:24 pm Post subject: |
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| LettersAthruZ wrote: |
| skarper wrote: |
| I wish the government would encourage and facilitate this kind of initiative, but there is no incentive for them to do so and I worry the big players would use their influence to stamp it out if it started to threaten their business. |
When I freelanced in Ha Noi and Hai Phong, I saw this kinda shit allll the time! The two types that always had a target planted on my back were the Private English language centres/schools (competition......higher caliber/lower price then some of the cowboys that THEY hired) and also the Public School teachers (whose students were not taking THEIR "private extra instruction" classes that they ran out of their house [which is now actually against the law for Public School teachers to do today, but thjey still do it anyways], but rather their students were taking MY classes).
Yep.....I would receive strange visits from guys with the Department of Education and Training (and i KNOW WHO paid them off to come and give me a visit) and it became just another annoyance and I got tired of raising my rates that I charge my clients to cover it, so I just left the cities!
It IS fun, and you DO have control over your content......but there ARE a lot of headaches, plus a lot of resentful Vietnamese that you have to keep looking over your shoulder for!! |
I'm aware of 2 teachers in Da Nang who got busted by the police for teaching out of their homes. I believe they got fined around 20 mill./vnd.
I teach private students, classes and company classes on the side, but won't do it out of my home. Partly because of the above stories but mostly because I don't want students, most of them, in my home.
I charge $20-$30/hr in DN for privates. I've never felt like these classes have been demanding enough to charge more. But I also help out student-friends and others for free when they need it. Nothing long-term, but before they have to do visa interviews, IELTS exams, etc. |
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LettersAthruZ
Joined: 25 Apr 2010
Posts: 466
Location: North Viet Nam
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| Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 1:33 am Post subject: |
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| LarueLarry wrote: |
I'm aware of 2 teachers in Da Nang who got busted by the police for teaching out of their homes. I believe they got fined around 20 mill./vnd.
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Were they Tay teaching privates/freelancing? Or were they Viet Public School teachers doing the "Yes, student - you ARE NOT REQUIRED to take my extra class that I teach out of my house, but it will help you get a better grade [*hint* *hint*]" sort of thing? |
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LarueLarry
Joined: 05 Jul 2013
Posts: 32
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| Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 3:29 pm Post subject: |
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| LettersAthruZ wrote: |
| LarueLarry wrote: |
I'm aware of 2 teachers in Da Nang who got busted by the police for teaching out of their homes. I believe they got fined around 20 mill./vnd.
. |
Were they Tay teaching privates/freelancing? Or were they Viet Public School teachers doing the "Yes, student - you ARE NOT REQUIRED to take my extra class that I teach out of my house, but it will help you get a better grade [*hint* *hint*]" sort of thing? |
They were Tay.
It'd be interesting to know if Viet teachers, teaching out of their home, have to make a payoff. |
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