Job Discussion Forums

[aaron in halifax]

this school comes with high marks from friends of mine already in the area due to both its extensive training regime and all around fair dealing. Anybody else out there heard much about it ?? I should point out that I'm aiming to be in tainan by around march 7 or so and looking to start with a few applications (not contracts) from home before I go.

Also, any thoughts on the "total physical response" language teaching discipline??
thanks in advance, aaron

[Aristotle]

Total Physical Response is excellent for children's ESL but often looses it's effectiveness after the methods have been localized.
Ivy has become factionlized so like most things in Taiwan their schools lack consistency.
Simply because the school may have been a good place to work last year doesn't mean it will be this year.
You need to go and talk to people there before you agree to anything.
Please read this,
http://www.geocities.com/taiwanteacher2002/Success.html
Good luck!
A.

[TaoyuanSteve]

[clark.w.griswald]

I agree with TS on this one. Personal recommendations are by far the best way to find quality schools here in Taiwan.

Although I link to a Taiwan School Blacklist in my signature below, I do realize the limitations of such lists. It is common sense that people will post more negative comments than positive comments, which tends to lead to a bias towards the bad. Factor in the fact that such lists can be used maliciously and you realize that they should be nothing more than a guide.

Ivy Language School in Tainan is listed on the Buxiban.com website. There are a couple of comments about this school there.

The first is a negative comment about non-payment of wages and taking of job deposits.

The second is a reply posted by a foreign teacher at the school in reply to the first post. This second post disagrees entirely with the suggestions made in the first post.

From my point of view, the second post speaks volumes. The majority of schools would not enthuse foreign teachers to such a degree as to outwardly defend the school that they work for from attack from other foreigners. Assuming that the foreigner who made the second post doesn't have some vested interest in making the post, then the fact that they took the time and trouble to do so is a good sign about that school.

I am no expert, but I would say that it would be worth checking out what this school has to offer. You may be able to do a lot better elsewhere, but then again you could also do a lot worse.

[Aristotle]