Job Discussion Forums

[syntax51]

What's it like to work for EF in Thailand?

[whistleblower]

Try reading about English First Chiang Mai before you make a decision

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?t=38734

[bluffer]

Its like working for every other language school.

It depends on what the branch is like and your boss and your fellow teachers and whether you can cope with the little shi... sorry, students.

But these places go, its still better than ECC or BCC ( not to be confused with BCC Bangkok Christian College, which is a whole other entry in the hall of shame in teflwatch.org )

[englishgibson]

Bluffer, I hear ya.

The OP's been askin' around forums and EF's his/her primary "targget" as it looks like ...rather interestin' fella with an interestin' "mission" ..fella, keep ya guiries comin' since there's a light on the end of ya tunnel

Peace to Saudis, Russians, Chinese and Thai
and
cheers and beers to the most corrupt educational institution in the world

[cafecafe]

If you are intending to work for EF Silom/Ladprao (same management/owner), here are a few words of warning.

I am employed as an English teacher in Bangkok, and I have and I have been in Thailand for quite a few years. I have been doing corporate work for EF and other schools to supplement my income. I enjoy teaching, but working for EF has been nothing less than a nightmare.

I got my first corporate assignment from them in January and that started to build up pretty quickly. I was reliable, never late and never missed a lesson.

At the beginning of June I was asked if I were free on Tuesdays and Thursdays and if I would be interested in taking on a small company located in Siam Square. I was told it was only an hour and a half class and that I had to be interviewed by the manager of the company first. At first it seemed strange as I've never had to do this before. anyway, I agreed and met the chap a couple of weeks later. He said that previous EF teachers hadn't done a good enough job and that in the two years that they've been with EF, students had made little or no progress. I was then asked if I could provide more structure to the course and avoid the "let's have a chat" approach to teaching. He was quite happy with what I had to say and was given the green light to start on the 1st of July.

At the end of June, I received a phone call from EF Ladprao/Silom saying that they were unable to to find a teacher for the Monday/Wednesday group and that therefore the start of this course would be mid July. I said don't worry, I can wait.

Just before mid July I got another phone call saying that the course would start on August the 1st. Having already done several corporate classes for EF Lardprao/Silom, I said "never mind" I'll wait, as a result I ended up turning down other jobs.

August the 1st I met up with EF's Sales Manager at BTS Siam Square and was taken to the company for my first lesson. One would think that after introducing me to the students she'd leave, no; there she was, standing behind me by the whiteboard interfering with the lesson. This lasted for about 15 minutes - a disgrace and totally unprofessional. Mai pen rai, this is Thailand I thought...

From that day onwards the course seemed doomed. A class of students of mixed abilities (inter/pre-inter/upp inter) who had been enjoying fun and games for almost two years and whose listening skills was so low that even a taxi driver would do a better job. There I was with a class of female students, using the most useless business book one could imagine, which I supplemented heavily with pre-prepared fun business activities. To no avail, I for one will admit that I failed in winning them over. They just didn't like me and didn't like what I was doing. Their expectations was nothing more than games and total fun.

Three weeks into the course, I was abruptly asked to move to another room which had neither a whiteboard nor a tape player. When I inquired with the students as to what was happening, no explanation was given. So, during the two weeks that followed every Tuesday, the company's receptionist would move us to this new room and every Tuesday my lesson plan went out of the window.

I decided that enough was enough and sent an sms to EF Silom/Ladprao asking them to do something about it. I got a reply from EF's DOS saying that the Sales Manager would solve the problem. Indeed the problem was solved... Thai style! A tape player and a brand new white board the size of my bathroom window, was brought to the company. Since the new "mini" white board had no stand, I was forced to hold it on my lap as the lesson was progressing - a nightmare!

I later found out that because EF had been unable to find a Monday/Wednesday teacher, they had decided to send EF's Silom Head Teacher and moved me to another room. In all these years teaching at various companies, I have never witnessed such lack of professionalism and disrespect for the teacher.

Eight weeks into the course EF informed me that students said that I was too serious and that they didn't like my classes and had requested my removal from the course. Fair enough, students didn't like me and I was taken off the course - no great loss.

However when I got paid (two days late as usual) I realized that my bonus wasn't paid in. I called EF Ladprao and I was told that it was a course completion bonus and that since I didn't finish the course, no payment was due. I explained that I was removed from the course and that I didn't walk out on the class. Besides, had I known that in situations like these my bonus would be forfeited, I'd never work for them in the first place.

In all these years, this was the first time I was removed form a course. This meant that in my first time ever, I was teaching a company for
450 Baht an hour and was making a meager 675 Baht per trip.

This just ain't right. Especially after all the very positive feedback EF has had from companies about my performance, the fact that I was one of their most reliable teachers, and especially after agreeing to wait for the start of this course therefore turning down other Tuesday / Thursday jobs.

[englishgibson]

Hey, I totally understand what you are saying above. China doesn't seem to be much different from Thailand with regards to EF English First as it seems. I have worked in the EF DOS's position and I see your point there. The EF centers Sales Managers, Center Managers, Assistants, Directors of Studies and finally the teachers are often in conflicts of interests there. The Sales Managers that often ride on the same boats as Center Managers are often "far at seas" while the DOSs are trying to figure out what the "weather" is going to be like.
For EF English First, the education often means Business First and the EF Head Offices around the world have their number one plan and that is "EXPAND THE SUCKER" and do it at "all costs". EF is the leading educational institution in the world ...what they educate does not matter, does it

But coming back to that business courses of EF in Thailand, in China we've had those Market Leader course books for business courses...although centers often chose to go with their own "cr*p". One idea of the Head Office in Shanghai was to include all the EF centers around China into that EF Corporate program..that became quite a scam as well as disorganized bullsh*t. Many EF centers feared off the ROYALTY FEES to be paid for all those courses ...you guys should know that the EF centers around the world are enjoying a rather "flexible substandards" of the EF Head Offices' management everywhere.

The EF English First is fiercely fighting for the leading role in the world. If you guys wish to join them and see it for yourselves..BE MY GUEST ..but imagine how much you might help them with all their nonsense that they've been creating around the world.

Peace to the founder of EF
and
cheers and beers to all hard working FTs in Thailand

[cafecafe]

[quote=/u]EF is the leading educational institution in the world ...what they educate does not matter, does it
[/quote]


I realized that a little too late, unfortunately. EF Silom and EF Ladprao need clowns not educators.