Job Discussion Forums

[Margot73]

Are all for profit centers considered language mills, or just the bad ones?

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

Just the ones that seem to make actual teaching and caring for the students (and by extension, the teachers who work for them- including things like the training required by the school in order to be hired and the training the school provides to people when they are hired) very, very low priorities.

University intensive language units in North America exist in order to make a profit for the university from visa students (foreign students on a student visa), but they aren't really language mills.

[tedkarma]

What's wrong with "profit"? Without it every business (and thus employer) will go out of business.

I would worry less about what is a "language mill" and more about what kind of place in which you might enjoy working.

A "profit center" is pretty much just a business term for different areas of the business that are split up so they can see how each performs financially.

It is probably best to get OUT of the PC language business and find what works best for you personally.

[wildchild]

Gambate said

[11:59]

[Margot73]

1159, you are very strange. Why do you think everything I write is trolling? I think my question was reasonable. I'm new to the board and had never heard the term language mill before. I was trying to figure out if the place where I teach is a mill. It is for-profit and serves adults. On the other hand, they do make sure the teachers are qualified and the students do learn. Regardless, they have extremely flexible hours, which is ideal for my situation as a mother returning to the workforce. You seem really on edge. Is HK that stressful?

[11:59]

My word, Maggot73, browsing Dave's at 8am New York time! Shouldn't you be having breakfast or something? (Watch out for those killer open sesame seeds though.)

[wildnfree]

[gaijinalways]

Actually, I have to wonder who the troll is. Either of you living under a bridge?

[abusalam4]

There is nothing wrong in making profits but there is a problem in mixing educational objectives/standards with business. Those many bad private schools in China "teaching" English are some of the negative examples that would be too numerous to list them all here. The worst thing that ever could happen that a business man ignorant of education, its needs and essential working procedures would run a school like that without being aided by prodessional educational management. Therefore, I would always decline job and placement offers by such organisations. Anyone being a dedicated teacher would be well advised to do the same. There are too many crooks and would-like-to-be "professionals" around, and no serious student and/or teacher needs any of them!

[Sherri]

Here are the signs that make a school a language mill to me...

1. they accept students any time, no terms or semesters or if they do have them, students can come and go freely during the session.

2. students are placed according to their request and/or in whatever class has space

3. students can move to the next level on request

4. the management always takes the student's side when a complaint is made

5. teachers do not have a teachers room or their own desk

6. the curriculum is the book

Any more to add?

Sherri

[gaijinalways]

Any size class is okay.

Students make requests to have the teacher speak more Japanese.

Students request teachers that are more 'Western looking' and the school changes the teachers accordingly.

The school uses many young teachers with little or no training.