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Berlitz Korea. Any advice on this school?
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martinpil



Joined: 03 Dec 2008

PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 8:19 am    Post subject: Berlitz Korea. Any advice on this school? Reply with quote

Berlitz sent me an application form. Anyone know how good they are? You have to do 6 days unpaid training in their method first! WHy don't they pay you? A bit cheeky I feel. Then, it all depends on your bookings as far as I can see, so it must be some sort of freelance contract. They are like that in Germany, where they have a lot of schools, but I would have hoped for a fixed contract if going all the way to korea. They do offer sponsorship though.

So, anyone worked for Berlitz in Korea then and if so, how did u find working for them?
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martinpil



Joined: 03 Dec 2008

PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 8:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oh I forgot, they put you up for free for up to two months and then give you 400,000 for your apartment that you have to find yourself in two months and it says you can "borrow" up to 5 million won for the key money....So, does that mean you have to pay back the 5 million won then? I thought all accommodation was provided free in Korea. What would be the benefit of working for Berlitz if you have to pay your own accommodation? And
only borrow the key money????
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OiGirl



Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Location: Hoke-y-gun

PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 8:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Would you be teaching children?
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Ukon



Joined: 29 Jan 2008

PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 9:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've heard bad things about Berlitz
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martinpil



Joined: 03 Dec 2008

PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 9:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

OiGirl wrote:
Would you be teaching children?


Nope, company classes and businessmen
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Toon Army



Joined: 12 Mar 2007

PostPosted: Fri Dec 26, 2008 1:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

just done a quick search on the forum and most threads seem pretty negative on the whole about them.....saying that this is Daves after all Wink
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Whistleblower



Joined: 03 Feb 2007

PostPosted: Fri Dec 26, 2008 1:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

From what I have learnt about Berlitz in Korea is that they have such a bad reputation that the International HQ of Berlitz have disbanded their relationship with the Korean Branch.

The teachers are farmed out to businesses (illegally for E2's) to companies so that they teach businessmen or women. The majority of teachers don't receive healthcare, pension and are taxed to the hilt. The only way Berlitz is allowed to farm out their teachers to companies is that immigration are on their payroll and then immigration inform Berlitz when they are coming over so they get their teachers back.

This company is a complete joke and for them to disregarded from the International HQ is a good example. Four words; Stay away from them.
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Donald Frost



Joined: 20 Oct 2008

PostPosted: Fri Dec 26, 2008 3:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

A guy who taught at a Berlitz in Japan posted a warning on Dave's in 2001 about being sent over here to help the local Berlitz. He claimed that he was treated like crap and was even attacked in the workplace. He did not get paid at all, too, if I remember correctly.
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makemischief



Joined: 04 Nov 2005
Location: Traveling

PostPosted: Fri Dec 26, 2008 4:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

That and the Berlitz Method is just plain pedagogically unsound. BLAH.

I had friends who worked there in 2004 during the attempts to unionize. They left before it panned out one way or the other. Anyone know how it ended up?
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Ukon



Joined: 29 Jan 2008

PostPosted: Fri Dec 26, 2008 4:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

makemischief wrote:
That and the Berlitz Method is just plain pedagogically unsound. BLAH.

I had friends who worked there in 2004 during the attempts to unionize. They left before it panned out one way or the other. Anyone know how it ended up?


Strikebreakers beat them to a pulp and the ring leader was hanged.
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martinpil



Joined: 03 Dec 2008

PostPosted: Fri Dec 26, 2008 5:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

KEY MONEY is only BORROWED from BERLITZ...you have to PAY IT YOURSELF..I have the Berlitz Korea contract sent to me from them..

Berlitz pay cra.p the world over for teachers. They are mainly Franchises out of Europe, I think. In Germany, there are a lot of them,,but the pay is not too good.
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Butterfly



Joined: 02 Mar 2003
Location: Kuwait

PostPosted: Fri Dec 26, 2008 7:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Whistleblower wrote:
From what I have learnt about Berlitz in Korea is that they have such a bad reputation that the International HQ of Berlitz have disbanded their relationship with the Korean Branch.


This must surely be nonsense - if the international HQ of Berlitz in Princeton had disbanded their relationship with the Korean franchisee then that would be the end of their franchise, or the relationship would have to continue until the contract period was up. They couldn't just continue using the brand as a renegade Berlitz. I ask you, really.

This does rather throw the rest of what you are saying into question, if you prefix your post with a whopper like this.

Whistleblower wrote:
The teachers are farmed out to businesses (illegally for E2's) to companies so that they teach businessmen or women. The majority of teachers don't receive healthcare, pension and are taxed to the hilt. The only way Berlitz is allowed to farm out their teachers to companies is that immigration are on their payroll and then immigration inform Berlitz when they are coming over so they get their teachers back.

This company is a complete joke and for them to disregarded from the International HQ is a good example. Four words; Stay away from them.


Hm. I think you're taking your self appointed title of whistleblower too seriously and attempting to blow the whistle on anything that moves.

OP - I cant claim to know any more than anyone else, but met 2 or 3 teachers who had previously worked with Berlitz and never mentioned being ripped off, attacked, hanged or sodomized as others may infer to.

The only actual issue i seem to remember was that a couple of them i think had been a bit brainwashed by the 'berlitz method' which isn't hugely popular with the clientele of most language centers; its a bit distant and not much fun.
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Ukon



Joined: 29 Jan 2008

PostPosted: Fri Dec 26, 2008 8:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Butterfly wrote:
Whistleblower wrote:
From what I have learnt about Berlitz in Korea is that they have such a bad reputation that the International HQ of Berlitz have disbanded their relationship with the Korean Branch.


This must surely be nonsense - if the international HQ of Berlitz in Princeton had disbanded their relationship with the Korean franchisee then that would be the end of their franchise, or the relationship would have to continue until the contract period was up. They couldn't just continue using the brand as a renegade Berlitz. I ask you, really.

This does rather throw the rest of what you are saying into question, if you prefix your post with a whopper like this.

Whistleblower wrote:
The teachers are farmed out to businesses (illegally for E2's) to companies so that they teach businessmen or women. The majority of teachers don't receive healthcare, pension and are taxed to the hilt. The only way Berlitz is allowed to farm out their teachers to companies is that immigration are on their payroll and then immigration inform Berlitz when they are coming over so they get their teachers back.

This company is a complete joke and for them to disregarded from the International HQ is a good example. Four words; Stay away from them.


Hm. I think you're taking your self appointed title of whistleblower too seriously and attempting to blow the whistle on anything that moves.

OP - I cant claim to know any more than anyone else, but met 2 or 3 teachers who had previously worked with Berlitz and never mentioned being ripped off, attacked, hanged or sodomized as others may infer to.

The only actual issue i seem to remember was that a couple of them i think had been a bit brainwashed by the 'berlitz method' which isn't hugely popular with the clientele of most language centers; its a bit distant and not much fun.



They formed a Union for a 1 year job....I think that tells you how bad they are....I've heard some installing bunk beds in the office so they're workers can sleep between shifts.
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Butterfly



Joined: 02 Mar 2003
Location: Kuwait

PostPosted: Sat Dec 27, 2008 3:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ukon wrote:
They formed a Union for a 1 year job....I think that tells you how bad they are....I've heard some installing bunk beds in the office so they're workers can sleep between shifts.


I worked in a couple of schools that did that - i thought it was pretty cool, saved going home.
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Sidneylarissa



Joined: 22 Apr 2008

PostPosted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 12:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Compared to other horror stories about Hagwons..Berlitz is a breeze. They pay on time. You are able to earn more if you are prepared to work harder and reap the rewards. The teachers are great to work with. We have a sound ethical code, are responsible and enjoy our students.

Goodness me, whoever is writing such @#ap do your homework first. Stop assuming everything and gobbling up other people's hearsay. Dave's is notorious for that.

Confused
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