Archive for the ‘Teacher forums’ Category

When people claim that there is a direct link between advertising and censorship on Rave Spelling’s ESL Au Lait, I’d always assumed that they were exaggerating and things were at least a little more subtle than that. Apparently not:

“I am initially interested in advertising and your rates are certainly attractive. However, one thing which I am concerned with is the amount of ‘hit jobs’ on your forum site from other schools.recently [EDITED] decided to comment on our courses, and I find this very unprofessional.

Could you please let me know how you decide something should be published online on your forum pages. I am not against freedom of speech and opinion but I definitely cannot agree with such ‘hit jobs’ and before we would agree to advertising we would need some assurance that there is a filter for such posts.

Thank you for your understanding and looking forward to hearing back  from you soon.”

to which the person in charge replied

“Dear [EDITED],

We strive to allow free speech and maintain a neutral point of view in forums, meaning that any school or other entity is free to respond to comments by others. It appears that you have indeed responded… In extreme cases we are prepared to place a response directly in the body of the original post. If an offended entity can demonstrate precisely which words are untrue, we may expunge them.

Advertising and editorial are totally separate on TEFL.net and we never guarantee an advertiser anything concerning editorial content. Any decision to advertise is entirely the advertiser’s.

I do appreciate that certain posts may appear unprofessional, but we are not the arbiters of professionalism and believe that readers can judge for themselves. Otherwise put, an unprofessional post may actually do harm rather than good to its poster, which is obviously not the intention.

I hope this clarifies the position to your satisfaction.”

to which he or she replied

“Fair enough, here’s the cash for a main page banner”

Only joshing! In fact we got the old favourite:

“I’m afraid that in that case we will currently need to decline the offer of paid advertising as I just can’t see the value of a forum where a company can be blatantly disreputed and you should be aware of recent cases where companies have complained in a legal capacity and won damages as a result of cyber bullying (in the case of personal attacks), or libel (in the case of cyber attacks on a company).

Just placing a disclaimer on your site doesn’t mean that you can shirk responsibility and you might be the subject of court action.

I just want to let you know because it seems that inevitably the way your forum page direction is headed that this might be the case for you along the road at some point.”

and there it was left to lie. Oh, no, that’s just me being naive again. Apparently after that it “got messy” and I probably wouldn’t even want to see the emails from that point on. Will I perhaps be receiving some similiarly “messy” emails from Bad TEFL Dave (as opposed to Good TEFL Dave) for suggesting that he deals with these situations in a slightly different way to the middle email above?

For more on TEFL conspiracies:

Six rumours and conspiracies in ELT

TEFL conspiracy theory of the day

Proof of a TEFL oligarchy?

…unless you (like Jason Renshaw and possibly Darrrren Ellllliotttt) have worked it out from the clues, in which case I would very much appreciate you not making guesses online. The reason for that radio silence and having to ask ELTJ for special dispensation not to say where I work in my mini-biog is the very real chance of my boss getting harassing phone calls from people like the below (message through the TEFL.net Contact Us button):

message = I copied this from ESL cafe -before it was midly censored- “TEFLnet site is bullshit.. They post articies that are plagarized -do youknow that–they are as bad as the thiefs who steal the article — typicalPommy crap-you f..ing poms are morons and this site proves you are all braindead losers in the tefl world. You should should shut the site down –As ESLcafe says– only Losers come to your site.” Seems the American world and Asian world views this site as a joke – and if you look closely – you guys should be sued to the end of the world -no wonder esl has such a bad name— clean your site up before you get negative comments like this every day

It could be that this guy has a legitimate point (the return email address turned out to be fake when we wrote back to ask him what it might be, and the ESL Cafe forum post doesn’t exist now if it ever did) or it could just have been a rush of blood to the head, but there are certainly people like Paul Lowe who wrote to every blog I ever commented on to say they should delete my contribution and sent chain emails to every school and publisher he could think of that would not have been beyond a threatening phone call or two.

Welcome to the wonderful world of TEFL online! If you are a TEFL blogger (and let’s face it, everyone who reads TEFL blogs is), here’s hoping that they continue to be attracted to me who can now cope rather than the rest of you who probably have better things to do than deal with them. It does slightly annoy me though, because I would probably get brownie points from my school for getting them into ELTJ etc, especially if I move back into more teacher training as I’d like to.

to the three TEFL related communities/ social networking sites that I’m theoretically a member of but never even read let alone contribute to (My English Club, BELT Free and EFL Classroom 2.0), plus the many people whose invitations to join LinkedIn or Twitter or swap Skype details I have rejected or ignored. With Twitter it’s lack of willingness, but otherwise it’s lack of time due to:

- Reading TEFL blogs once or twice a day on Onestopblogs, and commenting as often as I can

- Writing reviews for almost every edition of Modern English Teacher magazine for years

- Editing reviews and arranging review copies for TEFL.net Reviews, plus the occasional review myself

- Prepublication reviewing for publishers (which I could tell you about, but then I’d have to kill you)

- Writing at least weekly articles and lesson ideas for TEFL.net, and answering comments on them

- Writing an upcoming series of articles for MET

- Occasional bursts of writing worksheets and articles for www.Usingenglish.com

- Writing 694 blog posts in just over two years

- Answering questions on TEFL.net forum pages, and occasionally remembering the Usingenglish forums and TESall forums that are great but often forgotten (at least by me)

- Posting new TEFLtastic worksheets almost every week, usually after converting them to PDF

- Network deprivation (also known as sleep)

- Writing down witty quotes like that one above in case I ever get the chance to rip them off (like that one above)

- Reading every edition of MET, ETP and ELTJ when it comes out, and usually writing about at least something in it

- Trying to work my way through the books on the shelves of my new school, just in case I have to go back to Eikaiwa in Japan and so never see a teacher development book ever again

- Teaching 24 hours a week

- Pondering why I really am not learning any Korean at all

- Searching for a regular supply of PG Tips and Marmite

- Trying to put at least a little effort into spending more time interacting with my friends, family and colleagues than with people I’ve only met online

- Doing just enough exercise to keep the moobs under control and stop myself from going nuts

- Wiping the Seoul city grime from my furniture once a week

- Learning how to change nappies

You get the idea. Sorry if that sounds like a rant, but it’s more driven by guilt and contributing is always at the back of my mind! When someone pays me to write TEFL stuff full time…

I will reject it (far prefer teaching). So maybe when I retire and I know every inch of the South Downs like my grandfather did… Or maybe when I go off the road in a sports car in Argentina and am paralysed and bedridden (the true life story of one of my clients when I was a care worker)…

Actually though, if some people are telling me I should get more involved and most people think I spend far too much time on this kind of stuff already maybe I sort of have the balance right. It’s like in most of my schools half the teachers think I’m a complete TEFL geek and the other half think I’m much too cynical about the trade, which again makes me think that I must be doing something right

This is pretty old now as it was part of the same interview that eventually became Parts One, Two, Three and Four. Unlike them, I couldn’t be bothered updating or sending the third set of follow up questions this time, but still thought it was worth posting given the amount of time and effort (mine and Bruce’s) that it took. If anyone wants to add updates or links to updates in the comments section, please do.

TEFL International and the lawAlex: Some court cases you’ve been involved in

Bruce: TEFL International has not been involved in any legal action.

Our school in Thailand was sued by a former employee claiming he had not been paid his final pay. He claimed he had only been paid 6,000 baht. Apparently he had forgotten that we had paid him by check and we had the cancelled check that showed he had been paid in full. Obviously we won that case.

In another case (more…)

A guest piece by “TEFLista”

“No doubt about it, being ripped off sucks. And that goes double for TEFL cert courses. Putting your life on hold, flying to a foreign destination, and setting up temporary accommodation are all part of the equation when deciding to take a teacher training course overseas. So where to turn after it’s all gone horribly wrong? This article looks at some of the options for those who have taken a course with a business that has ties to the USA.

Dispute the Charge

If you paid for your course with a credit card, then call your credit card company and dispute the charge. Usually you have to file a written request within 60 days of when the bill was sent to you. If you’ve already paid the bill, then the card company may be able to issue you a temporary credit until the rest gets sorted out.

File a Complaint with the Local Government/State

Each state in the USA has an ‘Office of the Attorney General’ with a consumer protection division. Do a Google search with the words “attorney general”, plus the name of the state. Most, if not all, have very helpful consumer hotlines that you can call and complaint forms that you can download.

Take It to Small Claims

Don’t be intimidated by the idea of going to court. Taking your case to small claims is a lot easier than you might think and no there is no need for a lawyer. It varies from state to state, but it usually involves a postcard-size form and a fee ranging from $10-$50. Most likely, you will never step foot in front of a judge and matters such as this are usually taken care of in a back office. Tell your side of the story and it will all be over in 10 minutes. Depending on the state, if you win you may also be entitled to recover your fees and travel expenses. And if the other party doesn’t bother to show up, then you may win by default!
The process of small claims courts is quite similar in each state, but they do have some minor differences. Here’s a good summary of the basics from the state of Oregon:
http://www.osbar.org/public/pamphlets/smallclaims.html

Contact the Better Business Bureau

If the company is a member of the Better Business Bureau, then file a complaint with the BBB in the state where the company is registered. If you’re looking for a refund, then don’t expect much from the BBB. How it works is you file a complaint, then they respond and if the BBB considers their response reasonable then the case is considered ‘resolved’. Unfortunately, all the course provider has to do is to offer you another one of their crappy courses for free or a free online course and that pretty much will satisfy the BBB- not very much in the way of compensation for all that you’ve had to go through!

Another point to keep in mind when dealing with the BBB is that they do not get involved in job disputes. More recently, a number of course providers have become involved in the practice of offering ‘guaranteed jobs’ with a ‘free’ TEFL Certificate. Many of these are highly questionable and they are clearly being marketed as jobs, so don’t expect help from the BBB in these situations.
For more information, there’s a nice article about the BBB here:
Better Business Bureau Has Its Limits As Watchdog

Talk to the Top

If you feel that your dispute is of a minor nature, then it might be worth trying to take it to the top of the company that provided your TEFL course, or at least to someone a little bit higher up on the ladder. Do this in writing, be objective and leave your own actual classroom teaching out of the dialogue.

If on the other hand it’s clear to you that you’ve been fleeced, then don’t waste your time, especially if you want a refund of some sort. Once they’ve got your money, chances are you won’t get it back just by asking – the best you’ll probably get is a discount on another course.

Spread the Word

Course providers hate it when people do this. Unfortunately, telling others on the web isn’t as easy as it ought to be. Teaching websites used to be by teachers and for teachers. Today, however, many are often by website owners and for money. No matter how polite and objective your post may be, place it on a website where the course provider advertises and it will be taken down within two days and you’ll probably end up being banned from that site too. Don’t even think about trying to post it on Dave’s ESL Café. Your best bets are probably:

ELT World forums

TEFL.net forums

English Test forums

When posting, try to be objective and never accuse anyone of theft or fraud. Avoid using your real name online, too, as if you write something damaging you may find the course provider trying to come after you for libel. Just state your case.
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Other articles by “TEFLista”:

6 Ways TEFL Certificate Course Providers Try to Rip You Off – Part 1

6 Ways TEFL Certificate Course Providers Try to Rip You Off – Part 2

6 Ways TEFL Certificate Course Providers Try to Rip You Off – Part 3 (forthcoming)”

Many thanks to TEFLista, as always. I am also on the look out for other TEFL themed guest pieces- positive stories also very welcome!

If I heard correctly, last week’s edition of Law in Action included the statistic that 43 of 44 police authorities in the UK do not investigate or prosecute fraud. There are other bodies that do, but they focus very much on the bigger ones. As an industry that has its fair share of con artists, even in the UK, something has to be done, and Guardian TEFL sure as hell ain’t doing it. Here are some ideas for what we can do, in approximate order of goodness:

- Write for the EL Gazette (and they even pay you for doing so)

- Continue and expand TEFL blacklists

- Post on TEFL forums that still allow free speech

- Post on Dave Sperling’s even though he doesn’t, until the constant deletions and bannings makes him change his ways or discredits him with the few who aren’t yet disillusioned

1. Dave Sperling still owes me ten Euros he borrowed off me at the TESOL Spain conference

2. The EF school in Eastbourne had the alternative word for the “F” part of its sign that me and my friends graffitied on there for about a month before they got round to replacing it. We were only 13 at the time, I should point out

3. In my schools in Spain and Japan I was selected to teach footballers who were going to the UK to play because I was the only teacher who spoke Estuary English

4. I had to retake my DELTA written test because I was caught trying to look at a phonemic chart I had in my pencil case

5. I was in the same Alcoholics Anonymous group near Oxford Street in London as Andrew Wright and Michael Swan

6. I was thrown off my MA in TEFL by the disciplinary panel at King’s College London for telling Jennifer Jenkins she was a Marxist dyke and then starting a food fight in a lecture

7. I got into a bit of a scrap with Scott Thornbury at the end of conference drinks at IATEFL 2003. I was in a bad mood because they had cancelled my workshop on X in the Classroom at the last minute when they realised what X stood for, then I had a few too many… Scott’s a lot tougher than you’d think, but if you’ve noticed the scar behind his left ear then you know not to mess with me. No hard feelings from either side though.

Oh, wait a minute. I get it now, it’s supposed to be (more…)

Hi Bruce, welcome back to TEFLtastic. It’s a shame we never get anyone from TEFL International contributing to TEFL.net when it isn’t connected to teacher training. Let me know if any of your trainers are interested in writing book reviews or articles for us.

I am certain that can be arranged!

For Part Three, I’d like to do an update on what has changed in TEFL International and in the TEFL world more generally since your last comment in Interview Part Two on 28 July this year. I haven’t been following all the various stories very closely, so apologies if you have to repeat some things you’ve said many times elsewhere but I guess most people reading are in the same situation as me. I’ll ask for your comments on things I’ve heard, and then give you a chance to mention other things. 

OK

There are some reports of trouble with the immigration police connected to a TEFL International course in China- any information or comments?

I heard it all second hand but this is what I know.  In April 2008 the visa laws in China changed leading up to the Olympics.  Some people got caught in the cracks, the Course Administrator really failed (failed might be too strong of a term as it was a difficult if not impossible situation) and the police closed down the school.

I was unhappy with the way the CA handled things and I relieved him of his duties.  I immediately resolved the situation and we began offering legal courses the following month.

I have publicly posted on several websites about this situation and asked that if anyone feels they were cheated in some way that they should contact me directly or contact the BBB.

Can’t you just contact the course participants directly through their contact details and offer everyone a refund or whatever?

The accusation was not about one specific course.  (more…)

Candidate number one

Involves me, and Paul Lowe’s threats to sue me for never mentioning him on my blog (!?) or something, still can’t quite work it out. “Bizarro!” as TESall.com put it. I thought, what the hell if I’m going down might as well go down with a fight and show some people power and so started an I Am Spartacus campaign to tell everyone in TEFL what had happened. Messes the story up a bit that it was all bluster and he never did sue me, and that every blog he wrote to saying I shouldn’t be allowed to comment on there because I was guilty of a “hate campaign” (along with UsingEnglish.com, whose apparent crime was publishing my grammar game worksheets) just ignored him. So, not sure this one wins, although it did all take a break after online rumours (still unconfirmed) of a suicide attempt…

Candidate number two

-involves Bruce Veldhuisen’s TEFL International and their one time guarantee of academic standards IATQUO. Or not, as some kind of feud goes on to this day with them each accusing the other of being unprofessional and worse, which kind of makes you wonder about the judgement of the other side for choosing to ever doing business with them, doesn’t it? It’s got the usual recipe of anonymous blogs set up by people who slag others off for doing just that and bringing people’s family into it, but still not sure it quite takes the championship.

Candidate number three

This is more like it. TEFL Watch turns into an anti-TEFL International slag fest, with needless to say Brucey’s side not keeping out of it. Then, in a twist worthy of Dallas (or at least Neighbours), an ex-forum moderator becomes the accuser in chief of the management of the site because he suddenly decides that Bruce V and his crew and being treated unfairly, eventually driving the owner of TEFL Watch to give the whole thing up and start writing about healthy grilling with George Foreman. Nice and juicy, that one, and haven’t even mentioned the allegations of having to flee the country for their personal safety. Could still be the greatest TEFL soap opera of all time, but let’s see how the last candidate plays out-

Candidate number four

Can the anonymous blogger throwing accusations about Sandy MacManus uncover Sandy’s real identity and so stop him being an anonymous blogger throwing accusations about? And how does threatening to make him lose his job in the Middle East help with that? Or has Sandy already uncovered “Michael Flynn“? And what script writer is being paid for melodramatic twists like death threats? And why would Paul Lowe, the chief suspect, go from repeatedly claiming to the police that he has never commented on any blog let alone started one of his own to suddenly tell the police where that blog with the death threat and many of his bizarre comments is?

Votes for one of the four or other candidates below please:

Recently stumbled upon a few blogs on this subject due to them linking to me (hint hint), and here they are:

The Pain in Spain (the earliest posts are the best for getting an overview of teaching in Madrid)

A Small Flaking White House in Lost Spain (doesn’t have quite enough stuff about teaching to make typing that name out more than once in full worthwhile, but what I’ve read I’ve liked, so try browsing a relevant category or two):

Teaching English in Spain

And, unusually for a readable blog, the Academia’s point of view: (more…)