Alex’s suggestions are italicized:

- Form a union and go on strike, first making sure that the school can’t just sack you all and replace you with another boatload of even cheaper teachers.

For my degree I majored in tourism management and consequently spent a lot of time looking at the hospitality and tourism industry, which shares a number of key characteristics with TEFL teaching, namely there are literally a plethora of small and not so small organizations operating in the sector in practically every country of the world; the pay is generally low; staff turnover is high compared to other industries; there is little if any trade union representation; there are many transient workers trying to pick up casual work literally wherever they can find it. If that paints an unkind picture of our profession, I think you’ll agree it’s not far from the truth. The problems of having low pay and no union representation coupled with a burgeoning workforce willing to take whatever work they can find leads to a catch 22: Why improve conditions if you don’t have to? If one teacher isn’t happy, get rid of them and hire another. What we have at the language school level of the industry (I like to separate the words industry and profession and will further make the distinction as I continue) is a proliferation of poor standards brought on as much by the teachers willing to take poorly paid jobs as those running schools who offer such rates of pay.

So, how to form a union and begin the end of this? Would this union operate in one country? Would it cross international barriers and somehow overcome the myriad differences in local employment laws across the world? Which government departments would be involved in fighting for the rights of a largely foreign group of workers, many of whom have been employed illegally with unenforceable contracts? How would you get the large, transient element, who are merely looking for a little pocket money while traveling from country to country with no intention of staying in TEFL in the long run, to adhere to the policies that would help solve the problem? As with the hospitality industry, there are many barriers to overcome before a union can even be envisaged.

- Embarrass or in other ways ruin the business of schools that pay badly.

In the same way that Tony Soprano and his mafia buddies wouldn’t have taken kindly to a group of strippers trying to mess with his strip club, the undesirables that own language schools will not take kindly to such behaviour. There is an incredible amount of money to be made from teaching English and where there’s an incredible amount of money to be made you’ll have characters who like making an incredible amount of money. If you intend to take this course of action, try to find out exactly who you’re dealing with and who they’re connected to. This can be an effective short-term strategy, but do not end up as part of a motorway overpass as a result of your actions, nor assume that the authorities will back you up. Where there’s an incredible amount of money to be made, there are also people being paid to look the other way by a bunch of evil bastards.

- Cut down on the supply of TEFL teachers going to private language schools, e.g. by using TEFL forums and articles in newspapers back home to persuade as many people as possible (especially underqualified ones who will really undercut us) to think again, by refusing to be a teacher trainer for new teachers, by setting up an organisation to help TEFL teachers find other jobs, or by all becoming freelance.

I heartily agree with this one. Word of mouth is the one weapon we have at our disposal that could truly make a difference. My loathing of the Dave’s ESL café job discussion forums is well documented and stems from the fact that the bugger had the golden opportunity to use his heavily trafficked forums for the greater good of the TEFL profession. He didn’t: he censored the forums beyond belief to the point that no one can share any useful information or offer advice. I’m not alone in trying to redress the balance. As far as freelancing goes, I’ve recently written on the subject and will address it again zoon as it is the preeminent way to make big money in this profession.

- Persuade TEFL course providers to think more carefully about pay when recommending jobs to their “graduates”.

This is a point that could be immediately resolved. I was flat out told that I would be living the life of a pauper when I did my CELTA. This is basically one small but complicit link in the chain. Is it wrong to hope that course providers could offer more support in this way?

- Set up schools based on the principle of well paid teachers being worth the investment (as a partnership, cooperative etc if you prefer) in the hope that it works and puts the badly paid schools out of business or makes them try to steal your business model.

What if it doesn’t work? Whose income, future and livelihood are we ruining here? If we’re talking about teachers setting up schools, it can work and I’ve seen some very successful examples. I’ve also seen people hounded out of business and been the recipients of death threats from the mafia who don’t want a better school cutting into the profits of their cowboy operation.

- Persuade our students and prospective students that well paid teachers (usually meaning more expensive lessons) are worth it and teach them how to find the right ones, e.g. by writing newspaper articles on the topic (probably in their L1).

A lot of students would really go for this and the lessons wouldn’t have to necessarily be more expensive. It would mean language school owners, I include the big guns like Berlitz and IT here, seeing the value of guaranteeing repeat custom from satisfaction gained from having a good, motivated teacher. What I’ve seen happen too often is the introduction of a pay scale based on experience and qualifications, followed by the non-renewal of contract / firing under flimsy pretences of the most experienced teachers. Believe me, I’ve worked in places where no one in the history of the organization has come anywhere near reaching the top of the pay scale. Bloody sneaky if you ask me.

- Persuade governments or accrediting agencies to set national minimum wages for teachers in private language schools.

This sounds great in theory, but if they aren’t even able to make sure that the people working in these schools have the proper work visas, resident permits, etc., how are they going to guarantee minimum wage?

I’m not finished yet and will be adding my two-penneth worth to the rest of Alex’s suggestions in the coming days, and explaining why there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Stay tuned.

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By way of providing a balanced perspective, I strongly recommend anyone who read that article to also read this.

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Unfortunately there has never been one single regulatory body for the TEFL industry. Right now there are numerous TEFL schools springing up everywhere, all claiming that their course is better than the rest or, that they offer the most accredited TEFL certificate. It can be a daunting task trying to select the right TEFL course in a minefield of choices. So how can you tell the good from the bad?The answer is actually quite simple. Don’t overlook the obvious!

Here are the 5 things to look out for when choosing a TEFL course……

1. How Does The Website Look?

Is it professional looking, well organised? If a TEFL organization cannot organise a website properly then you can’t really expect them to organize a four week TEFL course!

2. Spelling & Grammar

I’m always amazed at the numerous spelling and grammar errors on many TEFL websites. Do you really think these TEFL schools are capable of training you to be an English teacher?

3. Criticizing Competitors to Win Customers

This is common practice for many cowboy schools who struggle to get enough students to fill their empty courses. They usually ask if you’re looking at any other TEFL schools and once you mention a name, they discredit them claiming the certificate isn’t accredited, or something along those lines.

Any reputable organization will focus on the features/benefits of their own course and won’t directly criticize their competitors or get involved in a slanging match.

4. The TEFL Trainers Experience

A good trainer usually means a good course. Ask for details of the trainers experience and qualifications. Get some telephone numbers or email addresses of previous candidates and contact them for feedback.

5. How Many Students Attend Each TEFL Course

Any more than 16 is far too many. Many international TEFL courses have 30+ students on each course, which is one reason why they’re so cheap. You cannot possibly receive quality TEFL training in such a large group of students. You Get What You Pay For!

So what about the actual TEFL certificate?

A Word of Warning; Weekend TEFL certificates may be a good introduction to TEFL but they are no longer accepted for teaching Jobs in most countries, especially now in Thailand.

The term ‘Accredited‘ is used freely but it holds little essence. Most employers will expect you to have around 100 hours of classroom instruction and 6 hours of observed teaching practice with real students under your belt. They will prefer to see how you perform in a classroom and so the type of certificate you have isn’t always that important to them.

Make sure you choose a reputable TEFL course which has at least 6 hours of observed teaching practice with real students This will give you the confidence to walk into a roomful of expectant faces and not run out again screaming!

Good Luck!

About the Author

Lisa Walker has extensive experience teaching English as a foreign language throughout Asia. Based in Thailand, Lisa works as a freelance Education Consultant for a number of TEFL schools around the world. Feel free to contact Lisa with any comments or suggestions at: http://www.worldteflschool.com

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I’m not sure who the chap in the ad is but he dosen’t look like a TEFL teacher, does he? In case you forgot that this is a TEFL related site (based in the same part of California as dear old Dave Sperling as I discovered from my extensive research), register now and be in with a chance to win a whopping great big $10 (!) prize as the person who refers the most new site members.

Let’s give it a chance and see what happens.

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The topic of ESL or EFL job sites as the cause of the tefl world’s woes comes up every now and again. Should job sites take responsibility for screening job ads? Should they remove them if there are complaints? And are they responsible for the proliferation of “lemon” EFL jobs if they don’t?

The moral of this post, I suppose, is that I don’t agree that job sites somehow play an accomplice role to schools from the dark side – keep your wits about you when searching and use more than one site. Think hard about accepting a job in any form other than in person, and check out the questions to ask at an interview while you’re at it.
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Given the recent tragic events in Korea, I felt this was a pertinent time to revisit this issue. A lot of you who read the blog also frequent the forums and are therefore are familiar with the reasons why I set up the forums. Basically, I was disgusted with the way that another forum, Dave’s ESL Cafe, conducted its business. Let me explain…

While I agree with certain points that Katie raised, namely that 1) it’s impossible to screen schools effectively if you‘re accepting paid adverts from all around the world, and 2) any complaints made by teachers are always going to be purely subjective (yes, sometimes teachers ARE in the wrong) and not entirely reliable, I believe that TEFL jobs sites could raise the bar significantly and easily and indeed become more profitable in the process.

Let me return to the dear old ESL Cafe; the main culprit in this sorry business. Dave’s ESL Cafe remains an incredibly popular resource among the TEFL community, indeed, it was suggested to me as a source for finding job openings way back when I did my CELTA. The number of job openings advertised on the site is remarkable and a huge source of income for those running the site (I’ve heard rumours that Dave Sperling no longer runs things – please confirm). What disgusted me, eventually causing me to set up ELT World, was (and continues to be) the practice of censoring any information about bad schools that were paying advertisers. Katie made a good point about bad schools merely slithering around attempts to name and shame them, but when you’re actively promoting a policy of denying people who use your website access to information that would enable them to make a better decision about whether or not to take a job, you’re effectively working in partnership with the cowboys: by condoning their practices, you are to blame for their behaviour. Are other sites as shoddy in their approach as the ESL Café? Maybe. What’s for sure is that this isn’t helping to improve our industry/profession and is, sadly as we’ve recently seen, may be putting people’s lives at risk.

I don’t know the details of Bill Kapoun’s contract, who arranged his accommodation or how he got his job, but this case highlights the fact that too many places are not treating TEFL teachers with the respect that should be accorded to any human being.

So, are ESL job sites to blame for unsavory schools? No, these places wil exist as long as human greed remains. However, the blatant, greed-fueled encouragement that unscrupulous businesses receive from the likes of Dave’s ESL café definitely ain’t helping matters.

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‘I recently read an article about bullies in the workplace which reported that 1 in 6 people surveyed had been bullied by someone at work. While some countries have laws protecting employees against verbal or physical abuse, few people who get stuck in such a situation know what to do.’

Take part in the survey here.

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The site itself is a pretty useful resource, with information for those thinking about TEFL, as well as the following regular columns:

Destination TEFL

TEFLers around the World

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So, it seems we’re all in it for the money. Can that really be true? Here were some of the comments left on the forum:

Money

TheLongWayHome, ‘I would whore it up for the money, cold and hard. The more money, the more whoring I’ll do… and if I can whore myself from home, so much the better.’

Guy Courchesne, ‘It would take an enormous amount of money to get me to leave this job, but it would have to be in Mexico City.’

Lozwich, ‘Through hard experience, I’ve decided to never again take or stay in a job for the money. Yes, I’m a self-involved little Gen X-er, but it’s all about job satisfaction for me. Nice money helps, but it’s far from my main motivation these days.’

Gaijinalways, ‘Money is a factor, but more intellectual stimulation would be a big one, as well as more control over what texts and content I get to focus on (some of this would be related to the ‘real’ language levels of the students).’

Qatarchic, ‘Ironically, I recently took my present job because of the higher salary and better teaching hours. Now, I’d be looking at professional development. But to be honest I am looking to head to a new region in the world because I am getting tired of the Gulf.’

Boredom

Bindair Dundat, ‘Lately I’ve found myself getting into heated debates about whether the Landmark interchange will ever be completely open, and ruminating philosophically about when the new Carrefour will be truly ready for business, if ever.’

All of the above

Justme, ‘When I left English course-world for uni prep-world, it was for all of those reasons, plus the appeal of having students who were considered more as students than as customers. When I applied to change unis, it was for more money and professional development, plus better, more serious students who I could actually teach using interesting approaches and lessons rather than spending my time on discipline and keeping their heads above water for the exams.’

Denise, ‘For me it’d have to be a combination of factors. I’d look at the overall package. A better salary might not be enough to lure me away if it meant working in an undesirable location or having crappy work conditions (hours, facilities–whatever). Right now I’ve got a balance of good and bad, but an increase in any one of the “good” factors wouldn’t necessarily be enough unless I could be certain that the “bad” factors wouldn’t also increase. I want it all!’

Dixie, ‘For me, the top three are the big ones for sure. However, right now, it would be more about time (and in relation distance). I waste too much time getting to and from work. Also, my daily hours are longer than my previous job, for the same pay (and less holidays!). So, I am still trying to come to terms with that. However, the job and the people are certainly a hell of a lot better now than before!’

Canuck, ‘Assuming you’re moving from one stable school to another, I think money, better hours, number of teaching hours, working environment and holidays all play a factor, but for me, stability/security are number 1.’

MELEE, ‘It would have to offer me all three of first three choices. Better hours wouldn’t be hard to find, but it would have to offer the other two as well.’

Experience of other cultures

Qatarchic, ‘I just want to experience living in another culture- am 32 and want to make the most of life.’

Lozwich, ‘New country would be my first choice too… sometimes you just want to have a change of scenery. “New country!! New country!!”

Bindair Dundat, ‘In places where the money isn’t so hot, most foreigners are there because they want to be or, better yet, because something inside them compels them.’

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