Category Archives: Eikaiwa

Is a good teacher really a good investment?

Posted on 08/11/2007 by alexcase

Amongst the doom and gloom that is the Lets Japan blog since the collapse of Nova became fact and there became nothing left to speculate about, comes possibly the only glimmer of hope that doesn’t involve thousands of refugee teachers … Continue reading →

Posted in Nova, Teaching English Abroad, Teaching English in Asia, Teaching English in Japan, TEFL, TESOL | 4 Comments

What can we all learn from Nova?

Posted on 31/10/2007 by alexcase

Although Nova (not long ago the dominant presence in conversation schools in Japan) might still manage to save itself, I can imagine there are many teachers who are now wishing they were no longer working or had never worked for … Continue reading →

Posted in Nova, Teaching English Abroad, Teaching English in Asia, Teaching English in Japan | 4 Comments

The very newest news on Nova- SuperNOVA turns into a black hole

Posted on 26/10/2007 by alexcase

Anyone who has been following the death throes of the pink bunny surely know by now that Nova has gone belly up, but I think I will be ahead of everyone else with this news report: The Education Ministry has … Continue reading →

Posted in Nova, Teaching English in Japan | 4 Comments

Stranded Australians

Posted on 21/10/2007 by alexcase

The Australian press continue to give more coverage to the collapsing Nova story than even newspapers in Japan. I confidently predict that the next publication to cover the story will be the London Evening Standard, worried that the oversupply of … Continue reading →

Posted in Nova, Teaching English in Asia, Teaching English in Japan, TESOL | Leave a comment

No no, no no no no no, no no no no no, there's no Nova*

Posted on 16/10/2007 by alexcase

About the only good news in the fading away of Nova (the MacDonalds of English conversation Eikaiwa schools in Japan) is that the Japanese press seem to be working themselves up to a wolf-like group decision that Mr Monkeybridge (Sahashi-san), … Continue reading →

Posted in Nova, TEFL | Leave a comment

Even newer new Nova news

Posted on 13/10/2007 by alexcase

As if in a deliberate attempt to prove the straight talking Aussie stereotype, Australian Foreign Affairs minister Alexander Downer has decided he knows what we were all wondering about, that Nova is about to go down the toilet. Well, having … Continue reading →

Posted in Nova | Leave a comment

TEFL Insider Part Six- Nova and the CELTA

Posted on 07/10/2007 by alexcase

To prove that I am capable of not only the idle speculation of the average post on this blog (but then, isn’t that what a blog is for?) but also of getting down and dirty in the trenches of TEFL, … Continue reading →

Posted in Cambridge ESOL, CELTA, links, Nova, Teacher forums, Teacher training, Teaching English in Japan, TEFL, TEFL certificate, TEFL scams, TESOL | 1 Comment

Nova goes supernova as the world looks on

Posted on 29/09/2007 by alexcase

First of all, I should point out that a supernova sounds like a good thing (Oasis song and all), but actually it is a giant explosion that swallows up a solar system, so not really something a language school should … Continue reading →

Posted in Nova, TESOL | Leave a comment

TEFL Insider Part Five- NOVA no va?

Posted on 24/09/2007 by alexcase

NOVA is the biggest chain of English teaching school in Japan, or at least it still is as of today. All the data and rumourss seem to be suggesting, though, that they could well shortly be living up to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Nova, Teaching English in Japan, TEFL, TESOL | Leave a comment

Back to the future in Japan

Posted on 27/06/2007 by alexcase

A sumo wrestler was demoted in the last rankings for driving a car, which is against the rules of the sumo association. Seeing as there would be logistical problems with them trying to ride a horse or be dragged along in one … Continue reading →

Posted in Eikaiwa, Teaching English in Japan, Technology | 2 Comments