Category Archives: Dodgy TEFL school owners

Does better pay really lead to better teaching?

Posted on 15/09/2009 by alexcase

I’m not talking about schools offering better pay and therefore being able to recruit better teachers, because if the whole industry got the standards that we occasionally demand that wouldn’t work. What I want to discuss is a school giving its … Continue reading →

Posted in CPD, Dodgy TEFL school owners, Job security, Teaching English in Korea, Teaching English in the Middle East, TEFL, TEFL pay | 26 Comments

The other side of Oxford Street

Posted on 16/06/2009 by alexcase

A guest piece by “Holden Coalfield” “‘No thanks’, I said to the leafleter who offered me and everyone else a flyer for an English school as I walked out of Oxford Circus tube into this crowded and surprisingly tacky centre … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative teaching techniques, Cambridge Delta, CELTA, Dodgy TEFL school owners, ELT management, finding good TEFL jobs, first TEFL job, Job security, Learner motivation, Oxford Street schools, Teacher training, TEFL, TEFL career planning, TEFL certificate, TEFL in the UK, TEFL qualifications, TEFL scams, TEFL working conditions | Tagged | 6 Comments

Letter from a reader- DoSs as a sociological curiosity

Posted on 12/05/2009 by alexcase

“Hi Alex, I am currently researching the TEFL industry from a sociological perspective, and notice that you seem to be quite prominent in discussing the more social phenomena of the industry on blogs, etc. As someone who has been involved … Continue reading →

Posted in Becoming a Director of Studies, Dodgy TEFL school owners, ELT management, Teaching English Abroad, TEFL career planning, TEFL scams | 6 Comments

A bit of TEFL justice

Posted on 08/05/2009 by alexcase

Paul Lowe and his former sidekick Ashley Arnold have been given fines, community service and (for Paul) a suspended sentence for the notorious time when Windsor Schools took money off students for a Trinity TESOL course knowing full well that … Continue reading →

Posted in British Council accreditation, Cambridge ESOL, CELTA, Dodgy TEFL courses, Dodgy TEFL school owners, Teacher training, TEFL, TEFL certificate, TEFL in the UK, TEFL qualifications, TEFL scams, TEFL villains- Paul Lowe, Trinity, Trinity CertTESOL, Windsor Schools, Windsor TEFL | 7 Comments

An interview with Bruce V of TEFL International Part 5

Posted on 14/04/2009 by alexcase

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, … Continue reading →

Posted in Bruce Veldhuisen, Cambridge ESOL, CELTA, Dave Sperling's ESL Cafe, Dodgy TEFL courses, Dodgy TEFL school owners, Teacher forums, Teacher training, Teaching English Abroad, Teaching English in Thailand, TEFL, TEFL celebs/ TEFL heroes and villains, TEFL certificate, TEFL chains, TEFL forums, TEFL International, TEFL qualifications, TEFL scams, TEFL School Reviews, TEFLwatch, Trinity, Trinity CertTESOL | Tagged | 9 Comments

TEFL jobs glossary

Posted on 08/04/2009 by alexcase

“Enthusiastic” = Will work split shifts without complaint “Energetic” = Won’t get sick just because of a lot of work and lack of holidays “Passionate” = Will act like a clown in kids’ classes to make up for a complete … Continue reading →

Posted in Cambridge ESOL, CELTA, Dodgy TEFL school owners, finding good TEFL jobs, first TEFL job, TEFL career planning, TEFL certificate, TEFL qualifications, TEFL scams | 8 Comments

Bruce Veldhuisen of TEFL International Interview Part 4

Posted on 17/01/2009 by alexcase

Or do I mean part 40? Anyhow, this was basically completed months ago, but did nag Bruce into answering a couple of extra questions that had occured to me since and got his reply last week. I still think there are … Continue reading →

Posted in Bruce Veldhuisen, Cambridge ESOL, Dodgy TEFL courses, Dodgy TEFL school owners, IATQUO, Teacher training, Teaching English Abroad, Teaching English in Thailand, TEFL, TEFL celebs/ TEFL heroes and villains, TEFL certificate, TEFL International, TEFL qualifications, TEFL scams | Tagged | 108 Comments

Bruce Veldhuisen interview Part Three- TEFL and TI update

Posted on 17/11/2008 by alexcase

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 … Continue reading →

Posted in Bruce Veldhuisen, Dodgy TEFL courses, Dodgy TEFL school owners, links, Teacher forums, Teacher training, Teaching English Abroad, Teaching English in Asia, Teaching English in Thailand, TEFL, TEFL blacklist, TEFL blogs, TEFL certificate, TEFL heroes- Sandy McManus, TEFL International, TEFL qualifications, TEFL scams, TEFL Tradesman, TEFLtrade, TEFLwatch | Tagged | 50 Comments

New anti-TEFL scam Facebook group

Posted on 17/10/2008 by alexcase

Nice to see some kind of variation on the TEFL blacklist model- the change in technology makes the repetition of the same old complaints slightly less tedious for a while. I predict it will all end in tears. You can … Continue reading →

Posted in Dodgy TEFL courses, Dodgy TEFL school owners, links, Online TEFL certificate, Teacher training, Teaching English Abroad, TEFL career planning, TEFL certificate, TEFL chains, TEFL qualifications, TEFL scams | 5 Comments

The greatest TEFL soap opera?

Posted on 02/10/2008 by alexcase

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 … Continue reading →

Posted in Bruce Veldhuisen, Dodgy TEFL courses, Dodgy TEFL school owners, ELT World, Grammar games, IATQUO, links, Teacher forums, Teaching English in Thailand, TEFL blogs, TEFL celebs/ TEFL heroes and villains, TEFL certificate, TEFL heroes- Sandy McManus, TEFL in the UK, TEFL International, TEFL qualifications, TEFL scams, TEFL School Reviews, TEFL villains- Paul Lowe, TEFLtrade, TEFLwatch, Usingenglish, Windsor TEFL | Tagged | 8 Comments