Looking For A Teaching Holiday?

[fatter than harry]

As some may know I'm living in China now, running a new 5 star resort. We have 1500 staff all in need of English training. We've put together training courses for the frontline staff but it's such a monumental task that we have decided to set up an English Training department. I'm looking for 4 teachers, 2 of which would be expats. Good package, visas and all food included. We have 3 dedicated classrooms. I'll give you a time schedule and some hotel content that I'd like included, but pretty much it's down to you to tell me how you can best train my staff to not run away when a farang speaks to them (I've tried tying them down, they still break free)

Mandarin is very bloody handy, but not a must, the other two teachers who will help you will be local.

I'm looking for positive people who are up for a challenge and can lead by themselves, lilly-livered, weak kneed, lead by the hand shy boys need not apply.

Contract is 12 months but am happy to do 6 months and extend if both parties are having a ball. Uniform can be provided, I haven't decided exactly yet - but the grade you'll be working in comes with a pink jacket, so maybe you just want to bring your own shirt and ties, unless you're into pink

Airfare will be refunded upon arrival, if you complete the 12 months we'll fly you back.

There's not so many boozing opportunites where we are, and it'll be hard graft, but your students are young graduates, mostly very willing to learn and it will be rewarding (I've already found that out)

PM me for more info or email [email protected]

Thai related only in that I'm offering expat Thai teachers a chance for a 6 - 12 month break from Thailand - Apologies, but I immediately thought of you lot when we made this decision

[The_Moog]

What's the pay?

<Don't say what I think you're going to say!!>

[Ijustwannateach]

You might also mention if there's any chance at all these positions can be extended further, if someone likes it- a 12 month stint is not (IMHO) going to be enough, even with the best program, staff, and intentions, to get anything like fluency- even limited, situational fluency- going in your institution. Your target should really be more of a 5-year plan, with ongoing refresher/enrichment classes- plus someone's going to have to keep training the new hires as you get staff turnover.

Some advice:

1. Make the lessons part of the shift time of your employees. If you make them go "voluntarily" after hours they'll resent it, be tired and unfocussed, and not take them seriously. This may mean you need to hire more employees to cover the extra hours. Do so.

2. Come up with a testing regime based on spoken fluency and comprehension, and group the employee classes according to this regime- even if it means there's only one student in some of your classes, or that a department manager is in the same class as one of the maids. The worst problems in corporate TEFL come from poorly mixed levels.

3. Base your program on real situations in the hotel. Schedule classes in real hotel locations if possible, involving types of encounters that might really occur. Keep one of your residential rooms reserved on any given business day as a "TEFL training room."

If you'd caught me just 1.5 years ago, I might've jumped at the chance, but I'm pretty happy where I am now...

[fatter than harry]

Thanks for the advice Steven. It might well evolve into something more than a year, we've already decided to build one hour of training into the working schedule and the results achieved so far have been exceptional. Dead right about getting the right mix of student levels.

As we're just starting out with this English Training department, I'd appreciate any more tips any of you have, regardless of wanting the job, tell me how I can make the best enviroment for my teachers and students and the beers are on me next time I'm in BKK

The Moog, PM me for salary details.

Cheers!

Edited September 1, 2005 by fatter than harry