Zebra3
- 2011-02-22
Jiangsu people aren't so bad. Certainly better than many others I meet from different provinces (although I haven't really traveled too extensively, if I'm totally honest.)
To contribute to this thread, Jiangsu Webs are falling apart. They all seem to be on a steady downward spiral that, even with the opening additional branches in a misguided believe this will revive fortunes, will not stop this company from losing a steady stream of big name corporate clients and students. To be fair, I can't speak for the entire Web organization, but certainly within Jiangsu, it certainly seems to be profit before reputation and quality.
A few students, out of the hundreds we have currently demanding their money back at the branch I work for, were actually told by one of the senior managers [quote:] "You don't need a professional teacher. Why should a foreign teacher need qualifications or experience?" But, that's Web. We've got your money and no amount of complaining to Shanghai HQ is going to change anything.
Oldtimer
- 2010-12-27
My criticisms are solely aimed at most of the branches in Jiangsu Province,......
It has recently been said on here that JiANGSU CHINESE are the most unfriendly and arrogant people in China. My experience of the few Jiangsuers I've taught outside that province confirms that to some extent. However, one shouldn't tar them all with the same brush. That said, I have no desire to teach in the more developed parts of the country. They're not the real China. Don't forget that developed places in China and big Chinese cities have their negatives as well as their positives!
As for Web, it's a training center, a dirty word as far as I'm concerned - teaching at any Chinese training center is bad news, too many horror stories to risk it for a biscuit!
"Avoid the training centers" or so the advice often goes. The list seems to be long and distinguished. Web International English is a well deserved addition to this growing list, but only certain branches. My criticisms are solely aimed at most of the branches in Jiangsu Province, most of which, but not all, operate as shell companies. I wasn't prepared for what confidential meetings recently had to say about Web's current business strategy, but I was even more shocked at information communicated in confidence to me regarding the treatment of foreign teachers and students.
Web's business philosophy is nothing more than grabbing as much money as it can without a care about delivering any kind of standard in quality or service. I have sat in class too many times and listened to the complaints of too many students in the last year about Web. It's normal in any language organization for a few students to ask for their money back because they know when they're being deceived, but when a sizable majority express their dissatisfaction or refuse to attend any more of their classes, then something is seriously wrong.
The advice and suggestions of a talented and skilled teaching team is constantly ignored. Management's attitude seems always to focus on how much money they can prize out of gullible people and
Foreign teachers are not treated any better with high turnover rates and difficulties recruiting newcomers, other than drifters who wander in looking for easy work, or lost souls so desperate to escape a company worse than Web, that they'll accept work anywhere."once they've paid, who cares if they learn anything or not."
I do not intend to continue working for training centers any more, but will return to work for more professional organizations. I cannot speak for the whole Web company, but avoid the branches in Jiangsu.