Magister
- 2012-10-23
I agree with several points you make about the goals and ideology that ef have towards education. On the surface They are quite good but in reality they are not achieved within individual centres or by individual teachers around china. I wrote a similar post at the beginning of this year.
http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgi-bin/review/index.pl?page=1;read=42891
In my opinion many of these ideals are all just for cosmetic appearance as opposed to having any real substance.
EF's primary objective is expansion (30-40 new centres a year) and it's resources are all being pointed towards achieving this. There was a poster last week who described the situation at EF corporate schools in a list of pros and cons. Some people labelled him an EF lackey but if you read one of his complaints it was that the new curriculum (the same courses that I praised) was not rolled out properly and this was in a non-franchise school in Guangzhou. If they can't implement them in these schools what hope do you suppose they have of doing it in the franchise schools which they don't directly manage? In these instances it's really just pot luck as to whether any of these lofty goals make it down to individual teachers and the students who have paid for the course. Unfortunately, Their own policies have put short to medium term expansion ahead or medium to long term improvements in education. Until that changes they will continue to see the same sort of problems that are posted here on a monthly basis.
englishgibson
- 2012-10-22
SM, teaching and writing course books are two different things. Supporting teachers is yet another one. In an "Oral English" appointment (especially isolated one), it more likely is possibile to "create", and I can see that happening at unis where students are more often at the elementary or intermediate levels. However, if the school/center has a standard program with goals to be achieved, I don't see why you would disagree with me. Perhaps, it's that eslteachersboard syndrome; blindly bash all language training centers, especially EF.
As for EF course books, suplementary material, equipment and DoS support, they've got plenty more than a lot of other farce establishments around this country and that's the fact. You can keep on posting your deviating pieces of work, but the fact is that instead of helping FTs you are serving all the incompetent schools and language centers on mainland China.
Having said that above, the truth is that EF has been incapable to carry out its mission and to support its FTs, and that's why I have begun my negative postings about them before. The point, however, is that it has had a blue print which so many others did not bother at all.
Cheers and beers to blind bashing that takes boards to pointless reading rooms
San Migs
- 2012-10-21
If you know EF first hand and if you know China so well as you claim, you will know that there are scores of schools/centers with little or nothing in a sense of course books, supplementary material or any other support to offer to FTs who have had to become more and more creative for the same or less money than before
A teacher should be able to create his own materials. And at a public job, no FT should need to rely on the school for that. EF's crappy materials, give teachers no freedom, I am sure turnoi will agree.
It is not about knowing China, but knowing what EF is, and we don't need to know about them first hand, because we don't work for them and never will@!
englishgibson
- 2012-10-21
Doctor, stop deflecting! If you know EF first hand and if you know China so well as you claim, you will know that there are scores of schools/centers with little or nothing in a sense of course books, supplementary material or any other support to offer to FTs who have had to become more and more creative for the same or less money than before. The local suprevisors/managers/directors cocky trend that they know English and how to teach it to their students well enough has been putting a lot of obstacles in FTs work. Like I've said (but you've not followed), EF has provided a lot more than many other schools/centers on mainland China. Too bad, they've wanted to do it all their own way and that's been the problem. Again, cut off your EF first hand or whatever you're deluding this debate with!
Cheers and beers to mainland caterers :LOL