SCHOOLS AND RECRUITERS REVIEWS
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Muncher - 2012-11-12
In response to Re: Wall Street English, China (PONY TONY)

This is an internal email sent by a departing WSE executive last week: Trust me - as an ex-WSE Beijing employee - it's all true. So very true.

Without Prejudice
Dear Friends and Colleagues

As I am leaving the company I wish to leave you all a small gift which will hopefully aid you in your elicitation classes. I have enclosed an excel file which contains all the discrepancies between our teacher manuals and the student manuals (Flex only). Please see the end of this letter for the key to understanding it.

According to our system, students first learn a piece of language or grammar in the speaking centre, which is then subsequently enforced in the student manual. Then 4 of these "target languages" are tested in an encounter class.

One might have noticed in eliciting certain controlled practices that many students completely fail at giving the required target language. On closer inspection I noticed that on far more occasions than ought to be, the said target language was not present in their student manual.

How could this be, one might ask? Well I joined the company about 2 and a half years ago and all the student manuals were shiny and new. On occasion a slow student would come in and their student manual was different from the shiny new ones. Browsing their work at the beginning of class it was surprising to see that on many occasions the missing "target language" was present in these books. It is easy to see that WSI has revised and reissued the student manuals; they just haven't revised any of the other material that goes with it.

From the foreign trainers point of view, and the whole idea behind "Our Method" is that the speaking centre, the student manual and the encounter class (and maybe the CC classes too, but I haven’t checked) are all in perfect synchronization. I truly believe this is a good way of learning a language. However if it isn't in synchronization, it fails.

When I brought this to the attention of the senior managers they flatly told me there was no problem. The synchronization of student manuals to teacher manuals "remains the same for almost all of it". (Please refer to the included mp3 file; if you don't have speakers I have also included a transcript of that portion of the meeting with myself and an Area Service Director)

This kind of flat denial from a senior manager is quite surprising considering the severity of the problem. This is our core product. If the senior managers of Wall Street English, who would have been teachers or Service Managers at the time the revised student manual was reissued, never noticed such errors, or did notice them but as senior managers never did anything in their power to rectify the problem, one must ask the question of their competence as teachers and therefore as senior managers too because either they don't know our core product or they simply don't care.

My inclination from my time at Wall Street English would be that they don't care:

• On the day of Typhoon Haikui, August 8th, a message was sent out to say that all staff must come to work. It was sent before the typhoon actually hit Shanghai. The Shanghai municipality had issued danger warnings the night before and had advised companies to close and for people to stay off the streets. Wall Street management wanted as many classes taught, my only thought can be to ensure they received their bonuses. This put not only the staff, but also our customers in danger. When I asked the ASD about this he said that lots of other businesses were also open. Unfortunately in China the cost of life is cheap. However we are not a Chinese business and shouldn’t follow such ancient business practices so to price the lives of staff and customers as such I believe is negligent.

• Wall Street Management prides itself on its employee survey. I find it interesting to note that so few people respond to it. With the competition for jobs in China fierce the entire Chinese workforce knows that one simply does not criticize the boss, unless they want to be fired. The problem really is the fact that the survey proclaims it is "anonymous". However to complete the survey one must log into the survey from the email that was sent to your account, enter which centre you work in, which position you work in and for how long. I believe it is very easy to work out which staff member wrote what for their survey, and I believe the workforce knows this too. If management hasn’t realized this I would find this worrying. However in my humble opinion I think they are banking on this fact so that the main workforce will either say nice things about them or will not reply at all. Then upper management can continue to live in the fallacy that they are doing a good job.

• Image is everything. Now I don't disagree that image is important but in Wall Street image is the only thing that matters (even above content). To give two examples, in my centre inside the teacher’s office on one of the computer desks on the inside, a piece of wood laminate was coming away from the desk itself. A small strip that no student or prospective customer would see. However a big hullabaloo was made of it and the centre lost image points on its inspection. On the flip side, during the summer the centre I worked in gets hot. There are no windows and the AC is patchy at best. Over a period of two years fans were requested to be put in some of the teaching rooms and the teachers office, all denied because of centre image. It was ok for the workforce to work and sweat but for a tiny strip of wood laminate to be out of place where no one could see it was a major issue.

• Our health insurance is not real health insurance. It’s a payback scheme. If you are ever unfortunate to get sick beware you must cover all the costs before Wall Street gives you back a dime (2/3 months later, only if you have been to the right hospital). You will be in serious trouble if your own expenses run out before you are fully restored to health or if the ambulance takes you to the wrong hospital. Not only that but the hospital list given to the foreign staff is all in Chinese. Some of the listed hospitals have separate private hospitals within them (usually for foreign patients), which are not covered by the payback scheme. Go to the wrong one and you are out of pocket. I guess this is used to deceive prospective foreign staff, and to save on medical costs when the staff do get sick and go to the wrong hospital.

So here are a few stories I have personally witnessed. People have told me far worse stories which I cannot reproduce here but I urge you, the real life and soul of Wall Street to tell and show Pearson how our senior managers really behave and think.

At the end of the day life is cheap in China; you are expendable. With the recessions of the West Wall Street English can take full advantage of this fact to treat all its workers with the utmost disrespect. The way I see it, one is only important if you hold a senior management position. You, the frontline workers of this company, should write directly to Pearson as complaints to this company will be dismissed and ignored (and if you are unlucky enough, you too will be dismissed).

One might ask the questions why write such an email when I am leaving. Well as I am leaving they cannot fire me for giving a candid account of my time here. But the thing that irks me the most is that when I came to this company I was promised that this company was different; that senior management valued the opinions of its staff; that they cared about what we did. "We are not like EF (a competitor)" he told me as I explained why I had left my last job. I think I would have to agree with that manager’s opinion; Wall Street is not like EF, it is far worse.

So how to improve this company one might ask (my SM always said that I should be constructive). Well apart from fixing the core material (The Milestone and Mastery classes are truly an embarrassment to conduct, partly being they are so out of date); a perception shift must occur; where the most important members of staff in the company are those who work directly with the customers: The FTs and the SAs. We have the technology to get near instantaneous feedback about everyone. However to begin with, the feedback should be between just the customer and their service provider - the SA or FT. If this is failing, then the SM can get involved, but it gives the SA or FT the ability to change their methods based on the needs of the most important person in the whole chain, the customer. All of this can be automated using the computer system.

The computer system and reporting software is woefully out of date. With a more streamlined IT system a lot of time, and therefore money could be saved. Targets should continue but it should be down to the SMs how to achieve those targets instead of the method we use to day which is my (Wall Street upper management’s) way or the high way. This methodology is out of date and doesn't foster creativity or flexibility.

Then, instead of micromanaging everyone, the job of the upper management would be to aid all their SMs for various needs. With better IT you can remove many of the layers of upper management, saving money and cutting the bureaucracy. To sum up quickly the pyramid of power must be turned upside down. Instead of spending all profits on centers with no work licenses or expensive management trips to tropical islands, the money should be spent on improving the system as a whole. Again my naivety probably shows, this course of action of course would be incredibly expensive in the short term and take away the power from those that crave it the most, however instead of taking all the worst practices of a Chinese business (which this management team seems to do) why not take one of their most endearing characteristics - think long term.

I hope this letter will galvanize you, the teachers, the SA's, the receptionist's and the salespeople who work in the centers, to speak out against this company. For many of you, working for a western company was to free yourselves of the tyranny of a Chinese management style which enforced totally compliance and no initiative and thought. Then to start here and to find only the same must be soul crushing. Luckily Wall Street English is owned by a company who wishes to become industry leaders in education. To do that WSE must change the way it thinks and treats its workforce; which will make for a happier workforce; a happier workforce which would work harder without being pushed, to work with pride and this will translate it self to happier customers.

Cure the disease, don't just treat the symptoms.

[edited]
Former Foreign Trainer of Wall Street English China, Shanghai

Key for discrepancies.xls
• Red highlight means this language is not present in that unit in the student manual or Grammar in Action booklet. Don't bother eliciting it
• Green highlight means this language is present only in the Grammar in Action booklet. In the instructions for Grammar in Action we tell students they should complete it only after they have complete the speaking centre, the student manual and the encounter for the corresponding unit.
• Blue highlight means the language is presented in recent previous units, but not in the unit it is being tested on.

Messages In This Thread
Wall Street English, China -- Anonymous -- 2010-04-25
Re Wall Street English, China -- Sam -- 2015-02-15
Re Wall Street English, China -- ShanghaiED -- 2015-02-20
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Lowly Laowai -- 2013-09-16
Wall Street English, China -- Experienced Instructor -- 2012-08-14
Re: Wall Street English, China -- PONY TONY -- 2012-09-20
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Muncher -- 2012-11-12
Re: Wall Street English, China -- WSE SM -- 2014-03-11
Re: Wall Street English, China -- John O'Shei -- 2014-03-12
Re: Wall Street English, China -- WSE SM -- 2016-07-01
Re: Wall Street English, China -- WSE SM -- 2015-08-21
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Wall Street Crash -- 2015-12-23
Re: Wall Street English, China -- WSE SM -- 2016-07-01
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Alexander -- 2016-09-25
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Edmund Trebus -- 2016-09-25
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Eric bearded hermit Freedman -- 2016-07-05
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Eric bearded hermit Freedman -- 2016-07-05
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Eric bearded hermit Freedman -- 2016-07-05
Re: Wall Street English, China -- amused -- 2016-07-01
Re: Wall Street English, China -- San Miguel -- 2016-07-01
Re: Wall Street English, China -- I'm not giving my name ;) -- 2016-04-17
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Wall Street Crash -- 2016-01-06
Re: Wall Street English, China -- WSE SM -- 2016-07-01
Re: Wall Street English, China -- San Migs -- 2015-08-23
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Dragonized -- 2015-08-23
Re: Wall Street English, China -- WSE SM -- 2016-07-01
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Jake -- 2014-03-11
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Wall Street Yuppie -- 2014-03-12
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Jake -- 2014-03-12
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Wall Street Basher -- 2014-03-12
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Jake -- 2014-03-13
Re: Wall Street English, China -- John O'Shei -- 2014-03-13
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Jake -- 2014-03-13
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Banana Hooligan -- 2014-03-13
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Jake -- 2014-03-14
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Banana Hooligan -- 2014-03-14
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Jake -- 2014-03-14
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Banana Hooligan -- 2014-03-14
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Get A Life -- 2014-05-10
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Banana Hooligan -- 2014-05-10
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Get A Life -- 2014-05-10
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Banana Hooligan -- 2014-05-11
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Buzz -- 2014-05-10
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Get A Life -- 2014-05-10
Re: Wall Street English, China -- WSE SM -- 2016-07-01
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Buzz -- 2014-05-11
Really a great place to work for! -- Wall Street Chinglish Insider -- 2014-05-10
Re: Wall Street English, China -- John O'Shei -- 2014-05-10
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Get A Life -- 2014-05-10
Re: Wall Street English, China -- John O'Shei -- 2014-05-11
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Inclusionist -- 2014-03-13
Re: Wall Street English, China -- John O'Shei -- 2014-03-13
Re: Wall Street English, China -- countycircus -- 2014-03-15
Wall Street Fake English, China -- Banana Hooligan -- 2014-03-15
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Jake -- 2014-03-14
Re: Wall Street English, China -- John O'Shei -- 2014-03-12
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Nikki -- 2013-01-02
Re: Wall Street English, China -- happy days -- 2013-01-13
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Nikki -- 2013-01-14
Re: Wall Street English, China -- pONY tONY -- 2012-11-20
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Ex WSE FT -- 2012-11-13
Re: Wall Street English, China is Shonky -- foxy -- 2012-11-12
Re: Wall Street English, China is Shonky -- Insider -- 2012-11-12
Re: Wall Street English, China is Shonky -- foxy -- 2012-11-13
Re: Wall Street English, China is Shonky -- needed a giggle -- 2012-11-12
Re: Thank you! -- Dragonized -- 2012-08-14
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Joe -- 2012-03-31
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Mr Motivator -- 2012-04-29
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Adam -- 2012-07-17
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Mr Motivator -- 2012-07-17
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Adam -- 2012-07-19
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Darren -- 2012-07-17
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Adam -- 2012-07-19
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Dragonized -- 2012-07-19
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Maxi -- 2012-07-17
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Adam -- 2012-07-19
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Dragonized -- 2012-07-17
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Adam -- 2012-07-19
Re: Wall Street English, China -- San Migs -- 2012-07-17
Re: Wall Street English, China -- foxy -- 2012-07-19
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Adam -- 2012-07-19
Re: Wall Street English, China -- Anderson -- 2012-07-20
Re: Wall Street English -- Nick Pellatt -- 2010-09-09
Re: Wall Street English -- englishgibson -- 2010-09-11
Re: Wall Street English -- Sanguine -- 2010-09-20
Re: Wall Street English -- John -- 2011-11-25
Re: Wall Street English -- Nick Pellatt -- 2010-09-12
Re: Wall Street English -- englishgibson -- 2010-09-10
Re: Wall Street English -- baggins -- 2010-09-07
Re: Wall Street English -- englishgibson -- 2010-09-08
Re: Wall Street English -- Dragonized -- 2010-04-25
Re: Wall Street English -- Brooke -- 2012-08-17
Re: Wall Street English -- Dragonized -- 2012-08-19
Re: Wall Street English -- Crap School Spotter -- 2011-06-07
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