I know you want to seem supportive to Ida, but you are incorrect about most things. Teachers are checked for their credentials and when I taught at Yangzhou Web, it had an Australian who had a Masters, a British man who was writing a book, and had graduated from the London School of Economics, and I have a Masters in Education and a teaching credential from the state of CA in Social Science. I had been a career teacher since 1994. Not all have the educational credentials that I did, but most of the teachers are intensely informed and work hard. One of the teachers at Yangzhou Web was from the US Army and so I don't think he graduated from college, but was in the army for over 20 years since high school in Kentucky. But, nonetheless, he was considered effective with students and popular also.

However, the Shanghai Web schools that I worked at were better than the Yangzhou school. Again, it was not because of the teachers, or that these are 'pretend' schools; in fact, many students love Web so much that after their first contract is over, they pay to be a member in any capacity for far more than a year. This is simply because they are so happy with the environment, and because they learn English. I have seen so many students go from little English to fluency and from jobs in Chinese companies, to jobs they wanted in international foreign companies.

Sure, everyone on here wants to put in their two cents to seem wise and discriminating, but you might need to experience it before such harsh and offensive statements. Sure, NOT everyone who works for Web, or English First, or Wall Street English is qualified as a teacher before applying, but they must show a copy of their university degree to get the job. However, these schools are generally MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE than a standard university class/course with 30 students, etc. This is personalized and intensive curriculum, in which the teachers get to know you personally and make review notes about your lesson and progress after EVERY private lesson they have with you. These schools work well if there are good and hard working teachers, and much faster language development than a normal college course.

I don't want to debate it, but I am suggesting that some of the comments on here about "shitty pretend schools," are lacking maturity and experience working in the facility. Moreover, I will re-iterate that there are three major companies competing in China: EF, Wall Street and Web, and students look for price range and teachers styles that they prefer. This market is successful, but Yangzhou was not a well managed center. I worked there, and know well what the problems were, so please stop trying to paint all schools such as this as ineffective or worse; that seems impressively skeptical or cynical, but it is generally very untruthful.

The problems at the Yangzhou Web revolved heavily around the favoritism and oppressiveness of management, starting with Tracy and then going to two others; Jessica, the HR manager and Cherry, the Education Manager, all Chinese. All had confrontations with foreign teachers that were restrictive and teachers considered it to detract from their teaching plans. As I said, Tutors advised students to speak Chinese with them in the office, which is the opposite of their policy everywhere else in China. I was happy to leave there and when I worked in Shanghai, the situation was the opposite. Many Shanghai students stay as paid members of Web for years, spending money from their family finances, etc. Why, because they get to know the teachers and love them, and we do all that we can for them. I was taken out to dinner many times by my students, but I also helped them with their resumes, essays, PPTs, and job interviews. They are overall great schools, but some fall short, mainly due to franchise management.