Please note this is a repost. This was originally posted in the Teachers Discussion Forum. I think this is more of an appropriate place for it.

I've noticed that there aren't many reviews for this company so as a current employee I thought I would help with that. For any prospective employees I say this: don't join them. For your own sake don't do it. This is their website in case there is any confusion as to which company I'm referring to languagelink.com.cn.

By many standards Language Link is not the worst company out there. They at least pay you on time (although I'm waiting to see if they'll pay out my reimbursements at the end of my contract) but this shouldn't be praised as this is expected.

The major problem comes from poor managerial decisions and poor managers in general. They are the worst combination of controlling, stubborn and ignorant. The level of mistrust poured onto the teaching staff is miserably demoralising and only serves to create a hostile and stressful work environment. Also don't expect to be provided with a laptop (or at least a working one). Do expect that they will make you use your own. Don't even expect to be provided with a printer. There have been teachers who have actually gone to a printing shop and used their own money to print materials. They were not reimbursed.

Certain Directors in the school don't seem to be aware what country they're working in. This particular director has soured relations between the company and the Chinese staff that we work with. It's phenomenal that this director who has been in this country for quite a while now has no idea how to talk to the Chinese (it's actually quite embarrassing). In some cases these people are employees, in others (and this is where the embarrassment comes from) they are the clients. This directors communication is usually on the loud, aggressive and condescending side, even with the children that this director teaches. Why this director is still employed is beyond me but that speaks towards the rest of the managerial staff.

Best of all the work environment can best be described as stressful. Two major problems are the cause of this stress: first that the company applies blanket rules to all their different schools (some are training schools, some are outreach programs). This blanket enforcement is problematic (especially for the outreach programs) and some rules just can be applied. But that doesn't stop them. Next is atmosphere of distrust and level of scrutiny that is applied to all the teachers. Sure, it would be justified if a teacher was getting repeated complaints, but for teachers that get positive feedback? It's demoralising. As a result in my school ALL the teachers leaving.

I can't tell you what to do. All I can tell you is about my experience with the place. So to whoever is currently considering a position with Language Link I just hope you give it some serious consideration.