Thomasineurope
Frequent Guest
Joined: 29 Apr 2006
Posts: 71
Location: SPB, Russian Federation
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 Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2010 7:38 pm Post subject: WARNING: AVOID LANGUAGE LINK!!! |
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I have been an English teacher in Piter for the past three years. While I have only worked for one school (following which I chose to become self-employed), I am happy to offer my personal experience with this organization.
I began my teaching career working for a language school called "Language Link". Offering perhaps a slightly lower salary than other contracted employers, they do provide teachers a free room throughout their contract within a shared flat. One in which is located walking distance from the schools location and within the immediate city center. However the room and company shared can vary greatly, at one time leaving me with no more than a mattress on the floor and a broken wardrobe.
Within the school itself, things do not improve much as "personality conflicts" (my attempt to label the situation in the most democratic way) seem to hang over the entire office, greatly lowering the overall demeanor of the teaching staff. With a Director of Studies who is seen by the majority, if not all, of the teaching staff to lead by ego/emotion/intimidation (Not my words in my attempt to remain unbiased, but a few examples offered to me be various other previous, and present, staff throughout the past 3 years) and not that of business management or professionalism. Few if any remain in positive relations with her beyond the first couple of weeks/months.
Additionally, teachers often complain of the teaching schedules which expectations exceed that of it's competiting schools. Summer months are the worst when the teaching staff fall to a yearly low, placing higher expectations on each individual teacher.
Furthermore, the school fails in providing teachers with adequate resources. While their website claims the school hosts a library of teaching resources, potential hires should understand this is little more than a book shelf located within the office lobby. Making matters worse, the office equipmet scores no better. I clearly recall a period exceeding a month in time in which the school failed to order their student books on time, forcing teachers like myself to teach from photocopied materials of various personally selected resources... a situation in which one quickly found to be impossible as the only copy machine was out of order... for more than an entire month!!! Imagine, no books, coupled with no available teaching materials. This falls far below the schools advertised website to prospective hires.
Finally, as if to add a nail to the coffin, I am living proof of Language Links unwillingness to fulfill their agreements with their contracted teachers. After fully completing my 9-month contract, Language Link refused to reimburse me for my return ticket flight to Russia of which was guarenteed upon accepting my contract personally, via email, from the schools owner in London. It seems that at the completion of my contract, the owner did not see any reason to fulfill this agreement after I chose not to accept a new contract with the school into the following year. My decision to decline this proposed new contract has been , I believe, clearly outlined in my review of the organization above. |
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