The Thread

“Japan’s largest chain of foreign language schools, Nova Corp, has filed for court protection from creditors.

The firm, which mainly offers English classes, has more than 800 schools and 400,000 students across Japan.

But in June, it was ordered to suspend part of its operations, after a court ruled it had misled customers in advertisements about some services.

Since then, student enrolment has fallen sharply and Nova has accumulated debts of up to JPY50bn ($437m, £213m).”

Read full article at BBC NEWS >>

Every wondered when and how the English boom began in Korea? To find out, read The Original English Boom by Andrei Lankov at The Korea Times.

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Shirley Neal shares her experience with the VaughanTown Program, a non-paid, volunteer program where participants exchange conversation for room and board in the Spanish countryside.

“The mail in my inbox said, ‘Unique holidays - exchange English conversation for accommodation in Spain’.

My first reaction to this e-mail was, it’s too good to be true. I am not usually that big on taking chances, especially so far from home and alone, but on the other hand, what if I were missing out on the trip of a lifetime?”

Read the full article at newsdurhamregion.com >>

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This article is a reminder not to use fake credentials to teach abroad. It is your responsibility to find out what are the requirements to teach in a particular country and to respect the laws of the host country. “When the accused used forged documents to find employment it was a serious crime in that it disrupts the field of education outside of regular school,” the court wrote. Full article >>

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The Busan Metropolitan City Office of Education questions the effectiveness of native English speakers teaching English classes. The Busan education authorities will now dispatch bilingual speakers to several schools in an attempt to help children who have difficulties with English native speakers who do not speak Korean. Since many schools cannot afford to hire foreign teachers due to financial difficulties, another goal behind this three-month trial may be to reduce costs. Full article >>

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According to The Yomiuri Shimbun, “the business environment for Nova has become increasingly difficult recently, partly due to a decline in the number of students following a series of lawsuits filed by former students concerning repayment of class fees. In the wake of the scandals, the company also was hit by an order from the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry to partially suspend operations of the school.” The company has already closed 12 branches and is considering further closures. Read the full article >>

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Mr. Carter, a business English trainer in Beijing, shares his experience of teaching English in China. Like many people, he was “enticed by the Teach English in China — No Experience Necessary ads.” In an article published at CareerJournal.com, he now writes that “Westerners looking to teach in China may want to consider the following before packing their bags.” He describes how he was shanghaied and explains the extent to which the interview process can vary. He also reminds his readers that many “educational entrepreneurs put profit before curriculum and quality.” Full article >>

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Guy Courchesne, the author of This Guy Is Teaching Abroad, a moderator at the ELTWorld Forums and a frequent poster at Dave’s ESL Cafe has posted a state-by-state look at teaching in Mexico. His article is a work in progress and his goal is “to bring together several years’ worth of discussion topics over at Dave’s ESL Cafe Mexico forum“.

You can read his state-by-state look at teaching in Mexico here. Mr. Courchesne has been teaching in Mexico since late 2000.

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