|
|
I highly recommend OS
|
I have read many reviews online. Most are from 2010 or earlier. Perhaps OS was a bad deal back then. I took the seminar in 2012 and found it very informative. Some of the critiques are still valid. There is way too much importance placed on the book and
not enough training for classroom presentations. This may be due to only having a 3 weekend course. There just is not enough time to complete everything you should know. I think OS seminars should expand their 60 hours of training to include one additional
weekend and dedicate it strictly to classroom management and performance. I was also not very pleased with the job placement. I did try to use it. They did give me a couple of leads to some schools that were hiring. But, there really was no interest in helping
me get a job. I eventually found a job on my own through other websites. One other critique I will make. They really did not offer any warning to a person of my age (46). I specifically mentioned that I wanted to teach in South Korea due to the benefits package.
I mentioned that this is a new career for me. I was not one of their college kids looking for an adventure and a party. So, pay and benefits were very important. To OS’s credit, they did give many warning, such as Europe is only open to those from the EU and
that South America does not pay well. In the end, I am in China teaching. The pay is a bit less than South Korea. My plan is to teach here for 2 years to get the experience requirement to teach in the Middle East where the pay is the best for ESL teachers.
I will say that the instructor was very good. She a took real interest in us and our development. Her evaluation of us was spot on and very useful. Her previous ESL experiences were interesting. And there were many tips she provided to us. I will add two more
things. One, RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH. You should research everything you can about ESL work. It is expensive to get you visa, plane tickets, medical, supplies before leaving, and starting money. Yes, there are plenty of bad schools and companies that
you could get stuck working for. And, although many will say that you should not learn the language of your host country, I say BS to that. You should have at least 200-250 key words and phrases ready before you travel. You will have 2-5 months before you
reach your host country. Use that time learning the language, culture and other aspects of the country. Finally, there are plenty of bad teachers out there. They do a dis-service to the profession, to their schools and to the countries they represent. We are
ambassadors of our home countries. We are support to be professional. We are suppose to know how to teach. I think many of the negative complaints against schools and companies are from teachers that could not adapt or evaluated as being bad teachers. If a
school or company has many negative reviews, then I would be concerned about joining that company/school. But one or two bad reviews should not be a concern. Some people are just not prepared or have the fortitude to be an ESL teacher. They only saw the money,
the adventure, or the party. They failed to see that they would actually have to be a teacher of English to foreign students. And, that is the biggest shame of it all.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|