Topic: The Language - Surathani

[anyonefortennis]

Anybody know owt about The Language in Surathani?

Their website, course details and teachers package look very familiar, almost exactly the same as a HOS member from Surathani.

I could well be barking up the wrong tree, wouldn't be the first time, so I'd like to know if they are as stated on the website, i.e. The Language, established since 2002, or if they are in fact a reincarnation of a HOS school that went AWOL in 2006.

Any teachers out there piling their trade for The Language wanna share some of their experiences?

[Mods-Rockers]

Link please

[anyonefortennis]

here u go;

http://www.thelanguage-thailand.com/

nothing about life experience degrees or helping stranded kittens outta the tops of trees....................so I could be wrong. 

[Mods-Rockers]

Thanks
I suspect that you are not wrong, but time will tell!

[slaxster]

the owner,  is a very honest, straight forward guy.  he runs a "tight ship". i've talked with several teachers from the language.  they seemed happy and i never heard a complaint from any of them. his assistant of 2 or 3 years recently left on good terms.

[anyonefortennis]

Mr. Slaxster.................I did believe you, had little reason to doubt you, until that is I came across this;

Native English Teacher required to teach Grades one to six

The Language is a private language school operating in the South of Thailand that requires a Native English Teacher to join our happily placed team ready to begin training on the 12th of May 2007, teaching various levels from Kindergarten to high school.You would teach the same students every week with small class sizes. The successful applicant would be teaching a minimum of 22 hours per week with optional overtime. The successful applicant would receive

A one year contract.
A basic salary of 22, 000 Baht.
2,000 Baht monthly performance bonus.
300 Baht per hour for overtime.
All one year work permits/visa applied and paid for by The Language.
Free fully furnished/shared accommodation in large houses
A 2,000 Baht housing allowance and full support in finding accommodation (If The Language houses are full)
A two week training period.
Introduction to Suratthani and Thai culture
Free Thai lessons. (Once a week)
Cheap motorcycle rent (subject to availability).
Twenty - Five days paid holiday on a first year contract.
Free unlimited Internet access.
We require a Native speaker from Britain, Canada, Ireland, US, Australia, South Africa or New Zealand with a BA Degree (Others need not apply please), TEFL certified, great enthusiasm and a love for children to join our team.
Please for further information on our school, vacancies and surrounding area look at our website at www.thelanguage-thailand.com
Send your full resume along with two references and a recent photograph to t_language@yahoo.com
School The Language, Government school
Province: Suratthani
Salary Between 20,000 to 30,000 Baht/month
http://www.shoppy.co.il/jobpro/Jobs/?CatID=&page=8&SearchFilter=&JobType=0&ProvinceId=0&SalaryId=0

Everything about this ad shouts out AmeriThai - so either they are one of the same............or one of them is ripping of the others advert!

[Nemesis]

Those are slave wages, definetely a school to avoid, whether or not it is related to Amerithai.

[Jase]

I just became aware of this posting yesterday and I would just like to confirm that The Language school has been established since 2002, and that 'Amerithai' have no part to play in this school whatsoever. Please take a look at our website again and look in the 'past and present teachers section' you will see over 20 teachers with comments about The Language and Suratthani. As stated in a previous post Mr Amerithai left Surat in 2006, so unless Mr Amerithai has opened a new school, employed over 20 teachers and treated them well in the past year we can safely assume that Amerithai has nothing to do with The Language School. As for the job ad looking similar, I can go to ajarn.com now and pull out another 20 positions and offers that look similar.

anyonefortennis, I'm sure your heart is in the right place and your intentions are honorable, but I fail to see how my website and job ad results in me being the previous owner of Amerithai. In fact, I feel the website is a very credible argument that I'm not the previous owner of Amerithai.I guess its a matter of what an individual is looking for when  reading any form of text I suppose.

I believe TEFL Watch is a very valuable service to all potential teachers, however it can also be quite damaging if people don't understand the function of TEFL Watch. From my understanding, if teachers have been mistreated, underpaid, not paid or a victim of any other unacceptable action made by an employer (Which I'm happy and proud to say we have never done)they have the opportunity to voice their grievance on this forum to warn other potential teachers. In contrast, I feel in this case, certain members are searching, looking and maybe even creating problems for employers. From my understanding that is not the objective of TEFL Watch.

I will delighted to proof this in anyway shape or form.

This is none of my business, but I would like to say that Amerithai still exists in Suratthani. We have to remember that Amerithai is a building not a man. As far as I'm aware MR. Amerithai left a year ago and the lady he left with all the problems is still running the school. My point is that 'dishing dirt' on MR Amerithai is not helping Amerithai school or its students at all. The day Mr Amerithai walked out of that building Amerithai became a new school and I think we should all have the wisdom and common sense to see it that way. Let this lady build her school in peace, if there's no change I'm sure you'll hear about it in a year or so.

[Aluishus]

Jase - Righteous Brother!

Nemisis - slave wages? Do you live or have you lived in Thailand? Agreed it is not much in US dollars but you live like a king when you're there. No one goes into teaching to make money and if so, you certainly don't go to Thailand.

Anyonefortennis - I worked for TL in 2005-2006 and can assure you that the owners of the school are the most decent, reputable and accomodating employers I have had in any proffession; thus they are a rare anomaly in the TEFOL business of which I have been a part for the last four years in four countries on three continents.

I can assure you that they have nothing to do with AmeriThai. I never had any dealings with this organisation so would hate to speculate on thier business. However, I did hear some less than savoury stories about "Mr AmeriThai", which don't bear repeating, but if he has left Suratthani, it will be a great improvement to the town and Thailand in general.

The internet is a wonderful invention for exchanging information, especially in the ESL industry which is full of cowboys and fly-by-night organisations... however, unsubstantiated speculation about decent schools, based on the similarity to two websites (?) is reckless and irresponsible. Maybe you should email the parties involved before you go making possibly damaging remarks on a public forum.

Working for TL was my first overseas position and I can't imagine better employers than these. It remains one of the best years of my life, thanks in no small part to the efforts of the owners.

Sign the contract, work for The Language, prove me wrong!

[RobRoy]

Nemesis

What determines is a wage is "slave wages" or "a place to avoid" comments should be a bit more fleshed out before someone, much less a moderator offers their opinion.  Personally, I think an apology is in order unless there's something you know about TL that you've not shared with us.  Making sweeping comments like that really isn't cool without some back up dude.

But thats just my opinion...what do I know?

[hero]

A basic salary of 22, 000 Baht.
2,000 Baht monthly performance bonus.
300 Baht per hour for overtime.

I struggle to live an average lifestyle on double that! 

[RobRoy]

Me too......but I guess its the "lifestyle" choices I've made.  I surely could survive on less and know many that do, especially outside of BKK.

Don't forget the 2k housing allowance.

With the OT I bet a teacher would be around 30K, about average for the sticks.

[Sadly-confused]

With the OT I bet a teacher would be around 30K, about average for the sticks.

Surely overtime should be for those little extras (like flights home), not simply to maintain the status quo!

[RobRoy]

Well, we've all given our opinions about the money, but still am curious if an apology is forthcoming from teflwatch for slagging off a school.  Other threads have castigated Phil for putting dubious ads on his site....what about the morals of this site?   If a person that is responsible for moderating topics here is allowed to put forth groundless accusations against a school, what does this say about us as a community.  Are we allowed to hurt the rep of a school because of perceived low wages?  At least anyonefortennis admitted he might be wrong.  Then our mods popped in with their opinions....

Just wondering.....Perhaps Andy will share with us the site's stance on this sort of thing.

[Sinead McKee]

Dear Anyonefortennis,

I worker as a teacher at the Language from November 2004- May 2006 and I can assure you that this school has been established since 2002.

 The Language  has never had any associations with Amerithai.

Through the hard work and dedication of the directors  of this school,the Language has established itself as a reputable,repectable and highly regarded institution.

As a former employee at the Language i was treated with nothing but positive support . Anyone who has had the oppurtunity to work at the Language knows how lucky they were to work for such supportive and kind people.