The TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) industry is often regarded as recession-proof but with another major language-school operator going bust in Japan, this does not appear to be the case.
Dingwall, Ross-Shire, July 29, 2010 — The TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) industry is often regarded as recession-proof but with another major language-school operator going bust in Japan, this does not appear to be the case.
GEOS Japan filed for bankruptcy in April citing fewer students as a result of the recession as the reason for its debts of ¥7.5 billion (£51.5 million). G Communication is to take over 230 schools while 99 are set to close but the company has pledged to help GEOS employees who have lost jobs to find new employment.
GEOS’ bankruptcy is reminiscent of the collapse of Nova in 2007 which left 900 British English teachers facing redundancy. Nova was also taken over by G Communication and has since been criticised by some for ‘putting profit before quality and teachers rights’.
The collapse of these major language providers has led to worry amongst other Eikaiwa (conversation) schools. A report in 2008 showed that the industry had shrunk by 61% as a result of Nova’s collapse indicating that students were losing trust in such schools. However, opportunities in Japan still exist for TEFL teachers as Eikaiwa schools still remain one of biggest employers of teachers from abroad. The JET programme, run by the government is also popular with ESL teachers and is regarded as a good entry-level position.
TEFL Scotland, the foremost provider of TEFL courses in Scotland, has had many graduates who have gone on to teach English in Japan. Jennifer MacKenzie, TEFL Scotland co-founder, says “Japan, after Mediterranean countries like Spain and Italy, is the most popular destination with our graduates. Everyone we’ve sent out has come back with positive experiences and there are still plenty of opportunities out there. We work with state schools too which are unaffected by the collapse of these conversation schools.”
The collapse of another chain of language-schools in Japan may be an indication that systems need to be restructured, but for the time being Japan remains a popular destination for TEFL teachers.
About TEFL Scotland:
TEFL Scotland Ltd is the foremost TEFL course provider in Scotland and also the most accredited in the UK. It was recently winner of HBWCs Most Enterprising Business of the Year award and has trained over 2,000 students in the last twelve months. All graduates are offered a recruitment service for paid teaching positions in several countries in Asia and Europe and are trained by a team with over 25 years teaching and training experience.
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Contact:
Joe Hallwood
TEFL Scotland
Ross-Shire Business Centre
1 Castle Street
Dingwall, Ross-Shire IV15 9HU
0871 221 8335
[email protected]
http://www.teflscotland.co.uk
