Gray list by order from A---Z

Bahrain,
Al-Hekma Model
International School One complaint of dishonesty. Another negative report including threats. Another unhappy trooper.

Brazil
Cipex Idiomas A large franchise but one unhappy trooper at one of them. College Language Center, Londrina One unhappy trooper. Speaking/Centro de Cultura Americana Itajuba, Minas Gerais, One unhappy

China Options International, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province One unhappy trooper.
Ordinance And Engineering College Or Hebei Ordinance College
Shijiazhuang (city),
Hebei Province
A couple of negative reports about very basic living conditions ( no hot water and at night no water at all) and some more serious problems.
Paramount International School Guangzhou, Guangdong Province
One report of there often being no water, hot or cold.
PES (Professional Educational Services)
Hong Kong, Thailand
A couple of negative reports of teachers having trouble getting visas, not being paid for up to two months etc.
Victoria foreign language Changchun Jilin
Poor apts no heat in some and no water also teacher has to pay heat and water although good pay, teacher has to pay own medicals and taxi fares to and from different school of work, some schools are 1/2 to 1 hour ride by local buses


Czech Republic: English House or Language House, Top of the hill on Wenceslas Square; on the street directly behind the museum. Several reports that the director Mirko doesn't pay you your wages. Also that the school changes both its address and name on occasion.



Egypt; International House, Memphis International School
Cairo, One unhappy trooper. New Horizon School, Maadi/ Cairo
A couple of negative reports about this place including cheating and very high staff turnover. Sakkara, One
negative report but no details.

Hong Kong: PES (Professional Educational Services)
A couple of negative reports of teachers having trouble getting visas, not being paid for up to two months etc.

Indonesia: EF (English First) Several complaints coming out of their Indonesian branch.

Japan: Big Apple International School Of English, One report of not being paid and other serious problems.
Bohme English Academy also: Eigo Teragoya, Ichinomiya city, Aichi prefecture, Japan Passport English School, Gifu city, Gifu prefecture, One report of unpaid wages and physical assault[...GTC: Name is removed.].
English You Can Tokyo, One report of not getting the promised visa and that they were threatened with being reported to immigration.

Korean: MOTHER OF ALL GRAYLISTS. SO MANY COMPLAINTS AND STORIES THAT IT"s NO LONGER JUST A CASE OF SINGLING OUT A FEW BAD APPLES. BASICALLY ALL SCHOOLS CAN HAVE AT LEAST MINOR PROBLEMS WITH ISSUES LIKE GETTING PAID ETC ESPECIALLY IF THEY DON'T LIKE YOU. MY ADVICE IF YOU WANT TO TEACH IN ASIA IS TO GO TO TAIWAN AND ESPECIALLY JAPAN WHERE THESE SORT OF PROBLEMS ARE A LOT LESS SERIOUS.

Kuwait: Dasman Model School, A couple of reports of unpaid wages, contractual breaches and other complaints.
ELS, Many unhappy troopers.
IPETQ, One unhappy trooper.

Mexico: American School of Veracurz, One report of lies, late wages and other complaints. English Unlimited San Luis Potosi, One report that they overcharge on apartment rents compared to real rents.

Morocco: Al Akhawayn Ifrane, One report of contract breaches and other problems, American Language Center
problems. ELS problems.

Peru: Eurolingua or Carlos Navarro -formerly Eurolanguage
Piura, A couple of reports of teachers not getting paid, not getting their visas and other contractual complaints.

Poland: American Academy of English-PL Silesia. One report of them not obtaining the necessary visa and some minor contractual complaints.

Russia: Linguamir School, Samara. One report of several problems.

Saudi Arabia: In General: Many complaints come out of the Middle East especially Saudi Arabia. However the nature of the complaints are very different from those that typically come out of Asian countries like Korea. Korea has many serious complaints of a contractual nature like not getting paid. In the Middle East the complaints are more of a nature like difficult or even abusive students, incompetant management, having to give failing students good grades, babysitting rather than teaching (even more so than Asia), students not studying like Asian students do, low morale and so on. For these type of problems, while very real we just put "unhappy trooper", whereas if there are contractual breaches we will give more details. So while we have listed peoples unhappyness here, teachers coming to the Middle East have to realistically expect most of the above things as being an almost universal part of teaching in the Middle east and have an idea of how to cope or they shouldn't go. (Al Rajhi)(Dar Al Fikr School Jeddah)(ETM)
(Institue of Public Administration)(Jubail Industrial College)
(King Faisal School (KFS) Riyadh)(Prince Sultan College for Tourism & Hotel Sciences)(Saline Water Conversion Corporation (S.W.C.C.)(SAMA-IOB Riyadh)(Several unhappy teachers with complaints including long hours and high staff turnover. One report that teachers wern't being paid in full or/and that it was late. One report of the usual complaints plus pay being late. Many and long complaints.

Taiwan: 21st Century English School. Miaoli One report of problems including late pay and teachers not staying for their full contracts. Aletheia University, Tamsui One unhappy trooper. American Eagle School Hsinchu.
American Language Center Changhua County Huatan One report of unpaid pay, being unable to get a visa etc.
Blue World Language School, Kaohsiung. One very serious report of problems getting the work visa and then being sued for a significant amount of money after quiting the contract. Disney, Pin Tung. A couple of negative reports concerning the management and cheating on pay. ELSI (otherwise known as Kojen) In General They have 18 schools in Taiwan including adults and kids schools. Ten schools are in Taipei, three others in northern Taiwan, two in Taichung, three in Kaohsiung. They have some kind of examination system which apparently helps with class discipline. Pay is at the bottom end of the scale.

Thailand: Nava Language Schools, Bangkok/Samut Prakarn
One report of lies and several teachers not getting their bonuses and other complaints. PES (Professional Educational Services) Several complaints of trouble getting visas and unpaid wages.

UAE: Aspect, One report that they don't honour their contracts but no details. HCT (Higher Colleges of Technology) Dubai. Several negative reports of serious problems with management.

USA: EF (EFI) USA. One report of troubles including illegal contracts.
University of Maryland-Asian Division Asia. One unhappy trooper.

Disclaimer:

Please note that I can't and don't accept any responsibility for the accuracy of any of the information contained in this graylist. Take any opinions or experiences posted with caution since none of them have been confirmed or verified in any way.

I am currently a TESOL graduate. I have just read the "gray list."
I have to admit I am a little bit nervous about finding the right place to send out my resumes. Some of the places that I am interested in are on that "gray list." Any advice on what to watch for in the contracts would be very helpful. I don't want to be in a foreign country and not get paid for 2 months or get stuck living in a dump.

Any advice would be wonderful.
Thank you,

Melissa

Melissa

If you are considering teaching abroad, be it in South America or Southeast Asia, there are several issues to be aware of before you start your job search. With careful analysis and research, you will find yourself prepared to shop the job market and get yourself the best job possible. If you have already decided to teach English abroad, or even if you are simply considering the option, your first step should be to research the different possibilities. There are good jobs and bad ones, good companies and bad ones, and it is your responsibility to be a consumer and find out which are the good ones. Talk to people who have done what you’re hoping to do. Their firsthand knowledge can be an invaluable resource. I am sure that the people at TESOL can give u great advice call them and talk about ur options
but be sure to search out the company or schools that will want to give u a contact. you can search the site called,
A Job Guide for Americans and Canadians by Jeff Mohamed
or Teaching English Overseas by Susan Griffith, This is a great reference material for those beginning their search. Everything is explained, whether it be visas or culture shock.

Thanks Ross
I will do that.

Melissa

Are there any teaching jobs available to those without a TEFL certification? It is, of course, still possible to find an EFL/ESL teaching job without a certificate. However, such jobs may offer lower pay and fewer opportunities for advancement. If you plan to teach for more than a year or two, or simply wish to be a better teacher, certification is a good investment of time and money. I urge anyone to get a
TESOL diploma and their certification programs they will bring you great opportunities for jobs and much higher pay with greater advancement in the feild of teaching English. having a degree is still not an absolute necessity in many parts of the world. Your enthusiasm, work and volunteer experience, and willingness to teach can also serve you well.

Guidelines for resumes

Resumes should be prepared in a simple straightforward style that avoids abbreviations and acronyms. Likewise, in an interview setting, applicants need to speak clear Standard English - free of slang, jargon and regionalisms. Prospective employers are often imperfect English speakers and may not understand the idiosyncrasies of your speech. A teacher's language correctness and ability to communicate are often judged during an interview.

Resumes should emphasize your teaching experience, education, knowledge of other languages, international experience and general people skills, while minimizing coverage of unrelated employment or academic awards. It is best to bring documentation for all degrees and certificates to an interview because decisions are often made quickly. Take a few extra copies of your resume with you overseas in case you do not have access to word processing facilities. If you are asked to provide a photograph of yourself, do not forget to include a clear and recent image.

When sending your application to a prospective employer by e-mail, cut and paste your resume directly into the body of the message, as opposed to submitting it as an attachment. Pay attention to any geographic restrictions stipulated such as “must reside in Japan” before applying for to job postings. Bear in mind that some employers may require that application materials be sent by registered mail. Reply promptly when contacted by an institution. Remember to consider time zone differences if you try and reach a prospective employer by telephone.

Projecting a professional image is also essential. This includes being neat and well dressed. Semiformal apparel for men and women is ideal. Many regions of the world have stricter conventions regarding dress and manners than you might be accustomed to in Canada.

Your vision and professionalism should be unmatched and your genuine care for the success of ur teaching career will be greatly appreciated by ur employers and the schools in which you will teach.