GEOS: Sorry, Have Some Free Lessons

Drilling students with boring repetative sentences does not constitute teaching english neither does free conversation but practice of structured grammar and vocabulary followed up by a bit of writing to recycle the mix and there we have it an English lesson.

You also spelled "repetitive" incorrectly in this sentence. “English” should also be capitalized.

Tanks for your feedback keep gooing woops!

Hey, let's all go and have a "deep conversation" about grammar around the lunch table. This is like being back at Sydney GEOS!!

I'm just going to choose to ignore a great deal of the rubbish that's been written above and try to get back to some of the very interesting points that were made by some of the saner people who read this website.

You mention that

Teachers should be seperate from business

. While I agree, I would also mention that every teacher in a private language school in any country is involved in business by virtue of the enviroment in which they teach. While in eikaiwa this might be overt (i.e. direct sales to students) but even in very well-regarded schools the DoS might ask a teacher to take on an extra student in an already busy class, or push a borderline student into a higher class to make room for a potential new student. Some schools are better than others but it goes on everywhere to some extent (not that I'm advocating in any way the level of involvment in sales and marketing that GEOS has, a line has to be drawn somewhere). The only way to really avoid this is to work in a public institution which brings with it a whole new set of problems and challenges.

The accredited school issue is really the key here. The model in Australia works fairly well because you have a government that's willing to look after both businesses and consumers and can see long-term enough to realise that the education sector is only viable if it continues to do so (and which is why education is Australia's third largest export sector these days). It's really easy to say "the Japanese government should regulate the education sector in Japan" but this would be an enormous undertaking, and one which would bring the government into opposition with business. Given that business seems to work hand-in-hand with government in Japan this is not something that will happen anytime soon.

Also think about the logistics of such a model. If you set a accreditation standard that schools can choose to gain, where do you set the bar? Will it be a CELTA and a degree (the norm in NZ and Oz)? How on earth can you guarantee to maintain a staffroom of qualified non-native teachers when I can count on one hand the number of teachers I met in Japan with a CELTA, and when even university English teachers don't require a qualification with any kind of a practical component?

A solution then. Or at least a controversial idea that nobody else seems to be talking abou. If you ARE going to look at accrediting schools and expect employers to have a minimum level of qualification for teachers the only way forward for Japan is the same route that the British Council is going down right now in India (http://britishcouncilvoices.wordpress.com/2009/12/03/new-model-teaching-...) and that's to look more and more at well-trained highly qualified non-native teachers. And i know this could be possible because there are literally hundreds of Japanese students who I've personally helped through accredited TESOL courses (yes, with a strong practical component) here in Australia. I would easily say most of these people are far better teachers than half of the GEOS, NOVA, AEON or ECC teachers I ever met. They're usually smart, well-trained and educated, have a good level of English and are extremely dedicated. And most of all they understand what it takes to teach English to Japanese people because they themselves have successfully been there and done it. Why aren't they teaching more adults rather than grinding away in Pepe's Kids Club (where they unfortunately seem to always end up)?

Of course, this doesn't mean that there won't be a role for native English teachers too (especially in niche or high-level contexts) but if Japanese consumers were able to see beyond their prejudice towards learning English from a non-native speakers the only teachers left would be the really good ones. And wouldn't that be nice?

Come on yohohoyawn.... let's get back on topic shall we.

Yes "we owe GEOS"!! Yes!! I see it now.

Today I made a difference. I didn't open my can of lager until after 6pm.

but if Japanese consumers were able to see beyond their prejudice towards learning English from a non-native speakers the only teachers left would be the really good ones. And wouldn't that be nice?

er - no because the really crap ones, like me, would have to go and find a job.

Ok guys what we are saying in your lingo is, your days are numbered as a Teacher of some form, trying to teach the English language and the chance of your off spring following in your footsteps is going to be non exsitant, so have fun what you are doing and go to the toilet or have a cuppa!

Just to go back to what was being discussed earlier, the fundamental problem with eikaiwa in Japan is that there's no value in sitting there talking complete and utter garbage to people day-in day-out, and not even in proper English, which is what eikaiwa is all about (unless you believe Kevin Burns).

The other problem is the sales tactics, the way companies exploit the Japanese "fascination" and "mystery" of foreign culture, gaijin and the like. People sign up at eikaiwa for this and all sorts of other strange reasons - it's not often that they really want to learn English. These sorts of cheap sales tactics will ultimately fail because there's no substance to it. It's complete garbage.

If an English school is going to survive in Japan, it needs to do the things I mentioned earlier in this thread, that is, make itself into a place where you can genuinely learn, improve and reach your goals with English, and then genuinely sell itself as that. As opposed to a place where you can be entertained by some gaijin prick in a suit, or gawp at the gaijin "zoo animal", or get a gaijin boyfriend, or have a gaijin "counsellor" you can reveal all your problems to, or get out the house once a week and actually interact with people, or get advised it by your doctor as mental therapy, or any of the other wide range of weird reasons that people sign up to eikaiwa for.

Any school that gets away from all this rubbish and focuses on quality has a chance of a future. Anything less than that and it's doomed.

I don't have any problems with dictating to people how they should learn. No problems at all. Provided that what you are telling people to do actually works. This is the problem. The eikaiwa schools have been telling their customers how to do things for years, and making up all kinds of excuses for why it doesn't work. Unfortunately, that just won't wash any more and the eikaiwa schools are suffering the consequences. The market is making its judgement.

There's no point even talking about improving the quality of English schools in Japan if there's no market for it, and sadly a fair proportion of the market is essentially chatting in broken English with lonely and/or mentally ill people.

Unfortunately for eikaiwa school owners I suspect that part of the market may be shrinking fast.

Here we are in the land of Oz. Two weeks after the GEOS meltdown. EA are beavering away placing ex-GEOS students with new colleges. The administrators are stacking up the tables and chairs and having the state-of-the-art electronics valued for sale. The landlords are counting the lease deposits. The small creditors are saying fkkk it. The government agencies are as quiet as mice. The politicians never said anything in the first place. The media have lost what little interest they had. The managers said it was all the Directors' fault. The Directors have probably buggered off on holidays. Other country GEOS websites are being doctored so that Australia dosen't exist. You know what?? I think GEOS Japan have got away with it.

Sayonara Geos!!

So they had a little problem with one of their off-shore satellite divisions. These things happen. Do you find people throwing in the towel at Coca Cola headquarters, because their division in Kazakhstan had trouble reporting things in an accurate and timely fashion? No. You don’t. Stand firm, and be proud. Don’t let the whiners and haters ruin your time in Japan. Live, love, and learn. It is your Japan.

What a total load of horseshit, I gave GEOS 10 years of my life and they raped us and left us for dead, your comparison is ignorant as it is stupid. They, stupidly killed the cash cow in Australia and will happily do the same to anyone in Japan, just stay and wait for it to happen you dick.

BWHAHAHAHAHA!!!

We all Owe GEOS:

You had me going there for a second. I actually thought you were one of the pathetic, ignorant, desperate and douchey, eikaiwa manager, drones who convince themselves that their job is something other than an easy, yet dull and humiliating, scam to partake in to collect a modest paycheck while vacationing in Japan.
But you’re laying it on too think, it’s a dead giveaway that you’re clearly a rabble-rouser. Nobody is that stupid.

-Luke

The business will probably continue to make money as long as they continue to pander to the garbage I've been talking about, or continue to maintain the illusion that the customers are having a real, genuine English learning experience.

Like I said, I agree with you. What I'm pointing out to you and others is what makes you think you can run a business better?

More than likely, you have never owned a business. You have no background in business. You don't run a business ... yet you feel qualified to tell others how to run a business. Frankly, I don't really care what happens at GEOS. I don't work there and never would work there. I still don't agree with the attitude that "I don't like GEOS therefore it should go bankrupt". There are thousands of other companies around the world that are more deserving of your scorn than GEOS. Why not attack GABA which seems to have a terrible set of working conditions for its teachers?

GEOS will survive or fall on the business strategy of its own management. I suggest that they will not put much stock in your "business" advice.

Geos isnt Eikaiwa, its an expensive outdated bookstore!!!

You are correct Luke. I was just taking the piss. Fuck Geos.

PS: People are "that stupid" - that's why some say places like GEOS manage to recruit both staff and "customers" to begin with - because the world is full of idiots.

That's some good rabble-rousing!

Uncle Arthur thinks GEOS has closed all schools in Australia and got away with it.
Not so fast. Agents have stopped sending to GEOS NZ for sure and other GEOS internationals. Quite a few Japanese blog sites are dissing GEOS with rumours of bankruptcy. Ex staff who are basically broadcasting 'GEOS-BAnkcrupt. Refund now' repeatedly. English schools in Australia who pick up say 30 GEOS students for say 15 weeks will be out of pocket for $50 000. Nothing pisses business people off more than losing $50 000. What do you think they will do? Answer - stick the knife into GEOS in every marketing convention from now till forever. 'Oh GEOS? You mean the bankrupt one that told the students (in Japanese) to go to Japan to finish their English courses?' We don't trust that lot. Also the agents have lost face with the parents because they sent to GEOS. Angry parents storming the agents mean they will avoid the GEOS international brand for quite a while. If you know anything about the thin margins GEOS internationally has worked on you will realise they are very vulnerable to a downturn in numbers.
High fixed costs + high fixed costs + downturn + no reserves = cashflow crisis. Add to this the fact that every displaced teacher can blog and phone their colleagues in other GEOS schools. Then there is the possibility of charges from Australia - but this is a long shot admittedly. I suspect that the odd really angry Aussie staff member will be a bit creative in revenge - I don't know how, but I am sure it will happen. If they had any brains they would target GEOS Auckland for direct action as it is vulnerable and would be the next domino and and clear signal to the rest of the world. Will the wall of denial and lies repel the wave of broken reputation and tainted brand and? Internationally - no chance. Without cash from Japan the internationals have only weeks to survive. In Japan - I don't know.

Look, I gave it my best shot. I am sorry if the fun had to end.

In parting, I do wish to state clearly where I stand:

I do have SOME pity for the victims of eikaiwa robbers, and feel the need to express some sympathy for the gullible masses now sitting in or searching for life boats BUT

………having said that, it is so well known how dodgy these eikaiwa operators can be, based on rock, solid, history, splattered all over the pages of forum after forum, let alone newspaper after newspaper, well, that pity and sympathy only goes so far……

Thank God the Japanese Government finally stepped in, via the METI intervention, and the whole show is now starting to die a long over-due death.

As for drones/stooges, who actually know the truth, but for some perverse reason, still feel the need to wave the flag, well, I am not sorry at all I poked some fun at you. You are a despicable, contemptible lot, and the more people that dress you down, directly, or via spoof, in here, publically, privately, or face to face, no matter what, the better.

It is disgusting, spineless, cowardly specimens of human beings like you vermin, who have in part enabled eikaiwa robbers to get away with pretty much blue murder, for so long.

May God have mercy on you.

As for those still manning the oars of the viking boats, my only advise to you is, do whatever you feel like in your remaining days, and when any drone or stooge lays it on you, remember, you do have the option, when they are not looking, to do the coffee cup thing.

There are a number of "civic group" English circles that popped up all over Tokyo in the Eikaiwa heydays.

Usually they run for an hour or two on a set day of the week, and charged about 500 yen.

Many of these are probably legitimate civic clubs. But when the "organizer" gets creative, it can become quite a business, as I posit here:
Is Kyobashi English Circle (TEG) just a business?

On a good night, the organizer can take in 50,000 yen. The rent is about 10,000 yen. (Where does the other 40,000 yen go?) The foreign "staff" is nonexistent, or it's visitors who are elbowed over to the beginner table "so the people can meet a foreigner!" The rest of the participants "practice their English" with others whose English is fine enough already for basic communication.

As long as you have a steady flow of foreign visitors, who needs staff? The free-chat business has minimal overhead (the chairs and tables belong to the government and fold up at the end of the evening).

The Japanese go their way and the organizer-businessman pockets the difference.

I have two experiences with such groups and I had no idea others might have stories to share as well.

Situation A

The organizer of this group was eventually reported to the police by no less than the local CIR for harassing foreigners and the poor, young JET participants. Her in particular, though. He would call her repeatedly, trying to get information about other foreigners, their contact details, etc. I don't know all the details about who complained to her, what their issues were, or what would lead them to go to such an extent that they would bother with contacting the CIR.

Before knowing about the above, I had attended two of his "foreigner parties". We were encouraged to meet people and make friends. However, we were photographed and filmed continuously so this was a bit awkward. Each and every time we were engaged in a conversation there would be a strange, quiet little man snapping away. Full frontal pictures on our faces as well. Shots from across the room with his zoom lens. The flashes would light up the room. It was unnatural.

I have been exploited before by people who put me on their posters, websites, pamphlets and so on. I think it is rude and (what's the word I'm looking for?) bad business behavior to infer than someone is your employee when they are not.

Situation B

Initially, foreigners are told of a chance to meet very important people in the community at a nice location... attendance may lead to opportunities. You are told it's free, but when you arrive you are charged at the door.
This is clearly a social club, but has regular parties in a snack bar. The young girlfriends of the older, married sugar daddies flirt with the foreigners. Get their c-mail addresses, then, invite them to the next party. ...and so on.

I knew one of the organizers of this group and he told me exactly how it works.

are often recruited by young blokes to attend "international parties". The local attendees are charged an admission fee to gain access. At a university, the international exchange students are offered payment to attend if they are particularly sought after, lovely, etc. Recruitment is accomplished through classmates in the dormitories. Such is the angst of the ... that they must reduce all human endeavors to a commodity to be bought and sold.

and yet I wonder if innocent people from abroad could be drawn into a world beyond their imagination.

The ultimate extreme is the rape club which formed at a certain university in Tokyo.

I think you are right, however, these groups - by and large - are harmless. Exploitative in a sense, but harmless enough. Everybody wants / needs friends.