Thread: Why do one or two Thailand TEFL schools get so much negative press on the internet?

Originally Posted by dirtydog

I thought you was johnny rottens best buddy from ajarn....

Originally Posted by Camel Toe

I'd never read about your school on TW, have no interest in training programs at all, don't need one and neither do half the people who buy them. What drew my attention to you and your school was you! When I saw your homeschool thread I searched your name and saw how sorrowfully you handled yourself, never for a minute would I take what some guy says on a blog as God's word. You convinced me your program might be lacking, just by reading, not reading about you, but by reading you.

Yeah SURE. he's just another completely impartial (and anonymous) person on the internet who hates me for absolutely no reason but because I am a jerk......

Originally Posted by dirtydog

smeggy, you promised you was coming down to Jomtien months ago, you only have yourself to blame,

A plan isn't a promise, and this was my PM to you back in January, mentioning a plan which subsequently had to be changed.

" I'm planning on spending a few long weekends in Jomtien next month. Will you be there?

Originally Posted by dirtydog

anyway sitting in on the end class would have been the perfect oppurtunity for you, damn Bruce was even going to pay you to evaluate the class, he can't get fairer than that, can he?

It was fair, but I wasn't interested. If you can find one post on here prior to my unannounced visit where I criticised or even mentioned one of Bruce's classes, then I'll be very surprised. I have no interest in the classes, hence do not talk about them and have no interest in assessing them. The marketing is another issue, and that is the thing I used to focus on all those years ago.

Originally Posted by Smeg

Because it had the air of some kind of set up.

You mean he might actually be inspiring to his trainees instead of just standing there scratching his balls as he always does, simply coz you were there. Or maybe he was going to bribe them and pre-teach some superlatives for them to feed you. lol

Originally Posted by Smeg

^^ No Bruce, the simple fact is that you think and behave as if you are wonderful and everything you do is great and everyone who knocks it is twisted and impartial.

I must disagree. if you read complaints from real students you will see that we are constantly accepting criticism and making changed. The difference is i do not feel critics who have never taken our course are very legitimate, especially when their criticisms are extremely general and never specific issues which could be addressed and changed.

Originally Posted by Smeg

^^

Originally Posted by Bruce

Now Smeg you know why wanted to video it

No I don't. I have a few hunches, and I know what the reason you told me, but who is to say if that is the real reason. You don't come across as 100% trustworthy to me, sorry.

Can you base that on ANY real information?

I think everyone would agree that a video would be a great record to ensure accuracy. What else am i going to use it for?

Originally Posted by Smeg

The marketing is another issue, and that is the thing I used to focus on all those years ago.

OK, enighten us. Exactly how is the marketing an issue?

I really believe you confuse us with one of our old competitors...

Originally Posted by Smeg

It was fair...

Hang on! a minute ago it 'had the air of a set up' now you feel 'it was fair.'

You're just contradicting yourself son. Which was it? Did it feel 'fair' to you, or 'feel like a set up', surely it can't be both.

Can it?

Originally Posted by Bruce

Originally Posted by Smeg

You don't come across as 100% trustworthy to me, sorry.

Can you base that on ANY real information?

Like I said, its how you come across to me. Are you (in your typical manner) going to try to stamp on my right to form and state an opinion?

Originally Posted by Bruce

I think everyone would agree that a video would be a great record to ensure accuracy. What else am i going to use it for?

Ask OFSTED if they feel the need to have their school inspectors videod. Home

Why try to get someone you think this about

The fact that you seem incapable of ever being positive about Thai TESOL courses means you are incapable of objectivity!

to assess you?

If that isn't fishy behaviour, I don't know what is.

Good night.

dirtydog;733973]I thought you was johnny rottens best buddy from ajarn....

The pleasure is all mine, mate. Should you know I have been reading here for 2 years, never really posted much. A few months ago I got three invitations for three TD members to join in. I believe at least two of them are mods. If at any time you see me as unfit all you have to do is say so. Cheers.

Lol Smeg don't run away.

you can have all the opinions you want. But when you publicly call someone as being untrustworthy, its kind of insulting. And when I ask for a reason, you ran away. OK, calling me untrustworthy is not the end of the world to me, but it would have more force if you had a reason, instead of just your intuition. But at least you admit there is no substance to your opinion and I do appreciate that.

Originally Posted by Camel Toe

dirtydog;733973]I thought you was johnny rottens best buddy from ajarn....

The pleasure is all mine, mate. Should you know I have been reading here for 2 years, never really posted much. A few months ago I got three invitations for three TD members to join in. I believe at least two of them are mods. If at any time you see me as unfit all you have to do is say so. Cheers.

CAN I VOTE CAN I VOTE?

To me he is just a troll, and I thought is pedophile post was about as dirty as they come...

But I suggest renaming him "Freak", not banning him. lol

Originally Posted by Chairman Mao

Originally Posted by Camel Toe

I have no interest in training programs at all, don't need one and neither do half the people who buy them.

If by that you mean half the people who wish to tefl in Thailand don't need a tefl course to teach them at least the very basics of how to do it, then you're very wrong.

IME and valuation (thanks Smeg) of TEFLers here, a good deal need a lot more than that, but it's a very good start, and adequate for most (if they have the right attitude)

You might mean something else tho.

What I mean is that all I have in the way of TESL is a certificate from an American uni that gave our Mexican uni teachers a 40-hour course. That was a looong time ago.

I've been showing that paper in Thailand for 7 years now, never been questioned once, have worked in universities mostly for 2 1/2 decades, started doing kids two years ago. I am probably older than any teacher you know.

The truth is I have had, all in all, 230 hours of seminars, all but one of the certificates is written in foreign languages. Didn't learn much though, came into the job already prepared, pretty much. In China I lectured in TESL methodology, and without a TESL certificate.

You seem like a good bloke, nice to meet you.

Bye, good luck to you.

My mom and dad were both teachers and I was their center of attention, and experiential lab rat too I recon. It all came easy to me.

In uni I'd take note of the prof's style and delivery more than most students.

I like to read and TESL info is aplenty on the I. Fact is what bothers me the most about TESL is there is nothing new in teaching, not really. This science was pretty much sussed out a long time ago. What TESL often do is take an old idea, put a new name on it and sell it as if it were a new and exciting concept.

At the aforementioned TESL 40-hour seminar the instructors were great. We reviewed all known teaching/learning theories to a small degree and then each group would employ one of the 15 or so as a demo so we could asses their shortcomings and benefits. I enjoyed that, it was fast-moving and had appeal to someone with more experience. All the rest of the seminars were sleepers.

Don't use what I know too much these days. I'm kinda like a grandpa playing with kids and letting them pull the hairs in my ears and shit like that. Our director is cool. My job is to "dexenophobisize" the kids and be a friend to them. I like that idea. They already have two Thai English teachers per week. I just enforce what they get from them and have fun with it. I love it, as you can probably tell.

Originally Posted by Chairman Mao

I have 3 certs, a tesol and 2 tefls,

Wow! I'm really impressed! I have two ingrown toe nails and on nasty set of hemorroids

Originally Posted by pai nai ma

whitey/bp/ldma/bruce/kenkennif/whomever, all have one thing in common.

$$$$$

I would trust smeg over anyone of them.

I'm not the one with the master's degree in marketing who thinks that he is clever enough to twist critics into bogeymen.