Sunday, November 04, 2007

Without a Paddle: Nova

Five thousand foreigners out of work and unable to pay the airfare home; in public parks, teachers offer language lessons in exchange for food. Evicted from their flat, two Canadians find they'd been paying their school 60,000 yen a month each for a property that cost just 70,000 to rent. Even that hadn't been paid for the past two months. Meanwhile, journalists tour the ex-president's office, complete with hot-tub, sauna and private bedroom; the Daily Yomiuri reports he'd been using money from the schools to prop up failing business interests elsewhere.

It's no surprise English First have appeared on the scene, offering free flights and year-long contracts in China. The lower end of the Japanese ELT market is saturated right now, and most Nova teachers don't have the qualifications to get work higher up the TEFL food chain. It can be a nasty business, English teaching.

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