English 1 reviews

4.0

80% would recommend to a friend

(1,195 total reviews)
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Adele Bai

84% approve of CEO

77% positive business outlook

English 1 has an employee rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars, based on 1,195 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The English 1 employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Educación industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

1K reviews
5.0
Apr 13, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Over 10 years of working and progression within the EF organization, I can sincerely say that it is a creative, innovative and forward looking company in all senses. Quality is central to their products, the way they develop their staff, and their approach to business. The core values are visible and are lived out by all staff. EF has been an unforgettable ride for me, and will be an integral part of my life one way or another, forever. Having started as an inexperienced teacher 10 years ago, development and promotional opportunities quickly saw me rise through the ranks to my current position. This is testimony to the awesome managers who are at the core of EF. Fifty years of international business together with twenty years of sound experience, exponential growth, and financial stability in China has laid a foundation of confidence and trust for all existing and future staff who will join this amazing organization.

Cons

EF had to initially adjust itself, just like any other foreign company, to develop its business in China. This was not without problems and learning curves. Solid teacher training was not always in place for example, but has become a strength over the past 7-10 years. Rapid growth has necessitated more structure and operating procedures which possibly does not suit everybodies ideal workplace, but without this organizational stability would be compromised. Corporate social responsibilty was always happening but was not always visible to ordinary staff. This is now very evident in how EF contributes to the local communities where they operate, both financially and through staff initiatives.

2.0
Mar 17, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

-The school itself is very well outfitted with good technology, supplies, and plenty of activities. -The staff is very helpful for new arriving teachers, getting them settled in and easing them into the teaching. -The lesson plans are very detailed and helpful (but management has told us we can't use them as-is, more below) -The brand new program is designed by Cartoon Network and is very colorful and engaging. -The students are ages 3-adult, so there's always a wide range of age and ability levels to teach.

Cons

-Pay is very sketchy. Teachers are paid cash with no pay stub record, with 350-450 yuan deducted from each person's 7000 yuan monthly pay to cover monthly utilities. I have since learned that this is about double what an entire apartment's utilities should cost, so somebody's making money on the side by taking it from the teachers. -The bonus plan is always changing, and even when they say they're upfront about it, there are hidden subjective reasons why you won't be receiving the bonus you thought you would. It is also paid in cash with little to no record. -Within the past few years, the school was fined a huge amount by the government for misrepresenting costs to parents and charging more than the documentation said. -Teachers have to give 2 months notice before leaving, instead of the standard 30 days. -Recent local management changes have led to a series of new micro-managing policies that are in direct conflict with the procedures handed down from corporate, demanding us to re-write every single lesson plan to conform to an extremely rigid and frequently unrealistic schedule. During meetings and training sessions teachers were yelled at and talked down to publicly, and everyone was told that they're horrible teachers. -Teachers receive very little time off- the absolute minimum as decided by the government. Also, during the spring festival and summer breaks when students normally do not have school, this school has extra courses. During the 10 day Winter Course, teachers were forced to work 7 days straight before they had a single week vacation, and worked more than 40 hours the 5 days after. During Summer Course, for 7 weeks straight teachers are forced to teach a few extra classes on top of the normal 40 hour schedule, with no increase in pay for the extra work.

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