Hi Bloggers,
It's a long time since I've written anything about the British Council, probably because I've already made most of the comments I want to. So I thought I'd just give a brief summary or synopsis for the benefit of any teacher working there or thinking of joining.
What I would say is that it is certainly worth having a spell with the British Council. In fact, most people find the first two or three years with them reasonably golden. You'll be on a real upward learning curve in terms of your development as a teacher and will probably have a suitably deferential attitude at that stage. And make no mistake, you'll have some incredibly friendly, positive and helpful fellow teachers there. Also, the basic package combined with the perks is pretty good by EFL standards. You'll definitely feel you've moved up in the world. And, importantly, it looks great on your CV to have worked for the BC, as they're still a highly respected institution.
However, it's when you yourself have become a fully fledged teacher and try to move up the ladder that you'll notice the deficiencies of the management. Basically, no one will be following your progress or taking an interest in you. Think, who would that person be in the rotating world of BC personnel? The reality is that it's a world of androids mindlessly applying procedures rather than creatively taking an interest in employees. No manager seems to have any vision, ability to think outside the box or real leadership skills. More importantly, almost every manager in the BC is simply looking after their own corner and advancing their own career. Effectively, the British Council has become a "milch" cow for all concerned.
What you need to decide is whether you want to move into this world or not. Do you want to become one of them? My advice is to move on, as most teachers will find the numb world of British Council management extremely frustrating. There are much better opportunities out there now, notably in universities and schools that not only pay better but also offer better job satisfaction. Working for the Council is no longer the Holy Grail of EFL teaching.
In short, the British Council simply aren't the bunnies they once were. Standards have fallen on all fronts, whether it be in terms of the people working there, the heavy workloads or the diminishing benefits and remuneration. Move on!
Please do check out some of my earlier posts.
Good luck
It's a long time since I've written anything about the British Council, probably because I've already made most of the comments I want to. So I thought I'd just give a brief summary or synopsis for the benefit of any teacher working there or thinking of joining.
What I would say is that it is certainly worth having a spell with the British Council. In fact, most people find the first two or three years with them reasonably golden. You'll be on a real upward learning curve in terms of your development as a teacher and will probably have a suitably deferential attitude at that stage. And make no mistake, you'll have some incredibly friendly, positive and helpful fellow teachers there. Also, the basic package combined with the perks is pretty good by EFL standards. You'll definitely feel you've moved up in the world. And, importantly, it looks great on your CV to have worked for the BC, as they're still a highly respected institution.
However, it's when you yourself have become a fully fledged teacher and try to move up the ladder that you'll notice the deficiencies of the management. Basically, no one will be following your progress or taking an interest in you. Think, who would that person be in the rotating world of BC personnel? The reality is that it's a world of androids mindlessly applying procedures rather than creatively taking an interest in employees. No manager seems to have any vision, ability to think outside the box or real leadership skills. More importantly, almost every manager in the BC is simply looking after their own corner and advancing their own career. Effectively, the British Council has become a "milch" cow for all concerned.
What you need to decide is whether you want to move into this world or not. Do you want to become one of them? My advice is to move on, as most teachers will find the numb world of British Council management extremely frustrating. There are much better opportunities out there now, notably in universities and schools that not only pay better but also offer better job satisfaction. Working for the Council is no longer the Holy Grail of EFL teaching.
In short, the British Council simply aren't the bunnies they once were. Standards have fallen on all fronts, whether it be in terms of the people working there, the heavy workloads or the diminishing benefits and remuneration. Move on!
Please do check out some of my earlier posts.
Good luck
