What's the story with ACE?! Supposedly the best?!

[Dengchao]

So, I send my missus to the most expensive TEFL college in Cambodia: the Australian Centre for Education, with its campus right behind the palace (correct?), because it is a part of the Australian Federal education system (ie: the university bridging course that helps foreigners attain enough competency in English to study at university there) (correct?). It gives qualifications that are recognised in Australia (correct?).

I'm not really overly impressed so far. They send home these homework sheets that look like they come from a grade 8 grammar workbook, except that there are quite a few spelling and grammar mistakes in them. When I help her with this stuff, one of the staff there keeps telling me that I am wrong on matters of grade 8 English (which I am not - I have actually taught English in Australian High-schools up to Grade Ten when I couldn't avoid them). I don't really bother challenging him by saying that there is more than one way to answer this question when given the choice of different types of tenses. I just tell the missus to let the baby have its bottle.

Turns out this bloke is not a native English speaker, he is a local hire. IMO, he finds grammar lessons that would be perhaps appropriate for a junior level in an average Australian high school a bit difficult. He's very much focused on the end result (ie the answer that he believes is correct) rather than actually teaching the essence of the language.

Anyway, the missus and her classmates sit there waiting for an hour to show up one day - he doesn't. So she has to come back on Women's Day to make up for his absence!

Have I got her in the right place? I'm paying $190 a unit, but am far from happy with what I'm getting in return, a tutor with not such a great command of English who just shows up as he feels fit. Doesn't this place pay English tutors the highest rate in PP? Surely they could do better than this bloke. A native speaker would be a good start. I really couldn't care less what his ethnicity is as long as he was raised in a Western English speaking country and attended school there for 12 years. Having an undergrad in such a place would be a bonus. A CELTA would be great!

I hate to impugn an establishment publicly like this, but I am going to go in to speak with the boss personally the day after she gets her piece of paper and say pretty much what I have here. If s/he makes me happy, I will edit this.

But I'd hate to go in there without any facts. Is this the right place (It's directly behind the palace with ACE emblazoned across it), or is it infringing copyright with its nomenclature? Answers to the other questions I posed would be great too.

Is there anything better? There must be!

[cambod]

It's still in Cambodia... Now u know the best this country has to offer..

[LaudJohn]

So, I send my missus to the most expensive TEFL college in Cambodia: the Australian Centre for Education, with its campus right behind the palace (correct?), because it is a part of the Australian Federal education system (ie: the university bridging course that helps foreigners attain enough competency in English to study at university there) (correct?). It gives qualifications that are recognised in Australia (correct?).

I'm not really overly impressed so far. They send home these homework sheets that look like they come from a grade 8 grammar workbook, except that there are quite a few spelling and grammar mistakes in them. When I help her with this stuff, one of the staff there keeps telling me that I am wrong on matters of grade 8 English (which I am not - I have actually taught English in Australian High-schools up to Grade Ten when I couldn't avoid them). I don't really bother challenging him by saying that there is more than one way to answer this question when given the choice of different types of tenses. I just tell the missus to let the baby have its bottle.

Turns out this bloke is not a native English speaker, he is a local hire. IMO, he finds grammar lessons that would be perhaps appropriate for a junior level in an average Australian high school a bit difficult. He's very much focused on the end result (ie the answer that he believes is correct) rather than actually teaching the essence of the language.

Anyway, the missus and her classmates sit there waiting for an hour to show up one day - he doesn't. So she has to come back on Women's Day to make up for his absence!

Have I got her in the right place? I'm paying $190 a unit, but am far from happy with what I'm getting in return, a tutor with not such a great command of English who just shows up as he feels fit. Doesn't this place pay English tutors the highest rate in PP? Surely they could do better than this bloke. A native speaker would be a good start. I really couldn't care less what his ethnicity is as long as he was raised in a Western English speaking country and attended school there for 12 years. Having an undergrad in such a place would be a bonus. A CELTA would be great!

I hate to impugn an establishment publicly like this, but I am going to go in to speak with the boss personally the day after she gets her piece of paper and say pretty much what I have here. If s/he makes me happy, I will edit this.

But I'd hate to go in there without any facts. Is this the right place (It's directly behind the palace with ACE emblazoned across it), or is it infringing copyright with its nomenclature? Answers to the other questions I posed would be great too.

Is there anything better? There must be!

Edit it till your heart's content, the original version is now enshrined in this post.

[xxx]

the Australian Centre for Education, with its campus right behind the palace (correct?),

There are 2 campuses in Phnom Penh. One behind the Royal Palace, and the other in Santhormuk. Another branch in Siem Reap.

it is a part of the Australian Federal education system (ie: the university bridging course that helps foreigners attain enough competency in English to study at university there) (correct?).

No. It basically provides English language courses that lead to IELTS, which is an internationally recognized English language test. ACE's parent company, IDP. provides counselling services, scholarship information, etc.

Turns out this bloke is not a native English speaker, he is a local hire.

If I'm not mistaken, levels 1 to 4 of the General English Progrem are taught by local teachers, while levels 5 and above are taught by expat teachers.

I am going to go in to speak with the boss personally the day after she gets her piece of paper and say pretty much what I have here.

Good idea.

[robboat]

I was looking at English schools for our youngest daughter and went to ACE...I asked questions about course content, grammar level and acceptable outcomes...they did not seem to care too much about what I was seeking....more "pay the money and we will put her in the system" response....almost arrogant that they were the "only" place that "really teaches" English.

My wife went to ACE in PP a few years ago to improve her English and they seemed quite good then.....maybe the service standards are falling?

Plenty of places around so I looked some more and found another place with "English" English teachers (ex-ACE workers)....will report later if they turn out to be any good.

Also - I was looking for a place that does more intensive English language courses for, say, 4 hours per day.....anyone know of a course?

[andyinasia]

Also - I was looking for a place that does more intensive English language courses for, say, 4 hours per day.....anyone know of a course?

Um, yeh. Get your gf to join the army!

Okay, seriously, it looks like the OP has outed a rogue teacher and if the management are really a cut above the average language factory, they will be glad to receive the complaint.

My overall assessment of ACE is that the quality of English of the students they churn out that I see is generally a little disappointing; however, as cambo implies, they are still probably the best that this fair city has to offer.

[cambod]

Edit it till your heart's content, the original version is now enshrined in this post.

Lmao, what an ass!

[Uncle Monty]

Okay the teacher is Khmer? So she would be in level 1-5? They were claiming all Cambodian teachers had an IELTS score of 6-6.5, and are very good at getting rid of any bad apples.

[kinglear#1]

I'm not so sure about '...right behind the palace', but assuming we are talking about the real deal ACE, I think it's disappointing, too. Teachers I've had to fire before from other places have wound up there. I was once offered a job at ACE which was to start at 6.30am and go right through the morning until 12.00 lunchtime, with a generous half hour's break. I turned it down on the premise that slavery had been abolished!

Perhaps it is the premier EFL establishment in Cambodia, but I didn't get the impression that it was all that wonderful.

What is the reason for having non native-English-speaking teachers teaching the lower levels? My employers also do that and I don't like that particular aspect there, either (judging teachers from a certain Asian archipelago as being non native speakers). Bad habits become ingrained and it's left to the higher level teachers to try to undo years of conditioning. Perhaps things are better at ACE these days, but from the OP, it doesn't seem so.

Credit to IDP, though, for setting up Cam TESOL. However, I can't help but think of ACE as a funded base to attract more Asian students to fork out shed loads of dosh to study in Australia. The British Council has a similar function in other countries. I stopped contributing to Cam TESOL when they only invited dignitaries from Australia and the USA (on the stage) and the EdMin at the time said that those countries were the biggest exporters of English worldwide. Twit!

ACE should look at itself critically and try harder. Perhaps it has. The impressions outlined above were formed a few years ago. The OP's impressions were formed yesterday!

[Lucky Lucan]

What is the reason for having non native-English-speaking teachers teaching the lower levels?

They can pay them a lot less?

[kinglear#1]

What is the reason for having non native-English-speaking teachers teaching the lower levels?

They can pay them a lot less?

Nailed on the head!

[cambod]

They were claiming all Cambodian teachers had an IELTS score of 6-6.5, ...

I don't think there is a single school in sCambodia that hasn't (doesn't) make exceptions for their teachers' requirements, and that includes ISPP and ACE for sure.

And many flat out lie about their teachers' qualifications to make students/parents think they are getting a good deal.

This should come a no surprise in this country, I'm just pointing it out.

[Uncle Monty]

They were claiming all Cambodian teachers had an IELTS score of 6-6.5, ...

I don't think there is a single school in sCambodia that hasn't (doesn't) make exceptions for their teachers' requirements, and that includes ISPP and ACE for sure.

And many flat out lie about their teachers' qualifications to make students/parents think they are getting a good deal.

This should come a no surprise in this country, I'm just pointing it out.

I was told they got a pay rise once they hit 6.5+, and this info did not come from a sales pitch.

What is the reason for having non native-English-speaking teachers teaching the lower levels?

They can pay them a lot less?

Nailed on the head!

Nailed in the wallet.

[cambod]

They were claiming all Cambodian teachers had an IELTS score of 6-6.5, ...

I don't think there is a single school in sCambodia that hasn't (doesn't) make exceptions for their teachers' requirements, and that includes ISPP and ACE for sure.

And many flat out lie about their teachers' qualifications to make students/parents think they are getting a good deal.

This should come a no surprise in this country, I'm just pointing it out.

I was told they got a pay rise once they hit 6.5+, and this info did not come from a sales pitch.....

And I believe that. Pay raises seem unrelated to what is posted above by u and I.

[Fleksnes]

My wife is in her third semester at ACE. Have not really noticed much progress. I have also noticed similar issues with the work sheets as pointed out by the OP. Maybe one cannot expect more when the teacher is a Khmer in the beginning of his twenties.