The Boston Language Institute, Inc.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ***Please add your rejection comments below.
Hello im responding late after the ten day period, The whole reason I was lodging the complaint was because the President had already denied my request for a refund by phone several times finally revoking even my right to retake the class, at which point I lodged the complaint.I sincerely do not believe that I have or especially would now be treated fairly after lodging this complaint all I have ever wanted was a full refund.The cirst day of class teacher *** *** said " there really is no way to fail this class as long as you do the coursework and attend the classes" The "three strikes" and out was not made clear until after the weeklong refund period had passed.The BLI cycles through receptionists and most employees constantly making it hard to share concerns or learn abiut the program until its too late, the receptionists are always female, the last receptionist I saw in febuary, was african american she told me they were trying to force her to speak "differently" and was not happy about it im sure she no longer works there Long story short the money I paid to BLI was in good faith of a pedegogical pathway to earning a tefl certificate, what I saw was something very different.The lunch I had (and paid for)with the president was not at all about my performance, or the special assistance I would recieve, he spoke to me about numerology!!The assistance I did recieve was purely over email *** would ok a lesson plan that *** would then flunk you for....I really doubt I would be treated fairly a second time after how I was treated the firstTha ks, ***

[redacted] was enrolled in the April 2015 part-time TEFL Certificate Program.  Mr. [redacted] was, as all students are, accepted into the program based on his successful completion of an online language skills test and essay.  This test measures whether or not the applicants’ mastery...

of the English language is sufficient to teach English and therefore to take the program.   In discussions during the application process, the requirements for completion of the program are explained to each prospective applicant.  Our website describes the course as demanding, explaining that there is significant homework and teaching to be completed in addition to classroom work.  Furthermore, the Academic Policies, laid out in the attached file, are made exceedingly clear as of the first day of the course.  All enrolled students receive the attached file on paper, and are given an orientation during their first morning of class in which the Academic Policies are explained verbally.  The amount of work was, therefore, made clear to Mr. [redacted] as well as his classmates not only before the first day of class, but also well before the refund deadline in class.  The refund policy is laid out in the attached Standard Program Agreement, which all accepted students sign before the first day of class.  It is explained both in writing and verbally that in order to receive the TEFL Certificate, students must complete the following requirements: attendance at all modules, successful completion of five teaching practice lessons, passing a grammar quiz based on grammar learned in the course, and completion of the portfolio of lesson plans.  As seen in the attached handout, failure to complete even one of these requirements means ineligibility for the TEFL Certificate.  Mr. [redacted] received this handout on his first day of class.   Upon departing for his planned trip, Mr. [redacted] had arranged makeup classes with the coordinator at the time, [redacted], in order to make up for his two missed sessions.  Despite the fact that Mr. [redacted] was enrolled in the part-time program, the trainers in the full-time program offered to accommodate him in their course so that he could make up his work with no incident.  He had taught two unsuccessful teaching practice lessons, which he would have needed to make up in the future.  He had one lesson yet to teach.  He is correct that he had therefore not failed out of the program, as he had arranged his two days of absence in advance.   The trainers and staff of the TEFL Certificate Program went above and beyond to assist Mr. [redacted] when it became clear that he was struggling.  Trainers took extra time to go over materials with him.  Mr. [redacted] asked the President of the Institute, [redacted], to have lunch with him to discuss his situation.  Mr. [redacted] did in fact take Mr. [redacted] to lunch, at which point they discussed his standing in the course at length and discussed in what ways the Institute’s staff could support him.  Despite this extra help, Mr. [redacted] did not teach his fifth of five teaching practice lessons before leaving on his scheduled trip.  After making up the required class work, he of course needed to finish his teaching.  He failed to do so.   The Boston Langauge Institute will be happy to offer Mr. [redacted] the opportunity to return to the Institute to teach the lesson that he had yet to teach at the time of his departure.  Prior to teaching this lesson, Mr. [redacted] will be welcome to attend the corresponding classroom module as well as two hours of private coaching to prepare him for his lesson.  Should he successfully teach this final lesson, he will be given the opportunity to make up the two lessons that he unsuccessfully taught during his original course, and should they both be successful, he will have an opportunity to successfully complete his portfolio.  After successful completion of the portfolio, Mr. [redacted] would receive his TEFL Certificate.  While it is The Boston Language Institute’s understanding that Mr. [redacted] was required to complete the requirements of the course before his departure, we are not inclined to press this point. It should be noted that Mr. [redacted] will need to show a significant improvement in his teaching and work in order to pass his next teaching practice lesson.  To facilitate that improvement, The Boston Language Institute is willing to provide him with two hours of private coaching, a service to which he is not entitled.   It is made clear both verbally and in writing that the tuition paid is for a course, and not a certificate.  Students must work hard to earn their certificates, and we expect all students to meet the requirements of the course, including Mr. [redacted].

As you will see in the attached “Academic Policies” handout, successful completion of all teaching practice is listed as a requirement for graduation.  Also note the first asterisk, noting that should a trainee not complete their required coursework during the session, they will have three months to complete all required work.  Mr. [redacted] has significantly passed the three month deadline, and yet The Boston Language Institute is still happy to offer him the opportunity to complete his TEFL certification.  This handout is distributed to all TEFL trainees on their first day of class. The Boston Language Institute strongly rejects the idea that our certificates are for sale.  We run a legitimate school where there are legitimate requirements for the award of a TEFL Certificate.  We cannot understand how Mr. [redacted] got the idea that he could simply show up, pay the tuition, and receive a certificate. However, while Mr. [redacted] is not entitled to a refund, the offer to complete his TEFL certification remains open should he wish to pursue that option.

November 13, 2015Subject: Response to complaint ID
[redacted] The TEFL Certificate/English Teacher
Training Program is an extremely challenging course.  Twenty percent of students do not earn their
certificates.  Many of these students are
extremely bright and gifted, but are nonetheless...

unable to successfully
complete the course material.  [redacted] was among these 20%.  Her
complaint, however, is without merit.1. [redacted] complains
of The Boston Language Institute staff being rude.  In fact, the program staff provided [redacted]
with extra help throughout her time with us as she was clearly struggling with
the program.  The program’s Senior
Trainer sat down with [redacted] to discuss how she could improve her lesson
planning, an initiative that the Senior Trainer took entirely on her own.  See attachment ID[redacted]_correspondence which includes an email from Senior Trainer [redacted] to
[redacted], TEFL Certificate Program Coordinator, in which [redacted] refers to
a concerning email received from [redacted].  [redacted] suggests that she sit down with [redacted] to discuss this email and
her work.  She did just that in the
following class session, and after the meeting [redacted] encouraged the other
trainers to be lenient in their grading of [redacted]’s work in an effort to support
her.  Despite this leniency, [redacted] failed
her next lesson.2. She states that
“[redacted]” arrived late for her demonstration lesson and that “[redacted]” depressed
her.  We understand that [redacted] is
referring here to trainer [redacted].  [redacted], TEFL Certificate Program Coordinator, witnessed this demonstration
lesson from a room across the hall.  [redacted] herself arrived late for the lesson preceding hers, which she was
supposed to observe.   She was asked to wait
outside of the classroom in accordance with the policy explained at the
beginning of the program. When that lesson ended, she was brought into the classroom
to begin her own lesson.  The trainer
observing her, [redacted], was present for her lesson from start to
finish.  The lesson did indeed begin
later than scheduled due to unrelated disruptions.  [redacted] was still given her full 45 minutes to
teach, and the lateness had nothing to do with either her or [redacted].  It had no impact on the duration of her
lesson or on the amount of time she was expected to spend at the Institute.3. [redacted] complains
of negative comments on her lesson.  She
did indeed receive criticism on her lessons, which did not follow the format
taught in the course or fulfill the clearly outlined requirements of the
program (see attachment ID[redacted]_academic_policies).  She was observed by two trainers: [redacted] and [redacted].  Both [redacted] and
[redacted] felt that [redacted]’s performance was not up to the course standards, even
when being especially lenient in their feedback as per the Senior Trainer’s
suggestion.  Following her lessons, both
trainers sat down with her to give her verbal and written feedback on her
lessons.  They explained clearly why she
had failed each lesson, and she signed a form stating that she understood why
she failed the lessons and the consequences of her failure.  When [redacted] complained that [redacted] was just
against her and stated that she did not want him to observe her teaching
practicum anymore, the trainers immediately agreed that despite the fact that
[redacted] had behaved justly and kindly, he would no longer observe [redacted]’s lessons
in an effort to make her more comfortable.  See attachment ID[redacted]_failed_lessons, which
includes [redacted]’s signed acknowledgement of her failure as well as a written
explanation of why she failed each lesson.  See as well attachment ID[redacted]_correspondence in which [redacted] suggests that [redacted] not observe [redacted]’s
future lessons for this reason.4. [redacted] requests
a reimbursement of her tuition. [redacted] was sponsored by the [redacted],
which paid her tuition in full.  See
attachment ID[redacted]_financial, which
includes the invoice sent the [redacted] by The Boston Language Institute
as well as the checks received from the [redacted] which completely cover
[redacted]’s tuition.  It was made clear to [redacted]’s
career counselor, [redacted], that the refund deadline, clearly explained
in advance, had passed and a refund was therefore not possible.  [redacted] is therefore
asking for money that is not hers.5. Because [redacted]
was struggling with the program, [redacted] kept her career counselor,
[redacted], informed throughout frequently by phone and occasionally by
email.  [redacted] has cited The Boston
Language Institute for keeping them well informed throughout the process.We
at The Boston Language Institute did our best to support [redacted].  Because she was having a hard time
understanding class material, trainers [redacted], and [redacted] all took extra time to sit down with her privately, giving her feedback
and reviewing previously taught materials.  Despite this extra time spent, [redacted]’s lessons were unsuccessful.  Additionally, [redacted] dropped out of the
program at the last minute without informing anyone at the Institute.  When [redacted] emailed her a routine reminder,
[redacted] replied stating that she would not be coming to class, and therefore
would miss her third teaching practicum because of a family vacation that she
had not previously reported.  It is
explained in writing and verbally at the beginning of the program that a third
failure means you fail the program.  [redacted] left a voicemail for [redacted] and emailed her reminding her that
she would be ineligible for her certificate if she missed this lesson.  [redacted] contacted [redacted]’s
career counselor, once again and explained this latest development to her.  [redacted] also called [redacted] to explain the
situation to her.  [redacted] then
informed [redacted] that [redacted] would not be continuing the course.  [redacted] did not inform anyone at the Institute
of this decision herself.  [redacted]
reached out to [redacted] via email after hearing that she would not continue in the
program, and [redacted] did not respond.  This
last-minute decision was difficult for the Institute.  Time is spent scheduling teaching practice
lessons for TEFL trainees, and these practice lessons are taught to real English
as a Second Language (ESL) students, who depend on them.  Therefore in the rare occasion that a trainee
does not attend her teaching practicum, the whole schedule must be rearranged
and the ESL students must be given a different lesson by a different
person.  This last-minute drop-out was a
significant disruption to the course.  Despite all of the extra support that we The Boston Language Institute
trainers offered to [redacted], she chose not to continue in the course and not to
inform us.All
of us have our own talents and purpose in life.  We believe that [redacted] needs to find the best expression for the
individual talents she undeniably has which for whatever reason at this time,
is not teaching English as a Second Language.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #[redacted]. I do unfortunately have reservations about being treated fairly, I would insist to the business that I not be subjected to reviewaI by the same teaching staff particularly [redacted], who I feel treated me unfairly.  Nobody is claiming the business sells certificates but that the students be given a fair chance to achieve success. 
Regards,
[redacted]