teaching candidate information e-pack 2011
DESCRIPTION
Everything a prospective teacher needs to know when making an application for a position with Language Link Vietnam (LLV)TRANSCRIPT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE 3 INDEPENDENCE FREEDOM HAPPINESS PICTORIAL INTRODUCTION
PAGE 5 A PICTURE BOARD OF LANGUAGE LINK VIETNAM
PAGE 6 THE COURSES WE OFFER
PAGE 7 ESSENTIAL AND DESIRABLE REQUIREMENTS
PAGE 8 TEACHER SELECTION PROCESS
PAGE 9 OVIA VIDEO INTERVIEW OVERVIEW
PAGE 10 APPLICATION LINKS
PAGE 11 QUALITIES WE SEEK & SAFER RECRUITMENT
PAGE 12 FULL-‐TIME CONTRACT BENEFITS
PAGE 13 VISA APPLICATIONS AND ARRIVAL
PAGE 14 HR AND ACADEMIC INDUCTIONS
PAGE 15 Two Month ProbaLonary Period
PAGE 16 THE STRUCTURED PROBATION SCHEDULE
PAGE 17 WHERE WILL I LIVE – HOUSING ADVISE
PAGE 18 WEBSITES FOR INSIGHTS
PAGE 19 POSSIBLE CHANGES IN THE YEAR AHEAD
Page 20 POLICE CLEARANCE CERTIFICATES
Page 21 WHERE WE ARE IN HANOI
Copyright: Any pictures used in this document that are not the property of LLV have been taken from internet sources and are presently una^ributed. Should there be any quesLon over the right to re-‐publish them in document we welcome the informaLon and will immediately comply with the request of the a^ributed owner.
Language Link Vietnam (LLV) is the premium English Language school in Hanoi and the north of Vietnam and our excellent reputa;on extends to all sectors of Vietnamese society and the business community.
LLV offers a highly professional approach to our training programs so maintaining the highest standards of service to our students.
With a relaxing, comfortable and academically sound teaching and learning environment we aim to aDract the best English language teaching professionals. A highly compe;;ve remunera;on package and excellent professional development opportuni;es make LLV the employer of choice.
Good luck with your applica;on!
LLV Human Resources
The E-‐Pack 2011 is a reference document providing valuable informaLon needed for the prospecLve
Language Link Vietnam (LLV) teacher to navigate the selecLon process and if successful, arrive in Hanoi
knowing that you will be welcomed at your airport of arrival, taken to an excellent mid-‐range hotel and
thereaeer looked aeer and guided by the years of experience available to them at LLV.
HCMC in the south carries the countries commercial traffic providing a range of different challenges and
opportuniLes, so if the Lming is right we may be able to offer opportuniLes for the corporate English
specialist.
The daily hustle and bustle is not for the faint hearted, with the decibel level increasing from sunrise. With
some ‘Siesta’ respite from noon unLl 2pm, then up again unLl the shu^ers come down on another
challenging yet charming fusion of everything that life has to offer.
Share with us the amazing culture and adventure that is Viet Nam.
What do we look for in our potenLal teachers and what do you need to do to join the team at Language
Link?. Next we explain the applicaLon process, the requirements and what we offer in return. Let’s see
what we deliver and who we want to do it. Welcome to Vietnam
‘Our aim is to remain the No1 English language service provider in Vietnam by crea;ng career and life opportuni;es for everyone with a desire to learn and improve themselves.’
CLASS
HIGH ENERGY ADULT ENGLISH FLUENCY
SCHOOLS-‐LINK AND YOUNG LEARNERS
THE ENGLISH OLYMPICS
CULTURE -‐ LINK
THE ANNUAL TALENT SHOW
IFY -‐ACADEMICS
CORPORATE BUSINESS EXAMS
ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS & DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
RECRUITMENT PROCESS
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
Masters in TEFL / TESOL / LinguisLcs / EducaLonal management / EducaLonal Technologies
Cambridge DELTA
3-‐4 Years of post qualificaLon teaching (Overseas only and not including Language Link Graduates from other countries)
CELTYL or other recognized Young Learner qualificaLon
PGCE/PGDE in primary or secondary educaLon
Current knowledge of IT based training soluLons, Blended Learning course development and management
Recruitment and Human Resource Management in EducaLon
Experience in corporate soe skills training
STAGE 1
STAGE 2
STAGE 3
1. Candidates elecLng the video interview will receive priority consideraLon
2. The whole process is explained very clearly once the link has been acLvated
3. All medium of applicaLon will be assessed equally
Should any technical problems occur that you feel have disadvantaged your interview and these are confirmed by the provider any future applicaLon will be given priority consideraLon.
THE QUALITIES WE WOULD L IKE YOU TO HAVE & THE SAFER RECRUITMENT POLICY
SHOULD YOU WISH TO KNOW MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE SAFER RECRUITMENT POLICY THEN PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO REVIEW THEIR WEBSITE OR ASK AT INTERVIEW
We do not have an official partnership with the CWDC but have adopted their policy and processes to ensure we are taking the necessary steps to protect the children under our charge. Should there be any grounds to suspect that a teacher presents a risk to any of our students there are formal policies and reporLng processes in place both locally and internaLonally.
These procedures will be implemented without hesitaLon should the circumstances dictate.
THE 1 YEAR FULL-‐TIME PACKAGE BENEFITS
Overseas candidates are required to agree a minimum tenure of 1 year.
6 Months Full-‐Pme and Part-‐Time contracts are available to local candidates only.
ARRIVING IN VIETNAM
The majority of new arrivals to Vietnam touch down in either Noi-‐Bai -‐ Hanoi or Tan Son Nhat in HCMC, It is also possible to arrive by flight internaLonal in Danang.
These are at the Lme of wriLng the only three ports of entry where you can collect a ‘Visa on Arrival’.
HOW DO I GET A VISA?
If recruited from outside of Vietnam then LLV will act as sponsor for your entry visa you will be given a choice whether to collect the visa at a Vietnamese Embassy which is most convenient for you or ‘on arrival’ at one of the above menLoned airports. The ‘on arrival’ visa cannot be collected at a land crossing point of entry. To facilitate this process the applicant must have provided scanned copies of their passport informaLon page and all relevant qualificaLons to the post.
Occasionally there is a limited number of ‘on arrival’ visas available and permission for it to be issued at the airport is not granted. This situaLon fluctuates but we will be able to provide the best advice at the Lme of need.
EMBASSY:-‐ The easiest way to find out exactly what is required is to find the website for the embassy you are elecLng to use and follow the instrucLons therein. Each embassy charges different rates for all their visa transacLons so please remember to ASK for a receipt with an official embassy stamp. You will have a le^er of sponsorship from LLV so please remember to take this and your applicaLon should be expediLous. You will receive a 3 month B2 class mulLple entry visa.
ON ARRIVAL:-‐ This service is usually very efficient and may add no more than 15 to 30 minutes onto your arrival Lme. You should remember to have the le^er provided by LLV and four (4) passport sized photos with you. Also very important, you will have no Vietnamese currency at this point or access to any, so please remember to have about $100USD in your pocket on arrival. The visa should only cost $60, the rest is just in case you arrive and cannot use your cards or cash travelers cheques for whatever reason.
THESE LINKS WILL HELP NAVIGATE THE PROCESS www.embassiesabroad.com www.vietnam-‐embassy.org www.embassyworld.com
AIRPORT COLLECTION ON ARRIVAL AND HOTEL
LLV will organize a hotel for about the first 10 nights of your stay in Hanoi or HCMC or to the value of $200. We have arrangements with hotels and guesthouses that we have been using for some years and the account is se^led directly by us. The taxi collecLon at the airport is part of the hotel service and you don’t have to pay for that either. You can Lp if you feel the service merits.
IMPORTANT NOTE If you arrive in Vietnam by other means overland then we cannot provide collecLon service, nor do we provide an allowance of any kind. If for example you arrived in Hanoi and chose to stay at a hotel that we do not have a partnership agreement with you will have to obtain a ‘red tax receipt’ bearing our official company name and tax number. You will then receive the amount spent, up to $200 taxed in your final salary cheque. This can be done but is Lme consuming. Technically you could have a couple of nights in the Hilton if that’s what suited you but not recommended unless you have somewhere organized to live aeerwards. Depending on when and from where you arrived, allowing for some personal Lme to recover, your recruiter or the recruitment manager will come and meet you within 48hrs at your hotel to make sure everything is ok and to explain the next step, INDUCTION
INDUCTION
There are two stages to a new teachers inducLon. HR and Academic.
Aeer the iniLal introducLons at the hotel your recruiter will tell you when you are expected at the school for your academic inducLon and make arrangements to meet you at head office for contract signing, administraLon and HR inducLon. If Lming and schedule requirements permit the inducLon process for both HR and Academic can be completed in the same day but this is highly unlikely.
The iniLal inducLon in total, including 2 class observaLons, should take about 6 hours.
HR documentaLon and introducLons about 2hrs or longer for local recruits who have not had the opportunity to review all the details
Academic/Teachers Room about 3hrs
2 x Class ObservaLons 3hrs = 6hrs.
The inducLon process is currently under review and is likely to be extended to one weeks duraLon which will include a social and cultural orientaLon as well as more class observaLons and input specifically aimed at both Young Learners and Academic English if Lme permits. Most of this orientaLon is unpaid but if during this period the new teacher is actually required to teach then they will be paid on the agreed basis as normal. Other expenses are being considered to assist the teacher during this orientaLon period.
Human Resources -‐ TEACHER NEEDS TO PROVIDE
1. Original copy of graduate qualificaLon and notarized copy from Embassy
2. Original copy of teaching cerLficate and notarized copy from Embassy
3. If required (less than 6 months in country) an original copy of Enhanced police clearance cerLficate and notarized copy from Embassy
4. Passport to copy both informaLon page and visa
5. Driving license or other official document showing address in home country for opening bank account with HSBC
6. A housing contract (when established)
7. Local police registraLon cerLficate
8. A work permit medical at approved hospital. SOS, French, Korean Friendship, Bac Mai.
Human Resources -‐ WILL PROVIDE OR ASSIST WITH
1. LLV Service Agreement x2 Both retained unLl signed by General Manager and company stamped, 1 returned. 2. Labour Law Contract x2 Both retained unLl signed by General Manager and company stamped, 1 returned. 3. Liberty Insurance contract x1 Even if you have your own travel or medical insurance we require that you sign. 4. HSBC Banking ApplicaLon x1 Driving license or other officially issued photo ID with overseas address required. 5. Tax Number ApplicaLon x1 Passport sized photo 6. Emergency Contact Details x1 Just in case we have to contact friends or family back home for any reason. 7. Embassy registraLon x1 This is not a compulsory measure but very reassuring to know it has been done. 8. Teachers Handbook -‐ THB The Bible for contract interpretaLon, Discipline and Grievance Procedures – DROPBOX Link provided
Every ini;al contract, full-‐;me or part-‐;me, has a two month proba;onary period (this can be extended by one or two months if it is felt that their is a very good chance the teacher will resolve any problems they may have been having). This is a period of direct assessment by the school on the teacher and by the teacher on the school.
During this ;me your line manager’s the Director of Studies (DOS) or Academic Coordinator (AC) will observe your teaching to make sure that the standard meets both our expecta;ons and the students. The criteria will be made very clear during your ini;al induc;on and can be referenced in the Teachers Handbook (THB) The selec;on procedure helps to ensure that almost all teachers will naturally exceed the minimum level of acceptable service delivery but there are always a few, who for many different reasons, find it difficult to deliver to the standards required.
LLV is very clear in it’s policy on academic support and professional development. If we can improve, we will. So for those teachers who have some skills that need some polishing, a structured development plan will be offered and as we also like to say at LLV, ‘Prac;ce Makes Perfect’. Within your proba;on there is a clear ;meline and if aZer several input sessions, further observa;ons by more senior members of staff, the Senior DOS or the Teacher Trainer, the teacher has not been able to achieve what is required then we have to rescind the contract. This is rare.
LLV schools employ a mentoring system for all new teachers, experienced or not.. When you arrive for your academic induc;on you are assigned a teacher who has shown themselves suitable to act as a mentor i.e. they have been with LLV some years, their standard of teaching exceeds our expecta;ons and we are very happy for them to be sharing their experience and knowledge with younger less experienced teachers or sal;ng some from more experienced teachers. There truly are a 101 reasons for not delivering to standard and they are not all academic.
We understand how difficult it can be to relocate and seDle into a new city and job at the same ;me. We have all been there so please do not hesitate to ask anyone who works for us, for the help you need or to find out where it can be provided. Someone will be able to help, of that there is no doubt, given the breadth and depth of experience in the teachers rooms.
Proba;on is a two way process, in fact you could say we are constantly on proba;on, so it is also a ;me for you to assess us and decide if we live up to your expecta;ons. If you think there are areas of weakness that we need to polish, we welcome your input and of course with open arms if you can provide an appropriate solu;on. At the end of the proba;onary period you will have the opportunity to complete a (Proba;on Comple;on Survey) which is designed to help our organiza;onal development, in-‐turn helping to provide an all-‐round improved experience for both the teacher and the students. You then qualify for your minimum guaranteed 70 hrs per month whether you work them or not and a well deserved holiday.
AZer six months you should have a mini-‐appraisal with your DOS to confirm that everything is on track and you qualify for your hourly rate increase. Then in another six moths you will have a chat with both your line manager and the HR recruitment team and asked to complete the ‘Contract Comple;on Survey’ . No ’Name Box’ here so complete honesty is encouraged and again the results are intended for professional development purposes only (soon to be delivered by e-‐mail to your LLV G-‐Mail account for compleKon and direct return online). Further administra;on and procedures will be explained throughout your proba;on and full-‐support for obtaining your work permit provided. Please never hesitate to contact the LLV HR staff at any;me if required.
THE 2 MONTH PROBATIONARY PERIOD
STRUCTURED AND SUPPORTIVE PROBATIONARY PERIOD
The tasks displayed are simply examples and are not fixed due to the need for flexibility and exisLng skills and experience of the teacher
Where will I live and how will I find that place when I get there?
If hired from overseas or outside Hanoi or HCMC your ini;al hotel stay, for about 10 nights is covered by LLV. The most important thing to remember is that absolutely EVERY other teacher you meet at work or socially has been through the same situa;on. Unless they rent directly from the owner, THEY KNOW AN AGENT. You are not alone! Help and advice is all around, just ask!
On the downside, rent will be your single biggest outlay and to add to that when you first arrive, it is absolutely the norm to have to pay 3 months in advance and another as deposit. There are more places now that offer clean, func;onal, possibly serviced rooms, monthly in arrears but as you would imagine availability is scarce. We all have our own living standards, needs and expecta;ons and there is no doubt that all of these can be met with the huge variety of accommoda;on available. Mostly dependent on budget but some;mes luck, you can have everything you need.
Ul;mately in a loca;on so densely populated we are paying a premium for space. Regardless of age and experience most of us need to know that we are going home to a place that lends us some privacy and rela;ve comfort. Your general well-‐being is vitally important both for your own good health and prosperity and for us at LLV to have happy well adjusted employees who are much more likely to perform to their poten;al. We will help as much as we can before your arrival and con;nue un;l you are happily seDled. The final decision however will be yours.
Keep this simple: Plan on bringing a minimum of $2000 to make sure that you have enough disposable income un;l your first salary deposit and more if you wish to find solo accommoda;on quickly aZer arrival.
My income? (min 70hrs x $19 ) = $1330 + covering, placement tes;ng and development work – tax deducted should leave about $1300
What do I need? Budget for Rent? How will I travel to work? For how long each day am I prepared to travel to work? Working between different school locaLons? Apartment or House? Solo or Share?
Tell agents, colleagues, friends your budget and requirements. Find the ;me to view about 10 possibili;es. Happy with one? Ensure you have a contract and are registered with local police providing all the details to HR.
Across is a list of agents and telephone numbers that have been used by teachers and others in the recent past and have been found to be reliable.
When surfing agents websites you need to know which districts are best for the school you will be working at
Lang Ha School -‐ Dong Da, Ba Dinh & My Dinh
Yen Phu School -‐ Tay Ho, Ba Dinh, Hoan Kiem
Dai Co Viet School -‐ Dong Da, Hai Ba Trung & Hoan Kiem
www.jadehanoi.com
www.newhanoian.com
www.vnhouselink.com
www.hungphathousing.com
www.vietlonghousing.com
www.goldenanthousing.com
www.craigslist.com/vn
Dat -‐ Independent Agent 0904258232 0945553963
Ms Thu -‐ Independent 0975636481
Long -‐ Company Owner 0913212033
Ms Nga -‐ BZ Housing 0914532632
Ms Ha -‐ Independent 0943924405
Ms Huong -‐ Independent 0986537009
Ms Loan -‐ Independent 0912482879
The TET Bar
WWW.W E B S I T E S F O R I N S I G H T S Simply Good InformaLon -‐ Online News – What’s On -‐ AccommodaLon
Some frequented establishments
Local and InternaLonal Partners
Highly respected local chariLes
www.newhanoian.xemzi.com
www.rockandrolltavern-hanoi.com www.lepub.posterous.com www.donviet.vn
www.linkhanoi.com
www.travelindependent.info/index
www.yellowpages.vn www.41vietnamnet.vn www.thanhniennews.com
The ETE Bar The PUKU Cafe
www.internationalsos.com www.libertyinsurance.com.vn www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/safeguarding/safer-recruitment
www.koto.com.au www.bdfc.org
www.cambridgeesol.org
www.hsbc.com.vn
www.jadehanoi.com www.rentabikehanoi.com
www.ovia.me
POSSIBLE CHANGES IN THE YEAR AHEAD
1. The interview system described may take a different look as we currently evaluate the benefits of an iniLal ’video interview plavorm’. The applicant would be invited to record answers provided through a pre-‐recorded broadcast and complete wri^en submissions to proceed to the 2nd interview stage.
THE CANDIDATE WOULD REQUIRE A COMPUTER WITH WEB-‐CAM AND MICROPHONE. CANDIDATE SIMPLY RECORDS THE ANSWERS TO THE PRESET QUESTIONS, SAVES RECORDING AND IMMEDIATELY THE NOMINATED ASSESSORS ARE SENT AN E-‐MAIL WITH A LINK TO THE VIDEO.
This system is being evaluated to in an effort to provide equity for the candidates who will all be presented with the same quesLons (depending on the posiLon applied for) and as a Lme saving tool. IniLal applicaLons can be responded to at a suitable Lme for the candidate and in the same manner by those members of staff assessing the responses. No need to worry about Lme differences and work commitments. The system also allows for local staff members inclusion in the selecLon process so helping their understanding of our overall selecLon criteria.
2. The overall growth in demand for LLV products means of course there will be increased demand for teaching staff. As the Schools-‐Link Program develops there will be a much greater demand for teachers who have skills in other faculLes other than ESL. We will be looking for teachers who have proven track records in mathemaLcs, science and geography for example.
3. THERE WILL ALSO BE A HIGHER DEMAND FOR HIGHLY EXPERIENCED ESL SUPERVISORS WITH DELTA LEVEL QUALIFICATIONS TO ASSIST IN THE MANAGEMENT OF THE ANTICIPATED GROWTH.
4. We will be opening two more new schools in as many years so the demand for suitable candidates will be reasonably conLnual notwithstanding the 1st quarter seasonal slowdown.
5. We are acLvely trying to direct all potenLal applicants to our website to facilitate their iniLal applicaLons. This will ensure that the applicants have been to the website to further their knowledge of the school before applicaLon and follow the correct administraLve process to ensure common evaluaLon.
It is reasonably certain throughout this development process there will be administraLve errors/losses or delays and all we can ask is that understand our posiLon, be paLent and we will do everything we can to provide a state of the art, seamless applicaLon process that permits every applicant equal opportunity to progress to the 2ND stage interview.
The final two pages in the E-‐Pack should provide very useful links in providing an insight into how to go about gewng somewhere to live when you get here and what everybody else is gewng up to!
DON’T FORGET TO LOOK AT OUR WEBSITE FOR MUCH MORE INFORMATION ON THE SCHOOL AND COURSES WE OFFER. PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION ON THE FORMS PROVIDED.
APPLY NOW WWW.LLV.EDU.VN
For ciLzens of Australia h^p://www.afp.gov.au/what-‐we-‐do/police-‐checks/naLonal-‐police-‐checks.aspx
For ciLzens of Canada h^p://www.rcmp-‐grc.gc.ca/cont/faq-‐clear-‐cert-‐eng.htm#a1
For ciLzens of Ireland h^p://www.ciLzensinformaLon.ie/en/jusLce/law_enforcement/police_cerLficate.html
For ciLzens of New Zealand h^p://www.jusLce.govt.nz/services/get-‐a-‐copy-‐of-‐your-‐criminal-‐record/applicaLon-‐forms/
For ciLzens of South Africa h^p://www.dfa.gov.za/consular/policeclear.htm
For ciLzens of the UK h^p://www.crb.homeoffice.gov.uk/
CURRENT LINKS FOR YOUR POLICE CLEARANCE
Lang Ha Branch (LH)
80a Lang Ha Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi, Vietnam
Tel: +84 (4) 3776 3388 Fax: +84 (4) 3776 5008
Culture-‐Link Chat-‐Time
Dai Co Viet Branch (DCV)
24 Dai Co Viet Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi, Vietnam
Blended Learning Academic/Professional Pathways CELTA / Delta Training
Tel: +84 (4) 3974 4999 Fax: +84 (4) 3974 3280
Head Office 62 Yen Phu Street, Ba Dinh Hanoi
Corporate-‐Link
Schools-‐Link
Human Resources
Finance & Admin
IFY
WEST LAKE
HOAN KIEM LAKE
WHERE WE ARE AND CONTACT INFORMATION