Comments on: Gaba, Shame On You

By: Mike

Mike — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 01:35:33 +0000

The economic recession here in Japan has hit many really hard, a multitude of foreigners have opted to leave. I don’t have that option I am too well settled to up and leave. However my little export business has been so badly hit that I needed to supplement my income. As I still am and always have been involved in English language conversation teaching, decided to check out and see what jobs are available to me. I checked the Internet and GABA jumped out at me - literally this organization has pop ups everywhere ! Their promise of a flexible work schedule really appealed to me, a job at GAB allows me to carry on with my present business. So I filled in the online application form and to my surprise, on the 8th. September was asked to go for an interview on the 13th. September. (Why surprised? you ask, well I am 50 years old and would imagine language schools would like younger people). On the 13th. of September I went along to GABA’s Nagoya Sakae studio, had to fill in a form with basic information etc. We were then given a presentation (Very well presented it was too) with slides explaining to us the GABA way - it made GABA look like a wonderful place to work ! (Once you get past the 3 days unpaid training if accepted) We were told that should we be accepted we would start work on the 1st. of October. After the presentation we (There were 4 of us) were given a 4 page test, not too hard - with the exception of the grammar part which made everyone groan ! I didn’t even try this part and just wrote “Can’t do this” other parts involved matching 10 idioms to their meanings and adding one of your own, this would not be hard for any native speaker. Also a sample lesson where we had to write out how we would teach this lesson, instruction on what we had to do were quite vague but with a bit of creative imagination most people should manage something that looks presentable. While we were completing the test we were called one by one for a short interview I showed them my permanent residence visa and insurance cert. (Both great additions to job hunting here) I was thanked for coming and told that I would be contacted soon. I left the GABA office feeling pessimistic I totally flunked the grammar test and I was also wondering if they’d even be able to read my terrible writing ! I got notified on the 13th. September that I could have my second interview on the 6th. October - I replied pointing out to him that we were told that should we be accepted for this job we’d be starting on the 1st October, (this second interview was 23 days after my first meeting) There were no apologies from the interviewer, who told me he can’t do an earlier interview as he’ll be away. Ok I had a lot of time to kill before my second interview I used that time to apply for other jobs and try and get more information about GABA - and what a gold mine of information the Internet provided, there are so many negative reviews about this company I finally started wondering if I really wanted to work there ! Also by chance I had an interview with a gentleman who used to work at GABA he shared his experiences with me - all negative. Finally the 6th. October came I went along for my interview it really wasn’t as hard as I was expecting it to be though I was asked some questions that had me digging deep to answer, basically the questions evolved around how you’d teach a particular lesson or a particular student. I asked some questions of my own such as the dress code for teachers - not as strict as I thought it would be, but wear dark suits and ties fella’s. Flexibility of the schedule - it is indeed very flexible, and the “Belt up” tests/lectures I found his answer on belt ups very evasive. GABA has a belt up scheme where you have to go through this procedure to belt up and increase your salary - be warned the chances of a teacher being able to belt up all the way to 2,200 Yen a lesson are virtually zero. From figures (Readily available on Wikipedia) the best you can hope for is 1,600 Yen for a peak lesson. Before a 40 minute lesson finishes teachers are also expected to input students lesson report, while students are still there - I find this ignorant when students are paying so much for a lesson shouldn’t they get the teachers undivided attention for the full 40 minutes? The short break time of 5 minutes between lessons also had me wondering how one could prepare properly for the next lesson, while finishing up after the last one. The interview finished after about 30 minutes and I was told I could expect a reply within 2 or 3 days, I waited and waited after 8 days I couldn’t wait any longer and e mailed the interviewer, he replied back, with no apologies for the delay, saying I didn’t get the job (No surprises there) I was so annoyed that it took them 31 days in total to tell me that, I expressed my displeasure in a brief e mail, which was replied to courteously and with an excuse for delay, which I didn’t believe. GABA still looks good to me solely for the reason that it allows a work schedule that allows me to do other things, I don’t need any benefits like health insurance, travel money, visa assistance, clothing allowance, paid holidays etc. anybody needing these benefits need not apply ! For younger people looking for work there are way better places to work. (Even NOVA looks to be a better place to work than GABA) My overall experience with GABA, my research of Internet reviews of GABA and my conversation with an ex-teacher of GABA left me feeling that the organization has a habitual pattern of lack of respect and disregard for a persons dignity. I still don’t have a job

By: Eddy Ryan

Eddy Ryan — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 19:53:02 +0000

Before we “shame” Gaba we might want to consider the fact that the sign was made by an ad agency and, what was asked for and signed onto does not always translate into the finale product. Examples abound.

By: jron

jron — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 22:27:49 +0000

Someone I'm closed to worked for Gaba for more than half a decade as an instructor - it must mean that not all instructors are ill-treated? I work in NYC as a designer and I too am only paid $10 an hour after tax for a crazy amount of work - and who can complain in this economic crisis? Besides, nobody's forcing you/me to live in Japan/NYC or to keep the job

Anyway, if you translate exactly what it says in Japanese, I think it would be something like this: "Why is it that students' satisfaction level towards the lessons at Gaba is rising while the quality of English conversation schools is ever more being questioned?"

I think the best way to translate anything from Japanese to English would be to ask a Japanese person to (pre) translate and then a native speaker to make it sound more natural.. I really don't know why they didn't just ask someone to make sure it sounded perfect..

By: Jvet

Jvet — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 08:40:15 +0000

The in depth comments posted by "Gladius" nine week ago should be enough to deter any of you new to the eikawa racket in Japan from entering into any contract situation with the Fascist organization know as GABA. However, I'd like to add my agreement to his/her warnings. This company is the absolute "sweat-shop slum-lord" of the corporate English scam companies that so ubiquitously populate the Japanese market. It should be legally tarred and feathered for its unlawful practices, senseless, draconian policies for employees, contract breaches and outright lies, slave-like scheduling, and general total disrespect for the unsuspecting foreigners who fall into the GABA pit. If you now work for this abomination of a company, get out. If you're thinking about it, DON'T!

By: Gladius

Gladius — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:07:16 +0000

I work for this company in Japan. It's interesting to say the least. The corporate staff is Japanese, with a few sprinkled in foreigners to give it an international flair; however these foreigners are never consulted on advertising, so most of the ad work is done by non-native speakers. They also produce their own texts focusing on what they feel is native and natural English. In most cases if a student spoke to someone on the streets they would be understood but most of them rely on the instructors to give them proper phrases. GABA's prices for students are high and with the current situation, meaning finances GABA is doing everything they can to get rid of the higher paid instructors. Their contract is vague enough that they can use almost anything against you and if anyone is looking for a job with them I would advise not to. I make about $20 for a 40 minute lesson, and I have been their for 3 years. The average pay for an instructor is about $13 after taxes. There are some advantages though, such as working a schedule you like, but there are no other perks and absolutely no benefits. Training is free but cost to get there is at your expense, but is a tax break because you are basically your own company. You have to wear a black or very dark blue suit and tie for 9 months of the year. The students can evaluate your lesson quality for everything. If the network which GABA runs off of crashes the students can give you a negative evaluation and if they don't like your appearance or your cologne. Management for instructors are foreigners, but they are die-hard employees of GABA and though they are suppose to support you the instructor they will turn on you in a heart beat if it will save the company money or prestige. GABA is supposed to be the #1 English school in Japan, but it isn't by far. If anyone reads this and has considered working for GABA please reconsider. Currently, there are over 280 viable breach of contract investigations under way and even if one is successful and there will be GABA will fall just like Nova did a couple of years ago. The management is worried about putting students into their booths for lessons and are currently active looking for instructors in the US and Canada as well as Europe and Australia. What they tell you will only be partially true, such a your scheduling. The chances for advancement is almost zero and your base pay will be 1500 Japanese Yen per lesson, no matter what time slots you work. If you thought that the advertisement was bad ask to see their books. They are full of grammar mistakes and they will not make any corrections until their next run on text books. It isn't all that great and I find that I can make more money doing private lessons than I do at GABA. It is like a sweat shop, they demand a lot and don't give compensation for the efforts. They have a private file on every instructor, you are never allowed to see it or rebut it! They never put positive comments in it, only negative, this way when they want to get rid of you they show the negative and your gone. Your contract isn't reviewed or considered if the management in your area say No!

By: Fair User

Fair User — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 08:52:58 +0000

The sentence is fine. Gaba is a sweat shop charging $90 per hour to the customer and paying about $10 per hour to the employee. You're better off at McDonalds in America.

By: hsknotes

hsknotes — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:02:38 +0000

Well, I'm another native speaker and it doesn't sound horribly awkward, but once you chew on it for a second, it gets ugly.

One, the problem with 'demanding' is not that it is 'vague', it is simply the wrong word. They mean "competitive" and you cannot in any way use 'demanding' to replace it here. It is simply wrong. The 'demanding industry' collocation exists, but it doesn't work or even make sense here. No native speaker editor who thought about that sentence for a second would allow that because of the second part of the sentence.

The first part of the sentence is talking about the english teaching industry, but the second part is referring to student satisfaction, hence it creates this creeping confusion which builds as your roll it around your mouth some more. Furthermore, "the satisfaction" is completely unacceptable. We simply don't use 'the satisfaction' as a noun that way in english, it needs to be paired with something as the other commenters stated. So, no, it is not unclear who's satisfaction is increasing, but it is made 'awkward' by having the first part of the sentence referring to gaba itself, combined with the usage of 'the satisfaction'.

I think the big thing is the 'demanding'. That just screams out, wrong. The awkwardness of the second part could be 'overlooked' as ad-speak, but put all together, its reaches total fail. F- for you GABA! Back to night school!

Finally, even ad-speak english reverts to the most colloquial. I think we're just more comfortable with the least formal speech. So, of course, all this 'increasingly, satisfaction, blah, blah blah,' works, sometimes still seem awkward since no one in real life would ever say them.

Why are students increasingly satisfied with our classes? Why are more and more students attending/coming to our classes?

Less formal yes, but more in-use and hence less 'awkward.'

Anyway, the important thing there can be no logical connection that they are trying to draw between (demanding industry) and 'satisfaction', that is simply an incorrect use of demanding and it fucks up the whole thing. And even if they changed it to 'competitive' the sentence would still be too busy and trying to do two things in not a lot of space with not a lot of logical connection. Awkwardness is dying to come out there. FAIL.

And yes, level of satisfaction is not only better, it may be near-required.

By: Gordon P. Hemsley

Gordon P. Hemsley — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 15:37:07 +0000

While many of the points people have raised seem valid, as a native speaker, the original sentence did not sound weird to me. And I usually pick up on weird-sounding sentences. So I'm not sure it's entirely inaccurate.

By: Akane

Akane — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 09:38:59 +0000

The only glaring problem is that unnecessary article - I don't think it's entirely ungrammatical, but it's definitely awkward. "In an increasingly demanding industry, why is satisfaction with Gaba's lessons continually rising?" would be just fine to me, grammatically speaking, although the impersonality of the second half of the sentence is also a bit off-putting. It's definitely a little weird in English to leave the people who are experiencing the aforementioned satisfaction as merely implied rather than explicitly identified, no matter how easy it is to guess from the context of the sentence.

By: Aaron 勇舟

Aaron 勇舟 — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 06:20:18 +0000

The idea of satisfaction "rising" sounds strange to me. "Level of satisfaction ... rising" or "satisfaction ... increasing" would be a better choice.

"Demanding" seems like an unnecessarily vague word choice. "Competitive" or another more specific word would be better.

Exactly who is being satisfied by gaba's lessons is also vague. We assume it's the students, but teachers, for example, would also make sense.

So, I guess "In an increasingly competitive industry, why does student satisfaction with gaba's lessons continue to increase?" would be one way to improve it.

But that's still kind of awkward.

Can a prepositional phrase be a misplaced modifier? Maybe that's it.