LanguageCorps?

[Erica]

I need second opinions, so I figured I'd see what you guys have to say.

There's a company called LanguageCorps. They have year long and month long programs in foreign countries. Depending on the program, they either teach you how to teach English, or.. you already know how to, so you don't need the same training.

You pay something like $1,500-$2,500 to go, I'm guessing to cover flight and things like that (I'd check first of course, I'm not getting scammed), and they help you find a place to stay and a job.

I was told I got accepted, but I haven't yet received a follow-up email. If I did do it, I'd be spending late June through most of July in Florence, Italy. Yeah. That's why I'm hoping it's not a scam.

I searched the 'net and found very few mentions of scam/ripoff, only one or two saying "this sounds fishy," not "They took 10,000 dollars from me!" I checked the Better Business Bureau, and they gave it an A+. They also had no complaints. Seeing as the BBB is pretty credible, I don't think it's a big scam.

So, what do you guys think? Here's the site: www.languagecorps.com.

I'm leaning towards "not a scam," but I wanna be safe, seeing as I'm not exactly rich to begin with. If I don't make much money, or it evens out, whatever -- it's the experience I'd be going for, anyway.

[Skytteflickan88]

Keep googling and see if they have satisfied customers.

[Talkie Toaster]

Things from their FAQ:

Are there other costs in addition to the Program fee?

You must provide for your own travel from your home to your arrival point and for your own travel back home at the end of your teaching assignment. (NOTE: Some hiring schools may offer partial or full reimbursement of airfare costs as part of your overall compensation.)

In some teaching assignments, you may have accommodations, and/or free access to dining facilities, as part of your compensation. But more commonly, you will have to pay for your own food and rent. In addition, an apartment you select may require additional "up-front" payments such as security deposits and fist-month's rent. As in all walks of life, be sure to have enough funds to get through to your first monthly paycheck!

You will need to pay for your food during the program, although in some countries a home stay is an option, which typically includes two meals per day. Of course, you will have to pay for any personal items and services (cleaning, laundry, etc.) you may want, and for your own entertainment, vacation or leisure travel, gifts or other personal shopping.

The Florence TESOL Certification Program Fee is US$1,695

RIPOFF REPORT:

Report: LanguageCorps


Reported By: (ellijay Georgia)
LanguageCorps Rips people off who want to teach "overseas". Atlanta Georgia
... LanguageCorps, you get what you pay for in life

1
Author
1
Consumer
0
Employee
Respond to this report!

Victim of this person/company?

LanguageCorps
www.languagecorps.com
Nationwide
U.S.A.
Phone: [phone]
Web Address:

Category: Questionable Activities

Submitted: Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Last posting: Friday, May 08, 2009
There exist today many companies that offer people a meager living by having them work as a language instructor. Now companies such as the LanguageCorps boast that you are guaranteed a job, but that you might have to pay more than you would make to get that job. Sound fishy? It is.

When I confronted them for an itemized detail of where the 5k (US) of fees goes, they could not comment fully except to say that their training is the best and that their assistance for the first 4 weeks in a foreign company such as Mexico, was worth it. This does not include any airfare and no housing after the first month. Emergency insurance for the trip down and back, but not for the stay down there.

Alex
ellijay, Georgia
U.S.A.

Owner of Companies rebuttal:

We just came across this report on LanguageCorps, and as one of the owners of LanguageCorps, I wanted to respond, as it is quite misleading. LanguageCorps offers a variety of programs for talented people interested in travel, internationalism, and teaching abroad. Our goal is to empower our Teachers to thrive as professionals while living in, working in, and learning about a different culture.

Our programs are available in several countries in Latin America, Asia, and Europe. Programs vary by country, and program fees range from US$1,695-US$4,395. All LanguageCorps programs include an intensive, four-week TESOL training and certification program, pre-departure support, and assistance finding a paid teaching position. Some programs also include local language and cultural training, guaranteed job placement, accommodations, comprehensive medical insurance for a full year, excursions, and other support services. Our web site is www.languagecorps.com, and specifics on costs and what each program includes are outlined on the Program page for each individual country.

Salaries and living expenses vary by country, and in some locations, participants are able to live very comfortably, recoup the program fee, and still set aside some savings. But no one does this type of thing just to make money; LanguageCorps teachers are true global citizens! They are comfortable with, and excited about, genuine intercultural exchange. They embrace opportunities to share their own cultural identity with others, and to immerse themselves in new and different worlds.

For more information, please visit the website at www.languagecorps.com, or send an email to [e-mail].

Jan
Stow, MA

For Ripoff Report staff, if you need to reach me:
Jan Patton
Admissions Director
[e-mail]
Toll Free: 1-877-216-3267
Direct: 1-978-562-2100
Fax: [phone]

Response to owner from a satisfied Language Corps Customer

I am glad to see Jan found this 'report' and responded to it, how many will believe her is depatable. However, I am a happy graduate of the program, still working and teaching in rural Viet Nam, satisfied for the money I spent.

I have read some similar scam reports in other areas and can only say that:

Yes it's a little pricy but you do get what you pay for, IF you use the program and all it gives you.
They are very accurate about telling you about the country and what you must do, step by step, to get you going and certified. However, if you are a real dummy and don't follow the 'check list' you WILL have problems down the road.

Yes, they do give you a free cell phone. A good normal one, if you want a GPS, internet etc you better get your own. Yes, they do provide very good, friendly, clean and secure housing for a month. You stay in a 3 star guest house and are treated like a king/queen by the staff. I still try to book a room there when I have to go to Saigon, it's a very good place.
Yes, the LC staff in Saigon is top notch, they see to all of your needs and make sure you are well cared for, happy and try to help you succeed. They will bend over backward to assist you however, they will not hold your hand, wipe your nose or change your diaper...they also can't read minds...you have to tell them if there is a problem.
Yes, they provide a year of (renewable) medical insurance with emergency evacuation for serious things. Price that on your own sometime and get a shock!

They will work very hard to find you housing and job placement. You must still do a little on your own, this is life.

I'm not a 'troll' for LC, simply someone who got his moneys worth. They could have helped me even more but I wanted to teach in the country and not a big city. Actually one of the employees helped get me the job I have now so, I guess in a way they did do the whole job.

Bob Johnston
Duy Tan Language Center
Tuy Hoa, Phu Yen Province, Viet Nam

Language corps domain info:
Registration Service Provided By: eNom, Inc.
Contact:
       
Domain name: languagecorps.com

Registrant Contact:
  LanguageCorps, Inc.
  Jed Willard ()
 
  Fax:
  4 Candy Hill Lane
  Sudbury, MA 01776
  US

Administrative Contact:
  LanguageCorps, Inc.
  Jed Willard ()
  +1.9784430941
  Fax: [phone], +1.97844
  4 Candy Hill Lane
  Sudbury, MA 01776
  US

Technical Contact:
  LanguageCorps
  Jerry Patton ()
  +1.9785626850
  Fax:
  53 Whispering Way
  Stow, MA 01775
  US

Status: Locked

Name Servers:
  NS1.ROCHENHOST.COM
  NS2.ROCHENHOST.COM
 
Creation date: 28 Mar 2003 16:20:43
Expiration date: 28 Mar 2010 15:20:00

[Erica]

Yeah, I found a few. On the site RipoffReport someone posted a complaint (although.. their complaint wasn't really that bad), someone from the company responded, and then another guy claiming to be someone who worked with them replied. That same guy was also on a forum where someone claimed it sounded like a scam -- makes me think he works for the company.

But on Yelp, there's 2 reviews, from people with actual activity on the site (so definitely not the company). One was a mixed review, but the other sounded good.

I guess that's a good sign -- better than finding a ton of really negative reviews.

Edit: Yeah, rereading that (thanks for posting it here BTW!), that dude sounds like he's from the company. Regardless... I think I'll see what the woman says in her email, then I'll ask a million questions.

[Talkie Toaster]

Jan 24, 2010 20:29:06 GMT -5 Erica said:

Yeah, I found a few. On the site RipoffReport someone posted a complaint (although.. their complaint wasn't really that bad), someone from the company responded, and then another guy claiming to be someone who worked with them replied. That same guy was also on a forum where someone claimed it sounded like a scam -- makes me think he works for the company.

But on Yelp, there's 2 reviews, from people with actual activity on the site (so definitely not the company). One was a mixed review, but the other sounded good.

I guess that's a good sign -- better than finding a ton of really negative reviews.

Edit: Yeah, rereading that (thanks for posting it here BTW!), that dude sounds like he's from the company. Regardless... I think I'll see what the woman says in her email, then I'll ask a million questions.

Well think of it this way, the company has been around for nearly 7 years, also another thing they have going for them (going from the domain report) is that their web-server is based in America (usually scam sites are run from overseas, basing it in America would be a HUGE risk to the owner)

EDIT: that being said, nothing is certain, you can either decide to take a leap of faith or decide that it is a scam.

[Erica]

Yeah. A year ago my ex boyfriend's Xbox was broken and he needed a part so he could trade it in. I bought the part for him (it was like $12). Weeks, nothing. It never got here. I did internet snooping, found out it was a total scam -- the domain was based in China, and the number listed? 0123456789. I kid you not.

[Wyndam]

You might also ask around at your school's travel abroad or scholorships/programs offices, they might have some information on LanguageCorps to provide you (maybe even connect you with students that have participated in the program).

[wenxina]

Jan 24, 2010 21:13:48 GMT -5 Erica said:

Yeah. A year ago my ex boyfriend's Xbox was broken and he needed a part so he could trade it in. I bought the part for him (it was like $12). Weeks, nothing. It never got here. I did internet snooping, found out it was a total scam -- the domain was based in China, and the number listed? 0123456789. I kid you not.

Hmmm... strange... the number listed sounds like a Malaysian cellphone number. The country code would be a +6, but otherwise, the "012" bit... that's the first bit of my cellphone number when I'm home. It's actually the company code (cellphone companies in Malaysia have distinctive first 3 digit codes) of my cellphone service provider when I'm back in Malaysia.
Sorry for the tangent... just thought it was interesting.

[Erica]

Jan 24, 2010 21:42:31 GMT -5 wenxina said:

Hmmm... strange... the number listed sounds like a Malaysian cellphone number. The country code would be a +6, but otherwise, the "012" bit... that's the first bit of my cellphone number when I'm home. It's actually the company code (cellphone companies in Malaysia have distinctive first 3 digit codes) of my cellphone service provider when I'm back in Malaysia.
Sorry for the tangent... just thought it was interesting.

Really? Hm. I'm pretty sure it was fake tho.. you know, being all the numbers in a row haha. I'm guessing they wouldn't assign someone that number.

Also, they had a contact form on the site, no phone number (besides the one listed on a domain site), and I never got a response of course. And my damn ex never paid me back my $12! I'm cheap...

Wyndam, yeah, I might do that too, especially since I'd like to study abroad somewhere else as well. It'd be nice if I could find someone who actually did it.

[wenxina]

Yeah well... the rest of the digits make it pretty legitimately fake.
I was just fixated on the 012 bit. lol

[drusillacakes]

I don't know anyone who has done LanguageCorps, but I do know people who have worked through the JET program (http://www.jetprogramme.org/) where you teach in Japan. And I know another person who is doing something similar in Korea. They have all had really positive experiences, but they were kind of Japanophiles to begin with. I believe with JET, you do not have to be a current student. If you're in school now, I would second Wyndam's suggestion, to ask your school's travel abroad department, and if not, maybe ask around your alumni network?

[scp2010]

I actually know a couple people that have done LanguageCorps and I've heard good things. I guess it's debatable whether or not it's worth the money to you, but it's definitely not a scam.