Introduction
Target & Shane Language Training was founded in 1993, with only two large commercial clients. The company expanded quickly, drawing in other companies from around Warsaw. By 1995 there were 10 teachers working full time, and expansion had started to include companies from all over Poland. In 1998, Target went into partnership with Saxoncourt International, making Target part of a world-wide group of schools. Our company presently has over 70 language instructors and a well-established position on the Polish/ English-teaching market.
Target & Shane Language Training deals with a very specific section of the English-teaching market in Poland - the corporate client. Our students need to use English on a regular basis with native and non-native speakers, and favor courses that focus on real day-to-day situations.
Target and Shane has built a substantial local reputation over the years for providing a professional and reliable service to the business community. We remain confident that this is where our strengths and competencies lie; and a friendly atmosphere, and attitude to teaching and learning is crucial to our success. Our administrative staff, and teachers continually strive towards ensuring high quality English language tuition.
Our teachers
We place great importance on the ability and professional excellence of our teachers. We understand that for our students, the teacher is the main reason that their course with us will be successful. Our teachers are qualified, experienced and committed to providing enjoyable and rewarding lessons.
Qualifications
Our teachers, regardless of their nationality:
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possess qualifications in teaching English as a foreign language (CELTA or Trinity College Certificates for native speakers, and higher professional education for Polish teachers)
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possess, if Polish, additional certification of their high level of English knowledge
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are teachers of general and business English to all ability levels
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are able and prepared to work in a business environment
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are enthusiastic and truly committed to their duties
Apart from their linguistic and pedagogic qualifications, many of our teachers also possess specialist knowledge acquired during their previous careers. Where possible, we try to combine this experience with the client's needs.
Types of Language Tuition Offered
Target & Shane in-company training is Warsaw-based but works throughout Poland for international and national companies and institutions. Our teachers provide online and in-company lessons for small groups and one-to-one students. Most of our work comes under three categories:
General English
General English courses provide a graduated learning path for students who want to learn a balance of skills, vocabulary and grammatical understanding in English, with the aim of becoming generally proficient in the language.
Professional English
These types of courses are run for students between A2 and C2 levels and are designed to give confidence and fluency for people using English at work.
English for Specific Purposes
Specialized courses including English for banking, finance, logistics, HR, marketing, email writing, English for law, presentations, customer care, negotiations, and English for telephoning have become quite fashionable within the corporate world.
Student Profile
On the whole Poles are enormous fun to teach for three main reasons:
a. They are highly motivated to learn and will usually work hard.
b. Their culture considers education in general and teachers in particular to be honorable.
c. They have a great sense of humor.
There are of course exceptions, but in most cases your students will turn up on time, having done their homework, will follow your lead in the classroom and do their best to master the language and complete the tasks, and at the same time try to enjoy the experience. For anyone who has taught other nationalities, this makes for a near-paradise situation.
The other side of the coin is that students have high expectations of their teacher to provide them with the right learning environment and teaching to capitalize on their enthusiasm. They will be dismissive of anyone who has clearly not prepared their lesson material, who is unprofessional in appearance or behavior, or who doesn't seem to be taking them seriously. If you can show that you are as committed to their learning as they are, then they will do anything for you. This is why in our recruitment we look for
a particular type of teacher, not only in terms of experience or qualifications, but in terms of attitude.
Teacher Profile
We are proud of our reputation as an inclusive company employing teachers from a wide range of backgrounds.
Although their backgrounds may vary, our teachers all have certain things in common. They are all outgoing, well-spoken, and they all see teaching as a job that is a full-time professional occupation.
A lot of teachers who come to join us are worried about the prospect of in-company teaching because they feel they do not have an especially business-like background. This is a misconstruing of what Business English Teaching is all about. The emphasis should be on the word "Teaching", not the word "Business". You are first and foremost a teacher, and you are not expected to be an instant expert on everything from Balance Sheets to Futures Markets. If you do have any questions about what you are teaching, then there are plenty of people about who could give you the benefit of their experience and knowledge.
Employment Opportunities
Current Vacancies
We continuously seek both native and Polish speaking English language instructors to teach online and in-company throughout Poland.
If you are interested in joining us, please send your CV to:
Jack Gutkowski
Academic Director Saxoncourt Poland
email: jack@target.edu.pl