The following information was supplied by the school in September 2001

SCHOOLS-CLASSES-CONTRACT

The schools are luxuriously decorated, within a small walking distance from each other. The atmosphere is warm and friendly and there are 9 teachers altogether ( only two native speakers ). There is secretarial assistance, fully air-conditioned classes with wonderful desks and colours. There is an Internet access from everywhere .

The teaching groups are small (maximum 10-11 students of 5- 75 years old (!) following strict, specific Internal Rules and Regulations. Therefore there are no discipline or any other kind of problems within the teaching groups.

The students you are going to teach have already had a minimum of a-3- year English study , therefore most kids / adults are good or excellent communicators depending on the number of years of studies they have had.

All teachers (Greeks or native ones) go through a methodology course during the last fortnight of August or the first week of September, free of charge. We offer that short preparation course to make teachers familiar with the books/methods we use and the exact way they are going to teach . After that course teachers are fully prepared to fulfill their duties. It’s an excellent opportunity for those of you who wish to become true teachers. All our previous teachers have fully appreciated the help they had from the above mentioned course .

All lessons start the earliest around 14,30 pm and finish the latest around 10,30pm. This of course does not mean that you start at 2,30 and finish at 10,30 pm . Your teaching programme is of a maximum of 27 hours as I mentioned before and it fully depends on the weekly timetable ( which comes out around 15th of September). There might be a day with 5 teaching hours and another one with just 2 or 3 . There might also be some morning lessons ( these for adults only ,who work in the afternoons ) but this is something we all try to avoid .

What all teachers love about the timetable is that they can stay out till very late at night without having to wake up early in the morning ( I have to remind you that here, bars-cafes and pubs stay open till the first hours in the morning or maybe all night at holidays ).

Lessons start on the 17th of September but teachers’ preparation starts much earlier (Greek teachers have already started ) therefore you should arrive as soon as possible. While getting prepared or attending your introductory course, you will always have a lot of free time to go swimming or enjoying your nightlife out, combining learning with holidays.

AVAILABILITY IS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE .

You are going to teach for a maximum of 27 hours per week. In case of fewer teaching hours, some office hours will be arranged to come to the 27 hours total your contract mentions . In case of some more ones, you are of course getting extra money paid per hour .

During school holidays ( which are quite a lot in Greece) or Christmas/Easter holidays ( a month in total) you are getting paid as if you were teaching regularly.

LIFE IN PYRGOS

Pyrgos is situated within a short distance ( 15-20 mins by bus) of many wonderful beaches with everything a medium size city can offer ( night clubs , big super markets , internet cafés ,laundry, DVD showroom , cinema with the latest movies all in english, a wonderful and cheap Saturday open market etc ). You can go swimming till middle November !!!

For football and basketball fans , we rent a private outdoor field for Lexis teachers and students in a local club every Saturday morning where they all have a wonderful time keeping fit and happy .The little rest area is ideal for those who want to be with others on Saturday mornings , watching the game from the windows , enjoying their hot chocolate or coffee !

The port of Katakolo (15kms from Pyrgos ) is a traditional island-like one, with many cafeterias, bars, tavernas, night clubs and regular buses .

Olympia ( 20 kms away ) offers one of the richest history in humanity with breathtaking monuments , a museum and archeological sites . I can provide you with a lot of information through the internet - web sites - about Pyrgos, in case Mr Beech hasn’t given you URLs about it.

The population of the city of Pyrgos is around 5.000 , and the cost of living is really cheap( at least much cheaper than the one of bigger cities like Patras or Athens ). The cost of living in Greece, in general, is much lower than in England.

Your salary will allow you to spend a wonderful time here , enjoying your stay , visiting the Ionianl islands (Zakynthos, Keffalonia -Where the Violin of Captain Correlli was filmed -, Corfu and many others within 1 or 2 hours voyage .

We frequently have nights out with teachers having some great time. Of course when you come here you will have an orientation personally by us .

Vegetables , fish and meat is really cheap and of course fresh from the local cultivation . To give you an example, a packet of cigarettes costs about 1,25 pounds, a bottle of gin 5,2 pounds ,an alcohol drink in a bar is about 2,5 pounds, a steak in a tavern is about 2,8 pounds and a kilo of fresh fish (almost 2,2 pounds in weight ) costs about 5 pounds.

THE FLAT

Words cannot easily describe the flat provided for your stay. The rent is paid by us, the bills ( electricity ,central heating and water ) by you. All these expenses are about 25 pounds per month (15,000 drachmas for each teacher ). As winter here is really mild ( normal winter temperatures are around 15-18 Celsius) , central heating is necessary for a couple of months ,only at nights as your flat is on the second floor with huge windows all around , viewing the whole city and "absorbing" all solar heating .

There are two bedrooms with French beds and their own big balcony as well as a bathroom and a Kitchen -Living room area ( the flat is a modern studio ) with a huge balcony and big windows from side to side. It’s a roomy flat and I’m pretty sure you’ll be spending many hours there in the cosy and nice environment because you’ll love it from the very first moment.

The flat is fully furnished. Utensils are provided . There are a couple of towels and sheet provided but it might not be enough. It would be advisable to bring some extra ones.

What we want from you

· To be always tidy , with teacher-like clothes . ( female teachers wear :shirts ,blouses , skirts -not mini skirts - trousers ( not jeans ) , smart clothes, everything well ironed and always clean ) ( male teachers always wear well ironed shirts with ties or scarves and trousers or suits, no jeans and boots ) .

· To be friendly ,warm and patient with the students and to follow the given teaching instructions.

· To be well prepared for the lessons and to correct your homework on time.

· Skinhead , piercing , coloured hair (red,green etc) are out of the question .

· To be open hearted and display a spirit of understanding with everyone at school .

· To participate in any school activities you might be asked .

· To keep the flat clean and tidy.

Please let us know about :

· When you can arrive ( I remind you that AVAILABILITY IS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE)

· Your hobbies , interests .

· Your family background ( parents , brothers and sisters ‘ profession)

· Any further questions you might have arisen from above information .

· You have to send us an email with two pictures of yours : 1. Face pic 2. Body pic

Please keep in mind that :

As you see from the previous teachers’ references I’m sending you, all of them were satisfied because they had a very good time , they made a lot of friends here (which you are going to "inherit" if you want ) but the most important factor for their good time was the warm and friendly relationship we had.

We were always standing by them ,whenever they needed help in work or in person, spending a lot of time socialising as we would do with friends of ours, going out together many times. In a few words , we try to make your stay here the best it could be because we not only see you as teachers but as friends also.

Looking forward to hearing from you as soon as possible,

Mary Triantafillopoulou,

Lexis Education Language School Owner- Director of Studies


PREVIOUS TEACHERS’ REFERENCES

To whom it may concern,

Anthony and Mary Triantafillipoulou are the founders of Lexis, a language Institute comprising 3 schools. The 2 principal institutes are to be found in Pyrgos, a small town only 4 km from the Aegean sea. Lexis caters for a wide variety of people, from children to fluent adults and with its plush facilities and professional teachers is viewed by many to be the foremost language school in the rapidly expanding town.

Not only can clients expect the most effective educational service at Lexis, they can also be assured of excellent pastoral care. The staff genuinely have their students’ needs and wishes at heart. Care for the student is balanced with care and consideration for the employee, and I will be most satisfied if I can find employers as accommodating as Anthony and Mary.

My employers’ attitude reflects the general values held highly throughout Greece and the notion of hospitality is by no means a misconception. A teacher can expect to be responsible for children ranging from 9 to 17 years old as well as for adults of varying abilities. All the students are a delight, though be sure to try and keep at arm’s length every now and then so as to not be exploited! Teaching will generally be between the hours of 2 and 10 pm, which is ideal as there is no need for early mornings and plenty of opportunity for late nights !

Pyrgos itself is a busy little place, just sit in the central platia in the evening to see how the town comes to life. You will find night life to be refreshingly free of crime or any intimidation whatsoever and if my experience is a yardstick then you will only feel warmth from the curious locals. The region is renowned for its beauty and variety of landscape, and locally too you are never far from idyllic spots such as Katakolo or Agious Andeas. The beaches 4 km away would be a godsend to "even the most jaded Californian" (to quote the Rough Guide)

If you suffer from sunburns you will not be disappointed with the flat you will have at your disposal, and you can always escape from the balcony into a spacious, modern apartment boasting very friendly neighbours.

Working for Lexis offers an ideal opportunity for anyone searching for something stimulating, challenging and, of course, rewarding.

Yours Faithfully

Matthew Taylor


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To whom it may concern,

Having lived in Pyrgos for nine months now I can say whole-heartedly that the hospitality and affection that I have been shown here has certainly made my stay very comfortable. Mary and Anthony Triantafillipoulou are the owners of the Lexis teaching establishment, the most respected centre for foreign language learning in Pyrgos. The two central schools have very high standards and offer the students and teachers a friendly comforting environment to enable all to excel. The decor in both schools certainly aids learning, with the rooms set up to maximize the development of both oral and aural language skills. The colour scheme is designed to enhance friendship with an aim to defuse all confrontation in the classroom

As a town Pyrgos is situated only 8miles from the sea and with regular bus roots to the harbour at Katakalo and Agious Andreas enjoying the spectacular scenery is a sure way to unwind. Not that life is ever stressful here. The laid back attitudes perpetuated by the Greeks is mirrored in all aspects of life. The typical working day highlights such a cultural trait. Work usually takes place between the hours of two and ten. Such a situation is key to enjoyment of life.

There are obvious advantages to this way of life as it fully enables you to enjoy late nights stretching into the early hours of the morning. The locals are warm and friendly and a wide range of different attitudes and tastes can be found in many non-threatening establishments. Among the best are Melrose whose owner is a charming individual with a good taste in music and Skikois on Ermou street. Both play a wide selection of contemporary and traditional music from both England and Greece.

The children are aged between nine and seventeen and can be a joy to teach, but keeping a distance from them is advisable as you may get exploited. The flat has extremely friendly neighbours and is situated close enough to all amenities. The shop that occupies the ground floor of the building is an indispensable asset and the owner one of the friendliest people in Greece.

The balcony acts as an extra room for the vast proportion of the year. The weather here is very warm and fortunately the beaches are close enough to be reached in under twenty minutes.

As a teacher you will get all the support you require from both Mary and Anthony. As bosses it has been my privilege to work for two people who have been of a great support to me enabling the Lexis family to operate smoothly and efficiently. They will always have time to discuss any problems which may arise and will help you with anything at all that may occur in your private or working life. You will be hard pushed to find two more helpful and reliable employers in the whole of Greece if not Europe.

I hope that you enjoy the time you spend here. If you have any questions feel free to contact me at:

Mr. A.J. Howard
78 Forest Drive West
Leytonstone
London E11 1LA

Yours Faithfully

Andrew Howard.