KOJEN English Language Schools

KOJEN English Language Schools, also known by KOJEN English Centers, KOJEN ELS and its former name of ELSI, is one of the longest running cram schools in Taiwan.

The name KOJEN derives from its Chinese name, 科見美語, the first two characters of which are pronounced "kejian" in Mandarin.

The school has several locations in Taipei and Taipei County, as well a school in Taichung and a couple more in Kaoshiung. Each location uses a different second character which, however, is still a homonym for "jian". The reason for this has been a matter of much debate, chiefly as to whether or not KOJEN did so for tax reasons. The founder and president of the company, Mr. Kenneth Hou, has stated that that isn't so.

KOJEN aptly uses a dinosaur as a mascot.

KOJEN has three main teaching programs: Pre-School and Children's English, Adult English and English for Special Purposes (ESP). The Adult English program was once the largest in the country, but with competition from modern-looking schools with new facilities, that is no longer the case. Pre-School English programs in Taiwan are illegal.

Originally known as ELSI, KOJEN was started in the 1980s with its first location being on Gulin Street. Later the head office was moved to its current location at the Songjiang Road school.

Footprints Recruiting is the primary supplier of English teachers to KOJEN Schools.

The current President is Mr. Kenneth Hou, a native of Kaohsiung. Mr. Hou is a well-known figure among ESL teachers in Taiwan and is known for his thriftiness. In the Chinese tradition, he oversees all matters himself. KOJEN is a traditional Taiwanese family-run business, one that is involved in many non-education related ventures and side projects.

KOJEN has a ceiling wage of $NT 620/hr, or $USD 20.

KOJEN has a very turn over rate; many expatriates consider it to be a place to gain experience.

At the 2005 KOJEN summer party, Mr. Hou announced that KOJEN had had more than one million students.

See also

*English language learning and teaching

External links

The Story of My Year at KOJEN * [http://www.forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopic.php?t=35786]
* [http://www.kojen-els.com.tw/index.html KOJEN Official Website (Chinese)]
* [http://www.kojenenglish.com/ KOJEN English Website]