Finding an ESL agent – A open discussion

September 22, 2010

This event has passed.

Check out the webinar recording or view the slide presentation.

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I’ve been working with language schools for a decade now. One question keeps popping up time and time again: “How do we find agents?”

The traditional way to find an educational agent is to attend an agent workshop or fair. For small or aspiring language schools however, the fees to attend such fairs are out of the question.

I’ve organized a free, webinar-style discussion on the topic and I’m inviting you to join me. This will be a frank and open discussion. It will be online, open to anyone who wants to join in:

Here are the event details:
Title: “Working with ESL and Educational Agents: Tips from the Pros – a webinar”
Format: Online, real-time, live discussion
Date: Thursday, October 14, 2010
Time: 08:00 – 09:00 Mountain Standard Time (Origin point: Calgary, Canada) – Please convert to your time zone.

Guiding questions for the session:

  • How do ESL schools and programs find reputable agents?
  • What are the alternatives for small schools without a sufficient budget to attend the large agent fairs and workshops?
  • What are some pitfalls for language schools to avoid when working with agents?
  • How can schools develop long-term relationships with agents
  • Recommendations from the pros

Participants are invited to join at no cost. The point of this session is to provide information, education and an interactive discussion between language school directors and marketers and those working in the ESL / Educational agents field.

Registration link: http://workingwitheslagents.eventbrite.com/
Deadline to register: Tuesday, October 12 – Note: there are a limited number of seats available in the virtual classroom, so participants are encouraged to register early.

Please invite your associates and members to join us for this open discussion between ESL schools and educational agents.

This event is sponsored by:

  • Elluminate – Providers of the webinar technology.
  • Eventbrite – Providers of the registration system for the event.

Update: September 24 – So far, participants from the U.S.A, the UK, Italy and Korea have registered.

Related posts:

Tips for finding ESL educational agents

Tips for success at educational trade fairs

How to find a good ESL agent: Tips from the trenches

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

Comments Off on Finding an ESL agent – A open discussion | agents, marketing, Uncategorized, webinar | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

Tips for finding ESL educational agents

July 10, 2010

An ESL agent, also known as an educational agent, or an international education agent, is someone who brokers a relationship between prospective students and an institution, be it a university, college or privately run school.

Good agents will act as a trusted advisor for both parties, working with prospective students to find them an excellent school abroad, helping them with any necessary paper work and  coaching them on what to expect.

Good agents work with excellent, accredited schools, ensuring that the experience they are providing is the best it can be for the students.

Bad agents don’t give a rat’s behind. They take money from students, making promises that will never come true. Ever heard of an agent who promised students they’d be driven to school every day in a limousine driven by a chauffeur? I have. And I can tell you that in Canada, I’ve never seen an international student arrive at school in a limo. Ever.
Bad agents don’t care that they’re telling lies or cheating students. And really, there’s nothing you can do to make them care.

What you can do, is spend your time finding a good agent.

But how? There are a number of ways.

Though you may find agents on line, it is more likely that you’ll find organizations that work with accredited agents. You may want to check out:

My suggestion would be to target which areas of the world you’d like more students from, then approach the professional organizations in those countries that work with reputable agents.

There are probably more organizations out there than I have listed here. And of course, I have to say that I’m providing these links as information only, not endorsements. 😉 There are no guarantees that working with an accredited organization will find you a stellar agent, but it does increase your chances. The bottom line is that finding excellent agents to work with takes time. Do your homework.

Related posts:

How to find a good ESL agent: Tips from the trenches

Tips for success at educational trade fairs

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Like this post? Share or Tweet it: Tips for finding ESL educational agents http://wp.me/pNAh3-be

Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

5 Comments | agents, ESL agents, languages, marketing, recruitment, second languages, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.