Prolingua has produced over 1500 pages of original localized curriculum, written especially for Japanese business people. Almost all language training companies in Tokyo use standard, off-the-shelf textbooks, written for English students anywhere in the world.
Prolingua training techniques emphasize interaction between student and instructor, not student and text. We use proprietary interactive training methods and curriculum that do not rely on video tape or CD players. Generic texts tend to place a heavy emphasis on prerecorded material. Importing an English instructor from overseas to push the play button of a CD player is a dramatic misuse of resources.
Prolingua curriculum is flexible. Many single page lessons can be assembled in a wide variety of combinations. Altering curriculum in mid-course is no problem. Single textbooks are inflexible and are often monotonous. Even if students dislike the text, there is great pressure to continue with it, to avoid the expense of buying another one.
Instructors must have a minimum of 4000 hours of teaching experience before they can be hired by Prolingua. Most English training companies have no experience requirements for their instructors.
All Prolingua instructors are recruited through referrals from other instructors. This allows us to keep our quality high by verifying backgrounds and track records. Most English training companies recruit from newspaper advertisements. You can look in the Monday Japan Times to see which companies recruit this way.
One support staff member is responsible for all of your needs, including sales, curriculum selection, testing, instructor liaison, and billing. You will always know who to deal with and who is in charge. One person can answer all of your questions. Large training companies typically have one person who does sales, another who is in charge of curriculum, another who is in charge of instructor liaison, and still another who is in charge of client support. If you think things sometimes become disorganized with this sort of structure, you are right!
All Prolingua instructors are paid a minimum of ¥5,000 per hour plus transportation, and are eligible for merit bonuses based on questionnaires from their students. With our substantially higher pay rates, we have assembled some of the best instructors in Tokyo! Most English training companies pay their instructors between ¥3,000 and ¥4,500 yen per hour. If you believe that you get what you pay for, then …
Prolingua has no debt whatsoever, and has consistently turned a profit in each year of operation. We don't know of a single competitor that can make a claim like this. Finances are a closely held secret, however almost all companies in this industry are downsizing and trying to reduce overhead. More than a few have been forced into bankruptcy.