I’ve found it difficult to assess the quality and validity of online programs. If you call the company and ask the representatives, they’ll obviously make their program sound fabulous. And even if you ask to speak to past participants, the company isn’t going to link you to someone who didn’t have a positive experience.
When I spoke to a representative from i-to-i, it really felt like the sales calls I often receive at work—“I’ll throw in this and that, and boy do we have a deal for you!” That, along with the very “car salesy” feel to the website made me uneasy. I also caught several spelling errors among the i-to-i webpages that immediately lowered my confidence in what they had to offer. Of course, as I was writing this I visited their website again to find examples and it has been completely overhauled. According to a press release distributed through the Online Press Release Service, i-to-i's new site went live on February 1, 2007. Perhaps it was getting negative feedback from others as well.
Anyway, based on my apprehension, I decided to look for articles, blog posts and actual participant reviews of the i-to-i program. I found one article by Kenneth Beare that offers a very positive critique. He reviewed i-to-i's 10 module online course and describes it as “top notch” and encompassing “everything a new teacher of EFL or ESL needs to know.”
I looked at Beare’s biography, however, and noted that he personally opted to get a TESOL diploma from Trinity College London. That, along with the promotional tone of the article made me suspicious. It read like an i-to-i pamphlet.
I’m very leery nowadays of word of mouth marketing, which many companies employ by paying columnists and experts to promote their product through articles or blogs. So, I embarked on a journey to find other, less formal sources that would provide a more authentic review.
To be continued . . .
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