Is dmu.ac.uk Legit?

I am a former employee and student of De Montfort University. In 1997 they had more than one campus and offered a wide range of course. In 1997 the Languages Department was going through a crisis and was spared complete closure through desperate and lengthy negotiations. The location of the one remaining campus is central a stone’s throw from the City Centre and has a quaint little museum, lots of lovely pedestrianized walkways, the tranquil setting of Castle Gardens provided you don’t mind the rats that scurry passed your feet at regular intervals. The same location was even the setting for the TV series Shalom Salaam. Fast forward a few decades and the Centre for English Language Learning at DMU has a brand-new look in the tower overlooking the City as far as Bradgate Park on a clear day. I took out a £5,000 SFE loan and I was ready to start the next chapter in my career as a teacher. The (Level 7) Masters in English Language Teaching is a taught course with TEFL modules. The Course is also accredited by the British Council. I have been teaching for several years and had my sights on achieving qualified teacher status (QTLS) via the Society for Education and Training (SET). I was horrified to learn that the Level 7 postgraduate Masters in English Language Teaching is worth less than a Level 5 Diploma (an undergraduate qualification) because it does not contain the required 100 hours of teaching time and therefore not on the approved list for SET. So, I can undergo QTLS using an undergraduate Diploma but not DMU’s level 7 postgraduate MA in English Language Teaching. Most of you reading this review will have guessed that legal action was taken and strong evidence provided to the University to make every effort to reimburse the fees so I can begin again with my initial teaching qualification. However, the University opted instead to incur legal fees of £40,000 (for a small claim action that awards no more than £500), they hired solicitors and barristers when all they needed to do was negotiate with me. Though, as a recently retired academic stated the University have proven themselves to be blasé about certain matters, the same academic gave the recent and very expensive refurbishment of the private digs for the Vice Chancellor as an example, yet they [the University] were not prepared to give the academics a pay rise. There was also some mention made, in the press, of a £100,00 pay off to the disgraced Vice Chancellor who was forced to resign, I think. For those of you considered enrolling on the MA in English Language Teaching you need to be aware of a few harsh facts. The Course is designed for overseas students who want to teach abroad, the mark scheme will ensure Non-native English Speakers (NNES) pass the Course by being marked on anything bar their English language skills; most at on a par with entry level primary school children, but through a specially adapted marking scheme the University award them entry onto the University course and also ensure they pass. A good example of this was an Iranian female who copied from all the Native English Speaker (NES) verbatim and what caused even more concern was that she got the Course for free while all the NES has to take out SFE loans to pay for the Course. The cheating was brough to the attention of the Department but the student in question was clever enough to bake a cake and present them with it, this was enough to sway them. If that doesn’t work then feed the Department with a sob story as part of your presentation and that will get you a distinction. As a RP speaking NES I was absolutely put in my place my grades would be downgraded and even sent to the external examiners who returned a merit, but the Department tutors would barely give me a pass grade. It was incredibly frustrating. It was little wonder that I tried to transfer on two occasions but was ignored and I had no choice but to complete the Course. Though DMU did not allow me to graduate even after inviting me to the graduation ceremony and I purchased tickets , hired my gown, booked time off work and less than 24 hours before the graduation they advised me that they hadn’t completed their admin process and therefore, I could not attend the graduation ceremony! It goes without saying that I have repeated the Masters at a reputable University. To conclude, while DMU may offer a great many Courses the Master in English Language Teaching is a waste of time and money for those who wish to teach in the UK, it is worth less than a level 5 undergraduate diploma. So, how is this Course accredited by the British Council?

Well equipped gym and polite staff. However, currently members still need to book in in separate hour slots, which can be quite inconvenient. Another issue is that they charge £5.50 for a one hour gym session, whereas other gyms offer a day pass for the same price