Private language schools for English are known as eikaiwa. The largest of these chains were Aeon, GEOS, and ECC; only ECC has not yet filed for bankruptcy. The industry is not well regulated. Nova, originally by far the largest chain with over 900 branches in Japan, collapsed in October 2007, leaving thousands of foreign teachers without money or a place to live. Other teachers work in universities. Agencies are increasingly used to send English speakers into kindergartens, primary schools, and private companies whose employees need to improve their English for business. Agencies, known in Japan as haken, or dispatch companies, have recently been competing fiercely to get contracts from various Boards of Education for Elementary, Junior and Senior High Schools, so wages for teachers have decreased steadily in the last four years.
