Would like to hear opinions on teaching/learning ESP & IELTS & TOEFL & GMAT in different countries.
http://paper.li/halmbaprof/1344762895
Halima

I'm surprised where Korea is ranked in this poll. Having traveled in both Japan and HK more than once, I can tell you first hand that both the Japanese and Hkers speak much better English than the Koreans. I also have also taught many Chinese students, and there English skills are way above my Korean students.

I have been teaching English at the university level in Korea for almost 12 years, six of of them at the same university. Sadly, 80% of the students cannot communicate in the simplest of sentences, and this is after at least 10 years of formal instruction in both the public school system and private institutions. Parents here spend thousands of dollars on their kids English education. However, it is not all gloom and doom. The younger ones seem to be catching onto English, and are willing to use the language outside of the classroom. However, there is still a long way to go.

Students are changing. No longer are they meek and mild. They expect a good grade, but 80% of them do not want to put in the effort it takes to learn the language. At my university we now have a Customer Service Department to insure that our customers are satisfied...and you know who are customers are. A bad evaluation from a class of 18 or 20 year olds can see a foreign faculty member in "hot water" very quickly. If the student's don't like you for any reason, you are toast.

I have had to learn to concentrate my efforts on the 20% who do want to learn, while not pissing off the 80% who could easily get me thrown in front of the disciplinary committee with their negative evaluations.