I think there is truth in both your responses. I never said that every English teacher is a good one. However, the quality issue should be resolved by the Chinese education system!

There *are* lots of good English teachers though. Several are at my school (me included!!)

Perhaps the teachers you had were not really native speakers? A lot of them are not. Perhaps the schools methods were not good. Many English teachers in China are forced to teach the way the school tells them to, and these methods are not good at all. Often when the native teacher tries to teach a better way there are reprimanded.

If there wasn't a demand for native teachers there wouldn't be any of us here! If the teachers don't do a good job then the school loses students and that makes the school notice!

I am not saying all foreign teachers are good or bad, I am just saying that when I want to learn Chinese, I go to a Chinese teacher. Yes, I have have had several Chinese teachers, and some have been good, some bad. There ya go.

> Helping English learners to save lots of money...

> I studied English with 3 native speakers (1 year) and no much
> improvement. Respectfully none of them knew how to teach English.
> Example, they have no idea of DO vs Make etc. All they knew was that
> they were native speakers with white skin, blue eyes, a BA/Master and
> a TESOL diploma looking for part time jobs on newspapers, good people
> though.

> I saved lots of money by hiring later a Japanese English
> teacher(Aki)who learned English in Canada. The results in six months
> were awesome, because Aki knew all my flaws right away, and
> instructed me how to study using sounds on cds and the net sites. I
> still improving with all the secrets Aki gave me. I can understand
> English movies finally, movies like Brave Heart. As for Aki, he
> taught many of my friends too. Another friend I have in Fuji city
> learned by hiring a Japanese English instructor there. Her English is
> better than mine without never learning from a native English
> speaker.

> I do recommend to any ESL student outthere to hire first a person of
> your same country and language with professional knowledge of
> English. Then later on when you are ready for conversation only, why
> not try a native speaker. With all the new voice sound new
> technologies (professionals native speakers recording) really there
> is no need to have somebody repeating the same word when you are
> learning.

> Ciao!

> Hiko
> Osaka
> PS I'm presently learning French with a French teacher (Japanese). My
> job is travelling abroad representing a company.