OH, B.B. ....
What you have to say is soooooooooo f#@#!!< true, while it makes me pleased to know that someone else recognizes the fact! WHICH FACT is that? Weeeelll, lemme tell ya: the simple fact that most of the ESL courses (even here in the States) -- with the exception of TOEFL and TOEIC preparation (which is what I currently teach!) -- are conversation-heavy! I have a theory about that. See if you agree. ESL is, in the concept of most school owners, easy pickings, and, IF they succeed in getting the ball rolling, it'll yield the desired moolah. But, in order to guarantee at least a good shot at making a killing, the wise owner will concentrate on what the students usually want in an ESL course ... conversation and plenty of it! This being the case, then WHY all the required sales of grammar books, reading books, and listening books before each semester? Once again ... it's the old $$$! That's probably the long and the short of it all. Notwithstanding, I still prefer teaching grammar ... and to students whose objective is to enter colleges and universities by way of the TOEFL exam.

B-U-T, my dear B.B., don't you think it would be kind of "nice" to prove to foreigners that we, indeed, know SOMETHING MORE about our native language besides merely speaking words in the usual stereotyped and unimaginative manner? I, for one, opted to teach this language in an orthodox fashion, and to stimulate the creative use of same via the regular employment of correct grammar, as well as all other tools at one's disposal. But, alas, it would appear that so many charlatans have jumped on the Oriental ESL bandwagon just knowing they probably will never be called on to engage in anything more serious that a conversation. Ahhhh, c'est la vie, I reckon.

Peace,

The Arrogant One

====================================================

> Hello O Arrogant one!

> The last time I took my red elementary grammar book into class in
> Korea,........well what a reaction! The students hated it and said it
> was like a test.
> I wasn't allowed to use it after that. It was officially banned.

> Then we had to focus more on conversation.
> In an indirect way I am saying to you-don't worry so much about the
> mistakes in writing on this board, because the esl schools are
> wanting charismatic easy go lucky conversationalists more
> than
> up-tight-anal-retentive teachers who are perfectionsists. Beatrix
> the beautiful....