Your classes are giving you fits because:

1. The 'system' where you are sucks. Students are not encouraged to study/practice/do homework outside of class. They have been led to believe by their elders that this is unnecessary. If only. Teaching TEFL is an uphill battle, and most people where I teach haven't caught on to this fact. When one is learning an L2 in his/her L1 environment, it is MUCH harder to learn, as the exposure factor is much more limited. This means they must practice, practice, practice. At my school, my students have proven time and time again they are not willing to do this. They believe they can come to my class for 50 or even fewer minutes a week and become fluent in one semester without any other effort. Dream on.

2. Asian students seem to have an enormous inferiority complex that saps their confidence and drains their motivation. They have to convince themselves they CAN learn English if they want to learn it in a reasonable time period.

3. Cheating is a viable option. The 'cancer' of cheating must be rooted out of Asia's educational systems. Even my adult Thai students cheat in my classes when they get the chance.