CAVEAT: A limitation on this review is that the reviewed web site containing the complaints from expatriate teachers of ESL in China is devoted almost exclusively to recruiting for non-public schools and hence the complaints are more likely to come from teaching experiences in private schools. This should not be misconstrued to mean that there are fewer complaints from those employed in public schools. The two web sites devoted exclusively to recruiting for public schools do not maintain a forum to post complaints ( www.chinatefl.com; www.abroadchina.org). Hopefully they will consider doing so in the future as it might assist in identifying areas of needed improvement in the ESL system in China .

With 100,000 FE teaching ESL in China each year, the number of published complaints does not initially appear to be worthy of serious consideration. However, tacticians inform us that each published complaint represents a significant number of unpublished complaints. Further, the number of complaints can be viewed as rather large in comparison to the number of ESL employers ("1,076 universities and institutions of higher learning" 1994, Guide for Foreign Experts Working in China , State Bureau of Foreign Experts).

VI. Chinese Students

Introduction:

FE teachers often perceive Chinese students, who are predominantly from single child families, as spoiled, undisciplined, selfish and disrespectful, a perception that may or may not be true but must be dealt with as a real and not imagined reality. The fact that so many of them cheat and plagiarize wantonly does nothing to dispel this perception. The fact that school administrators refuse to punish cheating and plagiarism helps to perpetuate this perception.

Kindergartens

These kids are out of control and parents will not tolerate anyone to discipline their child. The pay is higher but there should be a hazardous duty bonus. Teachers who work in these pressure cookers have many complaints.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are some FEs who think teaching kindergarten is the cat's meow. Of course they may be influenced by the higher than average pay they receive.

Primary Schools

Public primary schools do not normally invite FEs .

Private primary school FEs are so busy complaining about their employers that they make very few comments about their students.

Middle Schools

Middle and senior middle school (high school) students are the most industrious, hard working and disciplined students in China . They are up at 6:00 a.m. and go to school and/or study until at least midnight and sometimes later.

Their entire economic future and social stature depends upon their passing the university entrance exam and being admitted to a top university. These kids are under tremendous pressure and have no time to fool around, not even on weekends.

These schools produce the least FEs complaints.

Top Tier Universities

These students passed the university entrance examination and were admitted to the University of their choice. They are eager learners and a real challenge to teach because they keep the teachers on their toes.

2 nd Tier Universities

These students worked hard to get into top school but wound up in this second rate place and are bitter, discouraged, unmotivated, lazy, feel betrayed, even hostile. Discouragement is sometimes contagious and teaching these students is a lesson in self-motivation. The major complaint from those employed in this teaching situation appears to be the constant need to try and motivate these students and the lack of appreciable results. There are always a handful of students in each class that excel and make the teaching experience worthwhile.

3 rd Tier Colleges

These students realize that they are very fortunate to be in any program of higher education and are very enthusiastic, cooperative, attentive, humble, respectful, and very disciplined. It is a pleasure teaching these students and this teaching situation generates very few FE complaints.

Business Institutes and Private Colleges

These students are in school because they want to be and they pay a hefty price for the opportunity. They are eager to learn and very pleasant to teach. Many of these students are preparing to go abroad for further higher education or employment.

Unfortunately, these institutions are more interested in profit than education which leads to FE dissatisfaction and a revolving employment door that sees FEs constantly coming and going. Some classes will be taught by three or four successive teachers due to FEs leaving before their contracts expire.

Training Centers

These students are generally business employees who are in class to improve their chances of promotion at work. They are highly motivated to learn and are a pleasure to teach. The very nature of the student mandates that classes be held in the evening and on weekends which leads to teacher dissatisfaction and a high turnover rate.

Caveat: The above evaluations are based upon the authors' personal experiences; personal interviews with more than 40 FEs , comments made by FEs in Internet chat rooms and from published comments at www.eslcafe.com.

Conclusion:
Nothing is worth doing unless done right
Author: A sage old man

The main objective of the ESL industry is the production of people capable of effectively communicating in English as their second language. As in all production type industry, utilization of untrained or unqualified labor, use of defective materials, inadequate management and lack of quality control results in a defective product.

All ESL schools should be licensed by the Government and should meet certain requirements. (Unlicensed schools should be closed with penalties.) All private school administrators and directors should be required to be certified as having successfully completed a special training course in Education Administration, Business Management and Human Resource Management, in order to work in an ESL school. No ESL school should be licensed or allowed to maintain their license without certified Administrators and Directors.

All public and private Foreign Affairs Office Directors should be required to be certified as having successfully completed a special training course in FAO Administration, Cross-cultural relations, and Human Resource Management. No one should be allowed to be the director of a public or private FAO without this certification. No public or private school should be allowed to invite FE to teach ESL without having a certified FAO Director.

The Government, after meeting appropriate criteria, should approve these certification programs. There should also be a system for revocation of the certifications or sanctions if FE complaints against the administrator or director are found to have merit.

This would infuse the much-needed professionalism into the ESL program and give it needed international recognition and credibility.

All ESL curriculums should be approved by the Government and performance standards for the schools should be established and enforced. Object evaluations or proper quality control measures should be designed, implemented and enforced.

FE recruiting should be overhauled. False or misleading recruitment advertising should be prohibited. FE qualifications should be spelled out and enforced. Compensation packages should be more specifically regulated and enforced.

Upon arrival in China , FE should be given a "Welcome" package that includes the immigration laws of China , customs laws of China , cultural information, basic Chinese expressions, Consulate addresses, location of necessary services, emergency telephone numbers, telephone use instructions, and other information that will assist the FE to adjust to life in China more readily. The FE should also be required to attend a training session to become familiarized with ESL teaching in China and have their immediate questions answered.

If there are not enough qualified FEs to fill all of the ESL teaching positions, the inviting school should be required to pay for the untrained or inexperienced FEs to take an on-line ESL teaching course within 30 days of their initial employment in China.

Teaching ESL in China is an important component of the educational sector of the general economic-business community. It should be subject to the same type of regulation and quality control standards as any other production industry and then some.

The State Bureau of Foreign Affairs has the mandate of: "A. Studying and formulating principles, policies and regulations on the introduction of foreign experts. B. Working out long- and medium-term development plans, examining and approving the annual plans of each institution and organization concerning employment of foreign experts as well as overseas training plans." (1994, Guide for Foreign Experts Working in China , State Bureau of Foreign Experts)

This authority should be maximized to create and implement the type of regulations that will assure the ESL industry produces the best possible product for the future economic and social development of China .