Job Discussion Forums

stinkytofu · Joined: 23 Feb 2012 Posts: 104

I haven't taught ESL students from many different countries. However, I do prefer teaching Russian students, they all seem really cool. I was just wondering what country has the easiest students to teach in your opinion?

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

Depends on how you define "easiest" because being cool doesn't equate to being smart or hardworking.

JN · Joined: 17 Jan 2008 Posts: 214

I think it'd be difficult to say who are the easiest students to teach. There are so many different personalities and way people learn and the way teachers teach, that that is a difficult question for me. I've taught mostly Chinese, Mexican, German and Russian, but there were many different ages and levels. I enjoyed most all of them for different reasons. As to what would be easy: well, as Nomad Soul put it, it depends on your definition.

stinkytofu · Joined: 23 Feb 2012 Posts: 104

mitsui · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 1562 Location: Kawasaki

Moroccans could be the best although sometimes they talk too much, and you might have to interrupt to teach grammar or something else.
Moroccans learn Spanish and/or French so English is not that challenging for them.

Russians are good since they are serious.
Poles are generally fine but some can be shy.

Japanese by contrast, can be anti-social or friendly. It depends.
Some Japanese would rather go to the dentist than speak English.

Chinese can be good or awful.
With the Chinese if they have the little emperor syndrome, then it is a slog.
With the one child policy, some kids have been spoiled.

JN · Joined: 17 Jan 2008 Posts: 214

I guess I've been lucky, as I haven't had any students mouth off to me. I have had students that stopped coming to class (adults-they had a choice) and a few that did not seem very motivated.

Sashadroogie · Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2014 4:26 pm Post subject:

Russian students are cool, but not so sure about being the easiest. They demand real lessons, for the most part. No learning progress, no contract renewal. Nothing wrong with being serious about learning. Nothing at all. The pursuit of excellence for its own sake - bring it on!

Teacher in Rome · Joined: 09 Jul 2003 Posts: 1286

Love love love my Italian students. With everyone seemingly hot-footing it out of Italy, a decent level of English is seen as a passport to a better future. But even before all this kicked off, Italians are generally great students - serious about progressing, eager to communicate, not too scared about making mistakes, curious and articulate.

stinkytofu · Joined: 23 Feb 2012 Posts: 104

Sashadroogie · Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2014 4:39 am Post subject:

My right? As a life long Vozhd?

John Kalani · Joined: 05 Mar 2014 Posts: 14

ones can speak English already

Sashadroogie · Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 2:22 pm Post subject:

fat_chris · Joined: 10 Sep 2003 Posts: 3198 Location: Beijing