I’d agree that there are some large discrepancies between the abilities and experience level of various teachers within different kinds of teaching programs. I also agree that places like NOVA do need to hire a little more carefully, but I’m not convinced the failure of Japanese Eikaiwa students rests solely on the Eikaiwa teachers. As Glenski pointed out, there’s a wide spectrum of both teacher and student ability out there as well as varying levels of commitment to the entire process. But just 50 mins. of anything per week, no matter how good the teacher is, won’t help if you don’t study.

I don’t doubt that among teachers there are varying levels of commitment and enthusiasm for the entire teaching enterprise, but these varying levels are mirrored in student commitment and willingness to study at home as well. Again, the only way I see the Eikaiwa as a total failure and waste of money is during the beginning stages where you’re attempting to teach language basically through mimicry and classical conditioning, much like the Rosetta Stone language software if anyone’s ever tried it. (I’m sure glad I didn’t pay for that crud.)

Beyond that, most students who come to an Eikaiwa fairly soon after graduating have had enough language exposure such that IF THEY STUDY, the pieces will come together more rapidly and those latent grammar lessons and vocabulary will bubble to the surface and serve a purpose. I may have had exceptionally smart students at my school or something, but I never saw anyone between the ages of 15-21 start at a 7C Nova level. (Bottom of the ladder). Most came in at a minimum of 7A, if not 6, and in some cases a low 5. I think the students need more credit regarding what they’re taught in school.

Beyond that, while the aftermarket English instruction industry could stand to hire better teachers, we all have to remember that flying teachers over here, finding people willing to re-locate, to go through the upheaval, survive in another country, etc., isn’t an easy thing to do and its usually going to be fresh university graduates and young people answering the call. Bob Smith, age 45, with years of teaching experience and a family, isn’t going to move to South Korea or Japan for anything less than 100k a year.

Standards could improve, but teaching is not rocket science and on average if the students would study more and not rely on 40 mins a week, they’d succeed faster.