What do you think of the Chinese from your interaction with them?

I have many Chinese students and will soon be teaching full-time for a Chinese ESL website. I have made some good friends among my Chinese students. Though there are some obvious cultural differences, I am pleased with nearly all of my students. However, as in any culture (including mine), there are some dishonest and unpleasant people. I find that people are very much the same all over the world. We sometimes get prejudiced because of governments, culture, political ideals and/or religious beliefs. Each person has to decide whether or not he will allow prejudices to be a part of his feelings toward other people.

I have taught one or two students from China on this platform. I have always been surprised [pleasantly] by how interested the Chinese are in learning English. Despite the fact that Chinese and English are completely different, I have been impressed by their command of the written language, although, due to the way English is taught in China, their spoken command of the language is not as good as their written command of the language. I have always found the Chinese to be polite, but forthright and even if you make a stumbling effort to say a few words in Chinese, they react with great warmth and friendliness. I have been most favourably impressed by the Chinese students I have taught and if they are a fair representation of the Chinese people in general, I can only say I am a Sinophile!

I have yet to teach a Chinese student via Skype. I have taught many person to person and find them extremely respectful, polite and intelligent. My teaching colleagues share this view as well.