As an English teacher in China, I am writing to inform you of your English program's strengths and weaknesses. The students are very skilled in some areas of English, such as reading and writing. They have a wide vocabulary and excellent writing skills. Also, their reading comprehension seems to be above average.
Though these skills are crucial, there is another that is perhaps more important: spoken English. The students I have taught all seem to have difficulty understanding spoken English as well as difficulty speaking it. When asked basic questions they have trouble comprehending them and trouble forming an answer. However, they could easily read and write the answers to much more difficult questions.
It seems that most of the Chinese English teachers focus on reading and writing, perhaps because they are uncomfortable with their spoken English as well. My students are not accustomed to speaking in class and are much more comfortable in a lecture environment, causing their English to suffer. I recommend teachers encourage a more relaxed atmosphere that would be conducive to student participation. By doing this and encouraging students to talk about anything in English, their ease and ability speaking will increase.