Using the Local Language When Teaching ESL Abroad

A nice post from Tefl Newbie on the subject.  This is the part that I liked best:

"You have this great job as an EFL teacher because you are a native English speaker and the expectation is that your classes will be solely conducted in English. There are plenty of local teachers—often paid much less than you are paid—who will use the local language to explain concepts and drill translations. You are expected, because you are foreign, to challenge the students with an immersion experience for the duration of your class. That is what makes you valuable as a teacher."

My thoughts:

Yes, we are indeed paid to speak English, which is why I always find it quite bizarre that some of my foreign colleagues seem to speak a lot more Korean than English in the classroom.  Of course it's easier for the students, but it's not exactly helpful if someone is trying to acquire proficiency or fluency in another language.  If students wanted a class that was conducted in Korean, they'd take a class with a Korean teacher (and it would be much cheaper too!)