This paper presents an overview of the English teaching situation in Asia, with particular emphasis on Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, the Republic of China, Singapore, and Thailand. A distinction is drawn between ESL countries, in which English instruction begins at the elementary level and is frequently used as the medium for other subjects (Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore), and EFL countries, in which English is taught as a foreign language, usually beginning at the secondary level, and where the medium of instruction is the national language (Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of China, and Thailand). The common objectives of English instruction are: (1) helping students to develop cultural awareness of people in countries where English is a native language, (2) helping students see the necessity of studying English as a medium of international communication, (3) enabling students to use English for communication, (4) developing the desire to increase one's knowledge of English, and (5) enabling students to continue study at higher levels of education. Unofficial objectives include enabling students to pass college and university entrance exams, and enhancing employment possibilities. Problems in the areas of teacher training, teaching methods, and materials development make for large discrepancies between these objectives and the actual situation. (CLK)