In allusion to some current suspicion about the real value of hiring foreign English teachers,the author carried out a study among 67 English majors in two colleges in Yunnan Province through interviews and questionnaires.The result of this study shows that foreign English teachers hold an irreplaceable position in the students'mind as Sino-western cultural commuters and the English language experts in the Chinese higher education. Meanwhile,some practical problems also exist in employing foreign English teachers in the current situation.This article summarized by putting forward some suggestions to better avoid their disadvantages and efficiently exert their unique expertise in the Chinese higher education.
