Hibiscus,
Wow!! That's really tough!!! By the way, I just bumped into this thread because it's kind of similar with my post. I'm an English teacher too but I teach English on line (phone, internet) to Korean students. I know what you're feeling, I too, have handled students like those. Its like you're talking to a wall, it seemed to be a very quiet and peaceful class but GOD it will take ages before they speak up or even answer a very simple question!!! Truly, it's difficult to learn a foreign language but it's doubly hard to teach foreign language to unwilling students. The problem I guess is less about the teacher/tutor, its more of the students. Even you sweat a container a day, sleep one hour a day just to prepare lesson plans; devote all your time thinking on how you're going to teach them all the things that they need to know regarding the subject...these are all nothing..if the students themselves lack interest. How sad.
We teachers still make a lot of efforts, right? Because it's our duty, if not an obligation to teach them and assure that they learn from us..So, what I did is I keep my soul always up!!! We can't do more about it because we already did!! I think that's enough....I love my students, I love my job, I love what I'm doing...those are the most important things for me..they can be mute or deaf or anything, even I talk to walls and teach sign language...still I continue teaching them...because I know all my efforts will be paid back...in time...after all maybe what they need is a little more time and make them realize that no one can help them if they don't help themselves first.
Ayo