My point exactly: Because there are so many accents in the UK, in order to understand most people you happen to meet in one day (in the tube, having a pint at the pub, shopping, talking to the server at the restaurant, etc.), it's OK if your ESL teacher had a strong accent (Russian or other) because at least you will understand that type of accent.

I vividly remember the first time I went to London: the nice receptionist (at an OK hotel) told me something like aiiielloooo. I made her repeat twice. It was embarrassing for both of us because it was the very first word that she told me. She was simply trying to say Hello. My tolerance to various accents was more important in that setting than having studied with a native English teacher. It's in the mind. Not in the way you position your tongue behind or between your teeth.

In fact you are right, both our points are nigh indistinguishable from one another. Great minds think alike, Fifi. I'll pop mine from that post underneath, so all other posters can wonder at how two posters can be so alike. got to be marriage material. haha!

Some of us do speak with strong English accents(not me) but we are fully understanding of the language as only a natural-born-speaker can be- whereas Ivan has a strong accent but no saving graces. Most native-speakers with strong accents manage to tone it down for the classroom. In UK we have a richness of accents and foreigners should like it or lump it.