I suppose we could say that foreign language learning is a scam. If learning foreign language is so difficult then why can even uneducated Pattaya bar girls learn English quickly without taking any classes? Same with Chinese. You don't need a Chinese teacher or classes to learn it. The Chinese tried to con foreigners that their language is hard to learn, but we are awake to them now.

Only have to go back to the pioneering days of the British Army. No powerpoints or lesson plans in those days but ordinary British soldiers managed to master all the world's languages to communicate with the natives. There's a lot in what you say SB. Which is why all China needs is retired postmen and the like.

I did have something to do with a TC which mainly employed Eastern Europeans. They crossed out most of the correct English in the text books and replaced it for really bad English.Even to the extent of altering,,,say 'Southend-on-Sea' they would cross out reasoning that a town can't be built on the sea and it should more accurately be described as 'Southend near the sea' hahaha. So the text books were difficult indeed to read through the biro alterations of changing good English into bad because foreigners know better.

The Chinese will do this to some extent. Before they copy a 'Cambridge' textbook they will alter a lot of the English written in England. But the Eastern Europeans are even worse and a training centre would do better with a retired toilet cleaner from Southend.