CL, locals in this country learn (mandatory) English for more than 20 years and from 90s they even teach it in kindergartens. Still there're few that can use it. Very likely you get a young shop assistant that can't say a word in English, a waiteress that cannot count to ten in English or young kids laughing at you 'cause you don't look Chinese. Out of this 1.3 billion nation only a very small percentage use elementary English, but most of them study it. I've got some fine local young generation colleagues, but few can handle any brief social exchanges with me. Working with them, or having them assist me creates some extra duties for me. Seeing them manage the subject of English makes me cry. Seeing them examine the local kids is, on one hand hilarious but on the other tragic as yet another generation will come out the same. So, it's good we're useful, isn't it? :(

As for BC, they are a chameleon. A few years ago, they changed, and allowed locals to retake exams every month which, now, obviously is accumulating more attention and money (most likely tax free). The examiners take their tax free share and work for local employers as BC does not/cannot arrange its examiners local work permits. To make this farce process (where apparently the local government does the IELTS bookings) more sleazy, these examiners carry out their fine IELTS prep courses for their employers, often not at the Uni or Unis where the exams are held.

The main point here is that after so many years of English language and foreign teachers on mainland, it looks the way it looks and we still sadly are for a non academic purpose. Then, if we get into those few more academic positions here, our jobs often get compromised so much. We make our choices and there are more and more of us on mainland that take the sad choice rather than leave. I was just presented one of those sad offers (choices), but I declined it commenting straight out in the office of one farce college...a college where the foreign experts apparently teach New Interchange books as "Oral English". Nothing wrong with the books, or brashing up the college students' communication skills. But local teachers do the rest and I do not/will not accept that..nobody should.

Cheers and beers to foreign experts that do not sell themselves short