Well said shifu, it seems everyone is an expert on english language teaching, even a builder with beer gut and prison tattoos on both arms. If you can't speak the language, and have been a hod carrier, then god help the poor chinese parents whose kids are being tutored by Dave from Northampton who was kicked out of the army, or Sam from Bristol who was an ex hod carrier.

Pay peanuts, get monkeys?

Thanks Concerned. I agree with you. Perhaps a little reluctantly, because even though the builder with the belly and the ignorant failed soldier sound most unsavoury, they do half qualify as FT's, being both natural English speakers. Half qualify is not good enough though, so we must sling them on that 'slow boat to China' along with, Ivan The Terrible, Moscow University English major graduate, who does not qualify at all- not one little bit. Sorry about the liberty I have taken with 'slow boat' expression, but it tickled my fancy and couldn't resist.