Thanks, Ian, for writing a thoughtful post. It's refreshing to see someone say what many among us quiet majority of readers consider to be obvious.

I hold that if a Chinese training centre offers IELTS-relevant classes then they are above the masses of English language training centres. Needless to say that such training centres do not always stoop so low as to hire backpacker FTs with no credentials.

As in any other country of the world, language mills are businesses that have conflicting goals; bottomline is profit. I think some of the best training centres also have sound cashflow and profit margins. Some FTs come to China expecting to find cushy jobs at companies that function as charities. How immature!

There aren't too many solid and honest language training centres in business in China, so it is imperative that the beacons of sound business practice be highlighted.

Those who can only rip into Chinese businesses probably aren't genuine teachers themselves; they don't deserve an employer who hires professional instructors at salaries below western, but well above local, standards.