I actually do speak for myself as well, San Mig. I never meant to suggest that "not much cop FT's" do not thrive in China.

Good to have you back. I will get out the fatted calf.

You refer to Chinese English Teachers. The evidence doesn't really bear out what you and Silver boy are agreeing about, does it? If you go into any classroom in any school in China, even the ones which have never been graced by the presence of an FT, you will find students which can have some sort of conversation in English with you. However, that would not be the case if you repeated that in classrooms in English speaking western countries, even though they[students] might be getting their French lessons as frequently as the Chinese get English lessons. Also, their teachers are more often than not native French people. It seems to me that Chinese teachers, in spite of the poor equipment, a bad system(not too sure about that one), and poor conditions are doing a superb job of teaching English. And even more superb when they can't speak English very well themselves...............But, then again, most FT's are not much cop. Chinese teachers teach English better than teachers teach French to English students in England, that's for sure. That is a fact.