[clivehawkins]

Yes, you're all right to some extent. I can understand brushing up on some structures etc, and for sure there is some element of looking good, but what I can't get my head round is the huge jump in levels they've decided to take. Last year we were working on some quite advanced structures, with good, long listenings and having pretty fluent discussions on a wide range of topics - all exactly what they had asked for at the start of the course. Going back to Headway Elementary and doing the present simple just leaves me gobsmacked! Putting myself in their shoes and enrolling for a beginner Italian course, I'd go out of my head doing two hour lessons three times a week on stuff I learnt and have been using for several years.

If it were my class, I wouldn't have even let them come in and sit down!