It's nearly 20 years since I was a real backpacker (albeit on a bike) but I've done a bit since then with my kids in tow. Reading the posts on the forum show that getting good English copy is still an issue for lots of people. I couldn't understand then, and still don't, why people aren't a bit more forward about using back packers who flood through the sub continent, Eastern Europe etc. Many stick around a single place for a few days and would happily trade an hour reading over a blog, a menu, a brochure in exchange for a chance to mix with locals, have a beer and a laugh and learn a bit more about the place they are visiting. I'd be really interested to hear from dp members who live in places where the back packers go - are locals switching on to the opportunity of using them for their language skills? If not, why not?