I came across this phrase/euphemism tonight buried halfway through this article here:
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/01/into-the-woods-excerpt/421566/"Unweave the rainbow". It's an article about storytelling and screen writing, but that turn of phrase just jumped out and grabbed me. It's the almost perfect description of my role here in China or my classes and students.
Chinese schools promote, and Chinese students expect, that English language studies are a path to the pot of gold at the end of some nebulous rainbow.
And yet, many of the questions I get from students, and the expectations I get from many administrators are that we FTs can/should help them "unweave the rainbow" of English language learning. English is a language that is beautiful rainbow of other influences. Appreciate the rainbow, I want scream at them.
I love this phrase as it's so apt (imho) to our situation here teaching in China. Maybe should change my pen name to "The Unweaver".