The Happytalk concept is simply that of real english as really heard and spoken -outside of the classroom!  Conceived as an idea in Cambridge, it was in direct response to the needs of Chinese Students who were experiencing difficulty with speaking and understanding the language. Despite the fact that, in most cases, they had as good a grasp of English Grammar & Theory,[ indeed in many cases better than the average British student], - hearing and responding orally was a real problem.