Here is the story.
Even some news web sites in RuNet tell us as if in Minsk some language teacher was arrested. He was blamed for teaching fake Chinese to his students. Actually that was some language which was invented by the teacher himself. The students had been sure that they were learning Chinese for about six years. As they had no opportunity to check up their Chinese skills they had just to believe their teacher while he did not know Chinese at all.
This story is a total fiction to be sure... Or not? Do you think it could be possible? Isn't it too hard to invent and teach a language? Maybe it would be much easier to teach the real true Chinese?
Do you know the story of the guy who faked being a sign language interpreter at the Nelson Mandela memorial, standing next to Barrack Obama?
If this is possible, I wouldn't wonder, if someone teaches a fake language and the students believe him. There are many invented languages, for books and movies, but also invented out of scientific interest or just for fun. It is definitely feasible to invent a language.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_constructed_languages
Once I also found a teacher on italki, who pretended to be a native speaker of German, but actually his grammar was at A2 level. There are also people who fake to be doctors. I think everything is possible. There are enough naive people in the world who easily fall for fraudsters.
No, <a ui-sref="user({id:comment.commenter_obj.id})" href="https://www.italki.com/user/3306638" style="line-height: 1.5; color: rgb(149, 149, 149); outline: 0px; outline-offset: -2px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Katarina</a>, it is an obvious fake. Though the story is just funny anyway. Of course if I were one of them, I would try to watch movies, read some books... fairytales at least. So this is a lie.
But had it been some rare language, not Chinese... I think, it would be quite possible. For example: teaching one language instead of another.
While inventing your own language to teach...With its own grammar, alphabet. It is to difficult. I heard the creators of Game of Thrones had done such a work for their characters. It is fascinating but not as easy as may seem.
One part of the story is missing. Why on earth would they have no opportunity to check elsewhere? I find it difficult to believe that these students had no contact with the outside world for six years. Specifically, it is highly unlikely that they wouldn't look for any Chinese resources online. Otherwise, I don't see why one couldn't invent his own language.
