Open English Forum w/ Chinese Students & Professionals
My last night in China turned out to be a more symbolic and interesting night than most nights here. As I was sitting with some of the staff here at BackPax, a Chinese University student approached me and asked if I would come sit with her and her friends, so they could practice their English. I naturally said yes!
Moving to the sofas in the other room, the 6 of us settled down. Each of the students had given their English names… Tommy, Phoebe, Katrina, Grace and Mary. It was cute to see how proud they were of their chosen Enlish nicknames as they giggled away. We had a lot of fun as they each sang me a song in either English or Chinese and asked questions about Canada, music and film. Although some students were shy, most spoke freely and their English was pretty good.
The buzz about BackPax and what they’re trying to do here in China, seems to have spread within the short time they’ve been open, as even more students and a couple of professionals trickled in. At the peak of our conversation, our little group of 6, had swelled to a group of 13. With our new arrivals, came new and more controversial topics.
My original 5 students became very shy and quiet as three “Urger” Chinese walked into our discussion. Urger (I think that’s what he said) are a visible minority here in China and live in the North-West regions of the country. I imagine having them walk into the room would be similar to an African American walking into a public “white” business in the 1960’s in the USA. We had the opportunity to discuss heritage as one person had stated that Urger were not Chinese. Stepping in a little bit I tried to explain that they all live in China, and therefore they were all Chinese, even though their culture and traditions maybe be different.
It was fascinating to watch as the discussion turned towards media, politics, dictatorship, education and so on. I felt as though I was under the spotlight as I was asked many questions about Canada, and my views of China, and tried to open the discussion for them to express themselves.
One things they expressed was their wish to understand why people around the world do not know the real China. Explaining about misconception and pre-conceived notions, we further discussed the assets of travelers and foreigners in China. It’s hard to know China without visiting China and experiencing it first hand. The days of Chairman Mao have ended, and China is slowly evolving and progressing on their own, although they have far to go. Many Chinese people wish the world to know what the differences are, as many think that China is a lot better now, then it has been in the past.
I belive this is why they are excited of the Olympics, as they hoped that more people will come and know the real China. Tonight has been very educational and there is a lot to think about and process. I hope to sit down when I get home and write more about our discussion and the views of the Chinese people, as I think it’s important for all of us to understand one another.
Tags: china, english, open discussion, students, xi'an
