Where There Is No Lao Wai-----How To Learn English

谨以此书献给广大英语爱好者。
Stephen Van Wyck
“Where There Is No Lao Wai-----How To Learn English
On The Go, On Your Own”
By Stephen Van Wyck
Introduction
Contents
Part One --- Brief Outline of Text
Part Two --- Detailed outline of text
Part Three --- The text
Part One: Brief Outline of Text
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
Introduction and purpose of the text
Philosophical roots of learning English
The problems facing you
How to avoid the problems and exploit them creatively
The solutions available
How to make the solutions happen
Other ideas for consideration
Conclusion
Part Two : Detailed outline of text
Introduction and purpose of this text.
Introduction
1) The spectre of English
2) A harbinger of changes to come
3) People are anxious
Body
4) Everyone grasping for something
5) The bookstores today in China
6) On foreigners in China
7) The rise and fall of English knowledge
8) Purpose of text
a) Thesis Statement---“It is to show you how to learn English on the go, on your own, where
there is no foreign person anywhere near you.”
b) What it is not
c) What it is like
9) Summary of remainder of text
a) Philosophical roots of learning English
b) Problems facing English learners after graduation
c) How to avoid these problems
d) Solutions on how to learn English
e) How to make these solutions happen
f) Other ideas for consideration
Conclusion
10) Again, that complaint, “I had no ….”
11) Time for complaint to go!
12) Who text is dedicated to
13) C.S.--- “Take it!” You have nothing to lose but your
complaints.”
Philosophical roots of learning English
B. Introduction
1) Books drive education, but various underlying philosophy drives the books and the effort we put
into learning.
2) Necessary to determine some philosophical roots of learning English.
Body
3) Philosophical roots--- motivators
a) “Push on”
b) “Pull up”
c) “Get out”
d) “Do better”
4) Philosophical roots------ underlying motivators
5) Philosophical roots---Educational and other matters
to consider
6) Philosophical roots---dependence and independence
Conclusion
7) Only discuss thoughts, feelings, attitudes here. If long, it was for a reason.
8) The rest of the text will discuss actions you can take, events you must deal with.
The problems facing you
Introduction
This section will discuss those forces, seeking to destroy your hard-won knowledge of English: From
other people, from yourself, in terms of “other things coming in”, and in terms of materials/resources.
Body
9) From other people---“Who” and “what”
10) From yourself---“inner rot” and “outer collapse”.
11) “Other things coming in”-- “oppression”, “distraction”, and “temptation” .
12) Materials/Resources---“slow starvation”.
Conclusion
13) Problems come from within, without, from anywhere, slow/fast, stranger/friend, even family! (“A
man’s enemies shall be members of his own household.”)
14) “If you do not use it, you will lose it.”
15) This section depressing, but need to know what up against, and must do.
16) C.S.---“Finally, these problems also provide you with a blueprint for avoiding these same problems,
(or at least managing them) and for exploiting them creatively. Many difficulties contain in them the
seeds of their solution, if you dig. We will examine these in the next section. The tone of this text
will also become more positive.”
II.
How to avoid the problems and exploit them creatively
A. Introduction
This section will re-examine the many problems raised in the previous section, then suggest some ways
to solve these problems on-site, rather than leave them for another place.
B. Body
1) From other people
2) From yourself
3) “Other things coming in”
4) Materials/Resources
C. Conclusion
1) Part of learning English is to use what you have – exploit problems, not people.
2) Always problems, so if you know how to turn them into solutions, you can usually get
solutions. (Lemons to lemonade.)
3) Some problems can’t be solved, so avoid, or “manage” creatively.
4) Consider this approach as a sort of “training” for what is to follow. Now, prepares you and tests
your resolve. Then, get creative.
5) C.S.—In the next sections, we will talk about how to really make a “slow-burning” revolution
in learning English – first, the solutions available, then some ideas on how to make those
solutions happen, which is what you really want. Get ready.
III.
The Solutions Available
A. Introduction
This section will discuss the following topics: The inspiration for learning English from communist “cells”,
the organizational structure of the cell, the characteristics of the cell, the core values of the cell, the people
who are served, and helping yourself.
B. Body
1) The inspiration for learning English from communist “cells”.
2) Organizational structure of cell.
3) Characteristics of cell
4) Core values of cell
5) The people served.
6) Helping yourself
C. Conclusion
1) This section about cells – inspiration from, structure, characteristic and core values. An effective
tool.
2) Also about helping others, and helping yourself. Many options.
3) C.S. – “Even if you disagree with cells as being too political, or helping other people as being
impractical, do this one thing – take full control of the learning process, put it on your terms and
determine the outcome from the start. The days of life talking down to you are over.” Next, we will
discuss putting some of these ideas into practice.
IV.
How to make the solutions happen
A. Introduction
This section will comment on some of the topics introduced in the previous section, and a few
case-studies added. It is hoped these will provide a starting point for you, as you go about trying to
formulate solutions to the problems unique to your situation.
B. Body
1) Characteristics of cell.
2) Core values of cell.
3) The people served.
4) Helping yourself.
5) Getting help.
C. Conclusion.
1) Thus far, have discussed the many problems facing you, and how to overcome them (reactive), and
solutions available and how to make them happen (pro-active).
2) You have tools to understand, overcome, profit from, and conquer.
3) The “cell model” has a proven history of success; you can use and adapt it as you see fit.
4) C.S.—“In choosing both the reactive way and the proactive way of struggling to learn English, with
adaptations, you have some strong advantages. We wish you good luck and good learning.
V.
Other Ideas For Consideration.
A. Introduction.
This section will discuss the role of video telephones, internet-based “matchmaking” services, and other
technological innovations you can use in order to spread the use of English all over the country.
B. Body.
1) Long-distance tutorials by video telephone.
2) Internet “matchmaking” service.
3) On some kind of “new ideas” bulletin board, on the internet.
4) On “error analysis” in language learning.
C. Conclusion.
It is my hope that this paper, and others like it, will inspire a deeper culture and infrastructure of
creativity among the Chinese people which will build upon what they have already begun and
accomplished.
VI.
Conclusion.
A. Introduction.
This section will briefly review what has been said, and leave you with a question.
B. Body.
1) Brief review of the book.
2) The Big Questions.
3) Problems.
4) Take action.
5) Purpose of this book.
C. Conclusion.
I hope that you, and all English speakers in China, will love and synthesize English always, on your
own, on the go, without a foreign helper!
I. Introduction and purpose of this book.
A spectre is haunting the People’s Republic of China---the spectre of English. Student and teacher, boss and
worker, taxi driver and taxi passenger alike have joined together in a desperate alliance to understand, to
overcome, to employ, to profit from the challenges posed by this spectre. Although the spectre has a
name--“English”-it, like perfume, is but a signature scent of something much greater, much darker, and above all, imminent, unseen,
and threatening. It is a harbinger of changes already within these ancient shores, followed by greater and greater
changes, challenges, setbacks, profits, disasters, triumphs, retrenchment, destiny. To call what is to follow
“globalization” or “full-spectrum dominance” would be a tragic simplification, for it is much, much more than
that. A wave, a flood of change and challenge is about to engulf this country. Indeed, it has already started
--and people are anxious and disturbed.
Herein lies the problem. Like a person who is drowning, the students, the leaders, the workers are grasping
for something, anything which will float--anything. Like people undergoing triage, they are looking for the word
or condition that will pass them through--anything. What they think they need, and so persistently search for is a
working, fluent knowledge of English--specifically, American English. They see it as a “bridge” linking their
present status with a coming status that, as yet, exists only on the face of TV sets, in the hearts of dreamers, and
within the country villas of the already rich. Therefore, this generation in China has turned to the study of English
with the same enthusiasm with which 17th Century Dutchmen grew tulips, and teenage shoe-shiners from New
York bought stocks in the 1920’s.
It is obvious to anyone visiting a bookstore in China today that certain topics are very popular --- immigration,
overseas study, and learning English. The bookshelves are full of every aspect, it seems, of mastering the “current
world language”--grammar, listening, lexicology, intensive reading, comprehension and so on. Then there are all
the books on how to pass the different exams--GRE, TOEFL, IELTS, CET Band 4 or 6, and the like. Tapes, videos
and now computer software systems involving interactive video clips of foreigners speaking dialogs in “Standard
American English” are also very well-received.
Foreign teachers in China are respected by students, coveted by universities, and popular at “English
corners” or “free talks”.
What if there were no more foreign English teachers in China?
Most people would consider this very suggestion as foolish, for foreigners have become a vital part of
Chinese college life. Thousands upon thousands of people have learned something from their foreign teacher, but
when they graduate and move on, something about their English washes away and is lost; a few years later, for
some graduates, everything is washed away and lost. Think about it! Every year, thousands of students sweat,
slave and suffer unspeakable trauma to reach a certain level of English proficiency, then it all comes bleeding out
as time and various other factors do their work. Here is the major complaint I have heard from old students over
these seven years in China is this one-- “I had no foreign friend to practice my English with.”
The purpose of this text is very simple. It is to show you how to learn English on the go, on your own, where
there is no foreign person anywhere near you. It is not about learning the English language per se--the bookstores
are full of that. It is not about being inspirational, brave, determined and a public speaker. It is about something
very different--almost like starting and maintaining a slow-burning revolution. This is why the opening paragraph
of this text is adapted from the opening lines of Marx and Engels’ Communist Manifesto of 1848.
Here is a brief summary or outline of the remainder of this text. First, what are the philosophical roots of
learning English? Why do so many people do it, and what do they hope to achieve? Second, the problems facing
English learners after graduation will be examined. Third, some suggestions on how to avoid these problems and
exploit them creatively will be listed. Fourth, solutions on how to learn English will be presented. Fifth, ideas on
how to make these solutions happen will be discussed. Sixth, some other ideas for consideration will be added.
Once again, that complaint comes to mind--“I had no foreign friend to practice my English with.” Well, it is
time for that complaint to vanish of the face of the Chinese landscape! This text is dedicated to all those who
will learn English after graduation, in a place where there is no lao wai and who want to learn English on the go,
on their own. Take it! You have nothing to lose but your complaints.
II. Philosophical Roots of Learning English.
O.K. Enough rhetoric. Let’s discuss some of the thinking and assumptions that underlie the act of learning
English in China. Where does it all come from? What drives so many people to study English? Books drive
education, but various underlying philosophies drive the books and the effort we put into learning. Consider this
too: China is awash with books, language schools, films and other materials for learning English, but many people
give up their language studies after graduation. Why?
In this section, we will try to determine some philosophical roots of learning English in China today. First, we
will look at motivators, and second, the underlying motivators. Third (which is longer), we will discuss
educational and other matters. Fourth, we will discuss attitudes of “dependence” and “independence” as
hindrances and facilitators (respectively) in learning English.
In short, your philosophy will partly determine how well you study English after your graduation, with no
foreigner around you.
Philosophical roots--- motivators.
“Push on” --- Under this form of motivation, you are essentially driven on by outside influences. More and more
jobs today require a working knowledge of English, and in time, society may too, as more and more people
integrate into an English-oriented network; a “bandwagon effect’’ takes over, creating a “come and join us!” effect.
Finally, WTO entry and the insistent demands of globalization will pressure more people to learn English.
“Pull up” ---Many people today want to improve their life, themselves, and earn more money; a better job can
mean a better life. Others desire more knowledge, especially internet-located knowledge, as well as general and
technical skills. In all these and more, English can help them to sustain their ambitions.
“Get out” --- Today, nobody wants to “fall behind” in society. If you look at college graduates pursuing upward
mobility, you see movement from village to city, city to capital, capital to overseas. Nobody wants a “dead-end”
job. Whether it means leaving a stagnant work unit or breaking into a vibrant new company, English is seen as
part of your ladder upwards.
“Do better” --- Today, the competition is pitiless. Most people want to be better than another person. Every
company wants to do better than their rivals. Nation now struggles with nation for prowess, even in “peaceable”
activities like commerce. Every evening, some people look at themselves in the mirror and hope, ask themselves if
they were better today than they were yesterday. English proficiency is one of many swords that people are buying
and sharpening today.
Philosophical roots --- underlying motivators.
“Between the desire/…And the descent/ Falls the Shadow”(T.S.Eliot). What lies under your motivation for
learning something? For learning English? If you are negative and pessimistic, do you call it “greed, fear,
ambition, pride, envy, dissatisfaction”? Or if you are positive and optimistic, do you call it “hunger, concern,
desire, self-respect, wish to be included in life’s blessings, desire to do better with what you have right now”?
Otherwise, why should you get up in the morning? Why struggle all day long? Why study in the evening hours?
Above all, why dream at night? Why?
Here is an observation. It may not be related, but I think it is. Tell me, why is there a qualitative difference in
the way some students study Russian and French, as opposed to English and Japanese? Do these languages hold
different attractions? Do they arouse different motivations? Do the target nations/target cultures offer different
rewards? After all, one studies a language in the hope of achieving some output or reward.
Philosophical roots---Educational and other matters to consider
Please be patient. This section covers a wide range of educational tips, ideas, philosophy--all having
something to do with studying English on the go, on your own without a foreigner around you. Take what you like,
and forget the rest.
(a) Synthesize language and knowledge, don’t memorize them. In China, memorized knowledge has a long
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
(i)
(j)
(k)
tradition, and has served the country well. Most students of English here have learned a lot of material
over their eight to eleven years of language study. Now, if you were to change your mindset from one of
“spitting out” knowledge to synthesizing, creating and re-creating it--just like any infant/toddler does
with their “mother tongue”--then your output, expression and vocabulary use would expand explosively.
Put another way, ten “set phrases” can give you ten set phrases (memorized), or two dozen or even three
dozen new phrases/sentences (when synthesized). This is why foreign toddlers may say more than many
college students here-- they synthesize what little they have.
An interest in the target language is half the struggle won. If you like English and are interested in the
task at hand, the journey will be much, much easier.
Bloom’s Taxonomy of Questions. Named after Benjamin Bloom, this conceptual model divides
questions into six “levels”: Knowledge-Comprehension-Application-Analysis-Synthesis-Evaluation. As a
teacher, you can use this model to ask questions at different levels of complexity, thereby keeping your
students challenged. As an English learner, you can approach your own tasks at a level that suits you. The
“higher-order” questions require more creative, synthetic thinking, whereas the “lower-order” questions
draw more upon memorized, summary thinking. There is no set, “right” answer at the higher levels.
“English Only”. This goes without saying. If you want to create a better language environment, you
must think, speak, act, live in English. Only use Chinese for new words. (Some people may object to
even this.)
Do not criticize one another, or laugh at one another. The reasons are simple—this culture is a “face”
culture, and fear of ridicule, failure, or “standing out” will kill off a great deal of student initiative.
Therefore, do all you can to promote risk-taking and exploration. Remove shame, shyness, fear of
trying or “standing out”. Make sure that everyone is able to speak out in safety.
On dreams and reality. T. E. Lawrence (of Arabia) wrote: “All men dream, but not equally. There are
those who dream in the dark, in the dusty recesses of their minds, who awake to find it is vanity. But
the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they act out their dreams with open eyes, to make them
happen.” You need an attitude like this, to conceive of, understand and execute your dreams.
“Low expectations.” Don’t expect to be reading Shakespeare in a week. If you aim too high, and you
fail, the forces against you will be great the next time you try. Set low goals, achieve them and be happy;
then, set more low goals.
Flexibility. Sometimes, your plans don’t go the way you expected them to. Therefore, be prepared to
make changes to your plans, procedures, aims, goals, timeframes, language partners, and so on… as you
need to.
“Did you enjoy yourself?” When I first came to China in 1994, my leader told that summer’s group of
English teachers this: Don’t ask how well you did, who you met, and what you did. Ask, “Did you
enjoy yourself?” The “joy of the journey”, I feel, gives one a certain measure of strength, hope, and
courage. So, I hope you can study English because you enjoy it.
Are you a person of destiny? Do you believe that you were put onto this earth, for a certain number of
years—for a purpose? Many people who have done difficult, dangerous, seemingly “impossible” things
did them because they firmly believed this was why they had been created and put on the earth. The
pages of history are full of such people… but they did great, large-scale things. Could not the same be
true of us, and small, common, everyday things? If we discover this destiny (for us), then there is hope,
power, direction, and maybe even other, similar-thinking people. We are not dice rolling over a Friday
night gaming table!
Train up a few to follow you. Consider this line from someone’s letter: “And the things you have heard
me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach
others.” In this sentence are embedded four generations of learners. A great deal of benefit can accrue
from teaching and learning on a “one-to-one” basis. In benefiting others you benefit yourself. This
tutorial/mentor model can sometimes be an effective learning model with a high success rate. We will
(l)
(m)
(n)
(o)
(p)
(q)
(r)
(s)
(t)
talk more about this idea in Part Four of this text, as it is very important, I feel.
Do what you want, not what you must. Thoreau wrote, “The mass of people lead lives of quiet despair.”
Of course, we must do certain things to survive. Nevertheless, life is sometimes (or often?) happier
when we are doing what we want. It is also more productive. How does this affect English learning?
If you are studying something that interests you, you will do more, and do it faster—and you will have
fun. Look at this picture; it represents how I went about my Chinese language studies. “A” represents
the sum total of the Chinese language; “B” covers simple, everyday phrases; “C” stands for an area of
expertise (in my case, travel around China); and “D” is everything else. “D” therefore, is very large. I
focused all my efforts on “B” and “C”, enjoyed myself, did what I wanted, traveled all over China, and
hope to use this model again later with Russian. Of course, there are trade-offs… there is a lot of “D” I
missed out on. However, the point is this: doing what you want in language study will yield you a good
result.
Allow yourself the right to do it your way, to be unusual. Maybe your teacher said to you, “It’s my way,
or the highway!”, right? Listen to your teacher—leave him and take your own highway, or make it
yourself! Sometimes, your way is best for you, but… don’t drive your friends into alienation. (You
need some of them later.) Some people (like me) can’t do much unless there is nothing and nobody
around them, and they are doing something “their way”. In learning English, there is ample room for all
sorts of creative possibilities.
Let your true self and genius come out: This will lead to better results. Plainly, this is related to the
previous paragraph. If we let “who we are” come out, perhaps our English studies will go better—they
will more likely be happier and more interesting. Second, concerning our “genius”: we all have some
spark in us somewhere. If we identify it, nurture it, harness it, perhaps it will provide us with some
energy to let us better study English. (For me in China, that spark was used to design a country cottage
and a tree planting machine… at least, the beginning stages).
Have a plan. “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” Most people need a plan to get things done.
However you organize your life, do it, and don’t let others invade the time you set aside for your English
studies.
“Micro-unit” your learning ambitions into manageable chunks. How do you eat an elephant? One bite
at a time!
If you love it, you will learn it. Hey! Haven’t you said this before? Yes…just reminding you.
Have you thought about using your English to “give” and not to “get”? You already have some (or quite
a lot of) English knowledge. Unless you are a total “A-B-C” learner, why not help someone else to
learn English…someone whose language ability is less than yours? “Oh, but my English is so poor!”
you say. Maybe, but it is more than someone else’s! In a given city, there are college students,
middle/high school students, primary school students, workers, professionals, and many others who want
to learn English. However, there are also the children of the “floating population” workers—and they
need help, too. Outside the cities are the children of the countryside and the mountain areas. Instead
of thinking of competition, struggle, and upward mobility, why not consider this: helping, needs and
“downward mobility”? Giving too has its rewards, even in the area of English language learning.
Compare self with self, not self with other. This is your pilgrimage, not someone else’s! Do it for
yourself, not someone else. There will always be greater or lesser people than you; so, don’t compare
yourself with others, or you may suffer disillusionment or pride. Let’s keep the “self” in
self-improvement.
On “absolute” vs. “relative” struggles and aspirations. This is somewhat related to the previous
paragraph. I define “absolute” (in terms of English learning) like this: “After one year, I will be able to
pass the CET Band-4 exam at or above the 70% level.” Here, you are striving to pass a fixed,
measurable mark. Now, for “relative”: “After one year, I will be able to pass the CET Band-4 exam at
the top of my class.” Here, you are trying to compare yourself with other people. You want
outcome/performance-based measurements, not food for envy! Therefore, think in terms of “absolute”
improvement, not “relative” improvement.
(u) “How are you doing?” After a time of study, you may want to know your progress. Please remember
cold, objective measurement; that is, measure countable behaviors. Do not evaluate yourself based
upon your feelings on how you are doing. When you say, “Oh, my English is so poor!” you are making
an evaluation based on feelings—unless you have recorded countable behaviors over time. One other
thing—depression very often cuts down your second language ability to a significant degree; so don’t
allow yourself to be depressed any more than necessary.
(v) Do a “motivation inventory”—ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?” I studied Chinese because I
wanted to travel alone in China, everywhere (I did), and because I wanted to marry someone local (I did
not). These motivations had a direct effect on what areas of Chinese I studied, how well I did, and what
areas of Chinese I ignored. After a season, I reached a “plateau” of language proficiency, and I didn’t
want to try any more or go any higher. Thus, I remain at a basic level of Chinese—and am content to be
semi-literate, well-traveled, and unmarried. Therefore, it is important for you to clearly understand and
write down your deep, true, inner motivations for studying English. You may be afraid to tell others
your inner secrets, but don’t be ashamed to tell yourself. Under certain conditions, motivation can be a
very powerful force, helping and goading you on your way as you struggle to succeed in English.
Please be honest with yourself.
(w) Where am I strong? Review the four principle language arts skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking)
to see which one you are strongest in, and which one you are weakest in. Are you better in the
“productive” skills (writing, speaking), or the “receptive” skills (reading, listening)? Under what
conditions? Then, compare what you can do with what you want to do, and where you want to be.
(x) “What variables affect my learning?” O.K., this is the last one! Learning is a complex process, and it
is affected by a number of variables. Perhaps the variables affecting different people at different times
are not the same. Here are some of them:
(i) Materials--books, tapes, V.C.D.’s, a good text book (or a bad one) makes all the difference in one’s
studies. If it was written carefully, over time, with a sound knowledge of educational theory, then this
input will translate into enthusiastic, engaged students, which may result in the desired outcomes. If it was
written in haste over a summer holiday between busy teaching semesters (as many textbooks are written),
then the effect will be less desirable. When choosing a textbook (from the dozens in the bookstore),
choose the one you like, which is also the most effective one for you. You may have to search a little.
(ii) Teachers. We all know a good or a bad teacher makes all the difference in one’s educational career. (I had
a terrifying and cruel Latin/French teacher in primary school who burned many students emotionally for
life. I also had a dour-looking but extremely inspirational French teacher whose “je ne sais quois”
transformed me from a language student into a person who used language to work and travel in many
parts of the world. I will never forget him!) Ask yourself: what makes a good or a bad teacher for you?
Different people will have different opinions on this issue, but your opinions are important for you, both
as an English learner and as a possible future tutor/teacher.
(iii) Evaluation tools (tests and exams). Evaluation and measurement are huge topics and I cannot cover
them here.
However, I will say these two things here.
First, have you noticed how
“America-centered” the course materials are, even out here in the Orient? Is this because of
globalization, or because the “big exams” (i.e., TOEFL, GRE) expect it? Second, what is driving
language education in China today—the desire to create self-learning, knowledge-synthesizing,
problem-solving citizens…or the urge to pass exams, exams that are invariably conceived, constructed,
and controlled by outsiders? We all know that teachers “teach to the exam”—and for very
understandable, if disagreeable reasons. Remember this! When you leave your university, college, or
high school, you will study English for yourself, not for “others”. Therefore, you need to think, act, and
execute by yourself, for yourself. Start acting like a pioneer today!
(iv) External factors—location, time of day, other people, distractions, time available. This topic is hugely
important! First: walk into any student dormitory and compare the rooms where the “bookworms” live,
with the rooms where the “party-lovers” live, with the rooms where the “bookworms” and the
“party-lovers” share the same living space. It is the third room that is the most tragic, I feel. There is
no real privacy in China, except deep in the mountains or in your own room; yet, for students, their “own
room” has become a party-house, or at best, a coffee-house. Moreover, students are not allowed to
“re-shuffle” their locations according to their (extrovert/introvert) character. Due to the desire to “avoid
confrontation” and “save face”, the “bookworms” keep silent, and thereby lose their last refuge. I
repeat, China has a thousand places to play in, to party in, to leap up and cry out for joy in, to be a little
wild in, to be “re nao” in, to play games in, and more—but only a mere handful of places to be quiet in,
to sleep in, to reflect in, and to study in! Students!!! What you have done to your own dormitories is
like finding the very last hiding place of the panda bear, and destroying it! Do you really, really want
this…? So, let’s go on. Second: location. Go and find “that place” where you can study (and live) in
peace. I suggest your dormitory first. Or, it could be a place known only to you. Third: time of day.
Follow your body’s “biological clock”. You know when you are at your best, and if that means
between 2:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m., then so be it. Follow your body’s call to you. Also, don’t forget the
influence of food and digestion. Fourth: other people. You have to decide what is more
important—“face”, or progress—for they can’t easily co-exist, if at all. Practically speaking, you have
to leave the scene, or they have to leave the scene, or you both must take turns leaving the scene. By
“scene”, I mean, “the place of study”. Fifth: distractions. Eliminate them like cockroaches. If
necessary, buy earplugs or special earphones (such as some construction workers use). Do not lose
your friends in the process! Sixth: time available. How much time you have to study, and in what
“blocks of time” you arrange them in a week also affect your language-learning progress. Allow
diversion, “study-breaks”, meals, exercise and so on. Don’t forget to plan your week carefully. You
control your life, your timetable in order to maximize your dreams, your effectiveness. Don’t let other
people control your life and your timetable—which is what they do when they call you on your cell
phone and say, “Let’s go and play!” The primacy of “relationship” and the wide availability of the
cell phone is the death of a planned, intentional lifestyle! Remember, “Failing to plan is planning to
fail.” Some of you chose to cut short your pretty, long hair so as to allow you more time to study. I
suggest doing the same thing with your cell phone.
(v) Internal factors—feelings, thoughts, meals. What is inside you will come out and affect you. Try to
find some way to manage, release (in a controlled way), and direct your feelings and thoughts. Some
like to ruthlessly control or suppress them; some like to “manage” them, to “bleed off” the internal steam
pressure (as in a steam engine). You find out what is best for you. As for meals, the time before
(hunger, appetite), and the time after (digestion) all have an effect on how well you study. As with
gravity, let them work for you, not you for them.
(vi) Your capabilities and learning styles. I won’t say much here, as this topic is very controversial in some
places. Nevertheless, we all have various abilities and capabilities, and can use them to our
advantage—and know what “hard spots” to overcome or avoid. As for learning styles: some people
feel they learn something better by seeing/reading it; others feel they should hear/listen to what they
learn; and others feel they will understand a problem by touching/holding it. Of course, this is the old
“visual/auditory/tactile- kinesthetic” argument. Others feel the above is not true at all, and that learning
happens in another way. I will say this: the struggle over dominant educational philosophies is a kind of
war; everyone thinks “their way” is the best. Why don’t you find out what way works best for you, and
is the most effective? Remember, the most important word in education, after “love” and “patience” is
this: “effective”.
Conclusion: As you study, keep a short and simple record of what you did, how you did it, what
worked, and what didn’t. You may find the results interesting; they will certainly be individual.
Philosophical roots—dependence and independence.
a) Summary of problems. Having finished the previous (long!) section, let us review the problems facing
the English language graduate. First, there is no “foreign friend” to communicate with. Second, a
foreign friend is seen as an essential catalyst for further language development. Third, “American
English” and “American accent” are viewed as essential parts of the language acquisition process by many
students. In summary, many believe as follows: no foreign friend, no way forward. These beliefs form a
very powerful barrier of inertia. The root of the inertia is dependence, and the solution lies in
independence.
b) Dependence in you. Perhaps you will hate me for saying this, but the beginnings of linguistic dependence
are in many of you. First is what I call the tyranny of “so-so”. When asked for their feelings on an issue,
many students will reply “so-so” (not hot and not cold, not big and not small). This attitude permeates
much of many students’ thinking. Second, this way of thinking translates into action—or rather, lack of it.
The major sign or symptom is an unwillingness to “vote”, to take sides, to stand out, to speak up.
(Remember, we are talking about taking sides in an oral English discussion class, not a national election.)
It is impossible to run if you do not first stand up.
c) Dependence on foreign speakers among college students. Consider the relationships between college
students and foreign teachers… in “English corners”, “free talks”, and at English language “events”:
i ) In many “English corners”, you will know where the foreigners are, because there are many students
around them. This “clustering” is really proof of the “survival of the fittest” among the students,
the vanity of some foreigners, and the helpless frustration of the shy or meek students. For some
foreigners, the “celebrity status” is stressful. The purpose (as you know) of an “English corner” is
for people to meet others and talk English with them. Whether or not a foreigner attends makes no
difference!
ii) In many “free talks”, many students remain silent. They surrender their right to be heard to the
“dominant” students in the group, or they come with no topic or agenda (“Failing to plan….”). In
addition, they are silenced by their over-speaking teacher, such that “free talk” becomes “free listen”.
(I do admit that this is my problem.)
iii) Foreign teachers are often used as publicity banners, hosts, or judges at large student gatherings
(such as speech or debate competitions). Here, however, they have less of a leadership role, which is
the way it should be.
d ) Dependence on “American English” and “American accent” as a necessary precondition for and
authentic language experience.
i ) Let’s face it. To speak English with an American accent is a goal avidly pursued by many students
today. They buy the books, listen to the tapes, and practice—and they try very hard, too. VCD’s
of contemporary sitcoms from America are more and more popular. The days of Humphrey Bogart
saying, “Here’s looking at you, kid!” in “Casablanca” are now out of fashion (unfortunately).
ii ) Accent/pronunciation is favored over conversation or grammar by many students. You think not?
Some people labor to “sound American” (they don’t; it is horrible), and their speech is full of
grammar mistakes. The “middle part” (i.e., conversation; the ability to synthesize yourself in
English—into clear, logical speech) is partly or largely missing. It is this middle part of language
that is the heart of communicative language—and it has been neglected, and accent/pronunciation
has been “chased” instead. From a linguistic point of view, substance has been subverted by style.
iii) The job market favors “American accent” speakers over others. This too places a burden on
language learners, as they seek to conform to outside expectations.
iv) At present, America is perceived as a major world power, providing influence, jobs, opportunities,
wealth, mobility, and power. Therefore, “accent” follows the power. Before, it was British
English; before that, it was French; and before that, it was Latin. In time, this linguistic state of
affairs will be changed as another international/world language takes over—Chinese? Hey, with no
verb or noun changes, why not?!
v ) North America is still a major immigration destination. This affects the great importance given
accent/pronunciation.
vi ) Some of my students have criticized me for saying these things—that’s O.K.! Accent is important,
but not at the expense of grammar (the rules of language) and conversation (the synthesis of
language). I think the best accent is the standard BBC World Service accent (O.K., I am biased).
However, there is one accent that is very, very interesting—that of the interpreters for the highest
Chinese government leaders. They certainly don’t follow American English as a rule, nor British
English, and of course such people do not speak in “Chinese English”. They seem to chart their
own linguistic course, following nobody, a linguistic category to themselves—and they are very
competent and pleasing to the ear. People, these are the ones to listen to! I wish I knew who they
were, and if their work was on a collection of study tapes. They follow no one else, but rather
make their own mark on the world. It is totally authentic.
e ) On independence in language learning. We now change from the problems of “dependence” to the
issue of “independence” in language learning. I believe you need linguistic independence, if you are to
survive in your goal of studying English, on the go, on your own after you graduate, without a foreigner.
Why is this so? Consider:
(i) You need to go it alone, as there are not enough foreign speakers for everyone—even in Beijing or
Shanghai.
(ii) Very few people will help you, if at all. Remember, most foreigners in China (except the
short-stay tourists) are not here to “deepen their knowledge of China” (as an intrinsic thing in
itself). They are here for various purposes of their own, they have an agenda, and China is their
zone of endeavor, their zone of struggle, their zone of service. (Remember, “means to an end”,
not an “end in itself”.) They don’t want you popping up in front of them in Wangfujing asking
for linguistic favors. You need to know this! However, there is something good and profitable
hidden inside this shocking “brick wall”, which can turn out to your advantage—for some of you.
More on this later.
(iii) The further from the big cities you go, the harder it is to find foreigners. Moreover, the different
regions of China tend to attract different types of foreigner. For example, Xin Jiang has become
a huge, huge playground for many Japanese, since their country is so densely populated. (I like
Xin Jiang as a huge playground, too!) Many American tourists stay in the eastern, coastal
provinces because in their eyes the service infrastructure is more stable and predictable. As for
Qinghai and Tibet, those who want adventure and “the exotic” flock there. Remember, it is
harder to find a foreigner (let alone a foreigner you can make a friendship with), the farther away
from the big cities or tourist sites you go.
(iv) This reason and the next do not involve foreigners. Many “language centers” are not
client-oriented! (That is, they don’t care first of all about you). They are money-oriented; hey,
they are a business-for-profit, right? Sometimes, their staff workers are not very satisfactory, not
very competent, and certainly not effective. They know what is motivating you and many
others—where you want to go, and what you want to get. (In a gold rush, it is not the gold
miners who typically make the money—it is the shopkeepers who supply them with what they
need to live on and operate with!) So, when you consider language centers, choose carefully!
(v) _Once more, it ends with you. Only you understand what you need, or want, exactly. No one
else does. If they say they do, are they trying to sell you something? To make it to the end of
the journey, you need to be independent; to be successfully independent, you need to know what
you want. It is likely that few people will help you; perhaps for a few of you no one will.
That’s O.K. You now have your freedom to win on your terms.
Conclusion—This section, “Philosophical roots of learning English”, has been rather long. However, I feel it
was necessary, because the key to a successful study of English, on the go, on your own, where there is no
foreigner is attitude, and the foundation to good attitude is a good philosophy. In this section, I wanted to discuss
thoughts, feelings and attitudes. The rest of the text will discuss actions you can take, and the events you must
deal with.
III. The Problems Facing You.
Congratulations! You have arrived. After four years of college, and before that many years of primary
school/middle school/high school, you have graduated and found a job. You are at work; you are on the
job—and looking around you. What are you thinking of? You want to survive. It is a new job, the first real
job; it is a whole new world. Your future is uncertain. Each day you work hard—and worry. At evening you
go home to sleep—and worry. On the weekends you go out to play—and worry. The first year of
employment—and especially as a teacher—is always difficult. It is in this context that your hard-earned
knowledge of the English language will either flourish, or plod along—or wither away. Know from the start that
the English-language proficiency you nurtured and cared for over these years, is under threat The enemies you
face are numerous. If you think this is nonsense, ask yourself, why is it that so many English-language graduates
barely maintain their proficiency level, or else go into decline? Only a few triumph in their quest. Therefore,
the enemies you face are numerous. This section will discuss those forces seeking to destroy your hard-won
knowledge of English: From other people, from your self, in terms of “other things coming in”, and in terms of
materials/resources.
From other people—“who” and “what”.
a) Workmates. This may come as a surprise, but one of the worst places to practice and improve your
English is in your work unit! A number of my ex-students have told me speaking English in the
workplace is tacitly frowned upon—it belongs in the classroom. Remember, the workplace is
ultimately an arena, a zone of combat, where your colleagues are also competitors, as it were; it is not a
social club where you can be innocent, transparent and carefree. There is also something of a cultural
taboo at work here—some people (especially those outside the big cities) view speaking English in a
Chinese workplace as, well, unpatriotic.
b) Roommates. This is also hard! For most, if not almost all Chinese people, English is the language of
the head and not of the heart. Of all places in your “post-college, pre-marriage” life, your apartment
should be a safe haven and your roommate a familiar, accepting and confiding face. After a “long,
hard day at the office”, you want to unwind at home, and so does she. Jumping into English won’t
help at all. Perhaps she wasn’t an English major at college, so she cannot join you. If she is a
colleague, English and “work” may be the same thing! Besides, you never spoke English with your
college roommates, and why? It wasn’t “cool”!
c) Classmates. Every year, college classmates graduate, disperse to the four winds—and stay that way.
Apart from class reunions at some restaurant or someone’s wedding party, it is amazing how quickly
people lose contact. Again and again I hear, “We are both so busy.” Typically, English-language
relationships between classmates don’t happen. Old classmates are a source of “social capital” best
saved for emergencies. To do so otherwise is like “robbing principal” out of a trust fund for
unimportant needs. In the end, you may suffer.
d) Your old English teacher. Once you had an English teacher. They vary in quality: some treated you as
their own children (their “babies”), others contributed to your English education, and others were
“so-so”…just another teacher. Once you have left them (or rather, they have left you and moved on), it
is hard to re-establish the relationship you once had. Remember! The foreign teachers are always
sifting through the hundreds of students they see, looking for “prospects”, the way a river-gold miner
sifts through gravel looking for pieces of gold. To be a (foreign) English teacher in China is a transient,
lonely and culturally superficial occupation, with few real, or long-term friends. When they are found,
happy is the foreign teacher! Almost all my real friends in China are those who I sifted out of the river
gravel, or those given to me by heaven: they are all old students. Current students are river gravel
being sifted. If you are one of these selected old students, happy are you! Your future is good.
However, know this: the foreign teacher has chosen you because you are able to offer some service
which they could not do alone—buy rail tickets, introduce them to business contacts, and the like.
(Here, I am not trying to discourage you—I am just telling you how I think it is. Enjoy the relationship,
and be realistic.) If you are not one of these students, the odds against you are very, very high, in terms
of having a meaningful, productive English-language relationship. Foreign teachers move on, and so
do you. Teachers who stayed in one teaching site for three years have a better chance of making and
keeping real, long-term friends than a teacher who worked in one city for one year. However, I do not
want to be totally deterministic—there are exceptions. As for your Chinese teacher of English, I do
not know what to say, except that you (the ex-students) are many and they (the teachers) are few.
e) Your boyfriend/girlfriend. First: it is likely that you both met and developed your relationship over
something other than “a love of the English language”—sports, watching films, karaoke singing, being
on student committees, and so on. (Remember, for many Chinese students, English is but a means to
an end, and not an end in itself.) If you try to integrate English into your relationship, your partner
may consider it unnatural—your peers certainly will, and some may consider it unpatriotic. Second:
what about starting a relationship with the declared intention of making it an “English-only” relationship?
With another Chinese person, beware of mismatching in other areas of your life (other interests,
emotions, and so on), and beware of ferocious peer pressure, gossip, rejection and criticism. They will
ostracize you! With a foreigner? It is true you will learn English very quickly if you have a foreign
boyfriend (foreign girlfriends are much rarer). However, be very careful, as the “rules of the game” are
different, and the potential for making mistakes and being hurt is higher. (I think).
f) Husband/wife. For you married people, Chinese is the language of your heart, the language of your
“pillow talk”—not English. English is only a “head” language, and if it is introduced into your close
relationship, there could be certain adverse “side-effects”. It is much harder to communicate one’s
deep feeling and emotions in a foreign language. However, you might try, but would your partner
agree? Can they even speak English, and at your level? What will serve to hold this “English-based”
relationship together? Will it rather pull you apart? The future looks grim. The one important
exception to this rule can be found in those couples that passionately share a common belief or ideology,
a shared vision, a joint task or purpose. In some sense, their marriage itself is subordinated to a
“higher” purpose, be it political ideology, religion, humanitarian concerns, or whatever. These people
will go to the ends of the earth together, speak English together (or some other language), and remain in
love together to the very end. Don’t you wish you could find or have a spouse such as this?
g) Children. What about speaking English with your children? It would, after all, improve their grades
in school. Sorry, I have more bad news for you. Here is a story about the experiences of many
Chinese people who have gone to the U.S. to immigrate and settle down. They struggle to learn
English, get a job, and in time integrate (to varying degrees) in their new society. Their children are
born, grow up, and learn English with ease. The trouble comes when either the parents (or else the
grandparents) want the children to learn Chinese, the language of the “old country”. Usually, the
children do not want to out of peer pressure, but mainly because it has no relevance to their daily life.
“Mom! Dad! None of my friends speak this language!” The same situation could hold true in
China, with parents trying to teach English to their children. There is also the question of children
h)
i)
j)
k)
l)
m)
n)
o)
accepting their parents as “yet another teacher”. Of course, parents can and have done this, but it
requires strong, persistent dedication.
People from your local neighborhood. Perhaps there is someone in your local neighborhood who you
know speaks English—can they help you? My feeling is, no, they can’t, or won’t. First, the
relationship is one-sided, with you as the dependent party. You are asking from them, but what is
going the other way? Then there is “social inertia”; you don’t just ask someone to speak English with
you. Finally, you don’t want to upset the social balance of your “home turf”, where people might talk
about you for a long time. Look farther outside.
English “parasites”. This is the inverse of the previous section. These people want to have you
“teach them English”. Sometimes there is no structure to their requirements—you must provide that,
too! They wish, as it were, to “milk” you, and have little to return to you, which you would like to
have. (This is why some foreign teachers feel they are being used as “English cows”.) You cannot
“teach someone” English—they need to help themselves, and the relationship must be “mutually
beneficial”, or at least mutually agreed upon. The “name of the game” is results, not relationships.
Therefore, the “English parasite” will do you no good. Try to avoid or end such relationships.
Dead-end relationships. Some relationships are not worth having—literally. This is not because the
person you are helping is a parasite, but because they have no future in the English language. An
example would be some person whose English is terrible, even hopeless, but they want to “go to (study
in) America”. You could spend a long time trying to help them, and for what? It’s your life, too!
Some people should have changed their major a long time ago, but someone (probably their parents)
forced them into an unhappy relationship with English. Remember, it’s about results, not relationships.
It will go better for you if you start thinking like a mortgage/loan officer at a bank, not everyone’s “fairy
godmother”!
“Turkeys”. In Chinese, a turkey is “xiao ren”. These are some of the most dangerous people in
society, I feel—and not just in terms of trying to learn English on the go, on your own, without any
foreigner! These are the people you should beware of the most! In America we say, “For every one
person who wants to do something, there are nineteen turkeys trying to pull him down.” It is the same
the world over, wherever success and envy co-exist. Those who fail in the self-imposed “rat race” will
resent those who aspire upwards and struggle onwards, who long to burst out of the present inertia and
force themselves into their future hope. They are many and they are watching you. Without a doubt,
they are your most dangerous external enemies. Beware!
Unfriendly foreigners. Yes, there are unfriendly foreigners out there. You want to speak a few words
of your hard-earned English with them and bang! They refuse you, tell you to get lost, or “blow you
off”. It hurts. Or worse still, they will charm you, coddle you, use you, make promises to you, drive
you to ecstasy—and dump you. I heard a story (which I can believe) of a foreign boy who broke up
with his girlfriend by telephone, a few minutes before he boarded his airplane home. Remember, most
foreigners have their own agenda for being here in China, and they don’t want to be deflected or
distracted from it. (Neither would you overseas, chasing your Ph.D.)
No encouragement. Now, we change from “who” to “what”. In your quest to learn English, you will
invariably face periods of loneliness, when nobody is encouraging you. How tender and helpful it is
when someone encourages you! It can make a real difference. However, you are now alone—it
seems that few people care.
No support. In addition to what people say, what do they do for you? Do they give you their old
books, papers, magazines, or a friendly smile as you pass them? Do they stop you and inform you of
any English-related news you may not have heard about? Is it “safe” for you to walk about publicly as
an avowed lover of English and of self-improvement? If not, you struggle alone. Here, the
indifference of those around you can be as draining as their opposition.
Public opinion. Public opinion can be very destructive; moreover, it opposes many who want to stand
up and grow tall in English. The further you get away from the centers of modern culture and higher
education (i.e., the big cities and the universities) it becomes stronger. Public opinion is also often
inspired and fuelled by ignorance and envy.
p) Other people’s vision is imposed on you. If there is one constant in education, it is that the leaders and
administrators of most (or all) schools think their way of educating, their “system”, their “model” is the
best or only way. The same is true for many companies. When an outside vision is imposed on you, it
is hard to follow your own. If you do, you may lose your job. The very moment you declare who or
what you are, others will be attracted to you, to conform you to their mold. There is nothing more
miserable than being “re-built” into a system you don’t agree with.
q) The cult of conformity. In small groups, the dominant-value carriers often try to force or persuade
others to conform. It is so much easier to shut up and do (or be) like those around you… for, if you do
pursue English seriously, you will stand out and soon become a target.
r) The cult of mediocrity. One of the defining traits of envy, I believe, is its strong desire to cut down,
reduce, weaken, or even destroy that which it hates, for it knows it will never make a similar
achievement. Many social groupings—be they a whole society, a village, a school, or even a
class—will knock down any individual who sticks his neck up too high. The safest way is to be
nondescript, “so-so”, common—which is really a way of saying “mediocre”. Of course, you do well in
your job, but that is just to please your leaders. Above a certain invisible line, you lose their pleasure
and incur their envy, as well as attacks from your threatened peers.
s) On competition. The working world—the place of employment—is a zone of combat. Ask any
college graduate. Ask yourself…you just got your job, right? For anyone who wishes to aspire
onwards and upwards, this means most of those around are rivals; therefore, it is hard to learn English
peaceably with the very people you are in competition with.
t) Individual initiative is pushed down. All of the above problems have a cumulative effect. That is, the
individual—you—is less likely to try to study English alone, on the go, without a foreign friend. In a
culture where “face”, reluctance to stand up and stand out, and group consciousness are considered as
important, personal initiative is often pushed down. It seems everything is against you—overtly, subtly,
or covertly. It appears so easy to give up!
Resentment from others. We live in a more progressive and modern age, yet resentment never changes—it
is as old as humanity. It is a very, very fine line between using English to extract the elixir of
“development” from a foreign country into China, and using English to extract oneself out of one’s current
“zone of inertia”; between serving the country first, and serving oneself; between being an organic part of
the crowd and becoming its advocate, and being a rebellious lotus plant springing out of the mud of
mediocrity and becoming its target. Those who study English on the go, on their own, without a foreigner,
and with true devotion will be looked upon with a whole range of feelings.
u) Thus closes this section. These are some of the forces you will experience from other people as you go
out on your quest. Next, we will examine the problems within.
From yourself—“inner rot” and “outer collapse”
.
(a) No dream. “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” It all begins with a dream, and it dies for
lack of one. Perhaps the biggest problem facing you is this one. Have a dream and you have a
destination; if you don’t, you are merely “treading water”. It is the dream that inspires you onwards
when you are enveloped in dismal circumstances.
(b) Confusion over goals. If you don’t know what it is you want, you have a problem. First, look under
the exterior goals and examine the interior motivations. Perhaps they are flawed, misdirected, or
incomplete; if so, they will adversely affect your goals—and your production. Production does not
exist in a vacuum. If your motivations and goals say different things and go in different directions, you
are a divided person: you cannot stand.
(c) Unsure where to begin. You can’t be blamed for this one. The task is huge, the final destination is
many horizons away, and as in another journey, the first “wicket gate” is hard to find. There are also
many people telling you where they think you should begin. At this point, beware of “false starts” in
your English learning; they can be very disillusioning.
(d) No feedback from colleagues. If no one tells you how you are doing, it is as if you are in a thick fog.
Do they even care? Why won’t they help? They surround you like silent ships, giving no indications
of their intent, no directions, no comfort. All you can hear is the uncertain thump of the sea against
your bow-plates. The long journey you have embarked on is lonely and cold.
(e) Few people care. At times, perhaps much of the time, you will feel that nobody cares. Remember, the
people with great ideas must often walk alone for a season.
(f) Worries about your reputation. If you have ulcers to plague you while you are on your journey, then
this is it. This problem shuts down many a dreamer, because they choose reputation over destiny. Bad
mistake!
(g) Worries about income, rent, food. Obviously we must eat, but to worry about these things a lot is a
running sore which will drain us and make us unproductive—we will bear no fruit at the end of the day.
(h) Fatigue. For those who want to study English after their day’s work, fatigue is a constant enemy.
Usually, the demands of work are not what you had in mind—even if your job involves English in some
way. What you studied in college may have no bearing on your work, and your work may have no
bearing on your dream. All you have, you think, are the hours between supper and bedtime—and you
are tired.
(i) Despair. The “black dog” of despair is always waiting to join you; he often comes with fatigue, and he
wants you to follow him forever. This is a constant danger.
(j) No plan. Once again, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” If you have no plan, you will get lost,
bogged down, and operate without any direction. Worse still, if you have no plan, other people may try
to “feed” you their plan.
(k) No interest in English outside of job. Work is draining, and life in general seems like an uphill struggle.
After a while, you learn to master the demands of English your job requires of you. Now you are good!
You can speak English well on the job with confidence. Either subtly or intentionally, you move no
further; your “job-related English” becomes a fortress, you do not venture outside, and you begin to die
by way of “fossilization”. Besides, English is “boring” and not a part of your “real life” outside of
work. Let me play, right?
(l) Remain in your job because there is nowhere else to go. Thousands of middle-aged English
teachers—as well as others—are in this situation. You still hold your job, but every day your fortress is
becoming calcified, your house infested with termites, your career riddled with occupational cancer.
Under these conditions, when you are looking in and not venturing out, it is very hard to study English, if
not impossible.
(m) Lose interest in English. After a while, you may lose interest in the English language. Perhaps the
English you now have has been successful in winning the prizes of life you wanted when you were a
college student. “Why do I need to study more English? I have what I want.” (This is why my
Chinese studies have died out. I wanted to travel and to “survive” in China; I have “been there, done
that”, and now I want to move on. Fluency in Chinese has no meaning for me…well it never was my
goal.) The darker, more tragic side of this phenomenon is when you lose interest in English for the
opposite reason—it did not achieve your goals! Rather than give up because your stomach is full and
you are bored, you quit because you are disillusioned and your heart has been broken. Many people
make this protracted discovery every year, and I believe that many more will follow them.
(n) “Why bother?” The collapse of motivation. All of the above, as well as others I have missed, have
one goal in common—the destruction of your desires, your dreams, your motivation to study English.
(o)
In the end, you want to say, “Why bother?” Then it is all but impossible to study English effectively.
Burnout—collapse of career. I wish to end this section from the perspective of the teacher of
English—many of you, and me. First: “Burnout”, as an occupational/psychological problem has been
discussed in other books/articles. Those people in the “helping professions”—doctors, nurses, social
workers, parents (yes!), and teachers—all reach a point where they “lose it”. Creativity, care, concern
for others, compassion and competence all fall away, and these people are no longer what they used to be.
They suffer fatigue, weariness, exhaustion, and apathy in all domains of their being—I am not referring
to mere “Monday morning blues”, here. Burnout has different stages of severity, along with different
types of treatment for each stage of severity. You should look in the right sources for the correct
treatment, but broadly speaking, it involves some form of change in your life, something new, refreshing
and stimulating—in a sense, the opposite of those factors which brought you to the point of burnout.
Second: many of the problems we discussed in this section on “inner problems” can contribute to
burnout. One of the end results is the choice to give up one’s English studies. It can be seen that the
labor of studying English is as much an “inner struggle” of the spirit, as an “outer war” in the confines of
society and our social responsibilities.
“Other things coming in”—“oppression”, “distraction”, and “temptation”.
(a) One of the reasons we give up a project, a course, a calling is we allow our original intentions to fall away;
soon, other ideas or actions come in to replace them; in some cases, the new things forcibly push out the old.
Note these four words: “other”—not what you had originally intended; “things”—abstract or concrete, they
can be conceptualized and itemized; “coming”—they approach you, either intentionally or (it seems to you)
by chance; “in”—they penetrate you, and once inside you they poison you. This section will discuss this
kind of threat to your plans to study English on the go, on your own, without a foreign teacher. These
threats are dangerous because they try to replace your way with something else.
(b) Load of work. Many people carry a heavy workload, but some have insane levels of responsibility. It
does not matter where it comes from—whether from the boss or from the needs of your students or from
your own pet projects—the more deeply buried you are in your work, the less time you will have to study
English. In extreme cases it will affect your health.
(c) Commuting to and from work. Many people must sacrifice up to two or four hours of every day, traveling
to and from their work site. Over one year, this amount of time adds up to many hundreds of hours of lost
time. For many people there is no choice. Crowded busses often make reading a book difficult; besides,
the way out to work is often fraught with anxiety, and the return home is a draining experience for one who is
already tired.
(d) Your school is too remote from centers of culture, such as concert halls, museums, well-stocked libraries and
good bookstores. We all need cultural (and mental/emotional/social) stimulation. They refresh us and
enable us to do a better job the next day. If you live in Beijing or Shanghai, you are very fortunate in this
regard. If you live in a provincial capital you have something—but a little less. And so on, down the line.
Of course, TV’s, VCD’s, and the above-mentioned centers of culture can be found all over the country to
varying degrees, but external, “higher” culture (Chinese, of course, and other) allows you to leave, transcend
and forget for a while your current surroundings, your present condition, your all too familiar colleagues.
This is very refreshing. In the absence of such diversions, all you have is—more of the same. For some,
this is very stunting, for others it is bearable. What about you?
(e) You only do your “same old lesson plans”. We all know it is degenerating, we have suffered under it—and
we do it all the same. When you were a new teacher, a new worker, you slaved over your preparations,
worked hard, and loved your students. Now you don’t. Laziness, complacency, burnout, as well as other
dreams have caused you to use these “recycled” lesson plans. These are “other things coming in”! They
are symptoms of a problem that also affects your ability to study English: it leads your life into a rut, and
(f)
(g)
(h)
(i)
(j)
(k)
(l)
(m)
(n)
leads you into more laziness. When you feel and act this way, how well will you study English?
Getting married. There is nothing wrong with getting married, but it will seriously take up your time,
making English studies much more difficult.
Having children. This one will certainly take up your time! It will drive your entire life.
Competing projects. Many people measure the productivity or success of their life not by what they did “on
the job” but by what they did when they got home after work each evening. This is a sad commentary on
society and human nature: we are free to be ourselves only when everyone else has been “paid off” and the
scraps that remain are given to us. We therefore guard those “windows of time” jealously. This means
that every time (every evening between 8:00 and 9:00 p.m.) we do something else, our investment in English
suffers considerably.
Becoming a leader or an administrator. Many classroom teachers dislike becoming administrators, for this
change of fortune takes them out of the classroom and away from their students, their “babies”. It also
removes them from that inspiring scent coming from the “kitchens” of education. There are meetings to
attend (many meetings to attend!), committees to run, and parents to placate. Naturally, this affects your
ability to follow your own ventures, such as studying English. As for becoming a leader, beware! The
“golden birdcage”, if it doesn’t destroy you, will constantly stunt your personal or private goals if you are not
careful.
It is no longer necessary to survive the rigorous, challenging demands of college. Do you remember those
crazy days of college, when you ate “liang pi zi” (and homework) for breakfast, lunch, and supper? You
read enough to fill a suitcase and wrote enough to fill a telephone book…at least, you said you did. Well,
when you began to work, you had a new round of labors to perform. In time, you came to understand, then
manage, and finally master your responsibilities in the classroom and in the office. You made an elaborate,
minimally managed system to cope with your work, then shut down most of your generating capacity.
Today, you just exist. The students smell it, and in the back of your mind, you know what you are doing.
Under such conditions, it is very, very hard to persevere in your original calling, your “Long March”—of
being a lifelong learner of English!
Failure. Life is hard, and so is society. Some other people come into conflict with you. At times, you
fall down. When “in crisis”, you tend to “streamline”, “evict”, “cut out”, or “reassess” your priorities—or,
put another way, you give up. Those things which are not deemed “essential to survival, family or job” are
the first to go when you face failure…such as your English studies. At this point you wonder, “Can I hold
on?”. Failure is not when you are dead, but when your dreams are dead.
Success. Perhaps this is even more dangerous than failure, because it rots you through complacent feelings
of pride. Either that, or it buries you under a snowstorm of new work and responsibilities.
Ambition. In some ways, ambition is useful, in that it drives you onwards and upwards. However, if
English is not your driving ambition, influencing everything you plan, think or do…something else will be.
Like heirs to a throne, ambitions do not tolerate rivals. If ambition does not harm you, it will certainly harm
your cherished dreams of mastering English on the go, on your own, with no foreigner to teach you.
The result. What is the result of all these “other things coming in”? Do you die? Do you lose your job?
Will your children get up and walk out on you? Not necessarily. The result, in short, is that you will
become unfruitful—that is, unfruitful to your “first dream”. The seed you planted will (perhaps) become a
plant, and it may live a typical length of time, but it will bear no seeds—it will be empty and fruitless. No
fruit, not future; no seed, no sowing; no harvest, no satisfaction; no gratitude, no meaning; no conclusion, no
fulfillment. The older you get, the more painful such a revelation becomes. After all, isn’t “fruit”, the
result, the “bottom-line”, the product, the reason for all this, the “name of the game”?
Materials/Resources—“slow starvation”.
(a) Local bookstore has nothing.
Every gun needs bullets, and this dream of English needs books and other
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
materials. If you live far from a big city or in the mountains and the local bookstore had nothing (of current
value, or in your area of need), then you have a problem.
Bookstore is too far away. If you live far from the nearest local bookstore (I am thinking of all you people
living in the mountains), you cannot get what you need—easily, or at all. You are dependent on those rare
journeys out on Spring Festival, or for someone’s wedding. Finally, you cannot always count on others
bringing in your books; they cannot always know what is in your heart.
Lack of materials. Look around your school, house, or worksite. There are not enough materials to fill your
mind, let alone that of your students.
Lack of money. Why is it that many country villages are well stocked with 4WD vehicles, but there is often
not enough money to pay for school books and other materials? If there is not enough money for such
things, young brains starve. The same is true in the small bookstores and libraries.
Local materials are out of date. This may be caused by lack of money to buy materials, knowledge about
what to order, or “inertia” (i.e., laziness and stubbornness) on the part of the older, entrenched staff that
usually hold the levers of power. Just try to be a new teacher in a village school! The effects are
catastrophic, when you think of the children who use such materials.
Local materials are too controlled by the librarian. To some extent, you can’t blame the poor librarian; if
she were not rigorous, the shelves would be very quickly stripped. Nevertheless, restricted information
stunts the growth of knowledge, and also generates a certain problem of “learned helplessness” on the part of
the school children—and you too, perhaps. I should think that the more remote the library, the more
controlled the books are.
Materials passed to students “disappear”, are hoarded, or not circulated. This is one of my major
complaints with my own students! They are a bottomless hole—materials given to them are never seen
again. In a sense, this is understandable, as certain materials—especially foreign-printed materials—are so
rare or in demand, and the students are hungry (nay, ravenous) for more, new, interesting knowledge.
However, there is a serious consequence to this “culture of keeping” among the students, as well as many of
their teachers. It stunts sharing and cooperation, the shy or weaker students are shut out, and education
takes one step closer to the “survival of the fittest”. How ironic for a humanistic pursuit such as education.
Conclusion—As you struggle to learn English on the go, on your own, without a foreigner, you will see there
are many problems. There are problems coming from within, from without—from anywhere. They may be
slow or fast, from a stranger or from a friend—or even closer. “A man’s enemies shall be members of his own
household.” Make no mistake—your English knowledge is under threat. Many aspects of life are waiting to
take it away—by night or by day. “If you do not use it, you will lose it.” This law starts from the moment a
new piece of knowledge settles in your brain. This section is very depressing, but it is important to know what
you are up against, before you meet it, and to know what you have to do. In other words, “Know your
enemy”…before you fight.
The enemies against you are numerous. You need to “count the cost” right now. Consider these words:
“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has
enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will
ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ ”. Well, people may not ridicule you,
but the ridicule may come from within, as you listen to the voices of regret later on in life.
Finally, these problems also provide you with a blueprint for avoiding these same problems (or at least
managing them), and for exploiting them creatively. Many difficulties contain in them the seeds of their solution,
if you dig. We will examine these in the next section. The tone of this text will also become more positive and
optimistic.
IV. How to avoid the problems and exploit them creatively.
This section is the turning point of this book (for such it has now become). We have spent enough time
looking at dark and depressing things. However, I feel it was necessary—a “reality-check” is always useful.
Now, we go from problems to solutions, pessimism to optimism, dangers to opportunities, obstacles to highways,
and limitations to advantages. Many problems have the germ of a solution in them. We must be aware of and
cautious of problems, but they can point the way to where we can work on them and solve them… right in the
workplace, where they arose.
This section will re-examine the many problems raised in the previous section, then suggest some ways to
solve these problems on site, rather than leave them for another place.
From other people.
(a) Workmates. First: Usually, in a work unit or office, there is one person who you can trust and cooperate
with; this person may even share your desire to really develop their English. However, they are not a friend,
not a language partner, not a confidante-in-English, but a “seasonal ally”. I say this because the work zone
is far too “political” to do otherwise… and so are they! When it comes to job and income, everybody has a
“lean and hungry look”. You can cooperate with this ally on the various “English challenges” which are
forever entering your work unit’s atmosphere: something needs to be translated, a newspaper article is “not
quite understood” by the boss, a chapter from an out-of-date textbook needs to be updated for today’s usage,
an English exam needs to be written. You two can cooperate on such ventures—especially the ones which
the other teachers do not want—and in time, you will develop your English abilities in some area. Note:
Prepare to work hard. In time, you will both develop a reputation in the work unit, and other people may
start “outsourcing” their problems to you. Second: You do not find this person by asking your colleagues or
by advertising among them—you need to “screen” this person. Let life’s common circumstances bring up
incidents through which you can evaluate prospects. Then, “recruit” them. Be wary of those who try to
recruit you—unless they have been screened and you know they have similar interests to you. What you
are looking for is a relationship of convenience, based on common interests. Third: Do not allow this
relationship to penetrate into your personal and vulnerable life; you may regret it.
(b) Roommates. If you have a roommate already, you might want to leave this relationship alone—this is your
own room, your home, your “nest” that we are talking about. If you are without a roommate and looking
for one, what about looking for an “English-only” roommate? (i.e., another Chinese person who also wants
to use real English in real life, daily situations.) Perhaps you can advertise. Of course, make sure that the
usual “interpersonal” criteria make you suitable for each other. Make sure that their English level is similar
to yours: this is an English-based living experience, not a teaching assignment! Then, master, translate and
use everything your life together brings you—into English. Choose same-sex roommates only, or you will
lose focus very quickly.
(c) Classmates. I still think you should keep your college classmates “off-limits” as, along with your blood
family, they are your only prime source of “social capital”. You do not want to alienate or lose them!
(d) Old English teacher. Most teachers want to know how their ex-students are doing, and some still like to
“direct” them if invited. Let them! Most teachers cannot teach you as they used to, since they are busy
with their new students, but they are willing to give advice. They can be consultants. Please do the
following when you call them: Identify yourself clearly by name, class, city, college, and a distinguishing
trait of yours—teachers do forget names, but most really do want to be kind, helpful and compassionate.
Here is an example: “Hello, Mr./Ms. (Jones). This is (Zhang Hong Mei), from class number (9801), in
(Urumqi), at (Vocational University). Do you remember me? I used to sit next to (Li Wen Ge) and pulled
her hair!” Also, keep your request simple and short! (K.I.S.S.—“Keep It Simple, Short!”) Give your
teacher your telephone number, letter address, e-mail address, as well as any important class news you think
they should know. If you are writing back and forth, include an extra, addressed (return) envelope for your
teacher’s total convenience when she/he wants to write back to you—include it as part of your letter. Do
this EVERY TIME you write to your old teacher!!! Remember, most foreign teachers CANNOT,
CANNOT, CANNOT write in the Chinese language (han zi) on an envelope! You must do this for them
every, every, every time—or they cannot write back! Write your own address completely (not half of it!),
and their address clearly, following correct envelope-writing format. As a foreign teacher, I invite my old
students to continue sending me their compositions, so I can proofread and correct them. Then, I return
their homework easily, because they have also given me an addressed, return envelope. If you have this
kind of ongoing relationship with your old teacher, it is very good!
(e) Boyfriend/girlfriend. Hey! I have a wild, crazy idea. If you really do care about learning English on the
go, on your own, without a foreign teacher…why not find someone who also shares your views, your hopes,
your dreams? I mean, just how much of your life are you going to give this person? Or, how much do you
plan to hide? Many famous writers in British and American literature were partly successful or brought to
ruin, to the extent that their spouses supported or hindered them. The “call” to some revolutionary cause is
often killed off by an unwilling or opposing partner. Make no mistake about this. “Tong chuang yi meng”
is for real. So, you can “act out your dream with open eyes” together, and make it happen. If your partner
is not as enthusiastic about your ideas as you, at least get their permission to allow you to “do what you need
to do”. Otherwise, consider leaving them.
(f) Husband/wife. As with the above, if you have a similar-minded spouse, you can take this “bilingual
venture” to its ultimate conclusion. You can try anything. If not, well… you compromise, as you must.
If your spouse agrees, you can have a bilingual household, with every part of your life arranged
accordingly—friends, books, meetings, movies, part-time home jobs (tutoring; internet-enabled jobs, such as
proofreading and editing, or writing), hobbies, cooking, phone calls, and on and on. You also have each
other to discover and know all over again. Then there is your family….
(g) Children. I will not try to explain bilingual home education here, because I cannot, but it seems there are
some wonderful opportunities for establishing language foundations for your children here. Please note: I
am not talking about stuffing your poor little child into some trendy, competitive, and accelerated program
designed to launch your child into greatness and the college of your choice. I am referring to one thing, and
one thing only—growing up bilingually (and “normally”). The aim is not to end up speaking like some
foreign child, but to have a fully working knowledge of everyday English. Upon this long-prepared
foundation, anything can happen. So, what do you do? Here are some ideas: make English a working part
of your household, not a “status toy” or a springboard to college. Do not associate English with progress,
or “social climbing”, or survival; associate it with your everyday, working life. When the fundamentals of
English have been learned, read bedtime stories—every night, until they enter college. This last, simple act
has a profound effect on their language development. Fill your house with music, printed material, visitors
speaking both languages, as well as love.
(h) People from your local neighborhood. If there are a few other people in your local neighborhood who also
like English, you might agree to meet once a month in someone’s house. Such a meeting could be more a
“discussion group” or a focused “free-talk”—not an open “English corner”. This part is very important.
You should control who comes to a few people of similar ability—“members” agree not to invite strangers,
un-vetted visitors, or people of lower or higher English ability. The aim is to develop and maintain what
you have (and your friends’, too), to use it in a small-group setting, talking about real-life issues taking place
around you in your neighborhood. Such talks have nothing to do with “learning English”, or “preparing to
go to America”, or the usual topics brought up in typical college “free talks”. From this beginning, you
decide where to go next, if at all.
(i) English “parasites”. Either tell them to go away and leave you alone, or find out their approximate English
level and suggest they find a college student to teach them. Either way, get rid of them!
(j) Dead-end relationships. You can do the same here, but be kinder towards them, and make more of an effort
to link them up with a college student. Just because they will go nowhere with you does not mean that they
have their own valid destination. You were there, once.
(k) “Turkeys”. Avoid them like the plague. Under no circumstances let them into your dreams of a life of
better English.
(l) Unfriendly foreigners. If you are “blown off”, you have basically two choices—quarrel, or help them out.
The second is better. If you know what they need, then you have a basis for communication with them. If
you don’t know them or their problem, you can quickly ask, “Do you need any help? I am not an English
parasite.” Then wait. If the foreigner still blows you off, let it go. If he says yes, then try to help—if
you can. Stay on the topic of what he needs, help him, leave—and smile. You have just had an “authentic
English experience”! Here is the secret: if you know the foreigner’s needs, you have a chance to help, and
through helping, to talk. Otherwise, you are just a nuisance to them. Remember, foreigners like their
privacy, the way Chinese people like their “face”—it is one of the most important things they value. If you
are talking to them for your benefit and not their needs (unless they are letting or inviting you), you are
treating them as an “English milk cow”, and you are behaving like a parasite!
(m) No encouragement. You do need encouragement. Even the strongest, toughest fighter needs to be told
supportive words or given acts of edification. First: is there someone out there who will listen to you under
most or all circumstance, who will let you put your head onto their lap (as it were) and fall asleep? (I speak
figuratively—and for some of you readers, literally.) This person does not need to be an English
speaker—anyone with “the right heart” will do just fine. You can share with this person your struggles,
your joys, your failures, your achievements in your lifelong quest to master the English language. At times,
they will keep you going onwards. Second: this is the place where, for some, the consolations of religion
are sustaining and vital. Third: for the transcendentalists and nature-lovers among you, perhaps it is not a
person who refreshes you, but a place that revives you. When I was in college, I would leave the campus
and walk through the woods for about twenty minutes until I came to a clearing behind someone’s house.
There was a small vegetable garden in the middle of the clearing. The vegetables were carelessly planted
and neglected, long grass and other weeds grew right up to the earth of the seldom tended garden beds, and
the trees of the forest stood by thickly on the edge of the unshaved and grassy area—watching and waiting to
come in again. I have not been back there for twenty years, but I carry it deep in my heart, as you might the
picture of your sweetheart, for it was and is the resting place of my tired, wandering, restless and weary soul.
I found a kind of encouragement there. Fourth: I mention these three “places” with one aim in mind—that
you may find a place of encouragement on the English-road you are traveling, so that you may have the “joy
of the journey”. It is necessary.
(n) No support. If you need support of some kind, then try and find it. However, you must take care you are
not let down—or even betrayed—by those you trust. Some people however like to operate without
support—it gives them a high degree of independence and flexibility, as well as freedom from the constraints
of “accountability”, responsibility, and betrayal. Find what is suitable for you. Choose two, three, or more
sources of support coming from different “sectors” of your life; in other words, “diversify” as you would
when buying stocks. Allow no link or communication between your support members—keep them apart
from each other, to avoid betrayal or other problems from spreading.
(o) Public opinion. On the one hand, do not pay much attention to what other people are saying about you.
On the other hand, try to stay out of the public eye; keep a “low profile”. There are two types of
“turkey”—active and passive. The active turkeys are really dangerous because they are hunting for people
like you. The passive turkeys only respond to what they see or hear; so, if you keep quiet, you will not
often be troubled by their “public opinion”.
(p) Other people’s vision is imposed on you. If your boss or supervisor is telling you “how to do it”, then you
have a problem. You cannot quarrel and risk losing your job! However, remember this: even if you do not
agree with the philosophy of what you are being asked to do, you can do it because it represents an
opportunity to use English to do something new and unfamiliar. In every experience, there must be some
room somewhere to learn something new. It is a “learning experience”. One other thing: if you become a
boss or a supervisor, please do not treat other people in the same way!
(q) The cult of conformity. Be yourself: either openly, with struggle; or, under cover and behind a “front”.
Either way, do what you need to do, to be who you want to be.
(r) The cult of mediocrity. Do not become part of such a movement, in your life or at the workplace! It will
poison you. If you put your best efforts into what you do, usually there will be a payback, a reward—praise
from the boss, improvement in your English, and hostile stares from your colleagues. Your pursuit of
English is a noble cause—therefore, give it your best. As one old teacher said to my classmates—“Holy
shoddy” is still…“shoddy”. Even English performed in a spirit of laziness is trash.
(s) On competition. There is only one competition you need to get involved in—the struggle to be better today
than you were yesterday, and to be better still tomorrow. Avoid struggles against other people, especially if
it detracts you from your English studies. One final thing: do not get involved in struggles and competition
with your classmates, especially when you are all about to graduate and are furiously looking for jobs. The
price you will pay and the loss of “social capital” you will suffer will far, far outweigh anything you might
have won from your first job!
(t) On betrayal. There is only one betrayal you need to be afraid of or ashamed of—the betrayal of your
dreams and plans to master the English language by…yourself. As for other people, you can help protect
yourself by cultivating friends in different circles who do not know each other. Finally, accept the fact that
low-grade betrayal is always going on in most work offices or teachers’ common rooms. Don’t let this
distract you from learning English; avoid “political” entanglement!
(u) Individual initiative is pushed down. If you work in a place where thinking for oneself is discouraged, what
should you do? If you are not willing to confront the system or to change jobs, you can hold your tongue at
work and express your individual character and creativity when you are at home. Perhaps you can express
yourself inside the school’s standards using the “freedom within limits” approach. Whichever way you
choose, use it as a means to achieve your end—the ongoing pursuit of the mastery of English.
(v) The problem of envious opposition from others. There will always be people who look down on others
who adopt or study foreign things—or a foreign language. Yes, in the catalog they go for “colleague”; as
cynics and critics, gossipers, flatterers, false, sly, back-stabbers, and two-faced are called all by the name of
“adversary”. Perhaps the best thing is to strictly practice your English within the requirements and projects
laid down by your boss. Save your real creativity for the time you study at home! Such people will
always be there to test you and trouble you. Bypass them.
(w) Conclusion. In summary, there will always be other people to make trouble for you as you go forward in
your English studies. Some can help you directly, some can be “worked with” to derive you some form of
benefit, and others should be avoided. As for you, go forward.
From yourself.
(a) No dream. First: Consider again that proverb: “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” What does it
mean…and for you, personally? What does “perish” mean? (Perhaps it has a symbolic, and not a literal
meaning.) If you have a dream, can you express, define, and timetable it on paper? (As teachers like to
say, can you “operationalize” it?) If you have a dream but cannot put it into words, how will you do so?
If you say you have no dream, what is it that is driving you now? If you have no dream, where will you go?
If you had a dream, what happened? It really does help if you have a dream, to attract you out of apathy or
darkness, to inspire you on in work and in leisure, and to goad you through laziness and depression.
Second: leave your home, your work-site, your friends and go into the desert, the hills—at least, somewhere
quiet. Turn off your cell phone! Try to think where it is you want to be, what it is you want to be doing,
and note your thoughts on paper. For me, some very important factors are “lifestyle” and “location”; that is,
“How shall I live?” and “Where shall I live?” Most people have their own criterion, as I have mine. Let
your heart speak out to you. Record what you hear or feel; you can analyze it later. Third: if you do not
like this way, then you can follow your own way. Anyway, find out what is driving you.
(b) Confusion over goals. Have you written down your goals? Are they consistent with each other, or are
they divided? Do you understand what underlying motivations exist in you, driving your goals? Is English
something you really find interesting (the end), or is it just a stepping-stone to something else (the means)?
Are you goals clearly and sequentially laid out in a “First-Then-Next-After that-Finally” order? Are they
(reasonably) attainable? Can you endure/afford them? Do you really want them, or are you being
“driven”? Just asking….
(c) Unsure where to begin. If your dream, goals, plan, timetable have been written down, and they are all
reasonably realistic, then put it into practice, step by step, bit by bit, according to the resources and available
time that your situation in life has given you. Perhaps you will feel less harried and more relaxed, and you
will enjoy the journey more if you refuse to allow circumstance, demands and others to direct you. Instead,
you call the shots; you decide what you will do and when you will do it.
(d) No feedback from colleagues. If you are not getting feedback from them, don’t be surprised. Many times
they represent the forces of apathy, inertia, competition, opposition. So, don’t look for feedback from them.
Go outside. Remember (again)—those people who help you or direct you should not know each other, or
even know about each other. Why? If something ever goes wrong, you don’t want your entire support
network “compromised” in a day. Who you go to depends on you, but if possible, isolate such people from
your “circle” of colleagues—and maybe even your “circle” of classmates.
(e) No one cares. Expect this. Unfortunately, it is part of life. Do not wait for some “fairy godmother”
figure to come down and help you. Instead, try and help someone yourself. I believe there is a “fuzzy”
connection between helping others, and being helped oneself. Certainly, do not go about looking for “care”
from your workmates!
(f) Worries about your reputation. If you worry about this, you will be paralyzed by fear or pride. Remember,
this is one of the tools or weapons that the “greater society” uses to control and homogenize its individual
members. There are two ways to deal with this problem: you choose. Either you declare war on public
opinion and do everything you please; expect conflict, and be strong and valiant when the “turkeys” come
out looking for you. Or, you go underground and act in secret; expect a lonely and dark journey, and design
a system that cannot be penetrated from within or without.
(g) Worries about income, rent, food. Plainly, this is a concern for all of us. We have to bring in the bread.
Try to economize wherever possible—both in terms of money and time. Avoid debt, as well as an overly
high standard of living; this will help you to allocate more of your resources to your real
objectives—learning English on the go, on your own, where there is no foreign helper. It is all a matter of
priorities.
(h) Fatigue. Don’t kill yourself trying to do “too much”—just do “much”. Manage your time and your sleep
in a way that maximizes your productivity and protects your mental peace of mind. In short, be hard
working and diligent, but not crazy and suicidal in your efforts. The aim is to succeed, not die. Cut out
those unnecessary activities, so you can have more time to sleep, or more time to do your work. Consider
using “ten-minute cat-naps” as a strategic tool…to maximize your performance over those long hours of
study. Do the same with snacks/water and exercise, if your body requires it.
(i) Despair. This will come into your life. (As with everything written in this book, these ideas are only the
tip of the iceberg—you can delete or add to them from your own experience.) First: take a nap, or go to bed
early that day. “When in doubt, get horizontal.” If possible, step back from the problem, let the dust settle
down, and try to analyze your way out of the problem. Give your despair a face, a name, a shape, a
source—a connection with something concrete and visible—and then, start chipping away once more. You
now have something real and visible to confront openly, to work around, or even to run away from. Do not
fear the word “coward”—you are merely regrouping, so as to kill the problem the next day. Don’t let time
and deadlines, tasks and obligations drive you frantic or make you despairing! Remember: You manage
time, not the other way around. If you don’t finish it today, do so tomorrow. If you fail the exam this year,
pass it next year. Sometimes despair comes because you allow your plans and your timetable to escape out of
(j)
(k)
(l)
(m)
(n)
(o)
your control, like a bird escaping out of your hands. Second: If your despair comes as a result of a “crisis of
motivation”, stop, rest, then lay everything “on the table”; have a long and honest time of self-examination
(not “self-criticism”!), and make adjustments. Third: If someone has hurt, let down or betrayed you, let go,
rest, heal, regroup, and go on, if possible. It is because of times and people like this that you isolate your
friends and sources from each other—so the damage is localized. In summary, once you have calmed down,
try to manage the forces of despair, and then kill them. .
No plan. Once again: “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” Conceive and write plans for everything you
do—each day, month, year, minor or major project, and book. Time-link your plans, so you can know what
time span you should complete them within. Make sure your objectives can be measured in terms of
behavior and are not some abstract concept that cannot be measured or counted. (For example, do not say,
“To understand [the old English epic poem] Beowulf”. Rather, say, “To recount the main idea and plot of
Beowulf at the 80% accuracy level.”) Thus, you can measure the results of what you set out to do. Use a
planning system that works and is effective for you; only ensure that the results of your objectives are
measurable (i.e., they can be counted or quantified). Finally, having a plan will help you to sort out and
throw away those things that are really a waste of time. It is amazing how much rubbish tries to masquerade
as something useful!
No interest in English outside of your job. If this describes you, then there are some very significant
implications for you. Do you wish to develop your English or just keep your job? Do you wish to develop
your English or just find a better paying job? Do you wish to develop your English or just –(you fill in the
blank, here)? All this is O.K.; just make sure you have a clear set of goals and well-written plans. Then you
can navigate successfully.
Remain in your job because there is nowhere else to go. You can look at this in at least two ways. First, there
is nowhere else to go (you are trapped). Second, you can leave and go somewhere else (you are free). If
you believe the first, do what you must to preserve your job, and vigorously guard your free time when you
come home each evening. Unplug your telephone, eat your dinner quickly, and jump into your English books!
Lead two lives, and enjoy them both. If you believe the second, then step out! Assume the risks, endure
suffering, and collect glory. Whether you step away from your former job for an uncertain adventure
overseas or in Shanghai, or whether you take a poorly paid job teaching English to little children in the
hill-country of Guangxi or the salt-pans of Qinghai, the way you have chosen is glorious, because you are
following your own heart. If this (or something else) is what you want to be, then be! If this is where you
want to go, then go! If this is what you want to do, then do! Just remember this: do these things after
graduation, and before you marry and the first baby arrives (i.e., between age 21 and 27). There may never
be another time of freedom and opportunity as this!!! In summary, for both cases, do not think in terms of
“nowhere else to go”. There is everywhere to go.
Lose interest in English. Want something else? If it is possible, then change. Why be miserable?
Unhappiness also has a powerful negative effect on “second language competence” (i.e., your English). Just
be careful; don’t fall through the cracks into poverty.
Why bother? No motivation. In this case, go and talk with a close friend: you need help. Your first job is
to protect your job and stabilize it. Then consider English; put it in its right perspective. This crisis will not
be solved in an afternoon. This is when you look for “social capital” from your friends, and get help.
On burnout. If you have burnout, then get onto the Internet and search for articles on “burnout”. Educate
yourself, and take the necessary steps. If you catch burnout early, then it is easier to deal with. Left too late,
it is much harder to “cure”. How much and how well you bring creative change into your life plays an
important role in how you overcome burnout.
“Other things coming in.’
a) On turning “other things coming in” into assets. Normally, “other things coming in” are not helpful to your
struggle to master English—they distract you from this end. However, they have two advantages: they are a
sign or symptom of the opposition against you, and once you have “turned” them, they provide a ready-made
structure or framework for you to continue your search for better English. So, don’t resist them or be
infiltrated and weakened by them: “turn” them to your own agenda.
b) Load of work. Try to get various work assignments from your boss that require the use of English; use these
jobs to develop certain English skills. There is sometimes some flexibility allowed in the execution of these
work assignments, and you can exploit this “flexibility window” in a subtle manner so as to make this
assignment into something useful to your own study agenda. There is usually some language skill or cognitive
skill you can thus develop. In terms of “social capital”, it will make you more pleasing to your boss (a minor
reason to do all this). In terms of teaching curriculum, you can infuse your own goals and study plans into
what you are teaching—in this way, both you and your students become learners. After all, what you teach in
your school textbooks must be supplemented with something else—and this is where you can infuse what is
interesting to you. A word of caution: be subtle about this! You are infiltrating their system so as to harness it
to your study ends (and, of course, the good of the students); you are not advertising your system! To do so is
folly. So, with everything you do on the job, discern how you can make it useful to you, and how you can
enjoy it. A job enjoyed is much easier.
c) Commuting to and from work. Commuting is a curse in any society, since it robs you of time and energy.
Some people spend up to four hours a day commuting! What can you do? Wear common (sports) shoes in the
bus, and change into your pretty shoes when you reach the office. Bring a tape player or radio, with
headphones, so you can study listening exercises while standing in the bus. Bring a book which is easily put
down and taken up—it is suitable for the “stop-start-change” nature of commuting. Have “free talk” on your
cell phone with someone (using the special earplug/microphone attachment). Send English text-messages to
another fellow commuter. Memorize what you see on your commute, so that you have something about which
to write in your composition that evening, or during your lunch break. Do not have lunch break in the office
canteen every noon—go out to the park with a packed lunch and your favorite English book. After school,
don’t rush home for dinner on the bus like everyone else; eat early and quietly in a small restaurant near your
work place, read a book for a while, then return home on a later bus which is less crowded. Of course, study
more English on the bus. Live in your work-unit’s dormitory a few nights each week, and use the time you
would otherwise commute to and from work for more studying. Cover the outer cover of your books with
newspaper, so that most people do not know you are reading something in English, and disturb you. Put your
cell phone into “power off” mode whenever possible. There are many other ways you can make the most of
your commuting time, so try to use them all!
d) Your school is remote from centers of culture. If you live far from Beijing or Shanghai, you have a
challenge—but not an impossible one. First, get a good short-wave radio. Buy a hundred meters of thin,
insulated copper wire, and run it between two trees, along the side of your building, or back and forth between
the drying frames of your balcony, where you hang your wet clothes to dry out. Wrap one end of this wire
around the tip of your radio antenna (with some of the plastic insulation removed). Now, you can receive
radio signals better. Another idea: listen to CCTV 3 and CCTV 9 for culture and English programs. Or,
subscribe to English newspapers such as China Daily or 21ST Century, if they can be sent to you. Or, you can
make an agreement with some friend in Beijing. They keep their old copies of whatever English-language
newspapers they read (the above, as well as Beijing Today or Beijing Weekend, and others); once or twice a
year they can send all of them to you by unregistered parcel post. Even in the salt-pans of Qinghai you can
read something different and interesting on a regular basis! When you have finished the pile, your friend in
Beijing will have sent you another parcel. As for you, send your parcel (the old one) to another friend who
lives in an even more remote part of Qinghai (or wherever). That way, the blessing is shared with others. You
can also use certain articles as teaching materials for some of your classes. The same method applies with
books, too. Or, you can follow cultural developments over the Internet, which obviously has advantages in
terms of volume of materials available. However, it is also pleasant to actually hold a piece of paper in your
hands. Or, you can set up a tape recorder to do “direct-wire” recording off the radio, so you can enjoy your
culture again and again. Forget video cameras and VCD players—just go “audio”. It is simpler, cheaper, and
makes the “pursuit of culture” more creative and exciting. In conclusion, with some planning, your school
will no longer be “remote” from centers of culture; today’s “wired society” has turned the entire country into
one village.
e) Only doing your “same old lesson plans”. Yes, it is true that doing “business as usual” will make life easier,
yet after a while your students may become bored, as you are now much more predictable. However, consider
this: if you force yourself to write new and different, creative and varied lesson plans (in English, of course),
your own language abilities will get better. You can consider this never-ending obligation for all teachers as a
never-ending opportunity for you, the lifelong learner of English. This is another way you can combine work
with learning. If you find it more interesting, perhaps you will have more motivation to struggle against
laziness.
f) Getting married. It all depends how radical you want to be. Will your partner allow English into your shared
life together in every aspect, such that you have an active bilingual marriage; or, will your partner allow you
some “space to do your thing” (as a more peripheral appendage to another, central reality); or, will your
partner be indifferent, or even hostile to your desire to study English all your life? This is very, very important.
That is why such painful concepts like “tong chuang yi meng”, or “unequally matched”, or “unequally yoked”
are the banes of any relationship. We will look at each type of relationship in turn. First: the active, bilingual
marriage. I knew a couple in the south of China. He was an engineer, she a teacher of English (they are
Chinese). He had contact with foreign engineers and read professional journal articles in English; she
cooperated with the foreign teachers in her school, attended night classes, and of course taught English herself.
They were always listening to the latest CD’s of western music (how they were “ahead” of most college
students, I do not know). Even though their English was not fluent, it was very, very workable, and fully
understandable. In short, English was a daily-used, fully functional, natural, and frequent part of their life. It
was not an “air”, or something artificial. Only hard work, good use of language opportunities, and an
intentional decision between husband and wife to make English a shared value and common venture in their
married life made their quest for English successful. They are truly “model” English learners. Oh, by the way,
they had a fully Chinese life—they were Chinese to the core. Second: the marriage where you have “space to
do your thing”. In this relationship, there is a part of your life that your non-English speaking spouse does not
enter into; however, he or she is fully supportive and gives you the space, the time, the resources and the
people you need. Think of these things. You have space: your own English bookshelf, a desk for English-only
correspondence and lesson plans (nothing else!), a comfortable place for your radio, magazines piled high in
one corner of the room (and a few more to read when you are on the toilet), the ceiling of your clothes-drying
balcony crisscrossed with antenna wire for your radio, extra stools for your students when they come on
Wednesday evenings for “free talk” or make-up lessons, and an extra slipper-rack for all your house guests
when they come. You have time: some evenings each week are reserved for you and your English-related
things, and your spouse goes into another room to read, or goes out for a walk. You can go out on some
weekends to attend conferences or lectures; or, you go out for dinner with your fellow workmates. You have
the resources: the family budget is tailored to your job (which is not very well-paying, anyhow); household
expenses are cut back so that you need not work a second job; instead, you can use your evening energy to
study on your terms. You have the people: your students, your colleagues, and above all, your spouse, who
lets it all happen, even if he or she cannot understand a word (but you are truly understood). Third: the
marriage in which your spouse is indifferent or even hostile to your desire to study English. Well, what should
you do—stand your ground, make your ground, or go underground? Or, move to new ground? Obviously, the
stability and safety of your marriage are involved here. Let us consider each. You stand your ground: if you
really believe in what you are doing or want to do, you defend it. It is, after all, an important part of who you
are. This way may give you victory, or quarrels. You make your ground: rather than make your life revolve
around someone else’s whims and wishes, you go ahead and set up your own English-learning life,
infrastructure, and plans. This way will probably cause arguments. You go underground: this means you put
and keep a significant portion of your life, identity and personality into hiding. If you are unsuccessful in this
venture, your spouse (and your fear) will smother your English dream and likely kill it; if you are in this plan
successful, you will in effect have created an extra-marital form of relationship. This way could well strain
your marriage to the point of no return. However, it may work: many people have successfully kept secret
extra bank accounts. Then, there is the last option, in which you move to new ground: you leave your
boy/girl-friend and find someone else, someone who is your active English partner, or who supports you in
your venture. Now here, I am only referring to dating couples—not married people! If you intend to make
English learning a real and vital part of your life, and your “partner” is against it, or even indifferent to it, why
are you two together? For me, shared “lifestyle” and a common “location” are (almost) everything. Just how
much are you willing to give up for “the greater good”? Remember, the English learning we are talking about
here is an end, a way of life—yes, a lifestyle, a daily pleasure, and a vocation. We are not talking about
hacking your way through the jungle of English just to pass some exam—which is merely a means to some
other end. If it were, then this discussion would be meaningless. No, we are talking about a way of life, and
someone who does not or will not share your way of life should not be your partner!
g) Having children. This topic is way too big to cover here, as are most of the others, but a few things might be
said here. Do your research; there are plenty of readable books out in the bookstores and libraries to get. If
you and your spouse agree on the role of English in the life and upbringing of your children, you can engage
in potentially creative forms of education. You can have a bilingual household. In addition to the usual
features –English books, music, films, language games, you can hire an English-speaking babysitter. Now,
you may ask, “Where will I ever find a foreign babysitter here in this city?” Have you considered finding a
college student to live in with you as a part-time babysitter? Think about it for a moment. You have almost
zero chance of getting a foreign person to be a babysitter for your child, your city has many college students
who are English majors, and in the early years of your child’s English development, the language used will be
well within the abilities of a good college-level English student. At this stage of the game, grammar,
conversation, and daily working English are what is important…not an “American accent”. Pursue substance,
not style; seek after workable knowledge, not prestige! It will also be cheaper. There are some ground-rules.
First: the “babysitter” must never speak Chinese to your child (except for obvious emergencies). From day
one, it is “English only”. In this way, the child will grow up hearing both English and Chinese. Children
growing up in bilingual settings pick up both languages readily. Your aim is to make learning English a way
of life, in which your child thinks and reasons in English, and develops a more solid foundation. English must
become a tool put to continuous, daily use –like a spoon or a comb—not a flashy ornament, such as a suit,
that is only worn to weddings. It must become your thinking, your tongue, and your literary and cognitive
existence—not a stranger to each. Perhaps this is why many people here never fully, never really master
English; for all the effort they lavish on it, they treat it like the stranger within their gates. Second: consider
avoiding many of those high-profile (and high-price) language school franchises that focus on what…?
“Preparing your child to successfully meet the challenges of today’s competitive society!” or, “To lay a
successful foundation for college entrance and overseas study!” At age five, no less…. These schools have a
purpose in life, but what parental motivations and fears are they catering to? You however are seeking to
establish, build, and prosper a way of life, where everyday, competent, synthetic working English is “the end,
the whole end, and nothing but the end” of your child’s linguistic existence. (Chinese, of course, is the other,
dominant half of the bilingual equation.) English is your child’s life—like oxygen—not a foreign toy or a
foreign visa. In your new world, foreigners can become a pleasant addition, an extra spice. They are not
essential, and you can live and thrive without them.
h) Competing projects. One of the hallmarks of most societies is the way they try to catch you and put you into
their “pigeonholes”. The same thing happens at all levels—right on down to work units and small groups. So,
where possible, severely restrict the claims of others to your time, resources, and energy. As for your own
projects, you must decide what it is you want, and what is most important to you—and eliminate the losers. In
any revolution, there can be only one leader—not a bed full of them—and that leader must be your resolve to
put your self-study of English first. If your projects have some clear connection with English, then there is a
good chance they will survive.
i) Becoming a leader or an administrator. Hopefully, this will not happen to you. In terms of studying English as
a way of life, perhaps you are better off outside of the leadership network, not enmeshed in it. However, if
you move into such a position, here are some things you might do. Delegate authority, so others can help you
out, allowing you to return home each evening with some energy still in you (to use to study English). Make
sure that China Daily, 21st Century, and other suitable English-language papers printed in China are available
through subscription to anyone who wants it in your school. Also, make sure that one copy of each
publication is posted within the “public newspaper reading cabinet” for all students to read, and that they are
changed daily or weekly. Do not allow subscriptions to lapse! Increase the budget for reading materials and
teaching materials, especially books. Streamline book/textbook procurement procedures, making them faster,
easier, and if possible, cheaper. Appoint a teacher as “curriculum librarian”, who is separate from the “book
librarian”. Negotiate with the city or provincial police for the right to hire one or two foreign teachers. If you
live in a “needy”/poor/remote area, try to negotiate with various provincial leaders, as well as the leaders of
your province’s teacher training university for the following program: Volunteers from the top 20% of each
year’s graduation class (from the teacher training university) shall have the right to come to a “needy” area
school for two years; after those two years, they will leave and begin work at the school of their choice, which
has been guaranteed to them. Arrange for (Chinese) guest speakers to visit your school. If you live near a
university with English-language students, facilitate an “after hours” program, in which the college students
come to your school to give your students tutorial help in English (i.e., review/remedial/gifted-and
talented/exam preparation/free talks). Make certain any participating college students are rewarded in terms of
a “recommendation certificate” (for their future job-hunting), possible job interviews, and the like. If the
college students wish to further pursue a (paid) tutorial relationship with your students and their parents, make
sure the “match-making” information is readily available. Hire a well-qualified “website designer” to write a
promotional package about your school—in Chinese and English—so as to make it easier for independent
job-seekers (Chinese and foreign) to know about your school and make job applications. (Allow a foreign
teacher to make sure the English translation of your website is up to foreign standards. Substandard
grammar here is very bad P.R.) Allow your staff to attend classes at suitable universities for “professional
development”—subsidized for study in China, not subsidized for study overseas. Try to negotiate with certain
libraries for book donations. Develop a “talent search” system to connect your best (but poor) students with
your province’s college scholarship program (to help poor students to go to college). Finally, slash your
school’s entertainment budget ruthlessly, and re-direct it towards these programs. There is much more you can
do, but this is a start. One more thing! Hire a kind, efficient and competent secretary—it works!
j) It is no longer necessary to survive the vigorous, challenging demands of college. O.K.—back to the
trenches…or, maybe the trenches have become hammocks and sofas. You can choose to upgrade your work,
your lesson plans, your time with your students, or you can take on some new challenges—you can involve
yourself in English to an even deeper level. It may be necessary to give yourself more work and new
challenges to keep you more productive. Lack of challenge is an opportunity for you to upgrade your life on
your terms (not someone else’s); if you don’t, you may stagnate.
k) Failure. As long as it isn’t your job, you can choose what to do about failure—try something new, or step back
to rest, then try again. Don’t try to do too much or to be unrealistic. You shouldn’t try to deconstruct
Shakespeare when you can only just appreciate Hemingway. When you study English this way, you set your
goals, and you set the pace: now, do it.
l) Success. If you write plans with behaviorally measurable results, you will know what you have and have not
achieved. No plans, no measurements—only uneasy and uncertain feelings. If you are successful, then note
down what you did well, so you can tell others. As for tomorrow, choose another English “target” and conquer
it too. Learning English is a lifetime venture, so there is no time for complacency.
m) Ambition. Ambition is raw force, naked energy, pure motivation. It is what drives us onward and upward.
Therefore, as a thing in itself, it is a good thing, because, it helps us to get things done. The problems it causes
lie in where it takes us – at worst, harmful or illegal practices, and at best, distractions pulling us away from
our true calling. So, if you have ambitions, channel or direct the energy they generate to your purposes—the
lifelong pursuit of learning English on the go, on your own, without a foreign friend. They will give you a
rush of power you would not imagine possible.
n) Objective—to become “fruitful”. All of the subtopics listed in this section have the potential to knock you off
course, to frustrate you, to render you fruitless. However, when dealt with correctly, they can be turned to
your advantage; they carry the seeds of powerful success in them. Part of our purpose on this earth—this
planet we live on—is to take what we have, use it, increase it, and in so doing be a blessing to others … and
not mere petty tyrants spoiling the good things around us. In this context, being “fruitful” applies to our
learning the English language (as a pleasant, lifelong end in itself), and using it to help, to encourage, and to
bless others. Perhaps using something, to make more, so as to bless others is part of the “meaning of
life”—and perhaps we too will be blessed. So, in all the “other things coming in” you experience in your life,
you have in them the seeds of fruitfulness. However, be careful! Chosen and responded to incorrectly, they are
the seeds of paralysis, unfruitfulness, and the collapse and ruin of your dreams.
Materials / Resources.
a) Local bookstore has nothing. All right. So you are teaching “out there”, somewhere in the hill-country of
Sichuan, and your local bookstore has more office staff than new books. What do you do? First: develop some
rapport with the bookselling staff there. Buy their products—books, magazines, stationary goods—as much as
you can. If you are a frequent customer, they will come to know you better. Second: use this store to order and
procure certain items several months in advance. Even if their service is slow, if you plan your needs in
advance carefully, you will get what you want, when you want. Just don’t expect “the world,
tomorrow”—plan for it a few months later, that’s all. Third: write down the order numbers/ISBN numbers of
the books you most like to order, so you can give them to the office staff, who will in turn order them from the
head bookstore in the provincial capital. Fourth: you can set up your own, informal “underground” system of
delivery. When you are in the provincial capital, go and visit your favorite bookstore. Buy the books you want
in bulk, or show a friend or classmate who lives nearby how to buy the books you need. These books can be
thrown onto some bus or public minivan traveling to your village’s small bus station. (I have seen everything,
from cages of chickens, to small generators, to heavy truck axles, engine blocks and other lumps of machinery
travel out to the remote countryside like this.) The office clerk in your local bus station can call you when
some package comes in. Don’t forget to set up an easy credit or money-line with your friend who is buying
for you. Guard and maintain this network carefully. Fifth: if you have a friend or classmate in Beijing or
Shanghai who is willing to buy books for you and send them to you by parcel post, then you are very lucky.
This way, you can get most of what you want. Sixth: if your friend has a cell phone, you can tell them what to
get as they are walking up and down the bookshelves.
b) Bookstore is too far away. Maybe your school is five or ten miles away from the bookstore. You can develop a
system whereby you call in book requests to the clerk in the bookstore, your store account is billed, and the
parcel is sent to a place near your school by the local minibus. To do this, you need to develop a good network
with the bookstore clerk, the bus driver, and the owner of some small business near the bus route where your
parcel is dropped off.
c) Lack of materials. Maybe your school does not have much in the way of materials. Once every one or two
months, someone goes to the provincial capital. Give them a shopping list of books/materials to buy. Try to
keep such a list simple, so as not to drive the “shopper” crazy! Arrange a system with your work colleagues
that, when anyone goes out, they must tell the others. For students, they can use this system too for simple
things like books or textbooks. Someone is always going out!
d) Not enough money. Again, you must decide what is more important—standard of living, or standard of
English—and act accordingly. It is a matter of priorities. For a school, the students’ brains must come first. As
for you and your own books/materials needs, where there is less financial power, here are some suggestions.
First: agree with other, similar-minded people who are learning English to buy different books. When you
have finished reading the books you bought, you can swap them with someone else. Second: through the
Internet, you can arrange to have your school receive old or used books from the big cities. Perhaps you can
do the same for yourself. Third: if you are in Beijing or Shanghai, you can visit the used bookstores and buy a
whole bunch of books—hopefully at cheaper prices. Fourth: you can “cut” one dinner party from your social
activities budget each month, and spend the money on books. Fifth: it is hoped that some kind of “internet
clearing house” will be established, whereby book needs in the remote areas can be matched with supply from
the cities. Perhaps certain groups of city people (e.g., a college class, members of an apartment block) could
“adopt” a rural school or district, and send it books from time to time. However, a “self-motivated” model
might be better than a “charity” model.
e) Local materials are out of date. There are two ways to look at this. First: you can use what materials you have;
many grammar-learning exercises do not need modern, flashy materials to teach their relevant (grammar)
point. A case in point is some of the old Latin or French grammar books I used back in the 1970’s—their
content was (and is now more) quaint and old-fashioned. However, their effectiveness was total. So, do not
always look down on something because it is “old”—it can be adapted in many ways, according to your
creativity. Some ideas: oral reading, summary work/paraphrasing, “free talk” topics, grammar review, and
even pronunciation work! Remember, since your stated aim is “working English ability”, you are not
dependent on those new, flashy, “time-sensitive” materials, the way others are! They want to pass “the latest
TOEFL” or go to another country, but you can learn from any reasonable source. Second: If you really do
want or need more up-to-date materials, then you must get access to new books from the big cities. You know
the routes: order over the Internet, have a friend get books for you and mail them to you, or go out once a year
to the big city, and buy in force. If you and five others agree to pool your cash, choose a variety of topics you
all like, and agree to share and circulate what you have bought, you can greatly improve your savings and
your range of choice. Be creative! Third: with the inevitable proliferation of the internet in China, “public
domain” materials will become more common and available; you can use these, too. However, please, please,
please do not print out documents indiscriminately! It puts an unfair burden on the Chinese environment, and
creates (yet) another form of “white pollution” in the form of printouts. Be kind! (The computer revolution
was meant to make this world a better place, not a more polluted one, right?)
f) Local materials are too controlled by the librarian. Once again, you can’t blame the librarian; she must protect
what she has. Chances are, she is not at liberty to make any big changes in the system. So, what can you do?
First: help her to get more books! If you are a teacher, encourage your students to pick up any books they can
when they are traveling outside their neighborhood or school (good books, of course). They can give it to the
librarian to put into the library, or put into a “free, take it” pile. You can make it known to communities in
larger, “richer” areas that you would like their old books. You can ask the local government to set aside more
money for the town or school library. Second: help yourself! That is, use your own way to get the books you
need, without waiting for the librarian—or anybody else—to solve your problems for you. As one saying goes,
“If you want it done right, do it yourself.”
g) Materials passed to students “disappear”, or are hoarded, or are not circulated. This has been a problem for me
(and other teachers?) for a long time. If you give students books, they will hold onto them. On one occasion I
gave a class a variety of books and materials, hoping they would circulate these things, but they didn’t. So,
what should one do? If you like giving out materials (rather than lending), considering giving every student
the same book (or at least every dormitory room one book). You may think this a waste of resources, but
when it comes to “self-policing” the students are unwilling to confront each other, it seems. Obviously, such a
book must be educationally valuable, light, and cheap. Hemingway’s The Old Man And The Sea is a good
example of a book you can issue to all of your students or dormitory rooms, as it can be used in many
different contexts. What else can you do? With money from your school, you can flood your classroom with
cheap books, such as the “Shu Chong” (Book Worm) series. Who cares if they “disappear”? Next, arrange for
your school leaders to build one of those “public newspaper reading glass cabinets” which the Chinese use to
display Ren Min Ri Bao and other newspapers publicly on the streets；install one along the entire length of a
long corridor in your school. Take two copies of the book you want to display, cut it free from its bindings
with a razor blade, and post up the pages so everyone in the school can read it. This way, all the students can
read the book, and only two copies of the book are purchased. Afterwards, give one or two pages to each
student for grammar analysis, literary criticism, summarizing, paraphrasing, or some other exercise. They
might even do a rough “English to Chinese translation” of the whole book – one student, one page – and this
new, Chinese manuscript can be displayed in the same glass cabinet. Or, if the national or provincial
education authorities so choose, various books can be “assigned” to various schools, the translations collected,
and then each school’s “product” (i.e., one paper text; one computer disk) sent to a central library or internet
database: Of course, copyright issues need to be addressed and observed! So, in summary: students are
probably not able to self-circulate materials you give them, but their great energy and curiosity can be
harnessed in other ways.
Conclusion.
The text of Part III and Part IV followed the same format – that is, “from other people”, “from yourself”,
“other things coming in”, and “Materials Resources”. This was done intentionally. Although anyone who wants to
learn English can use this book, it is focused on those people who, upon graduating from college with an “English
major” degree, find themselves as English teachers in some forgotten primary/middle/high school, far from the
“nectar” of Beijing or Shanghai. (After all, it is you—some of whom I know personally—who will train up the
next generation of English students … on your own, on the go, without a foreign friend.)
Part of learning English is to use what you have available to you … whether you are in a provincial capital, or
in a small school in the salt-pans of Ge Er Mu in Qinghai, or on the edge of the world in Tacheng in Xin Jiang. No
matter whether you have a lot or a little, you can use what you have. The aim here is to exploit problems, not
people. If you exploit problems, perhaps you can make friends; if you exploit people, you will certainly lose them
forever!
There will always be problems in this world, in your life and in your job—so if you know how to turn them
into solutions, you can usually get solutions. In other words, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” You
need to learn how to synthesize problems into solutions (and not only rely on the person above you), just as you
need to synthesize your creative thoughts, in English, into useful, everyday speech and writing（and not only rely
on “memorized”, “Chinese thought-sourced” output—all drawn from society’s “unspoken, set-phrase book”）. Get
it?—Got it.—Good. Remember: “The outcome with the trouble’s in the method with the set-phrase, but the
struggle from the problem has the answer which is true.”
Of course, some problems cannot be solved-easily, or at all—so avoid or “manage” them creatively. Why
break yourself? Remember, the “turkeys” are out there waiting for you. Moreover, it must be said that these ideas
are not the heart of this book. They are merely a sort of prerequisite to it. Put another way, consider what has
been written as a sort of “training” for what is to follow. For now, it prepares you, and tests your resolve, for no
military campaign is won by “weekend warriors”. Later, you can get creative.
In the next sections, we will talk about how to really make a “slow-burning” revolution in learning English on
the go, on your own, without a foreign friend—first, the solutions available, then some ideas on how to make
those solutions happen, which is what you really want. Get ready.
V.
The Solutions Available.
This section represents a major change in the direction of this book. In Parts III and IV we discussed what life
offers you, and how you might respond to it. It is therefore a “reactive” approach to problem solving. This
section talks about learning English on your terms. This makes it a “pro-active” approach to problem solving.
Every effective classroom teacher knows about reactive and proactive classroom management. In the
reactive scheme of things, the teacher waits for some problem or naughty student to rise up, do something, and
cause trouble before taking action—usually a form of punishment. Perhaps, under these circumstances, it is the
classroom that is managing the teacher. In the proactive scheme of things, the teacher is always anticipating all
possible future problems, as well as taking note of the beginnings of any emerging problems, and dealing with
them. In a typical middle-school classroom, such actions might include seating a restless student in the front row
directly in front of you, seating a student with visual difficulties right in front of the blackboard, or separating two
students who habitually quarrel and fight from the moment they enter the classroom and sit down. Under these
circumstances, the effective teacher can (hopefully) manage the classroom.
Please remember: although this country is awash with “get-rich-quick”-like English materials, and millions
of people profess to want to learn English, the reality “in the trenches”, in the actual battlefield of learning English
is very different. In many, if not all parts of the country, there remains an inertia and a hostility towards taking
the authentic learning of English to its ultimate conclusion: English for English’s sake, English used in all aspects
of life, a bilingual mentality (theory and praxis) in all areas of life, English as a daily part of your life and not as a
stepping-stone to “the better life”, English as the room or world we live in and not a toy or tool for another better
room or better world—English (along with Chinese, of course) as the very bedrock, air and horizon of our
linguistic intercourse in the world we inhabit! (I am here referring to a bilingual state of affairs, but certainly not
anything “bicultural”!) In short, what I am suggesting here is a form of revolution, with regards to the current
motives and methods with which we study English.
Most revolutions are propagated through “cells” (xiao zu). Therefore, the model used in this book is an
adapted version of the “cells” which were used by the communists in China and in other places. I hope to
borrow some of the methodology, but not the content. (This is, after all, a book about how to “learn English on
the go, on your own, without a foreign helper”…not something else. It is therefore a form of quiet,
“slow-burning” revolution.)
This section will discuss the following topics: the inspiration for learning English from communist “cells”,
the organizational structure of the cell, the characteristics of the cell, the core values of the cell, the people who
are served, and helping yourself.
The Inspiration for learning English from communist “cells”.
a) Dictionary definition. In the dictionary, a “cell” is defined as follows: “Small group of people forming a
center of (especially revolutionary) political activity.” (Oxford Advanced Learner’s English-Chinese
Dictionary).
b) Purpose. Cells exist in order to train up new workers/revolutionaries, to expand the work in question.
They operate locally, and often under some form of duress.
c) 1920’s and 1930’s. From the history books and from CCTV-8 T.V. plays, we can learn something about
what the communists and their cells did in China; in spite of much opposition and great dangers, they were
successful. You what I mean, here.
d) Proven effectiveness. The cell system is still in use today. It can be studied in books, or if you know the
right people you can get the real thing—training in how to create, grow and propagate cells.
e) What does and does not work has been tried, and tested, and refined. Over the past one hundred years or so,
many people have put a lot of effort into constructing a system that can work under many different and
difficult conditions.
f) Cell literature. Likewise, there is a lot of related literature available for study (if you have access to the
libraries).
g) On revolution. This action means the overthrow of a previously existing system—here, (i) failed English
(by this I mean a system which you and others built up in college but which is now crumbling away), (ii)
flawed motives (chasing English for various reasons)—and replacing it with (iii) something new (that is,
learning English on the go, on your own, without a foreign helper).
Organizational structure of cell.
a) Self-contained. Cells are often self-contained; that is, everything they need to operate comes from within.
There is no contact with other cells. In a (linguistically) hostile world they either stand alone, or fall down
alone; one cell’s success or failure has no bearing on the cells around it. In the cell, the only associations
allowed are as follows: with one teacher (up); with one student (down); with a second student (down); and
with one equal (across). The four people you associate with do not inter-relate with each other.
b) Not open or public. Please! This is not some “secret society”! However, the cell you are starting up is
not open to all or exposed to the public eye. If that happened, then many people would come to your
doorstep to look for help or to obstruct you (as we read about in Section III). Remember, you are (trying to
be) a pioneer; however, you are surrounded by followers. The only way you can get things done well is to
be left alone and to operate on your own. The only way to act independently is to shut out the outsiders.
c) Independent in operation—no “infrastructure”. Many great and powerful countries, companies, groups,
religions and societies have some form of infrastructure, chain-of-command, “overseeing”, management, and
the like. Not so here. In real life, cells do this so as to survive against the police, should one of them be
“compromised” (i.e., betrayed). You do it so as to be independent in terms of your operation. Here, the
“enemy” is inertia, unwillingness to step out and take the necessary risks, waiting in dependence on some
outside helper (who doesn’t exist), and paralysis. If you do that, you will be “waiting for Godot”—and
waiting for ever. Perhaps the only common “point of reference” which all the “English pioneers” will have
is this book. You may “know of” a few other people, but there will be no contact.
d) Independent of others—help, money, support, materials. Plainly, this is related to the previous section.
You need to survive on your own: look after yourself, finance yourself, sustain yourself, as well as provide the
needed books, VCD’s and other materials yourself. Why so? First: if something goes wrong with another
group, do you want them to “pull you down” too? It is the “one-to-one” contact of teacher and student
which makes the cells effective and powerful; if you dilute/water down that bond through adding in other
people (who are in some form of trouble), then you weaken the cell and make it ineffective. If you have no
contact with other groups, then you need not trouble yourself with nightmares when they drown, for you
never heard them calling. Sometimes, “progress” and “relationship” cannot co-exist. These cells, like
certain single-cell bacteria, work best alone and without outside interaction. Second: working as a
determined “pioneer” in a hostile environment with nobody to help you or oversee you allows you to be
innovative, free to act alone, and perhaps happier. Third: being separated frees you from the curse of envy,
comparing yourself with other people or groups, and all those petty rivalries which show themselves inside
small groups. Hey, you have gone this far alone; now, be a pioneer and operate alone!
e) Isolate groups from each other. Not only must groups be independent of each other, they must have no
contact with each other. So, make sure your two “students” know this, and put it into practice.
Characteristics of cell.
a) Low profile. Do not advertise yourself! You know what will happen if you put a sign on your door which
says “English classes, every Tuesday night”. Use the same level of caution you would use, were you dating
somebody from your work-unit.
b) Secure—cannot be penetrated by turkeys. Here, you may think I am being really silly, but what if a turkey
really did “come out of the forest” and make trouble for you? Or worse still, one of your shy students?
Everyone is forever trying to stuff their noses into other people’s affairs. Most people who are shy, “so-so”
and not very active when under the public gaze, might become bolder, express their opinions more assertively
and work harder when learning English within the relative security of a cell. Tell me, when you were dating
someone in the early days of your courtship, how did you protect yourself from outsiders and critics? Now,
do likewise.
c) Motivated—to learn English (the end, not the means). Ask any good communists in a cell what they are
fighting for and they will give you a quick and firm answer. They are motivated; they know the end towards
which they strive; they know how to get there. A few will even know what comes next, and how to do it. They
do not have a divided mind. Therefore, you must “do” and “be” likewise. To review: you are learning English
as an end in itself, not as a means to an end. You wish to use it in all those domains of life that are of interest
or useful to you. (I am very aware that these two sentences are “paradoxical”, but it is my thinking.) You
must make a “mission statement” that is suitable for you. The “bottom line” is that you need to be very
motivated, and without a double mind.
d) Committed to excellence. In a cell, with only you and one other person, you (ideally) have all the troubles of
Section III removed from you. Now what? Give it your best! Both you and the other person you are working
with need to be deadly serious about learning English. There may never be as good an opportunity for
self-improvement as you have now. If you are not committed to excellence then you have not a cell, but a
social club.
e) Committed to talent (over “relationships” or self-interest). This is hard, but you must make it happen! Do not,
I repeat, do not help your workmate’s 11-year-old son to “study English”, just for the sake of “relationship”!
You are defeating a core concept of the cell. (Remember, you are running a revolution, not an after-school
donut shop.) Likewise, do not choose people from your cell so as to feed your own interest (i.e., tutoring your
boss’s son in hope of getting something in return). If the early communists had done that, there wouldn’t be a
“New China” today. Instead, strive to develop, foster, encourage and build a person’s talent in English. If
this person is the child of the man who sweeps your streets at three in the morning, then so be it: do it.
f) Committed to cell propagation. This is why you have two students; when all is said and done, you can
double yourself. Anyone who enters the cell must be willing to pay back the good they received by helping
others. If someone comes who is merely looking for a “free lunch”, then don’t choose that person.
Therefore, evaluate candidates not only on their desire to learn English, but also on their willingness to share
it.
g) Candidates are screened. In the communist revolution, prospective cell members were screened to make
sure they were not enemy spies. This is not your problem; however, you do not want to take on a
“dead-end” relationship. You are about to invest many, many hours with this person, and you do not want all
that work to have been in vain. You also must make this decision alone—there is no committee standing
behind you to tell you what to do.
h) Candidates are recruited. Yes, that’s right…“recruited”—just like spies, basketball stars, or beauty models.
You are your own cell’s “talent scout”. It is no longer society banging on your door asking you for English
favors. Rather, it is you, out there in society, looking, questing, fishing, sifting for someone who is suitable
for joining your English-learning cell. You are like a seagull or gannet flying low over the gray and rolling
waves of the mid-Atlantic, looking for fish. Somewhere out there in society, there is the person who you are
looking for. Remember these things: Life will bring them to you; as for you, sift, evaluate, select. You
act alone—this means you are not in competition with other people for a limited asset. You are looking for a
“fellow revolutionary” to work with. This is why “referrals” from other people, however well intentioned,
are not acceptable: how can you be sure the referral is “pure”, free from compromising complications? (On
more than one occasion, I have had an old student “use” me, because he or she wanted to “build relationship”
with someone else.) This tells me that the “pull” of relationship is sometimes stronger than the ties of
integrity. You cannot afford losing your cell and its effectiveness to this problem. Therefore, you must go
out into the cold, and recruit alone.
i) Candidates are trustworthy. This goes without saying. A person in your “English-learning” cell is like a
part of your body, and will most likely enter your home. They will certainly enter your life. Can they be
trusted? Now, in “modern” places like Shanghai, this may not be a problem, but in the more conservative
parts of the country, if you have a fallout with your cell partner and they tell others in your neighborhood
about it, the “turkeys” will come running—and quickly. You don’t want this to happen. Therefore, make
j)
k)
l)
m)
n)
o)
sure the person you recruit is trustworthy.
Candidates are tested. You know the trials and hardships you had to endure from the very moment you
began to study English, and what it has cost you. Now, ask yourself, how much has this candidate suffered?
Have they faced their own “Long March” and overcome, or are they just “wannabe’s” (want-to-be’s)? You
must be sure that the candidate has been tested, both in the “trial of hardship” as well as in the “trial of
motivation”, so that you can feel confident that they will sincerely and completely study English with you.
Consistent meeting times. You need to be intentional and consistent in your meetings. Ideally, a daily
routine of disciplined study would be best. After all, that is why the monks at Shaolin Temple are so good in
terms of the martial arts they do. Most people cannot follow such a schedule; however, whether you train
daily or weekly, be consistent.
Persistent effort—until success. Clarify your goals, make concrete plans, and execute them until they are
achieved. Some problems will require a lot of effort before they are broken. Some will break easily.
Others will not break; in these cases, perhaps it is best to isolate them and move on to other, easier challenges.
You push, until you get the result you want: it really helps if you are both motivated like this.
Complete effort—to the point of the student’s desired fluency. We all know the road to Yan’An was not
achieved because of “weekend walks”; on the contrary, it was very costly. Likewise, you need to put out
your entire effort on behalf of your two students, helping them on their way forward. Now, you may ask,
“What! Do I have to help them pass TOEFL and go to America to be a student?! That is impossible!”
This is not the goal: remember…English as an end, not as a means to an end. They have their own
responsibilities. At this point, a review of Churchill’s wartime speeches is most instructive: “What is our
aim? It is victory.” This “cell work” is not about relationships, it is all about results, conquest of inertia
and linguistic obstacles, and your student’s desired fluency. This is a commitment to the “slow-burning”
revolution, and such a revolution is only complete when you have replicated yourself in two other
people—who are each capable of replicating themselves into two other people. Thus one becomes two,
becomes four, becomes eight, becomes sixteen…and so on. Whether your two students are college students
or street sweepers, or hotel fu wu yuan makes no difference whatsoever. Just make sure they are suitable for
the long walk together. Finally, remember this: you have your own teacher, who is looking after you.
Long-term relationship—over a lifetime, or over a season. It is hoped that you will maintain contact with
your students for a long time after your “classroom” phase. This could be more study, consulting, or some
other creative option which you and your student could work out together (don’t look to me!). In my life
here as an English teacher, one of the greatest joys in an otherwise arid “landscape of the soul” is the contact I
have with my old students—the really old ones. This is where the “joy of the journey” is strong, and where
everything starts to come together. This is why it is so important to protect and preserve these students from
outside interference! Anyone who messes with your old student is very dangerous; they are the “mother of
all turkeys”. Finally, here are two points. First: it has been my experience that “old students” are like
stocks in an investment bank: some perform well, and others do not perform well; some show gratitude and
later indifference, and others show indifference and later gratitude. Over a period of time, they are often
changing in terms of their attitudes towards you. Do not worry about this form of “tolerable instability”—it
is a normal part of a teacher’s life. As long as it remains “cyclical”, don’t worry; if a longer-term trend
appears, then worry. You are, after all, running an English revolution cell, not a religious cult! As for me,
when one old student is being “difficult”, I go to another, and go on with the work of consulting—one way or
another, “one person or another”. In time, the difficult ones may come back. Second: I am a foreign
English teacher with many students, so to a certain extent I can “pick and choose”, or suffer the “ups and
downs” of the “market”, as it were. You, however, only have your two students, so your “tolerance for risk”
is much, much higher. Therefore, you need to choose, teach and nurture your two students carefully…very
carefully!
Low budget. There is no need to destroy yourself financially on behalf of your students. If you lavish lots
of money on your two students, they may become dependent on you—psychologically, emotionally,
motivationally, and so on. You do not want to foster “learned helplessness”! The purpose of this
revolution is to break such things—in the arena of “learning English, on the go, on your own, without a
foreign helper”. There is also another reason: if you build your students on the back of money-power, then a
subtle, insidious form of evolution will take place—your students will become elitist. That is, in an
environment of money, only people with money can and will take part. The less-rich people will be shut out,
for lack of resources or because they are too proud or embarrassed. This “English-in-a-cell” revolution is for
all people, not just those with the money! So, learn to be rich in creativity, give a little (in the form of
books), force a certain measure of self-reliance on the part of your student, and don’t be afraid to venture out
of your “comfort zone” and work with a promising and talented person—a worker, street-sweeper, or a child
from the “floating population”. The creative options are almost limitless.
p) No payback. Let’s get this straight: you are going to go out there, to find and nurture two students, who will
leave you; you may or may not be “recruited” yourself to be another person’s student (there are no
guarantees); you may not find and cultivate an “equal” relationship with someone else, and if you do, you do
not know how it will all work out. There is no payback! None. Period. Zero. Zippo. It is
organizationally impossible, and (I feel) morally unacceptable. So, why do it? Why bother? First:
consider the heroes of Yan’An. Most died in war or of old age by the mid-1950’s, but we all enjoy the fruits
of their giving. They asked for no payback. Lei Feng, Liu Hu Lan, and all the others were not fools, but
down-payments—which we are all now cashing in on. Second: when we operate in a “no payback”
environment, the horizon of options and opportunities does not shrink and constrain you; on the contrary, it
expands explosively—there are no limits. In this world, there is no unemployment, no “xia gang”, no
idleness. Third: you are freed from the curse of reciprocity, of “hu xiang bang zhu”; you can give your
students everything (as you see it and create it), and in turn they can give their students everything (as they
see it and create it)—and so on and on…. The final, total product will be complete dedication, complete
variety of cells, and complete distribution of “lifelong English” throughout every part of society, and all
regions of the country. Indeed, it “is in giving that we receive”. Let us do with these “English cells”, in
small measure, what those heroes before did with their lives, a far greater measure!
q) “On the go.” Hey! Here we are now, about three-quarters of the way through this book, and no one has
asked, “What does that phrase, ‘On the go.’ mean? Tell us!”. It is after all a part of the title. O.K., here it
is. First: we live in a very mobile society. Cell phones, the internet, the gradual erosion of “residence
controls”, and many other factors are all re-shaping this society. In time, many people will move from job to
job; we will, in a sense, all be a part of the “floating population”. Second: how do you care for your students
when they—or you—move to a new location? You cannot just “dump” them, and expect them to pick up the
pieces. Third: you must design your cell so that it is effective when you are static and in one place together
(the same town), or when you are static but they are moving around and you two are therefore separated (in
different parts of the country, or when you are both moving around—“on the go”. The cell must be
adaptable to effective use in a highly mobile society. We will talk more about how to implement this
concept later.
r) Fun and enjoyable. One final note: This is not meant to be sad and miserable, something won and achieved
“over your dead body”. Even though most revolutions are carried out because of “hatred of the enemy”, or
“sacrifice for the cause”, please enjoy yourself here! It makes life more bearable, it makes you into a better
teacher, and it makes an environment where the students learn more effectively.
Core values of cell.
Here is a brief summary of the core values of the cell:
a) Self-reliant (in terms of educational philosophy)—“In”. You run the cell yourself. You are accountable to
no educational “system” or infrastructure, but you draw from any sources you wish. You operate alone.
b) Multiplying—“Out”. Your aim is to reproduce yourself, by training up two students according to their
(reasonable) needs and interests.
c) “Teacher” and “apprentice” system. You are to train up two students, rather like an artisan would train up an
apprentice. This is a serious undertaking. It is to be hoped that someone will recruit you and be your
teacher, but this is not guaranteed.
d) Realistic goals. You have your own life, job, and family responsibilities; you cannot do or be everything.
Therefore, have two students, one teacher, and one “equal” language partner (2 “down”, 1 “up”, and 1
“across”). Don’t overdo it!
e) Learning—“Up” (1 person). If you are recruited by someone else, they need to be better than you in terms
of their English ability. You become their “English apprentice”. Tell them what your hopes are, but
remember this: their duty to you is to help you to become fully functional in common, everyday English, to
become bilingual in terms of your daily life. “Getting to America” is your problem, not theirs!
f) Teaching—“Down” (2 persons). When you are ready, find, recruit, and train up two students. They should
not know each other, or know about each other. In the process of helping these two people, it is hoped that
you will gain satisfaction, as well as benefit your own English. You will also be helping the cause of
“authentic English” in China by your actions. If you are already a teacher by profession, then this is a way
to further develop your skills, and to pass on the flame that was given to you many years earlier by someone
else.
g) Phases (stages).
The teaching operation of the cell can have the following phases:
screening—recruiting—instruction—practicum A — training to propagate— practicum B—consulting.
More on this later.
h) Using English equally—“Across” (1 person). We have, so far, not said very much about this person. You
choose this person like you choose your two students—very carefully. There is no need to hurry; let life’s
circumstances bring you together. If you are confident this is the person you wish to have as your “equal in
authentic English”, then proceed. You must screen them to see if they are suitable and trustworthy. Then,
you can recruit them. Then, work as a team. Make sure you both know what it is you want to do, and how
you will do it. At the very least, have a broad, general plan of action; ideally, you should plan out your
objectives carefully. Remember this: this relationship is all about the English-language revolution! If it
becomes a friendship, well and good, but dedication to the cause of learning, speaking, living and developing
“English as a way of life and as an end in itself” must, will, and should transcend social and personal
considerations. I hope that you and your language partner will learn a lot of English together. If it is a
friendship you are looking for, that’s understandable—but please look elsewhere. One final thing: do not
advertise for your language partner! If you do this, many good and bad, suitable and unsuitable people will
come to you, and you will be in trouble. You are, as it were, on the plains of Africa hunting for dinner—one
bullet, one shot, one target, one chance. Under these conditions, you must choose carefully, but you have the
luxury of choosing as and when you wish. So, be careful and enjoy what—or who—you get in this matter.
The people served.
a) Visionary. Once again, that saying: “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Even though you are
only one person, and your cell consists of only four other people (who never see each other, of hear of each
other), and the task before all of us is so big, it helps to close your eyes and imagine—to visualize—the final
result. This “slow-burning revolution” calls for the establishment of “English for English’s sake” across the
whole country—all over China. As the Chinese proverb goes: “Climb a high mountain; see a long way.”
(“zhan de gao; kan de yuan.”) That is very big. The good news is that you only need worry about your
own cell and its propagation; the rest, in part, is mathematics. Remember this too! This work is optional,
free, unforced! You are under no obligation at all to do it. I hope you will find it fun.
b) Radical outreach. It is my hope that you will use this English-language revolution for the good of others;
that is, you will propagate cells in needy areas, both near and far. What does this mean? First: If you
wanted, you could teach your friends, or people who have power, “relationships” and money. Indeed, there
would be a payback; something would come back to you. Congratulations! You have shouted and created
an echo; this will in time fade away and be lost and forgotten. Second: If you desired, you could visit the
factory workers’ children, or “comrades” who are clever but sit at a reception desk in a hotel or at a vendor’s
stall in your neighborhood—those with limited prospects, few close connections, and struggling to get by.
Surely, you would see a reward; your students’ progress would gratify you. Awesome! You have sowed
grass and clover seeds and now a beautiful field of green dances before you; the two lives you developed will
over their lifetimes expand and prosper, to be cherished and remembered by those around them in their local
neighborhood. Third: If you cherished a dream, a dream so shocking you would be shy to tell your friends
and your classmates about it, you could find a talented person who lives in a shanty near the railway tracks,
and whose parents are “floating workers” who salvage plastic and cardboard out of trash heaps, or you could
go to the hill country of Guangxi or the salt-pans of Qinghai to teach the children of truck-drivers (or even the
truck-drivers themselves), or help the primary school teacher from Chengdu who is teaching plateau-children
in Rou Er Gai in Sichuan because her heart is good, her college grades were bad, and was therefore posted to
a “difficult area”—those at the end of the road and the beginnings of mountain paths in a land of ravens and
semi-desolation, absolutely no chance of even getting into an adult vocational school (even though they are
clever—everyone around them knows that), and barely able to support themselves, let alone rise up in the
world. Of a truth, what was put in would come back (to you in satisfaction, but to them in vindication and
joy); every effort rewarded, every word of skepticism by doubters answered, every sneer of turkeys, petty
nobodies and cynics silenced, and every cry of many unfulfilled longings heard, answered, and perhaps
satisfied. Well done; you are a true revolutionary! You have thrown a small match into a huge hay barn
and the light from the flames can be seen, and its heat felt, all the way across the country in Shanghai; if you
choose well, the people you teach English to will teach others in their area—people they know and you could
never know—and thus transform an entire area, with very large and far-reaching results. All that, because
you went, to teach two other people to use, live and enjoy the English language. Fourth: these three
examples are just that—examples. There are many options to look at. All I want you to think of is this:
when you go out looking for two people to teach English to, consider looking for people who are talented and
dedicated, but who have fewer opportunities for realizing their dreams because of their life situation. Fifth:
the more you leave behind your zone of inertia, the turkeys, your fears, and enter into the zone of service, the
area of needs, the place of giving, you will find a great increase in the opportunities available to you. Go try.
Helping yourself.
By now, many of you readers are probably saying, “Hey! It’s all very well and good to talk about “cells”, and
“helping others”, and “peace, love and brotherhood”—but what about me?” Well, there is a place for you, too.
Read on, and help yourself.
a) Use your own system of learning English. This can involve making your own system, or following or
adapting someone else’s system. No matter which way you go, make it your own, suitable to your personal
tastes and preferences. If you go into the bookstore, you will see many, many systems of learning to study
English. Look carefully, take what works best for you, and adapt it as you see fit. Don’t let yourself be
overwhelmed by all the choices in the bookstore: take your time.
b) Build your system around the four language arts skills – that is, around reading, writing, listening, speaking.
You will be better in one area than another, perhaps. (For example, my spoken Chinese is fair, but my
listening comprehension is terrible). Although some educators like to put all four areas together and teach
them as a whole (i.e., “Integrated English”), you will find the overall task of learning English less daunting if
you break up your objectives into as many smaller, composite parts as possible – especially reading, writing,
listening, speaking (and maybe “translation” as the 5th part).
c) Make your “theoretical plan” and your “action plan”, and follow it. First: you need to write down, in some
detail, what it is you want to do from a theoretical point of view. It might look something like this:
Reading--To understand 80% of the material from the “Shu Chong” (Bookworm) books. To understand 50%
of the material from a typical China Daily newspaper article. Writing--To write grammatically accurate,
clearly phrased letters to my friend in (some city). To write a two-paragraph journal entry, once every week.
Listening—To understand the main idea and one important detail of any given CCTV-9 “World-Wide Watch”
news article. To understand the plot and sequence of events of some film I watch on VCD. Speaking—To
call up an old classmate and express the main idea and important details of what I have been doing this past
month. To share an opinion on some social issues with a stranger at each of the “English corners” I go to
every month. Note: these are only examples! (They are also not lesson plans.) You need to know,
roughly, what it is you want to be doing, and where you will be going. My own, Chinese-language
“theoretical plan” was very simple…raw survival. Reading—Restaurant menus, shop signs, road signs,
ticket/timetable information. Writing—Very little! (My students write for me). Listening—Common,
travel-related dialogs, answers to people’s questions of me. The main idea of CCTV-1 news articles.
Speaking—Simple requests, mostly related to travel during my holidays (hotels, tickets, restaurants), or
survival during the school semester (local restaurants, buying books somewhere in Xi Dan or Wang Fu Jing).
As you can see, my goals are very simple, and rather low—but then, this was all I wanted out of life. You
are unique and different, so make what is best for you! Second: you also need to write down, again in some
detail, what it is you want to do in terms of a daily, “action plan”. It might look something like this, in terms
of “monthly”, “weekly”, and “daily”. MONTHLY: (May, 2003): Reading—“Shu Chong” book on
Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens, the whole book (or, 30 pages/day). Writing—4 letters out to my friend (or,
1 letter/week). Listening—BBC News daily. Listen To This, Book One, page 1-100, (or, 3 pages/day).
Speaking—Telephone old classmate in Tacheng in Xin Jiang, discuss our current jobs (2 times/week).
WEEKLY: (May 19th to 25th, 2003): Reading—Oliver Twist, page 10-27. Writing—Letter to Zhang Hong
Mei on my school work. Listening—Listen To This, page 1-21. Speaking—Call Li Wen Ge on Monday
and Zhang Hong Mei on Thursday—free talk! DAILY: (May 19th, 2003): Reading—Oliver Twist, page
10-14. Writing—Plan, and 1st draft of letter to Zhang Hong Mei. Listening—7:00a.m.—VOA. Listen To
This, page 1-4. 1:00p.m.—BBC. 9:00p.m.—CCTV-9 “World Wide Watch”. Speaking—7:00p.m.—call
Li Wen Ge. Third: Perhaps all this planning is too much for you, but it will help you to better organize your
thoughts, execute your plans, and evaluate your progress. Remember, many of you (or, all of you?) are “on
your own”, and you must be student, teacher and examiner all at once. A well thought-out “theoretical plan”
helps to clarify what it is you want, and a consistently-executed “action plan” at monthly/weekly/daily levels
will help you to put your dreams into practice (“with open eyes”), and to evaluate how you are doing. Do
what works best for you…but do have some plan. Remember: “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” Also,
don’t forget to kill your cell phone and hide yourself when you are intentionally studying English!
d) Go it alone. In America we say, “If you want to get it done right, do it by yourself.” This may or may not
be true for you, but it has been essential for me. Almost all my travel, and almost everything I did in China
(which I value), I did alone, with nobody to help me, or hinder me. I realize that this is a very
“ethno-centric” statement, (and an ego-centric one, too), but this is how I have existed. You can take it,
modify it to your condition, or reject it. Anyhow…study English alone, on your own terms, without any
“outside influence”; this is English “on your own”.
e) “Be nice to yourself.” Don’t you like to treat yourself to something nice every so often, to make you feel
more comfortable and happy? As you struggle to study English on the go, on your own, with no foreign
friend to help you, you will face many hardships; so, why not enjoy the journey a little? You can buy books,
VCD’s, tapes and other materials you like for yourself. When you visit your provincial capital, or even
Beijing or Shanghai, or Guangzhou, you can visit those fabulous bookstores and come home with heavy
suitcases. Where can you get the money? I realize that money for many is a problem. Try to economize
in other areas of your life, if possible; don’t eat out in expensive restaurants so much, don’t entertain yourself
and your friends in expensive karaoke bars so much. Perhaps, if you can, take a part-time job to raise a little
money. Please know this! You do not have to be spending lots and lots of money to be “nice to yourself”.
I say that a schoolteacher in some remote village in Xi Zang who only has one copy of Beowulf, and who
uses it lovingly and well, is better off than someone in Beijing who has access to everything, buys much, and
f)
uses nothing! You yourself know what is best for you, and what you want. In terms of machines, a good
short-wave/FM/AM radio would certainly be helpful, as would a tape recorder. For many of you, forget
about the VCD player! Most of the films coming from the West which are available in your local VCD shop
are trash videos—poor quality speech (hard to learn English from), and often, they are violent or
pornographic (do those things in a language you can understand, if you want/must). So, in summary, be nice
to yourself, and however you do it, enjoy your studies!
Be discreet. Remember, the world is full of obnoxious turkeys, hungry wolves, and black dogs. So, don’t
tell everyone what you are doing! Better still, don’t tell anyone what you are doing, except your four cell
partners—and even here, make sure that you isolate them from each other. In short, avoid problems,
opposition, and distractions.
Conclusion.
This section of the book talked about “cells” that can be adapted to the needs of the “slow-burning English
revolution”—their inspiration from the cells of the early communists, their structure, their characteristics, and
their core values. Indeed, they are an effective tool for propagating revolution—in this case, English on the go,
on your own, without a foreign helper. We also talked about helping others, and helping yourself. Here, there
are many options and horizons. Even if you disagree with cells as being “too political”, or helping other people
as being “impractical”, do this one thing—take full control of the learning process, put it on your terms, and
determine the outcome from the start. The days of life talking down to you are over. Next, we will discuss
putting some of these ideas into practice.
VI. How To Make The Solutions Happen.
First, by way of disclaimer, this section is not meant to be a full, comprehensive answer to your problems.
What is written here are just “pointers”. In fact, many solutions will have to be worked out by yourself, or
researched from the many “self-help” or curriculum books available in the bookstores. This section will
comment on some of the topics introduced in the previous section, with a few case studies added. It is hoped
these will provide a starting point for you, as you go about trying to formulate solutions to the problems unique to
your situation.
Characteristics of cell.
a) Low profile. How do you keep a “low profile”? First, observe the behavior of any romantic couple that is
dating—especially students on a conservative campus, or workers in the same work unit. You don’t
advertise the fact that you are teaching English. Your door (to your home) is nondescript, like all the others.
You keep the curtains drawn in one of your rooms all the time, so people living in the tall building opposite
yours don’t look in on you (and they will, if given the chance). After teaching your student how to find
your apartment, they come for lessons by themselves, and leave by themselves. If your building layout
permits it, have them enter by different routes, at slightly different times. Don’t brag to your friends that
you are teaching or studying English—keep them out of this! If you want to “meet over coffee” in some
restaurant or go to a park, go to some place outside your respective neighborhoods, where most people do
not know you. There are many other things you can do, but they only exist to keep the local turkeys away
from you.
b) Secure—cannot be penetrated. Perhaps your student is the teenage child of a “floating population” worker,
and you are the only real opportunity to a better education they will ever have. If their friends or neighbors
hear of them having private English lessons, they will be full of envy; some may act towards them in an
unfriendly way. You cannot allow the curse of other people’s envy or opposition to blight your student!
Therefore, make your place of English study a secure place where nobody will bother you. Make your own
system. First: Tell nobody else—either directly or indirectly. Your student must do likewise. Second:
allow no “third party” into the cell—remember, you are devoting everything you can to the formation of
another English speaker, not a classroom of speakers. Third: consider your “opposition”. There are at
least two types; the gossip, who broadcasts what you are doing to everyone in the neighborhood, and the
envious person, who is angry that they are not able to be joining you, or that you are not helping their friend
to learn English. Find these people, and avoid them!
c) Screening. There are at least two ways you can do this: screening strangers, quickly; or, screening a certain
group of people you often encounter, slowly. Both methods have their uses. First: you can screen the
many people you encounter every day—at work, on the street, wherever you are and whatever you are doing.
“Out there”, in the pathways of life, you will find a few people of potential. This is how the “scouts” find
the beauty models. Of course, this method has its disadvantages: you cannot truly evaluate who a person is,
or if they are suitable to teach English to; however, you may meet someone in a quick meeting or encounter
who may be interesting and worth “screening” a little more. As an English teacher, I sometimes taught
very large oral English classes (of 50 or more students). These classes were not very successful, because it
was almost impossible to give the students any consistent, meaningful contact. However, out of many of
these classes, there arose one person who became a special, tutorial student: almost all the others were
carried away by the river of time and forgotten. So, although this way is not the best, it can sometimes
yield a few diamonds. Second: you can screen your students from a more limited pool—from the people
you meet frequently in your daily life. This does not necessarily mean your colleagues or your neighbors.
Think of the places you visit or go to in any given week. If you “let things happen”, life will often cast a
variety of people before you, some of who may be suitable as students. Don’t just grab them—sit back and
consider the matter more carefully. In some other cases, you may have known or known of some person
for a long time before it dawns on you that here, right in front of you, is the person you want! Again,
proceed carefully. It is considered wrong by many for a teacher to have “favorites”, but I am always
looking for them. There are many reasons: one is as follows. I feel that many students are unwilling or
unable to reciprocate, to push forward alone in their studies, to ruthlessly conquer the impediments to
English fluency; yet among this majority, there lies a fragment of potential—those students who want to
push forward and win the prize. These are the ones I am interested in. So, I offer them a time to have
“free talk” (most college students like “free talk”, but are often unable to sit up and ask for it). If things
work out, then I am later able to teach them better, more English. There is a fine line between advanced
screening, recruiting, and teaching; perhaps these distinctions are somewhat artificial. Each person has a
unique character and personality, so I change and adapt mine to suit the occasion. Third: for those who
don’t work on the campus, here is an anecdote. I often pass by a local grocery store every day; many of my
basic food supplies and dry goods come from there. The sales staff, who look and act more like a team of
sisters than a group of colleagues, know me and sometimes crack jokes when I come in. One day, one of
them was at her place studying an English textbook in preparation for a “self-study” exam: thousands and
thousands of clever and able people who never went to college struggle their way into English proficiency
like this. A perfect prospect! I asked her if she wanted help with her English; she said “no”. I was only
screening her, so it was no great loss to me. It is an ongoing process, part of a bigger picture that never
seems to end. Fourth: if you have a friend who is a “party” member, why not ask them how they screen?
It could prove instructive.
d) Recruiting. At some point, you move from screening a large body of people to recruiting one person, and
then later a second one. To be honest, I am not fully sure how this is done, but here are some thoughts.
You need to be very honest and “up-front”—that is, you are offering to teach them a certain measure of
English, and you hope they will return the favor and help two other people, in due season. If they agree,
then you move on and get down to business. If they do not, then ask yourself what went wrong, make
corrections, and keep on trying. Like asking someone out for a date, or proposing, or “closing” a business
deal, recruiting is difficult to explain and to do—but you must do it. Again, ask your friendly “party”
member—or even a sales/marketing person—how they do it.
e) Testing for trustworthiness. You will know how trustworthy your partner is by examining two
things—how confidential they keep their association with you, and how seriously they take the task of
learning English. Some of this you test for before recruiting, and some afterwards. The more effort you
put into this matter during screening and recruiting, the easier—and perhaps, less painful—it will be, as you
both move forward. Remember: you are about to invest a lot of time and effort, so choose well!
f) Holding meetings. In the early meetings, you may want to meet in public places such as cafes, parks, or
even bus stops along a certain route—a different stop on different days. In time, you can bring them home,
if it is appropriate. For some people, a regular meeting time is best, but others prefer to be more
spontaneous and fluid: do what is best for you both (and especially for you). Keep different schedules for
each of your students. Indeed, many things may be different about your students—habits, learning style,
likes and dislikes, character, curriculum, and so on. Keep your meetings very, very focused on learning
English, not on social affairs; after all, both of you are busy people “on the go”. Honor their confidentiality,
as you would expect them to honor yours. The meeting place for English study should be “emotionally
safe”.
g) On choosing and implementing the appropriate budget. If you have screened and recruited carefully, you
should be able to tell whether your cell partner has money to spend, or not. In true western fashion, I often
ask my own students, “Do you have enough money to ______?” They don’t seem to mind. It is good to
match budget with your student; that way, the work becomes varied (because people are varied), interesting
(because you are forced to adapt), and challenging (because true creativity comes when you make every
effort). Again, you do not need to spend wads of money on your student, but some things must be bought
to make progress happen—certain books, for example. If your student really has little money, then buy the
book yourself, and “loan” it out. Such a book can be used again later with some other student, or it can
“disappear” quietly with your current student. When “face” is removed from the equation, it is amazing
what some people will quickly accept.
h) How to operate “on the go”. Once your “English cell” is up and running, life is fairly simple: you meet,
learn, plan the next meeting, and do the homework. However, both you and your student are “on the
go”—that is, you both have a busy and mobile lifestyle. You need to be able to operate under these
conditions. So, what do you do? You meet: try to have a fixed time for lessons; it really makes a
difference. Try not to change the time you agreed on! (The others can wait their turn.) You learn: put
all your effort into the lesson time. Turn off your cell phone! You plan: a fixed schedule is best, not a
flimsy arrangement that can be blown down by the next supplicant who calls you on the cell phone. You
must put this way of thinking and acting first! You do the homework: no matter what you are doing, you
do the homework. Some homework must be done at home, in the peace of your bedroom; some can be
done on the way to and from work on the bus; other homework can be done on the job (for some, such as
“floor attendants” in a quiet hotel, there is much time for homework). If you are doing a writing
assignment, write it in a notebook which can be put into a bag easily, not on a large sheet of writing paper.
If the work is complex and requires many books, do it at home. Take the small radio with you and keep the
heavy tape recorder at home. At all times, carry a very interesting book with you (Shu Chong, or
otherwise); every day is loaded with one-minute respites and ten-minute breaks. Use the telephone for
some classes and for “free talks”. The telephone is very useful for quick “language encounters”—call, talk,
hang up, move on. You can even discuss a book or a grammar task on the phone. I have one dear student
who calls me around midnight for this very purpose—and then hangs up after I give her the answer! (More
on phone use, later.) For those who exist on their cell phone, there are many possibilities. However,
many people don’t have all these things—they live in the so-called “undeveloped” areas! Here, you plan
well, and execute your plans faithfully. Just sit down together, figure out how to solve your logistical
problems, and operate “on the go” according to your local conditions.
i) How to get fun and enjoyment out of this work. First and foremost, if you don’t like this work, don’t do it!
(It’s a free choice.) I just feel that the act of helping someone else will benefit you in some way. If you
wish to study English by yourself, that’s all right! However, my point is this: if you like doing this kind of
work, then the chances are you will enjoy it. Don’t kill yourself with overwork. (You are not out to
change the world…only to help two people.) If you like variety (the “spice of life”), then choose students
who are very different from each other; if not, then similar types of people. Choose a student from a
setting or background that greatly interests you—that way, you can mix work with the exploration of
something new. (In a sense, my work in China as an English teacher is the “child” of two factors: I like to
travel by working overseas, and I am a teacher by training.) In short, try to “arrange” your cell work along
lines, and with people, that interest you. You may not want to spend time living and working in the
salt-pans of Qinghai, but I think it sounds very cool. Again, it all about “location”, “lifestyle”—and here,
“personality”.
Core values of cell.
a) How to be self-reliant, in terms of educational philosophy. We all have our own educational philosophy,
which we either picked up from our teachers, or derived from study, or synthesized over time by thinking
about many things. In a sense, a lot of my educational philosophy is contained in this book. Take what
you like, and throw out the rest! However, since you will be “on your own” as you study English, you
need to have a basic idea of what you believe, in terms of educational philosophy. Then, this philosophy
needs to sustain you as a teacher, as you go out and teach. You need to be self-reliant, for you will be
working on your own, without someone to mentor you. (Remember: your teacher, if you have one, is
teaching you English, not how to teach!) If you do not have an educational philosophy, or what you have
is as yet “partly formed” in you, then sit down with paper and pen and try to write down what you believe.
It doesn’t have to be set in stone forever, but it can be a starting point. These concepts have been helpful
to me: love, patience, and “Is it effective?” However, you are free to make your own way! (Here, I say
“Thank you!” to all of my supervisors, bosses, and professors who allowed me “freedom within limits”.)
b) On the “phases” (stages). To review, the phases of the cell’s activity are as follows: Instruction, Practicum
A, Training To Propagate, Practicum B, and Consulting. On Instruction: here, you teach the content
material that your student wants to learn. You teach, and they learn. On Practicum A: here, you leave
your student alone for a week or two, to see how well they can learn English on their own. They can take
notes on their experience, what worked, and what did not; then, they can discuss these matters with you
afterwards. On Training To Propagate: it is hoped your student will want to propagate. Therefore, you
two can discuss the art of propagation, in particular as it applies to your student’s local conditions.
Different parts of the country will have different conditions. On Practicum B: here, you are like the
mother lion teaching its cub to hunt. Send your student down to the local middle school to find a student
who needs some help in English, make acceptable arrangements, and let your student get some practice in
tutoring. If this is not possible, then your student can look for a neighbor with children. It might be
better for your student to do this work without you; you can discuss progress over the telephone.
However, if some of you want to directly supervise your student in the “classroom”, then go ahead and
have a try. On Consulting: in time, your student will leave you to lead their own life, run their own cell,
and grow up in the use of English. Of course, it is hoped that they will keep in contact with
you—probably by telephone—so you can consult together. As the Chinese saying goes, “One is a teacher
forever” (“Yi ri wei shi, zhong shen wei fu.”) Hopefully, you two can relate together, even if it is only
once or twice a year. Encourage your students as they start their own “English-language” cells!
c) A case-study detailing the “phases”. When I was teaching in Urumqi, in Xinjiang, I met some of my best
students, as well as my best classes—9801 and 9651/2. It was also a time when, having been a teacher for
several years, I felt in me the urge to train up some other people to become teachers. It happened like this.
My university had an arrangement with one of the big hotels in the city, to teach English on a Wednesday
evening to some of the hotel staff. They asked me to do this job. At first, I went alone, but soon, I brought
my two best students, Wang Ji Hong and Liu La Mei. I told them what to do, and they did it very well.
First, I taught and they took turns translating, then we broke the class up into three groups and we each taught
one group, then they taught by themselves and I watched them. By the end, I was doing nothing, and they
were doing everything. We still keep in contact, and they are doing very well. I am very proud of them.
Although the exact pattern of behavior is a little different, some of the “phases” can be seen in this story.
The bus rides to and from the hotel were long, and they gave us the chance to discuss what we had
experienced and learned.
d) On the “across” friend. If you are a new schoolteacher, or if your English is fair to good, you can make an
“across” friend with another school teacher—but not someone who works near you! Middle school teachers,
and especially primary school teachers, like to speak English with others; their school duties limit the range of
English they can practice. Otherwise, as you go through life, always keep an eye open for that “someone”
who you will discover by chance. Sometimes, “finding” is a better strategy than “looking for”. If you go
to “English corners”, then you can examine many people to see who is suitable; or, you can join the
“English-speaking crowd”—the ones who like to hang out in “chic” coffee houses or internet cafes—and see
what comes up. It helps to have something in common, so as to give you actual, real-life experiences to talk
about.
e)
A case study detailing the “across” friend. Obviously, I have no English-speaking friend, but I had a
number of Chinese-speaking friends. They were typically service workers, small business owners, small
restaurant bosses, telephone kiosk operators, public toilet supervisors—not one of my own students, but local
people, and with little power or influence in their society. They were all gentle and kind to me. I would go
to them on a regular basis, as they were the owners of the local businesses I often used. Therefore, a variety
of simple, low-level, everyday encounters was guaranteed. Most of them had not been to college, so they
were very unlikely to “practice their English” on me, as my students and certain others do. In short, I
learned my everyday Chinese from service workers (and how to curse from bus drivers and taxi drivers).
These people were my “across” friends. With one couple in particular, I talked about many things; in the
process, I was able to further develop my everyday Chinese. What a pity that the service workers and the
owners of small businesses are not able to speak simple English! They are a gold mine of reality, of
kindness, and of simple, upright honesty. They would make perfect “across” friends—all over China, for all
the people who want to learn English on their own, on the go, without a foreign helper. China is awash in
“not-yet tapped human potential” in these people, but for various reasons they were not able to get into
college and let their great potential blossom. Instead, they must take another way through life. I hope that
one day, many of them will be able to attend some form of “continuing and vocational education” (C.A.V.E.).
The people served.
a) Outreach by geography—local, county, far away. If you want to help other people, there are many ways you
can do it. First: if you like the place where you live and don’t want to go out, there are all kinds of
opportunities right in your neighborhood! The best place to look is in the schools that serve the “floating
population”. If the teachers are willing, you can link up with a student and help them. Ask the teachers for
some advice on which students to choose. If you want other people, try the schools for the “fixed
population”; you can match your English abilities with the appropriate school grade. The “Chu-3” and the
“Gao-3” students will be very glad to work with you, but their English interests will be very much influenced
by the exams they must take. There are more options available in your local area; therefore, look, think, and
study carefully…take your time and choose well. Don’t let “the urgency of need” overly influence you.
Second: you can go into the neighboring county, into the countryside surrounding your city, and work with
somebody there. It will take you two or four hours by bus to get out there. The further away from the city
you go, the level of educational services declines, usually because of less funding or fewer qualified teachers.
Third: you can go somewhere really far away, such as Xi Zang or the salt-pans of Qinghai. Obviously, the
needs are very great here, but so are the opportunities and the rewards (they are not measured in tangible
things such as money, but in an unseen, also rewarding “currency”). Here, the “frontier” is still large.
b) Outreach by “comfort zone”—with people like you，people somewhat removed from you, people very
removed from you. What is the meaning of “comfort zone?” It is the area, concrete or psychological, within
which you feel comfortable operating. It is different for different people, under varying circumstances. You
can work with people as an English teacher, depending on what you are comfortable with. First: with people
like you. If you like familiar people, settings and culture, try this one. You don’t have to cross over to the
other side of the world to succeed. You can get down to work right away, and with no “culture shock” (which
for some people can be very troubling). Second: with people somewhat removed from you: If you want to be
a little more adventurous and have a “new experience”, step outside the life you usually inhabit and reach out
to someone a little bit different. You can draw upon those things that you do have in common. (Most, if not all
of us have something in common.) However, it may be helpful to your teaching if you have already had some
previous experience, however common, relating to people who are a little bit different than you. Third: with
people very removed from you. This will be challenging for many people due to the influences of “culture
shock”, “reverse culture shock” and a range of other cultural/psychological/living problems you will face. (To
learn more about “culture shock” and “reverse culture shock”, please go to other books or the internet –they
are very, very important concepts to understand if you go this route.) I am certainly not trying to stop you
from going deep, deep into Xi Zang or somewhere in the Tian Shan—or into the forgotten shantytowns within
Panzhihua, Fuxin or Yangquan—but I certainly want you to know that what you are trying is challenging,
difficult, possibly heartbreaking and certainly life-influencing. You should, I think, have had some
“cross-cultural” life and work experience in your own city or area before you try this type of work. (For a few
of you, I may be wrong—you go straight out.) Remember, being “cross-cultural” does not mean you must
find and spend time with (western) foreigners! There is enough variety of cross-cultural experience inside
China to make the world outside China irrelevant. The 56 “Minzu” each have their own “subdivisions”, based
upon where they are living or what they are doing. (Hey, I am not being “splittist”.) For example, Uighurs
(Wei Wu Er Zu) are Uighurs wherever you find them, but when it comes to working with them, there is a real
difference when you compare people like these: the man selling raisins on any street in China, the small
business owner in Altai, the small shopkeeper in Hotan, the baker in Beijing, the medical student in Urumqi,
the commodities trader in Shanghai, the poet in Kashgar, the woman selling pranik in Karamay. So, if you
look at the 56 “Minzu” like this, there is an almost unlimited range of people you can teach English to.
Remember these three things. First: much of the rest of the world is not ready to let thousands of Chinese
visitors or workers run all over the globe…yet. Second: China, the “mini-world”, is your own country—you
don’t need visas! (I do). Third: in due season, the outside world will open up to a flood of Chinese talent in
the not-too-distant future—especially Africa, and then South America, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and
the South Pacific island nations (I believe). Those of you who have accumulated some useful “cross-cultural”
work and living experience inside China will be well placed when the call goes out for outside, overseas
workers. (Of course, having “strong relations” (tie guanxi) does help, too.) So, in summary, you can choose
where you go to teach English based upon how culturally different the people you work with are from you.
For many of you, it may prove to be a way of life that you will never forget (or want to leave).
c) Outreach by time—weekend visits, over a summer, over one or two years, over many years. For most or all of
you, the constraints of time are very important and cannot be avoided. Therefore, you must arrange your
English outreach by time. First: weekend visits (or daily). If your “cell student” lives nearby, then life is
simple—you meet a lot. If they live on the edge of town, then a longer visit (of say, four hours) once a week
may be better: of course, you can use the telephone a lot too on the other six days, since it eliminates the time
you spend in traveling. Perhaps your first tutoring “job” will be like this. Second: over a summer. It is
amazing what can happen to you over a summer—or over three or four days. I came to China on a summer
teaching program in 1994; at the end of those five weeks, I knew I wanted to come back. Earlier, I also joined
a volunteer high-school group in 1979 in London for a few days; this experience was also deeply influential.
If you join a group and go out somewhere to help out, or if you go out with a few friends or by yourself, you
can get a taste for this kind of work. Since many of you may be college students, the summer holiday may be
the best time to go out and try. Third: over one or two years. Now consider this—you have just left college,
but instead of going to your new, carefully–hunted job, you leave home and friends, and go to a small school
in the mountains, or deep in the industrial wasteland. There you stay for two years. You do your job, of course,
but you also train up two “English-cell” students … then you move on. Many of you would think this is total
madness, but if you were guaranteed a job after a two-year term of service in a “difficult” part of China,
would you go? I hope that more and more work units would consider the concept of “deferred job hiring”; in
promising such “two years later” jobs, they would release thousand of bright, energetic, enthusiastic and
idealistic people into the needy areas of China. Fourth: over many years. Perhaps a few people will go, like
the work, and never come back: they will have found their vocation. Today, such an idea may seem crazy, but
consider this: many young people are now leaving the big cities to go camping, hiking or mountain biking in
very remote places in China over their holidays. They are called “donkeys”. If such is true for campers,
perhaps it could also become true for English teachers, for others who want to help others and serve the
country, for artists, for those who have retired, for those who want to grow their own food and return to
nature…for you. Again, it was Thoreau who wrote, “The mass of people lead lives of quiet desperation.”
Today, “development” is on everyone’s mouth; however in time, what is in their heart will come out. I hope
that those who live in the forgotten areas of this country will become the direct beneficiaries of such a change
in this society. Is there anyone out there who would like to train up talented people in such places?
Helping yourself
a) Some recommendations in terms of books and materials. Here is another disclaimer! Just because I recommend
or ignore something does not mean it is good or bad. There is a great deal of good, bad and “so-so” material out
there. Use your own judgment. However, I do have my own opinions:
(i ) Reading –Shu Chong (Bookworm) series. Beowulf. The Old Man and the Sea (Ernest Hemingway).
The ancient Greek plays (Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes). English translations of
famous works by Chinese writers. Tuck Everlasting (Natalie Babbitt). Island of the Blue Dolphins
(Scott O’Dell). The Odyssey (Homer). Robinson Crusoe (Daniel Defoe). The Vicar of Wakefield (Oliver
Goldsmith). Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte). Agnes Grey (Anne Bronte). Typee (Herman Melville). Of
course, this is only a start… there is much more out there! Go look, and take what you like.
(ii) Writing – A Handbook Of Writing (ISBN-7-5600-0700-7). New College English Writing
(ISBN-7-81026-970-4). The Old Man And The Sea (Ernest Hemingway). The Vicar Of Wakefield
(Oliver Goldsmith). The Elements Of Style (Strunk & White) … and others.
(iii) Listening – The Listen To This series. China Radio International (C.R.I.). BBC World Service…and
certain other countries’ English-language radio stations (Russia, Holland, Vietnam, and others).
Finally—choose one film (if you have a VCD; if you don’t, it doesn’t matter). This film should be clean
and wholesome, with spoken English and English subtitles! Dialogs must be simple, in clear English
(not regional accent). The content should be interesting and useful to your education. You can listen to
this film again, and again, and again….Anybody for Casablanca?
(iv) Speaking –Your “across” cell-partner. A quiet, undisturbed place with a large mirror on the wall, where
you can watch yourself reciting words from a list – or Shakespeare. Your English-learning tape recorder
(fu du ji). New Person To Person, Books 1 and 2. (ISBN-7-5600-1389-9).
b) Suggestions concerning internal and external motivation. Your internal and external motivations are important,
because they are so powerful. However, they are often unseen. First: try to discover what they are; then, write
them down on a piece of paper. Second: as long as they are not harmful or wrong, try to “harness” or direct the
latent force of these motivations into the task of improving your English. For example, I like different kinds of
food. If I want to learn the Chinese names of certain foods, I will take a student and go to one of the best
supermarkets for western foods in Beijing—Yan Sha, near Dong Zhi Men. We will walk up and down the aisles
together, exchanging the Chinese and English names of everything. Then, I will buy myself a loaf—or five
loaves—of Yan Sha’s wonderful “German beer bread” and take it home to freeze for later. In this way, I will
probably learn my Chinese vocabulary quite quickly. Everyone has their own way of motivating themselves to
learn, and so do you …so use it.
c) “Doing what you like, and liking what you do.” Study English because you like to and want to. Do not allow
outside people or factors to “drive” you. Interest in a language is half of the battle won.
d) Combining “business and pleasure”. Your business is learning English; your pleasure is whatever you like
doing. You will learn better if you enjoy it. So, if you really hate reading famous writers like Shakespeare, don’t
read Shakespeare! If you would really prefer to read easier, popular fiction—even pulp novels or “comic
novels”—well, do so! It will make life easier and happier for you. Try to find a fun way to learn English,
wherever you go.
e) “Not just a job, a way of life.” When something becomes a way of life, and you enjoy it, it is amazing how
much you can learn. In a sense, this is why people such as recent religious converts learn so much, so quickly. If
you make the study of English a way of life, then you may perhaps learn a lot, quickly. After all, isn’t that why
people go overseas—to take their “classroom English” and forge it into a tool fit for everyday use, to make it a
“way of life”?
f) Having “your way” and “the highway”. Within reasonable limits, try to have “your way” (doing what you want
in terms of learning English), as well as “the highway” (being free to go where you want and do what you wish).
This new generation will belong, not so much to the rich, or the powerful, or the “well-connected”, as to the
creative, the imaginative, the diligent, the low profile, and those with a dream or a vision. At present, only the
“Bo-Bo’s” and the (backpacking) “donkeys” have figured this out, but I hope this will change.
g) Tailoring your program to your needs, your desires, and your abilities … for each of the four “Language Arts”
skills. Find out what you want/need, as well as what you are strong at/weak at, and build your study plan
accordingly. Do it four times—for Reading, for Writing, for Listening, and for Speaking. If you want, do the
same for Translating. This will give you a reasonable map to help you travel on your way.
h) Going it alone—pointers. Again, I say…go it alone, where possible; it makes life simpler and allows you more
flexibility. For some of you, you can have a “public” English life (see Sections III and IV), as well as a
“private” English life (see Sections V and VI). In this way, you don’t have to be a total hermit. You decide.
i) Being discreet—pointers. You can never be too discreet. The best defense against turkeys, jealousy, envy and
the like is anonymity and being discreet.
j) On “being nice to yourself”, and a personal case study. I like living in China. However, on certain occasions, I
become tired, lonely, depressed and think too much (it is part of my nature). So, what can I do? Sometimes
(among other things), I need to “be nice to myself”. Each person has their own special thing—listening to
Mozart, going out for a walk, going swimming, or calling a friend on the phone for a long talk. We all do
different things, but I think the underlying reason for doing what we do is the same—to preserve our own sanity.
“Sanity (like innocence) is such an important thing: lose it, and you will never get it back again.” The road to a
good, working knowledge of English is long and hard. Without sustenance you will burn up or go crazy.
Therefore, you need to be nice to yourself. It is not gluttony, but the selective application of restorative and
preventative medicine.
k) On “tasting” and “sampling” English, not “learning” it. One day, one of my students complained to me, “How
can I learn, study and memorize all this English? It is too much, and too hard!” Well, yes, it is! Imagine instead,
you are in a large, “Guangdong Xiao Chi” (Dim Sung) restaurant with nine friends. The ten of you are seated at
a big, round table. The serving staff with their brass, long-spout teapots are prowling between the tables,
looking for an empty teacup. Other staff wheel their trolleys everywhere, offering you “Gungdong Xiao Chi”
and marking your table receipt. The ten of you each order ten small dishes—a hundred in total! Then everyone
samples a small piece, a mere fragment from each of the hundred dishes. In this way, you can glance over
everything, and taste everything. Perhaps you only like five or six of all those dishes; well, next time you visit,
you know where to look. You can treat your English-language studies in a similar way. Don’t try to memorize
and master all the books in your school’s library—just know where the knowledge is, and how to access it. For
me, “knowledge” is like a walnut, and “education” is like a nutcracker. If you know how to “open up” one nut
(a book, article, or whatever), you should be able to open up most of the nuts in the nut-forest. After all,
squirrels, which have less brain-power than us, can do this. Use such skills as browsing, skimming, scanning,
noting book numbers (both ICBN and library call numbers), or noting internet addresses and web-sites. Save
the burden of memorizing for your favorite poetry, or the TOEFL!
Getting help.
Some of you may just find “stepping out” on your own into the unknown world of “learning English on the
go, on your own, without a foreign helper” as being too difficult—it is just too much to bear! That is O.K. This
section is for you. I hope you have troubled to read this far, or that a friend will show you this part of the book.
You too are important. I cannot help you beyond here, but perhaps someone else can.
a) On the “I.E.P.” This means “Individualized Educational Plan”. It is a specific plan of education (often for
one school year), for a specific student. It is like a custom-made car, or a doctor’s medical prescription…
something made especially for you. If you have someone make up an I.E.P. for you, you will have a “map”
to help you get started. In America, I.E.P.’s can get very complex; yours does not need to be complex.
Keep it simple! I do suggest that you build your I.E.P. around the four “Language Arts” skills—that is,
reading, writing, listening and speaking. You can also build it around a one-year time frame. (Later, once
you have your I.E.P. all written, you can break it down by month, week and day.) Now, who can help you?
I suggest two types of people—a middle school English teacher, or a college English major.
b) Help from a middle-school English teacher. This person is perhaps better in terms of English-language
background, as well as in terms of knowing how to write an I.E.P., which is after all an educational document.
However, they may be very busy. In this regard, try not to bother “Chu-3” and “Gao-3” teachers, as their
lives are totally occupied with trying to help their students pass exams. If you can explain your situation to a
teacher who is willing to help you, perhaps you can get an I.E.P. written. Do not become dependent on
them!
c) Help from a college English major. Although their English background may be a little limited, most college
English majors are motivated to help. If you can find such a student from a teacher-training university, then
you are very lucky! In my opinion, you need to ask for help directly from the students, rather than from the
college administration or departmental offices. If you find someone, tell them your level of English, and ask
them for help in planning one year’s worth of English studies. It is possible, but not to be expected, that one
student may offer to help you in your studies!
Conclusion.
Thus far in this book, we have discussed the many, many problems facing you as you try to keep your
hard-won English knowledge alive and afloat in this linguistically chaotic, post-graduation world. We talked
about overcoming the many problems facing you in life, and how you might overcome them as best you can.
This is the “reactive” approach to learning English; in a way, it is about survival in the jungle. We then
discussed the solutions available to you, and how to make them happen. This is the “pro-active” way of
learning English on the go, on your own, without a foreign person to help you. It is not the “only way”—it
is one way out of the many available in today’s crazy “tulip-market”….You, the reader, now have some of the
tools in hand to understand, overcome, profit from, and conquer. Next, the “cell model” we discussed has a
proven history of success. The country you now enjoy was conceived of and developed by people who once
upon a time worked in cells. You can use it and adapt it for you! In choosing both the reactive way and the
pro-active way of struggling to learn English, with adaptations, you have some strong advantages. We wish
you good luck and good learning.
VII. Other Ideas For Consideration.
This section is really an extra part, an “appendix” to what has gone before. Some of these ideas are
only loosely connected to the major part of the book, but I think they are important enough to be included. I
hope that someone will take these ideas and run with them.
Revolutions usually need an idea (or a philosophy), some people (or the revolutionaries), and a tool (or
a weapon). This section is about the tools you can use, as you seek to learn English on the go, on your own,
without a foreign helper. People are important, but with a little “applied technology”, the job can be done
faster and more efficiently. There are also some serious implications when the issue of reaching out to
others as an English tutor is considered. This section will discuss the role of video-telephones,
internet-based “matchmaking” services, and other technological innovations you can use in order to spread
the use of English all over the country. If some of these ideas are adopted, then “urban talent” and “rural
needs” will be bridged to a greater extent.
Long-distance tutorials by video-telephone.
a) Description of system: general. First: I have spent hundreds of hours on the telephone, talking to old
students from all regions of the country. It is a wonderful thing. Think of it! On one telephone
network, I can speak to twenty percent of the world’s population. It is an effective oral English tool.
However, it does have its limitations. I cannot “see”, and this makes tasks like correcting written work
almost impossible (just try it!). Second: when I was traveling in Japan, I saw high-school students with
the latest video cell phones beaming live motion pictures to another telephone user. Of course,
businesses use this technology too—“video-conferencing”. Why not have a technology which is
mid-way between a small video cell phone and the expensive, more complex video-conferencing tools?
In other words, why not introduce a new generation of common, plain, ordinary household
telephones—with a flat-screen video display/video camera on them? This is not for looking at fuzzy,
cameo-sized pictures of your boy/girl-friend, but for letting the other person read a real book (and clearly)
that you are holding under the camera! In this way, teachers will be able to teach something to children
who are not sitting next to them—maybe one is in Shanghai and the other is in Xining. The
implications are very large indeed.
b) Description of teacher’s role. It seems fair to assume that the teacher will usually have all the books
(especially those who are in the big cities). The teacher can get a book, call up the student, put the book
under the video camera, and begin the class. Both parties use a pencil to point out where they are in the
text, so there is no room for misunderstandings. In this way, the student is freed from having to run
around looking for books.
c) Description of student’s role. If the student has written a piece of writing, it can be put under the video
camera for the teacher to criticize. The student can carry out the teacher’s proofreading instructions.
If the student has something to “show-and-tell” the teacher, then this is very easy. In a sense, the
student’s role is simple.
d) On telephone design, to help this learning. I am not a “technically-gifted” person, but here are some
ideas concerning the video-telephone. First: the device can be used on the current system of telephone
wires. The video camera can be relatively simple (it only has to be able to read a book page!).
Super-powered cameras and screens, which may require sophisticated wire transmission technology, are
not needed! Second: the camera/screen unit does not have to be part of the actual telephone; it can
somehow “plug” into an already existing telephone. (This saves money, as you don’t have to buy a
whole new telephone.) Third: the camera part is mounted onto a stand. It is always “looking down”
onto the table, where the book is lying. The camera is auto-focus, or it can be adjusted manually by the
person with the book. (In other words, you are focusing for each other—to make everything less
complex and expensive.) Fourth: the camera is an “eye” and nothing more—no computer link-ups, and
the like. (Keep It Simple!) Fifth: perhaps this device can also be connected to a real TV set, so that a
teacher in one place can teach a whole classroom full of students somewhere else (you use the device,
plus a big-screen TV connected to the device). In summary, these are some ideas that some company,
or individual, or graduate student from Qinghua University can use to develop a telephone attachment,
so that reading and writing can be taught over long distances. Hopefully, such video-telephones will
not be too expensive, so that most people (or at least, one school in each village) can buy one. In this
way, English teachers can share their skills all over the country.
Internet “matchmaking” service.
a) Other, current “matchmaking” services in use on the internet. As is commonly known, matchmaking has
been around for a long time, helping men and women meet their future partner. The internet is widely used
today as a tool to help young men and women to meet each other.
b) How this “matchmaking “ service will work. Here, I propose a matchmaking service that would link
willing “telephone teachers” with “telephone students”. Once a suitable telephone “partner” has been
located, they can make their own arrangements for study. (Incidentally, a similar, but unrelated
“matchmaking” system could be established for the purpose of linking Chinese college English majors, and
American senior-citizens who want someone to talk with…but that is a different story.)
c) Information to be “traded”. What information should be shared on the internet “telephone teaching”
matchmaking service? Not too much: age, education level, years of English, province, area of English
study desired, and times available to study on the telephone can be provided by the “student”. The
“teacher” can provide the same basic information, and times available to teach. Perhaps it is better for
teachers to look for students, and not students to look for teachers. Then, issues of security (especially for
the younger students, whose personal information is going “on-line”), must be addressed. Again, these and
other issues must be addressed!
d) On the question of “profit”. I think there should be no profit for anyone in this matter. Even the
matchmaking website should be “not-for-profit”; perhaps it can be subsidized by the Chinese Ministry of
Education, and its workers supported by subsidy. This too, and other questions, need to be carefully
discussed.
On some kind of “new ideas” board, on the internet.
a) Purpose: to catch, inspire, harness, advance the people’s ideas. It seems that there is a lot of creativity
floating around the population. Many people have a range of good ideas to benefit society; the same is true
in the field of education. However, many people are unable to make their ideas become reality, for a variety
of reasons: they don’t have the money, the time, the resources of personnel. Therefore, wouldn’t it be a good
idea if there was a website where people could “drop off” their fledgling ideas for others to make them grow,
the way some people leave off their unwanted pets outside the animal hospital? This website could catch
raw ideas from the general population, inspire other people to develop these ideas, harness the nation’s
creative potential, and advance the people’s ideas. I say again: this country is awash in talent, and it is not
being fully drawn upon.
b) How it might work: receive, sift, apply. Someone has an idea. They write a summary of this idea and post
it on the “new ideas” website. Every so often, the managers of the website sift through the many ideas they
have received, and send it to the appropriate technicians, who then decide if each idea can be put to use—that
is, applied. If some idea is useful, then a product is developed. Note: First: the “new ideas” website is
divided into various categories (e.g., science, agriculture, electrical, household, etc.), to make the “sifting”
process easier. Second: these ideas are “given away to the nation”. If someone wants to get a patent and
make money, they go the usual route. This system is for “free donations” only.
c) Who will operate the system. The website and those who operate it can be under the control of the central
government, which also pays the salaries of those involved.
d) On the questions of “profit” and of “patent”. This is just an idea: I don’t know if there are already laws on
this matter! If some idea is “dropped off”, it then becomes the property of the central government, which
then exploits it, or gives it to some company.
On “error analysis” in language learning.
a) On the errors we make, and their patterns. We all make mistakes in our language—even the best of us.
People who are learning a language make many errors. In most, if not all cases, there is a pattern to these
errors.
b) On error analysis—theory, use, practical applications, and the limitations of reality. The field of “error
analysis” (within the larger field of education) is a very big subject, beyond the scope of this paper.
However, I will say this: you can determine something of a learner’s “process of learning” by studying their
errors, for these errors often fall into a pattern. It is a little bit like an individual fingerprint. You can use
this fact to find out where a student needs help: if you record every error a given student makes in an
“error/correct answer” format, you have the raw information you need to help plan that student’s (remedial)
education. It is very valuable information! However, since it takes a lot of time to write down, sort and
analyze the many errors a student makes, it is not a realistic venture. Imagine the task of doing this work for
every student in a 50-student class! Therefore, few teachers use error analysis to its full potential.
c) Error analysis work in the English language: potential and challenges. When one analyzes the errors a
student makes, into what categories should the errors be arranged? The English language, having letters, can
be broken down to individual letter sounds. English has 26 letters. English is about 85% phonetically
regular, and 15% phonetically irregular. Therefore, there are many categories of errors one can put a
student’s reading errors into, even if one only takes pronunciation into account, and not errors of grammar.
If a patient teacher (with a pen, notebook, and plenty of time) is willing, then a student’s errors can be noted
and analyzed. However, it is hard to program a computer using “voice-recognition technology” to do this
task, because there so many variables to choose from! Therefore, a computerized, automated system of
reading-error analysis is as yet unfeasible in the English language. (It would be wonderful if such a program
were available.)
d) On error analysis in the Chinese language: potential and opportunities. With the Chinese language, this
problem is greatly simplified. The Chinese language, having “characters” (Han Zi), exists at the syllable
level. (Although the “romanization system”—Pin Yin—has letters, it too can be looked at in terms of
syllables, not letters.) Therefore, Chinese is basically a language of syllables—and very simple ones at that.
The Pin Yin “table of syllables” (Han Yu Pin Yin Biao) is quite large, especially when the four “tones” (Si
Sheng) and the “neutral tone” (Qing Yin) are factored in. However, the number of existing syllables is finite.
Pin Yin is also 100% phonetically regular; there are no phonetic irregularities under any conditions.
Therefore, it is very easy to put a student’s reading error into a certain category. Comparing a student’s
utterance with a finite range of choices is very simple, especially if one programs a computer using
voice-recognition technology. Therefore, a computerized, automated system of reading-error analysis is, I
believe, feasible in the Chinese language. It would make certain aspects of classroom management and
reading assessment much, much easier, especially since there are so many students who need to be helped.
e) Proposal for an automated error analysis system to serve large populations of Chinese-language students, by
adapting current “language-recognition” software technology. In “language-recognition” software, the
computer “recognizes” something you say and writes it for you. Under this new system, the reverse happens.
You start with a pre-determined text, say, 500 words in Chinese (Han Zi), which is already in the computer.
The student reads the text. The voice recognition software compares the words the student reads with the
text itself…word for word. If a word is right, then O.K., no problem. If the word is wrong, then the
software writes down the error and the correct answer in the following format—(error/correct response). Pin
Yin “tones” (Si Sheng) are also included. For example, if you read “lao” (third tone), but the word is “lou”
(second tone), the results will be written (lao 3 /lou 2). It is a simple software programming challenge to come
up with this result! This “raw data” –along with other errors – can now be sorted and put into error categories.
This too is a simple software programming challenge. When you have a student’s reading errors categorized
and quantified like this, it is then very simple to plan out remedial instruction –you now know where to look
for trouble. Using this software, you can quickly survey a whole class of students, or you can get exhaustive
data on a few students with reading problems. It is therefore useful for reading assessment or special
education applications. I hope some educational software company, or someone from Qinghua University, or
someone else designs such a product! There are many directions in which this software can be built upon and
improved, but that is a problem for another day.
Conclusion
This section, in which we talked about long distance tutorials by video-telephone, an internet “matchmaking”
service, an internet-based “new ideas” bulletin board, and “error analysis” in language learning, is only an
appendix to what has gone before. It is also only a preface to what may come afterwards. The real book, which
shall be written, will come from the people of China themselves. This book is only a match, one lit match, tossed
into to huge haybarn. It is my hope that this paper (i.e., Section VII), and others like it, will inspire a deeper
culture and infrastructure of creativity among the Chinese people which will build upon what they have already
begun and accomplished.
VIII. Conclusion.
This book is almost over. If you have read this far, then you are patient! I hope it was helpful.
I wrote this book to share a message with anyone who will listen. I did not write this book to entertain you,
or anyone. This year, 2003, I have now been teaching English in China for seven years. Over this time I have seen,
heard, felt, and thought about many things – either when in the classroom, in my apartment refuge, on the streets
of Bengbu, Tianjin, Taiyuan, Karamay, Urumqi, and Beijing, or when traveling through almost every corner of
this great country. I really feel I had to speak out concerning some of the things I discovered.
This book was written during the SARS outbreak of 2003. Many classes I usually taught were stopped. I
had nothing to do and nowhere to go. I decided to spend my “55 Days In Peking” writing this book. The ideas
came flowing out—into my brain, through it, and onto this paper. I also wrote this book for my 2001-Writing
class. This is why I have been a fanatical follower of “planning” and of “structure” in this manuscript. I hope
the “outline” and the actual text are useful as a writing model! I also wrote this for all those studying English,
who are unsure of their way.
This section will briefly review what has been said, and leave you with a question. In fact, many
questions and issues, for this matter “of English” is far from over.
Brief review of the book.
Many people today study English, but for what? Why? Why? Why? They chase English with the voracity
of locusts, and the single-mindedness of arctic lemmings. The attrition rate, especially in the “lesser developed
areas”, is very high. Not everyone can capitalize on their English knowledge: only a few make it from Bole,
Xinjiang all the way to Wuxi, Jiangsu and then to Shanghai so as to reap the linguistic (and financial) rewards;
many are “pickled” for life as middle-school or primary-school English teachers; many fall through the cracks to
jobs where the use of English is minimal; many lose their English language abilities altogether, and die
linguistically. Let’s face it: many people lose their English skills, the skills they bled and suffered for to attain.
By now it is obvious to you that this is first and foremost a “philosophy” book; it is not really a “how-to”
book. I say this because the central problem facing the learning of English in the People’s Republic of China
today is a problem having to do with philosophy and attitudes. This needs to be corrected. To this end, I gave
some answers—answers that followed a “reactive” format, answers that followed a “pro-active” format, as well as
some other suggestions. This is only a small thing; I do not claim to have all the answers! Rather, we are left
with questions, a “riddle inside a mystery inside an enigma”.
The Big Questions.
I ask these questions of everyone in China who is studying English. What are you doing, in terms of
studying English? Why are you doing it? Where will you be later on, as a user and beneficiary of English?
How will you get there? Is English a “means” or an “end” for you? When you have arrived at your
“destination”, what will you do then? English is often called a “bridge” to a better future, but have you ever
studied the bridge, the gorge, and the other side…carefully?
Problems.
English knowledge is in part a necessary factor (some would say) of the globalization process…or is it
something else? Many, many people have embraced it as if it were a “stairway to heaven”. In part, I feel that
what has happened over the past twenty or so years is one big “confidence trick”…a scam driven by economics
and crowd psychology. It has deceived an entire generation, who are “waiting for Godot”, “searching for El
Dorado”, and chasing “relative” and not “absolute” development. A party has been rumored, everyone is
invited!—so they say; the people throw on their evening clothes, show up, open their eyes…and “awake to find it
is vanity”. I feel that only a few people have reached the point where they “open their eyes”.
Take action.
I should not tell anyone what to do (even my naughty students), but please consider this: before the “English
bubble” bursts (as do all bubbles), please consider the following. Step aside. Stop. Think. Make and
execute your plans. Be flexible. If possible, help others. Enjoy English as an end in itself and not as a means
to an end… for others have reached the end before you and eaten up the party food, leaving you the crumbs.
Study English on your own terms. These things and more are part of what it means to study “English on your
own, on the go, without a foreign helper”. Go and have a try! You have nothing to lose but the deceptions of
the “English bubble”.
Purpose of this book.
This book is not meant to compete with other books. Indeed, it cannot, for it opens a topic of discussion
that is not happening in China today. It is meant to be a wake-up call, a “reality check” for you, to ask you some
things, to make you think. What happens next is up to you.
Conclusion.
I will stop here. I have said enough. (Besides, the SARS crisis will be declared “over”, and I will need to
find something else to do.) Now it is up to you and your friends to continue the dialog. If you like this book,
then please pass on the manuscript, or the “web address” to someone else—or to two people! Thanks to all those
I knew in wonderful China—old students and new, every fu wu yuan in the country (whose time to “stand up” will
come soon, I hope), all my friends, and especially the class of 2001—my Writing class—for whom this book is
written…with all my love.
I hope that you, and all of the English speakers in China will love and synthesize English always—on your
own, on the go, without a foreign helper!
--by Stephen C. Van Wyck.