Lost In China

There’s something wonderful about teaching Chinese students. Far nicer than British ones in the main. They work hard, are polite, kind and very thoughtful. As I amble round the campus, occasionally looking a little like I don’t know where I’m going, usually because I don’t, a student will appear and say “Hi Mark, can I help you ?”

Classes are occasionally very funny. What I try hard to do is to get them SPEAKING English. Chinese educational methods mostly make Mr. Gradgrind seem like an enlightened Liberal. Oh and a week or so ago I got asked a question about homosexuality in the West. I replied with the standard Liberal view. Since then I have had a queue of vaguely camp looking Chinese students asking me questions. They invariably precede their question with the phrase “I’m not gay but…………..”