English Corner
February 14th, 2006
Please read this recent article on the “English Corner.” This is a famous corner of this Beijing university where people meet every Friday night from about 7:00 pm to midnight. In the past when I have taken students there I found it difficult to get them out because they were surrounded by layers of Chinese trying to ask them what they think about Fortune 500 firms, GE’s strategy, American government and things that they thought every American should know. By all accounts, it was an exciting experience for students, even the ones that dragged their feet and thought it would be a waste of their valuable American perspective time.
What is the practical and symbolic value of an English Corner in Beijing or a Hyde Park in London? Can you think of an example of an equivalent venue in California or the US? Do you have any interest in experiencing the English Corner while in China, and what would you hope to get out of that experience in return for the effort to connect with the Chinese that you will be expected to put in while you are there?
Entry Filed under: Pre-Departure, Beijing, China
5 Comments Add your own
1. Chris Carr | March 25th, 2006 at 6:12 pm
While in Beijing several weeks ago I visited English Corner. While there I noticed a young woman, a business student, who was standing in front of a white board. On the white board she had listed several questions (one was along the lines of “discuss an event in your life that changed you in a positive way”). She had a job interview the next day with a firm and she was there not so much to practice her English, but to brainstorm with others students and vistors like me re: how she might/could/should answer such a question in a job intereview. She had also done her pre-job interview reconn and learned that this would likely be a question she would be asked during the interview. Never before had I seen such intensity in a young student or even a seasoned adult for that matter re: preparing for a job interview in business. I was also struck by her humilty in putting herself out there in front of a group of strangers just to solicit help and ideas for how she might handle such a question if it came up in her interview. Now that takes a strong person who is comfortable in his/her own skin! It was something I will never forget, and ties into much of what Thomas Friedman has written about, particulary when he talks about the work ethic of students in India. By the way, all of this took place as another young man stood up in another part of the corner and passionately recited Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech in near perfect English, to the delight of the entire crowd.
2. Robert F. Laarman | September 21st, 2007 at 4:38 am
Can someone tell me where I can find this English corner ? My wife and I are going there in a couple of months and wish to go there !
Thanks, regards
Annelies & Rob Laarman
The Netherlands
3. Chris Carr | September 21st, 2007 at 8:15 pm
Hi Robert.
Sure. It’s at Remnim University in Beijing. Not sure which “gate” at the university you go to. I think it’s either the NW or NE but not sure — ask around. It’s every Friday night. Show up at roughly 8:00 pm, and it can last anywhere from 10 pm to midnight, depending on the weather and time of year.
Enjoy it.
Cheers.
4. Peter Wu | September 24th, 2007 at 11:29 am
Hi Robert,
It is at Renmin University’s East Gate, and the Chinese name is “Ying Yu Jiao”, 英語角
which is exactly the translation of English Corner.
5. Simeon | October 15th, 2007 at 8:46 pm
I’ve been to Ren Min University’s “English Corner” before and had good experiences and bad experiences. It’s an interesting cultural and social phenomenon that arose out of the simple need to speak and practice English. If it is clear that you are a native English speaker, one can easily attract 5, if not 20 people to engage you in conversation.
The subject of conversation is a myriad of topics including interests, hometown location, culture differences, religious beliefs, governmental politics and ideologies. Usually, their knowledge of English and American culture will surprise you. What they know about the United States comes from many sources, including: textbooks, teachers, friends, TV shows, movies, literature, novels, music, and news.
On a social level, English Corner is also used to meet new people and form new networks with people you wouldn’t otherwise come in contact with on a day-to-day basis. Friendships, business relationships, academic study partners and even dating relationships result from English Corner. As an interesting aside, English Corner, in addition to its academic purposes, is known among students as an informal dating club. Since conversation is generally open to talk about anything, students take advantage of the opportunity to pick up on other students that they have an interest in.
Overall, I had a lot of fun at English Corner, learning about Chinese culture and ideals in exchange for my own ideals. One should not expect to argue about whether communism is the right form of government for China or about human rights violations. Just relax and ask more neutral questions rather than lecture, and you will find your time at Renmin’s English Corner to be much more pleasant. :>
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