Beijing is “Mad About English!”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBFEgMqhOs4[/youtube]

Since its successful bid to host the 2008 Summer Olympics, China has been stricken with what the Chinese call yingwen re or ‘study English fever’. The goal is to have hundreds of thousands of English speakers ready to greet international visitors when they arrive for the Games.

Mad About English reveals the frenzy as English fever spreads to policemen, taxi drivers, waiters, official dignitaries, even elderly matrons involved in community services. Textbooks can be found in bookstores across Beijing, and each morning audio lessons of conversational English can be heard at the city’s supermarkets. Parents send their children to special boot camp-style English training programs where, in a unique teaching method, instructors encourage their pupils to scream out their English lessons at the top of their lungs.

Meanwhile, back in the USA.

“Beijing Welcomes You” after the cut.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoSt7B57uWQ[/youtube]
You had me at 北京欢迎你
Here’s to safe and thrilling games, to all our worldwide readers!

(Beijing Welcomes You with English subtitles)