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Jonathan Powell

369 days to go

The sparkling National Stadium is drenched in a sea of camera flashes and a cacophony of shocked gasps when controversy strikes the highly anticipated 100-metres final. The pressure is on technical officials. They know they must remove a superstar sprinter who has false-started twice, and under the rules, must be expelled from the race.

After years of single-minded preparation, the athlete is devastated, and is reluctant to step aside. The moment calls for cool heads, diplomacy, and clear communication.

In commendable English, the Chinese technical official explains the rules have been broken, and that the show must go on. 'Please leave the track.'

It might sound straightforward to a native, but to an elementary or intermediate speaker, finding the right words with the appropriate measure of sympathy, might be the key to avoiding a regrettable reaction in the white-hot heat of competition. Just ask Linford Christie. It happened to him at the Atlanta Games in 1996.

Beijing's 2008 Olympic National Technical Officials (NTOs) are among hundreds taking English-language training camps ahead of the games. The workshops for organising staff include role-plays where officials are presented with possible situations.

'We are providing them with 'what if' scenarios and different permutations,' said Peter Winn, president of English First (EF), China, the official language-training services supplier to the games, and operator of the workshops. 'The classes are customised, tailored to the different jobs the staff have. They include speaking, reading and writing, plus drills and role-plays.'

EF, which has operations in more than 50 countries and 50 mainland  cities, is also providing mobile and online English training tools in a project that will run  for the next 12 months. It has delegated a team of 100 top instructors,  flown in from around the world, to support the effort.

'Training Olympic staff is their full-time job,' said Winn. 'We are fully committed to this project. The goal is to make translating less necessary, and for officials to be able to deal with situations independently. We want them to understand global culture, and make a strong impression that Beijing is a world-class city.'

The company has been contracted to train 120 NTOs,  as well as 250 translators and interpreters, needed to care for foreign guests, and 100 'team elite' members, who will manage Olympic venues. Another 5,000 specialist volunteers, in the process of recruitment, will  receive training in Beijing and other Olympic cities.

'We weren't sure what ability levels we would come across, but our instructors have been pleasantly surprised by the standard that already exists,' said Winn. 'The reality is that the base understanding is very good. Most have the tools to speak substantial English.

'The main issue is a lack of practice and the absence of an English-speaking environment. We aim to reactivate their dormant vocabulary.'

Meanwhile, the 5,000 volunteers, who are being selected to escort VIP guests and provide language services, are being recruited from 11 universities in the capital. So far, 1,200 have been signed up and although there is no shortage of English-speaking ability, there is thought to be a lack of skills for other languages. This group participated in their first training sessions last month and will accompany officials and delegations from around the world during the Good Luck Beijing test events  over the next two months, providing translation services.

The city-wide appetite for English- language training is far from being sated. Police officers, airline pilots, taxi and bus drivers, tourist guides, shop assistants and post office workers are among the professions whose skills have been put under the spotlight.

Behind the drive is the Beijing city government, which launched its Beijing Speaks Foreign Language programme a few years ago to help citizens communicate with visitors during the games.

Taxi drivers are expected to attend 'study sessions', where they learn some basic English, and the city's '110' emergency service is a year into its English training programme to improve the language competence of operators. The programme also aims to see police  able to answer questions about roads and shops and provide help in English by games time.

The civil aviation authority is encouraging pilots to rise to the challenge. Less than 10 per cent of the mainland's  pilots meet international aviation English standards, and 8,000 are yet to pass standard exams.

The government objective is to train five million, or 35 per cent of the city's total population, to speak some level of English. In April, an official  claimed that 4.8 million Beijing residents could speak English at different levels, a number that was questioned by the media.

The government has also made great efforts to rectify misspelled or wrongly translated English signs on roads, scenic spots, commercial areas, cultural establishments, subways, hospitals, and other public places.



Beijing on mission to find right words