'Jingle-belling' in China

Chinese students learning English catch the Christmas spirit as they sing carols to college classmates and staff.

from the December 18, 2007 edition

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Silence.

Stage fright had set in.

"Come on, everyone!" I rallied. "On the count of three!"

The 100-plus sophomore choir weakly made it through several carols before "Jingle Bells" ignited a holiday spark. I was thankful the group had at least mustered a perky finale.

Although the workers didn't have a clue what we were singing about or why, they gave us an encouraging round of applause. The students beamed.

Moving onward, we arrived at the women's dormitories. This second stop incited a bit more confidence and enthusiasm, especially from the boys. When the female students began lining the outer dorm balconies to listen, the young men put forth an impressive effort to win them over.

The male singers bobbed and swayed while gustily belting out our selected songs. They were off-key and their English words were unrecognizable, but no one seemed to care. The girls' laughter and waves only further boosted their masculine pride.

In a spontaneous moment, the male sophomores shouted a parting, "Women ai nimen (We love you)!" Their adoring fans responded in kind.

By the time we reached the male dorms, everyone was getting a true feeling for the caroling custom. Here the women rose to the occasion when seven floors of good-­looking guys crowded the building's open-air areas. The women's vibrant, cheerful energy brought down the house. Wild cheers and whistles followed every carol.

Only "Silent Night" hushed the attentive audience. The choir's diverse voices finally unified. Their gentle song drifted upward into the night sky and enfolded us all in a calming embrace.

The next day, the buzz around campus was all about the surprise English-language choir that sang to workers and students. Teachers and administrators even praised the activity as an innovative approach to learning English and bringing about cultural understanding.

But my sophomores had a different take on their evening of caroling. Always before, the spirit of Christmas had been explained to them. This time around, it had been felt and shared by them.

In China, December has again arrived. Last year's freshmen now sit in my classroom as bored, disinterested sophomores. They slump in their seats. They doze on their desktops. They play with their cellphones. They are expecting a Christmas unit much like the one the year before.

And I? I am secretly smiling because I know they are in for an unforgettable surprise.

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