Drivers, nurses and students who will become Olympic volunteers this summer have to survive a boot camp reciting English poems this week to sharpen their English proficiency.
The 1,000 potential volunteers are going through intensive English training 15 hours a day for eight consecutive days at Geely University in northwest Beijing.
"I have to finish the sentence of the day in front of my teachers before going for my meals," said Shi Guang, a driver from a district landscaping bureau. "I failed twice, but luckily I got it on my second go."
The 28-year-old Beijinger has a community college degree and is still trying to get a university degree. Beijing Games organizers give special emphasis to the educational background of those drivers who may get to escort VIPs like International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge around Beijing this summer.
The driver, from Fengtai District in south Beijing, was selected from 50 in his bureau and passed two rounds of tests conducted by Games organizers' BOCOG. But the course still proved challenging for the driver, who seldom has a chance to chat with foreigners.
"We have one or two fluent speakers in our group. One is a driver from General Motors, another is from the subway company. That's a lot of pressure for me."
"But I know I must open my mouth more and speak."
For the survivors of the camp, chanting sentences like "You are my adversary, but you are not my enemy" is an effective method to boost their confidence.
"The passion to speak and express our feelings is much more important than what we say in English," said Wang Pengqi, a 21-year-old university student from Beijing University of Chinese Medicine.
The girl from Shandong said the English taught at the camp is the easy part. She is also interested in picking up some useful Spanish, French and Russian phrases from her teachers.
"Even if your pronunciation is terrible, you should be proud of yourself," said Li Yang, founder of the Crazy English program. The company advices BOCOG on its language-training services. "It's the willingness to speak that matters."
