Recently on the internet, a video called “Beijing Street Cleaner Speaks Fluent English” has gone viral in China, receiving more than one million hits. In the video, a sanitation worker in his 50s uses English to answer questions. He explains his method of learning English and provides some tips to young people studying it. Even though this elderly man speaks with a heavy accent, it hasn’t detracted the enthusiasm of the video’s viewers who have vowed to learn from this elderly man.

The name of this street cleaner is Li Jing’ang, who comes from Shandong Province. During this year’s National Day Holiday, Li happened to be sweeping garbage at Entrance B to the Nanluoguxiang Metro Station when he saw two foreigners from Sweden struggling to ask for directions. Because they were unable to communicate, many passing pedestrians were unable to offer any assistance. This is when uncle Li voluntarily stepped forward and answered the Swedes in English. These two foreigners were at first completely astonished, but then immediately engaged the old man in conversation. When young people at the scene saw the events unfold before them, they waited for Uncle Li to finish his conversation with the Swedes before engaging him in an English exchange. This exchange was then uploaded to the internet.

Li Jing’ang had previously worked as a middle school English teacher between 1980-1993 in Zaozhuang, Shandong Province. Li continued to work as an English tutor in his home village when he finished at the school. Many of his students and their parents praised his teaching. At the beginning of September, as a way to satisfy his long interest in the capital, he left his village and found work as a street cleaner in Beijing. As he works, Li finds time to tour the city.

Uncle Li is currently planning to organize a tutoring class with his friends, and will be teaching English in Beijing.

Source: cri.cn

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Keywords: Beijing cleaner fluent English Beijing street cleaner