On 28th October 2018, in the depths of autumn on the campus of Nanjing University of Science and Technology (NJUST), with the leaves from the parasol trees falling around us and the fragrance of sweet osmanthus floating on the air, 58-year-old English teacher Jennifer (Li Jinfeng) was taking her grandchildren for a walk in the gardens of the campus.
Wearing a red Chinese shawl and a skirt with hues of a Chinese watercolor painting, carrying a Chinese bag embroidered with peonies, she has become a part of the scenery of the place.
"The reason why I chose the surname Li was because I admired the martial artist Bruce Lee from an early age." Our interview began with her name. “The name ‘Jinfeng’ was given to me by my husband. He worked at a restaurant where there was a large embroidered picture of Song of the Phoenix. I often stopped to gaze at all the little birds, but my husband told me I was the phoenix in the picture, the Queen of the birds. The golden part of my name was given because gold is one of the five elements, the most precious of metals.”
A childhood obsession: to enter the dream of "white walls and black roof tiles"
Li Jinfeng’s love for China is a kind of conviction. “When I was four or five years old, I went to the library of Birmingham in my hometown and picked up a book of photos of a little girl in China. In the album, the clothes worn by the little girl, the background behind her, appeared to my eyes as magical and deeply fascinated me. Later, I had a recurring dream for many years in which I walked in a courtyard with white walls. It was empty except for me, serene and tranquil.”
Li Jinfeng said that in the art class of elementary school, other children painted ordinary British houses, but she always painted small bridges and courtyards. Her home is decorated with Chinese style, Chinese paintings, calligraphy with favourite Song poetry, Chinese tables and chairs... From an early age, she was referred to as “the Chinese one" in her family.
For ordinary British people, China before the reform and opening up was seen as an ancient, mysterious place. Learning Chinese at that time was a dream that was unlikely to be realized since only a few universities in the UK offered Chinese courses.
In order to find the China of her dream, Li Jinfeng enrolled at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London to study Chinese, without her parent’s approval. In 1979, she finally got the opportunity to study at the Beijing Language Institute (now Beijing Language and Culture University).
Studying in China was full of wonderful memories yet in Beijing, she did not find the white walls and black tiles of her dreams. Beijing had grey walls. This dream which seemed at once to be close at hand but at that time, still far away, was always buried deep in her memory over all the years.
It was not until 31 years later that Li Jinfeng came to Jiangsu and found the white walled houses of the Jiangnan water towns. She felt elation at the discovery. "This is the dream of China I had when I was a child. White walls and black tiles, just like an ink painting on rice paper. I fell in love with Nanjing. I fell in love with Jiangnan!" Li Jinfeng said excitedly.
Li Jinfeng’s feelings for China have even been passed on to the next generation. Her daughter went to Nanjing University of the Arts to graduate, and her son taught English at NJUST. He married a lovely Nanjing girl and now has two gorgeous children. “So, no matter where I go, west or east, I always long to return to our ‘great Nanjing’. My childhood dreams are here. My family is here.”
Witnessing development: China amazes the world
Talking about the changes since China's reform and opening up, Li Jinfeng said: "In 1979, when I first came to China, rationing was still in place and we had to use rice tickets and clothing tickets. When we got eggs, it was great!“ Napoleon famously once made the comment that when China awakes, she will shake the world. “I waited long for that day and always believed in the potential of China, now China does amaze our world.” Today, in contrast with the 70s, China has no lack of food. Almost every family has a car in our towns and cities. Many people go abroad for vacations every year; and everyone worries about giving their children a good education, and how to give the world a better understanding of China.
What makes Li Jinfeng happy is that the improvement of material living standards has not diminished the inheritance of history and culture. The Zhanyuan Garden and Ming Dynasty city walls of Nanjing are well protected. “If you feel with your fingertips the 600-year-old Ming Dynasty city wall, you can feel the pulse of the city - the very essence of Chinese culture,” Li Jinfeng said.
More and more people can speak to her in English now and many young children come up to her and say a few words in English which she always finds lovely. Sometimes, when she is able, she visits the theater next to the Chaotian Palace in Nanjing, to listen to Kunqu Opera. The subtitles are now in Chinese and English, sharing the beauty of the lines of Kunqu Opera. "The reform and opening up has opened a door and allowed not only China to make contact with the west but also have the opportunity to share the best of Chinese culture with the world."
Teaching and educating people: "Bringing the beauty of Chinese culture to the world"
Li Jinfeng previously taught English to students from non-English speaking countries in the UK. However, she told reporters: "What I really treasure most of all, is that I finally had the opportunity in my life of returning to China and doing something which can help students communicate better with the world, as a teacher of English."
In the course of teaching, she found that some domestic textbooks may contain some errors of grammar etc. So she tries each year to prepare additional study material for her lessons. When she returns to the UK during the summer vacation, she will also collect some multimedia materials to help make her classes more interesting and up to date. Recently, Li Jinfeng applied for a WeChat public account, and published some English learning materials, allowing students to listen to some recordings of poetry and her own translations of some Chinese poetry read in English.
Of course, she also encountered some problems in teaching. “In the UK, there are only 20 to 30 students in a class. The tables and chairs can be moved. For example, we can form groups or make a circle and have eye contact, much better for communication and practicing conversational English. In China, a class of students can go up to 40 or 50. Seating is fixed with the teacher on a pedestal, not the best environment for learning a language but we improvise."
After returning to the UK last summer, Li Jinfeng accidentally discovered that the English translation of the novel "Ten Miles of Peach Blossom" was available online and many western readers had enjoyed this very different type of Chinese fantasy story. This made her think how Chinese culture when shared can amaze the world and offer something very different and at times quite exquisite.
However, she believes that to better introduce Chinese culture, we need to know how to present it to the world, so these skills require an understanding of foreign history and culture as well as language. Li Jinfeng said that she really hopes to help Chinese students learn English well, and inspire in them taking on the task of bringing the beauty of Chinese culture to the world.
（Source:jschina.com.cn)
