Names

Chinese names are difficult at the best of times to write and pronounce. Some people are kind to the foreigners and have an English name.

When a baby is born the parents pick the child's name based on something beautiful. When the students choose their English names they choose them for all sorts of reasons, some you would never be able to guess why.

They then decide for some reason or another that they don't like their English name so they change it. Some of my students have called themselves unusual names like October, Iceman, Genius etc. Others have chosen names such as Beckham, Giggs, Rinaldo. Those I recognize. Then you have the names we recognize like Jackson, Al, Jack, David, Peter, Bruce, Fiona, Sophia, Victoria etc.

Those that don't chose an English name I call by their number. I have 250 - 275 Students, I don't not have a chance of ever remembering their name or number. So I have a seating plan that I refer to. Very impersonal I know.