International Pioneering – China Segment 4 by Priscilla Hofert
CHINA, SEGMENT 4: MR GUAN, MAN OF MANY TALENTS by Priscilla Hofert, submitted October 2022
John had always enjoyed playing tennis, so he made it known to his class that he would like to find someone with whom to play. A student of his introduced John to Guan, who spoke excellent English. Soon they were playing tennis–a bunch of old guys, some who could hardly run, but it was fun even so.
Guan introduced us to a group known as the Johanians. These were graduates of a British sponsored University in Shanghai, St. Johan’s University, which had taught these bright young Chinese people. After the Communist government took power, they were sent to the countryside to do hard, often dangerous, menial tasks or other lowly jobs. They were debased and their intelligence never honored.
Guan introduced us to a group known as the Johanians. These were graduates of a British sponsored University in Shanghai, St.
Johan’s University, which had taught these bright young Chinese people. After the Communist government took power, they were sent to the countryside to do hard, often dangerous, menial tasks or other lowly jobs. They were debased and their intelligence never honored.
We were privileged at this time to be able to meet with these dear ones, as only a year or two sooner we would not have been allowed to meet with this group. For 10 years they invited us to join their yearly Christmas celebration.
At first my English classes were small; the one John and I taught had just 16 students, then a PhD class of 26, then a Master’s class of over one hundred, and finally a class of 216 students!
Guan encouraged me to try singing in class. He said that he had improved his English by listening to classic popular music, by people such as Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, and Rosemary Clooney, whose pronunciation was perfect and whose lyrics embodied lots of English phrases that were commonly used. So it was that I began using singing in my class. It was one way each student could participate. I would read over the lyrics I had given them and explain some background of the song. For example, when we sang “Swing low sweet chariot” I told that this was really an escape song for the slaves during slave times. I would start by singing one phrase at a time and they would repeat that phrase, so we went through the song one phrase at a time. We would begin again and they would already be able to sing the song. It was unbelievable how quickly they learned the tunes and the words!
As you look at the classrooms you can see they have concrete walls and tile floors–all hard surfaces. So when the students sang, they sounded WONDERFUL! Some songs were humorous. Like “Enjoy yourself, it’s later than you think, Enjoy yourself, while you’re still in the pink” (I had to explain that pink referred to white folks who have a pink complexion if they are healthy). So when I’d asked for them to get out their song sheets, I could hear this hum of joy. It was something they loved doing, and as we know, if you love something, you learn it well. And Mr Guan pointed out that it activates a part of the brain that helps one learn a language.
Guan finally got to attend a reunion with Johanians in Canada. By now he was in his late 80s. When he arrived there the Canadians could not believe that he had never before left China, because his English was so flawless. He was thrilled and honored. He attributed this accomplishment to listening to the music on the shortwave radio after WWII and the excellent diction of the singers at that time.
With the Johanians, Priscilla & John at left 
“The Peanut King” (because he was a peanut exporter), John, Priscilla, and Mr Guan 
With Seven Year Class 
PhD Class
Master Class part 1 
Master Class part 2 
Master Class part 3