Years ago an unconventional young Chinese man called Li Yang had the country obsessed with his unconventional "Crazy English" language learning technique. Now Li Yang is back, but this time he's promoting "crazy Chinese."

 

How does it work?

 

The kids reciting fluent ancient Chinese poetry are probably Li Yang's youngest students.

 

People may wonder when the person who founded the sensational "crazy English" schools became an expert in learning the Chinese language.

 

But Li Yang's opinion says there are a lot of similarities involved in mastering both languages.

 

And you have to know your mother tongue before you can learn a second language.

 

"If you can't master your mother tongue, you won't be able to learn English well. Just looking at history, a lot of famous translators are not only good at English, crucially, their Chinese is very good as well. That's why they can translate between the two languages well."

 

Over a decade ago, Li Yang created "crazy English" to motivate ordinary Chinese folk to speak English.

 

He successfully got timid and skeptical Chinese standing up in front of thousands of strangers, shouting slogans and catchphrases.

 

Now, Li Yang says his "Crazy Chinese" will help kids between 3 and 8 years old learn 3500 Chinese characters in 4 to 6 months if they study attentively for 30 minutes every day.

 

One important way they can achieve the goal is by reciting 200 hundred ancient poems.

 

Many kids think it's very difficult.

 

But Li Yang's creative language-learning method has won the support of some education experts and parents. Here's one mother.

 

"Though some poems they've recited are too hard for little kids to understand, as they grow up they will gradually come to realize the meaning and use them correctly."

 

Current school study schedules only set children a target of 2,000 characters during their six years of primary school, one character a day.

 

No wonder those who oppose to Li Yang's crazy Chinese teaching program say it pushes kids too hard, too early.

 

Crazy English is now popular in Korea and Japan, as well as China.

 

Will Crazy Chinese enjoy the same success? Only time can tell.

 

(CRI November 14, 2006)