Beijing Learns Olympic Etiquette

Chinese City Not Known For Politeness Prepares For Influx Of Foreigners

(CBS)  From kids to cabbies, there is an Olympic push to learn English.

One driver tells CBS News correspondent Barry Petersen that learning English will help give better service to foreigners.

English teacher Li Yang calls his classes "crazy English" and says the Chinese are an in-your-face kind of people, often asking each other about the most personal of details. So foreigners should expect conversations that might be downright frank.

"Any questions we were told not to ask, I will ask -- salary, marriage, religion, everything," Li says. "Because it's real China."

But parts of real China may be a bit much. Beijing is a city where rudeness rules. People litter, push or spit.

So students are giving a dose of polite - handing out "good ways to act" cards that say "line up properly," or "don't be so loud."

The Chinese also have a list of rules for foreigners: don't burn a Chinese flag, don't bring any printed material critical of China and don't start any rallies. Everyone, it seems, has to be on their best behavior.

In the subway, the "best behavior" campaign features fashionable new conductors who have been busy these past two years teaching riders to stop pushing and try a whole new idea: getting in line - a surefire way to impress foreign visitors.

"Smile. Smile has no accent," Li says.

Li is also training Olympic volunteers. So China is dancing to a new tune - the same one mom taught us - that when guests come calling, mind your manners.

[eggy1620]

If the Chinese believe that their nation, society, culture, and way of life is so great, then why the big efforts to change for the games?

[shippg]

"Getting in line" is a whole new idea? Wow, what a fun city. NOT.

[wcreader]

Very appreciate and good to see huge effort have been put in by the regular Chinese citizen and its%u2019 government in preparing for the Olympic Games. For example, in preparing the game, to make visitors feel home, many people and local volunteer learning foreign language, take lessons to understanding rules of do and don%u2019t of culture of other countries. This is the Chinese culture that I observed when I visited China a few years ago. It is their way to show sincerely respect and warm welcome to their important guess and friends. Unfortunately, our media is bias and very unfriendly to interpret every effort to be negative as it can be if it is about China. For example, regardless what Chinese do, our report will always end with %u201CBUT%u201D%u2026 then.. our bias impression %u201C%u2026Beijing is a city where rudeness rules. People litter, push or spit%u201D. Or are they always? No American littler? or spit? If reporter see one Chinese do that,is it everyChinese. Isn''t it bias, un-respectful and unprofessional to generalize that. I don%u2019t agree that %u201Crudeness rules Beijing%u201D.