On the morning of April 18, 2021, jointly sponsored by the Foreign Affairs Office of the People's Government of Beijing Municipality, Beijing Radio and Television Station and Beijing Foreign Studies University, undertaken by BRTV Beijing Time, Chaoyang District, Haidian District, Shijingshan District, Yanqing District and other related districts, and co-organized by Shougang Group, the "Foreign Language Signage Improvement Month" was officially launched in the new Shougang Park. With the theme "Welcoming the Winter Olympics and Promoting Improvement", the “Foreign Language Signage Improvement Month” is one of the important measures forimplementing the Welcoming the Winter Olympics and Promoting Improvement' - Beijing Municipal Special Action Plan On Building an International Language Environment, aiming at further optimizing the international language environment of the capital and better serving the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Winter Paralympics.

At the openingceremony, a promotional film on the developmentof the capital's international language environment was played on the spot, and letters of appointment were issued to members of the specially invited expert group. The volunteers launched an initiative to invite the general public to jointly carry out a "physical examination" for the foreign language signs around them, "catchbugs" inthe language landscapes of the capital, and strengthen Beijing's position as the Center for International Exchange. Yan Jiabao, a young crosstalk performer, along with Tina and Yeguo, international friends, presented an interesting bilingual talk show--"Let's Find Fault". The unique design of the performance elicited unceasing laughter from the scene, and the interaction between volunteers and the audience became the highlight of the whole activity.

On the day of the event, the first offline themed error correction activity was held. Experts such as Michael Crook and Ren Wen, Dean of the Graduate School of Translation and Interpretation, Beijing Foreign Studies University, checked foreign language signs together with volunteers and explained the English translation standards forpublic signs on the spot.

Five enthusiastic fans of the "Beijing Foreign Affairs" official WeChat account were also invited to participate as volunteers. The fans expressed that it was so cool that they could meet foreign language experts whom they had admired for a long time, visit the new Shougang Park with them, "find fault" with the erection and use of foreign language signs in key public places, and contribute to an international language environment in Beijing.

The "Foreign Language Signage Improvement Month" will last until May 18th. During the event, the sponsors will also organize three offline error correction activities in Beijing Olympic Park inChaoyang District, World HorticulturalExpo Venue inYanqing District and Cadillac Arena inHaidian District. At the same time, the general public is encouraged to participate in online special page collection and interaction, and interesting error correction quiz games, etc., therebycreating a good atmosphere in which everyone knows, cares about and engages in the developmentof an international language environment. The sponsors will also evaluate and select "error correction stars" from the participants and award them accordingly. The "Beijing Time" appand the official website of the Beijing Foreign Affairs Office will set up the activity topic "Foreign Language Signage Improvement Month", and the "Beijing Foreign Affairs" WeChat official account has also simultaneously launched a mini program named "Snapshot" for the correction of foreign language signs.

Specially Invited Group of Experts to Help Out

Passionate Initiative by Volunteer

Bilingual Talk Show

The first offline themed error correction activity

List of Members of Specially Invited Expert Group (Signage Improvement Ambassadors)

Michael Crook – Director of West Academy of Beijing

FRIEND ANDREW MARK – American cultural and educational expert

Mark Howard Levine – American expert at Minzu University of China

David Feng – Swiss expert and professor

Ren Wen – Dean of the Graduate School of Translation and Interpretation, Beijing Foreign Studies University

Li Changshuan – Associate Dean, Graduate School of Translation and Interpretation, Beijing Foreign Studies University

Peng Ping – Associate Dean of School of English and International Studies, Beijing Foreign Studies University

Dong Xixiao – Associate Dean of School of European Language and Culture, Beijing Foreign Studies University

Zhang Siying – Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press

Zhang Tianwei – Deputy Director of the National Research Center for State Language Capacity, Beijing Foreign Studies University