The Center for Global Education's China Learning Initiatives is pleased to present the second series in its China Straight Up project, China in Plain English. This 11-episode series follows Howie Southworth and Greg Matza as they make their way through China—neither of them speaks Mandarin. Through their adventures and misadventures, we learn about China through a new and fascinating lens.

The series can be used in classrooms in many different ways. For teachers and students, it can foster discussions that help build students' Chinese skills. For example, beginners can be asked to come up with the right questions in Chinese that Howie and Greg should have asked. More advanced students can discuss in Chinese what they would do in a similar situation—in a country where they don't understand the language.

For more general audiences, China in Plain English is a way to show that travel in China is totally possible, even with very little knowledge of the language.

China in Plain English is an 11-episode series, with each episode lasting 3-4 minutes. The episodes will be released weekly beginning in January 2017. Be sure to check back each week for the latest episode!