Passing the torch

The story dates back to 1981, when China was just starting to open to the world and English learning was gaining popularity across the nation.

However, there was a serious shortage of English teachers and learning materials.

In response, two retired engineers, Chen Lingfeng and his wife Yi Qigui — both of whom had returned to China from overseas — decided to offer free English lessons in their own living room to help more people learn the language.

At that time, most people in China only had Sundays off, so the class was held every Sunday and soon became known as the "Sunday English Class".

The couple wrote and printed all the teaching materials themselves, while students brought their own stools and crowded into the small living room, eager to study and improve their English.

As the word spread, the number of students quickly grew, and the living room could no longer accommodate everyone.

Fortunately, English teachers and students from the nearby Southwest University (then called Southwest Normal University) learned about the program and stepped in to help.

They volunteered as teachers and provided classrooms, allowing the Sunday English Class to continue and expand.

"Many professors and staff members at our college have taught in the Sunday English Class, including myself," said Yan Yi, a former English major and now Party chief of the College of International Studies.

"We are all very proud of this volunteer experience, and it has become a significant legacy of the college."

After Chen passed away in 1993, his wife Yi continued managing the project on her own. In 2010, at the age of 72, she handed the program over to the college, which established the Magnolia Volunteer Service Group to carry it forward.

Unlike costly private English training programs that typically charge 20,000 to 30,000 yuan ($2,780 to $4,170) per year, the free Sunday classes give children from humble backgrounds a chance to improve their English, said Mei Shengli, deputy Party chief of the College of International Studies.

"We'll keep this volunteer program going for as long as we can to provide equal learning opportunities for children," he said.

In the future, the program plans to incorporate artificial intelligence technology and invite more international students to participate, Mei added.