Misassumption reveals Chinese-language boom

During my flight to Lima for the APEC meeting, a simple mistake about my profession sparked an unexpected discovery about Peruvian students' enthusiasm for Chinese language and culture.

A Chinese construction company manager, thinking I was a Confucius Institute teacher, approached me about recruiting student volunteers. His assumption wasn't entirely off the mark, because 22 years ago, as a graduate student in Beijing, I taught English at a night college.

The serendipitous mistake brought back fond memories of my teaching days and piqued my curiosity about Chinese-language learners in Peru.