Asians ease cross-culture connect, go for English names

“Hi. I am Liao Liang. But, you can call me Lorraine. That is my English name.”

This is how 25-year-old Liao, a broadcast journalist working for Beijing-based China Radio International (CRI) introduces herself to people who are not native to China.

But, she is not the only one who has a “bilingual identity” as people across the country have adopted English monikers to “ease cross-cultural connectivity”.

“Chinese names are difficult to pronounce, remember and write. And, so, besides our Chinese names, we also keep an English name for ourselves, and use it especially while meeting people from other countries, especially during business meeting and other professional interactions,” Liao said.

English is an important international language and such English names are a key for the native Chinese people to connect to that global world in the information age, as language sometimes becomes a barrier to communication, she said.

The English names, unlike their Chinese (traditional) names, which are given by their parents, are assumed by a person as per his or her wish. While some choose to keep a name that sounds similar to their traditional one, others also use more colourful names like Coco, Snow, Summer, Autumn, Smile, among others.

But, it is not just Chinese people adopting English names, as Indians living in China are also switching to “easy pronouncing” names to tide over the linguistic barrier.

So, Chandigarh-born Mukesh, who works as a partner in the marketing and sales division of Shenzhen-based technology firm Dianming in Guangdong Province, introduces himself as “Matt.” Moreso, his bilingual business card, printed in English and Mandarin on each side, does not say Mukesh at all.

“There were many reasons for choosing an English name, the primary among them being people finding it hard to get my name right or pronouncing it in a way that created communication gaps. Sometimes, they would be calling me and I wouldn’t respond because of wrong pronunciation,” Mukesh said.