Edited by Zhong Youyang. Subtitles by Wang Xinzhou and Andy Boreham.

British teacher Alan Garcia from Learning Education gives an online class.

British teacher Alan Garcia has stayed in Shanghai for almost every Spring Festival over the past eight years. This year, amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, he decided to remain in the city once again.

“I believe there is no difficulty that China can’t overcome,” he said. “If we do our part and work together, we can overcome anything.”

Garcia has also strictly followed government orders on preventing the spread of the outbreak.

“I stay at home, no shopping, no friend’s wedding. I think it shows how much I love China,” he said.

The extremely long holiday didn’t bore him, but instead gave him plenty of time for learning instead.

“I went on the Internet to consult everything about online teaching: advice from other teachers, courseware, activity ideas, etc,” he said.

Garcia is an English teacher at Shanghai-based Learning Education.

During his eight years in China, he's felt nothing but gratitude.

“Chinese have been very helpful and kind throughout my time here,” he said. “Shanghai’s reputation is renowned globally. Often, it’s referred to as a very modern metropolis, with an 'East meets West' cultural mix. I’m always amazed at how fast things change for the better in China.”

He said he’s impressed by the Chinese government’s rapid response and resolute action, especially the lockdown of a whole province, and the escalation of precautions.

Garcia admitted that he felt some panic and his family back in the UK had told him to go back. But he chose to stay positive and remained in Shanghai.

“The media back home is exaggerated and adds fear to the actual situation. My family did mention that I should go back, but they respected my decision of staying. I’m constantly updating them on the actual news, since as I said, media back home can be misleading. That way, my family won’t panic too much,” he said.

Before the novel coronavirus outbreak, Garcia relied a lot on food delivery platforms like Ele.me or eating at restaurants near his office. But the virus limited his food options and pushed him to cook.

“I went to supermarkets to find the basics. I went to the Internet and searched for cooking videos. That way I can cook more for myself,” he said.

He added, “I’ve also searched for exercises at home so I can stay healthy. Staying at home has huge limitations, but you can always learn something from the Internet.”

Lauren Walton teaches English online.

Also, he went on the Internet to research online education, as offline classes have all been canceled.

“An outbreak will not stop the education of our students, which is key in any society,” Garcia said.

According to Learning Education, the company already had an online department, and they have been trying to expand their network of teachers and courseware.

“We’ve dealt with this by interviewing teachers, observing their demonstration classes, arranging trainings for them on how to teach, among other things. We are doing it because we don’t want to impact our students’ studies,” according to the company.

Like Garcia, his colleagues are also working on the online class.

Compared with Garcia, Lauren Walton from the UK is a newcomer to China. She came to China just two years ago.

She didn’t hesitate to cancel her flight back home after she was informed of the outbreak. During the holiday, she kept working, ensuring that her students can learn English every day via the Internet.

“I know the peaceful spirit of the Chinese people will help defeat any challenge they face. Keep fighting. Wuhan! We Care about you,” she said.

Peter Winthrop

Peter Winthrop from the US is a "new Shanghainese" as he married a Shanghai wife. For him, Shanghai has become his favorite place in the world.

“Shanghai is a city of opposites, skyscrapers around the corner from ancient quarters, local food and international cuisine. It is a city of opportunities to learn new languages, take up old hobbies or just enjoy all the parks and gardens. It is a great place to meet new people and make friends from around the world,” he said.

Foreign teachers of Learning Education have also made a video to cheer Wuhan, hoping to send the message that the whole world is supporting China. In the video, they said: “To all our friends in Wuhan, stay safe, stay safe. Remember, we care about you.”