'Woodpecker' keeps chipping away at Chinglish

SHANGHAI - Friends of Noyan Rona affectionately tease him with the nickname "woodpecker" because they say he is constantly picking away at ways to improve Shanghai and make the city more agreeable for the millions of foreign visitors attending the Expo.

As the head of the Shanghai Expo's foreign volunteer group in Changning district, 53-year-old Rona is originally from Turkey but has lived in China for 28 years.

Rona fills his days leading a team around the city, correcting misspelled words on English-language signs, directing traffic during rush hour, and teaching taxi drivers English and etiquette so they are prepared for the estimated 3.5 million overseas visitors during the Expo.