Several years ago in a '2nd level' provincial university I was the only foreign teacher invited to attend the Foreign Language department's Christmas party.

The university had 45 Chinese English teachers in attendance.

Not one word of English was spoken. I didn't hear one "Merry Christmas"!

I observed that Chinese English teachers in groups are routinely loath to use their spoken English in front of their colleagues and superiors, fearing the quality of their pronunciation and grammar. The few Chinese teachers who have studied overseas and acquired 'superior' spoken English fear being seen as 'proud' or 'arrogant' in front of the Dean, so they too speak Chinese.

The only reason I was invited was that everyone knew I preferred to practice my own spoken Chinese and would not require responses in English.