Speak your way to success: Win that trip to 中国！

Like many other high school students studying Mandarin in Edinburgh, I chose to start learning the language out of curiosity; having had little previous exposure to Chinese language or culture. 

I soon found myself captivated by Mandarin. With its tones unlike anything I had studied before, I found speaking to be particularly engaging and fun. Complex characters, some with pictographic meanings, captured my imagination and meant that regular revision came easily to me. Despite these new and challenging aspects of Mandarin, I was comforted by the apparent simplicity of its grammar, especially when compared to the European language I was learning at the time. While the verb conjugation and gendered nouns of German left me uncertain how to utilise the vocabulary I had learned, the similarity in word order between Mandarin and English allowed me to use the language freely and creatively, despite my own limited vocabulary.

 The potential to use Mandarin in a creative and expressive way inspired my progress, particularly when it came to speaking. Learning in a small and interactive class, I was lucky to have many opportunities to speak Mandarin in discussions with my teacher and classmates. There, I was encouraged to speak from my own perspective and say what was true to my life, as opposed to what was easiest to say. This approach to speaking inevitably led to countless mishaps, in my case particularly as I often tried to express more than my basic level of Mandarin allowed.  Nevertheless, these mistakes simply stimulated me to improve my speaking skills and were certainly worth the satisfaction of meaningful conversation in Mandarin.

 With the passion for Mandarin that I had developed in class, I was inspired to look for more opportunities to practice speaking Mandarin outside of school. I started attending a Mandarin language café, and during my work experience week, I washed dishes at a Chinese restaurant -a surprisingly immersive experience of Chinese language, culture and community.

 My motivation to practice and improve my Mandarin-speaking skills has always first and foremost been to connect with Chinese people and culture, but after taking part in the British Council Mandarin Speaking Competition in 2019, my motives took on a competitive nature. To win this national competition would mean realising my dream of going to China -and for this, I was determined to push myself in the language. In 2019, I reached the finals of the competition in London as a beginner. There at the British Museum, I gave a Mandarin presentation, answered questions, and translated sentences under pressure. Despite my efforts, I left without making it into the top three of my category. Admittedly, although my Mandarin had greatly improved through preparation for the competition, this setback did hinder my determination in the language. My Mandarin study and practice decreased, yet my passion for Chinese language and culture would never disappear completely.

Into the dragons’ den to pitch his Mandarin-speaking skill to a panel of expert judges.

 With the start of a new school year, and the chance to try again at the 2020 British Council Mandarin Speaking Competition, I became more inspired than ever to improve my Mandarin. I started having regular Mandarin conversations on Skype with a friend in Taiwan, and a new classmate from China greatly increased my exposure to the language. This classmate had at first a limited knowledge of English, so I used my Mandarin to help him settle in. We became good friends, and I soon found myself conversing in Mandarin on a daily basis. In this way, Mandarin became relevant to my social life as well as to my studies. This, in turn, had a dramatic effect on my speaking skills; I started speaking more comfortably and freely, developing a broader vocabulary for everyday life.

 My increasingly spontaneous approach to speaking would prove useful in the impromptu speech included in the competition in the intermediate category. Alongside the prepared presentation and questions in Mandarin, this unpredictable element made the experience all the more exciting. I passed the regional competition in Glasgow, and after preparing and practising all I could in the months that followed, I found myself again in London. This was my last chance to win the prize I had been working towards for so long, and fortunately, my efforts paid off. Winning first prize in my category, I felt honoured by the skill in Mandarin of my competitors, and humbled by their support. I felt thankful to the British Council, and to everyone who had supported me in my Mandarin journey up to that point.

Scotland leads way as Jeff wins top prize in Mandarin-speaking Competition.

 Now, with the British Council trip to China postponed as a result of the recent pandemic, I realise that the prize was not the most important part of winning the competition, but rather the acknowledgement of my commitment and passion for Mandarin.

 I have been offered places in Chinese Studies courses at the University of London SOAS, and the University of Edinburgh. Although I am still uncertain where exactly my Mandarin journey will take me next, I know that this adventure has only just begun.

Congratulations to Jeff on such a fantastic achievement, which is testament to the hard work he and his teachers have put in throughout the past year. Language learning is an essential part of understanding and collaborating with other countries and cultures. With more than one billion Mandarin speakers in the world, it’s important that more young people in the UK learn the language – those that do will find it opens up exciting study and work opportunities in our increasingly interconnected world. It’s incredibly positive to see the Swire Chinese Language programme go from strength to strength, as evidenced by the success of our pupils.

Pupils from Swire Chinese Language Centre Edinburgh made it through to the final in London 伦敦.

左边(L）：Jeff 杰夫, 中间 (C): Richard 理查, 右边(R)：Lucy, 露西