With determination comes success: Gabriel's Mandarin learning journey
Gabriel Marriage, now in his second year studying Chinese Studies at The University of Manchester, has faced many challenges in his learning of Mandarin.
Gabriel Marriage was diagnosed with a form of autism as a young child. He struggled with English Literature in Secondary school and was eventually asked to drop both French and German in exchange for additional English lessons.
He felt treated unfairly as he very much enjoyed learning languages, so rather than simply accepting the limitations being put on him by others, he made a plan! To prove that he is capable of learning new languages, he decided to teach himself Mandarin Chinese and take a GCSE exam in it.
Over the following years, he went to his room after school and taught himself Mandarin Chinese by using self-study textbooks and digital video lessons. By his first year in sixth form, he achieved his goal and earned an A* in his Chinese GCSE.
Dr of the University of Lancaster says teaching methods should be adapted for students with learning difficulties, rather than taking them out of language classes. "The teacher just needs to be aware of it and teach slightly differently: much more visually, acting things out and explaining things a bit more explicitly than they would to other students. Some people are more receptive to audio channels of learning; others to visual, so using a combination of the two can be really effective."
Gabriel agrees, saying that teaching methods held him back more than his actual autism. The pictorial nature of Mandarin can, in fact, make it easier to learn for pupils with learning difficulties than phonetic languages, such as French or Spanish. And he has certainly proven that there is not a one size fits all approach for teaching languages to students. After his GCSE success, Gabriel decided to change his career path from science to one that features Mandarin Chinese.
On 19 September 2020, he took part in the UK Regional Final of the Chinese Bridge Competition and came 3rd! He was one of 10 regional winners, each of whom delivered a speech in Mandarin, answered a wide range of questions on Chinese language and culture and performed at a talent show. The competition has been running for 19 years now and provides an excellent opportunity for language learners to showcase their ability and talent.
Since March, , as well as the , have provided intensive language and cultural lessons to help prepare Gabriel for the competition. Learning a language requires commitment; whilst talent is an important characteristic, the ability to remain committed even in the face of adversity is vital. It is this that made Gabriel stand out. Our Confucius Institute felt honoured to be able to support him along the way and wish him all the best for the future!
Watch Gabriel’s short video story of his Chinese learning journey: