South West College (SWC) is celebrating a major achievement after Omagh based SWC Mandarin tutor Zhang Ruonan was named winner of the Primary and Secondary School Students Group Award at the 5th Chinese Teaching Championship for English-Speaking Countries in Europe, held in London.

The prestigious final competition brought together Chinese language educators from universities, secondary schools and primary schools across England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland, showcasing excellence in teaching and learning across all education sectors.

Zhang secured her place in the competition after progressing through the Northern Ireland heats in October. She then advanced to the semi-finals in London in December, where she earned a place in the grand final and went on to claim the top award, standing out among more than one hundred teachers from across the UK and Ireland.

The College praised Zhang not only for her competitive success, but also for her ongoing commitment to teaching excellence and student engagement. Zhang joined the SWC Confucius Hub in September 2024 and quickly established excellent working relationships across both primary and post-primary schools.

Linda Beatty, Confucius Hub Project Officer, said:
“Zhang, or Nancy as she is known to her pupils, is an exceptional teacher who is adored by her students. She delivers engaging, fun and highly interactive Mandarin lessons and has a unique ability to bring out the best in every pupil she teaches. Her schools were absolutely delighted for her and described her as ‘just brilliant’, adding that this achievement is richly deserved.

“It is wonderful to see her receive the recognition she so clearly merits, and it also reflects the high standards and dedication of staff across the College.”

Speaking of her achievement, Zhang said:
“I am absolutely delighted to have won first prize in the 5th European Chinese Teaching Competence Competition for English-speaking Regions. This achievement would not have been possible without the support of the leaders and teachers from the Confucius Institute at Ulster University and South West College.

“I would like to express my sincere thanks to Linda Beatty, Naomi Trimble, Melanie Thompson and Kieran Higgins for their invaluable support, as well as to all the children in the schools where I teach, who inspire me every day. This competition experience will remain etched in my memory forever.

“Throughout this journey, I met many outstanding educators and learned a wealth of excellent teaching approaches, which will greatly enhance my future Chinese language teaching practice.”

Zhang added:
“This award is a great motivation for me to prepare my lessons with even greater dedication, helping my students to gain a deeper understanding of China and to embrace the joy of Chinese culture.”

For more information or to get involved please contact Linda at Linda.beatty@swc.ac.uk