McClintock Primary School celebrates global success in Mandarin Singing Competition

MCCLINTOCK Primary School in Seskinore is celebrating a major international achievement after receiving a highly commended award in a global Mandarin singing competition.

The school took part in the CLEC Singing Competition, an international event which promotes Chinese language learning through music. This year’s theme was “Sing in Chinese, Harmony with Nature,” encouraging pupils to explore language, creativity and cultural understanding through song.

Each year, McClintock Primary School welcomes a native Chinese language tutor, allowing pupils to learn Mandarin from an early age. The programme has been running for many years and has become a valued part of school life. Children in school take part in weekly Mandarin lessons, developing both linguistic skills and an appreciation of Chinese culture.

This year’s tutor, Xai, is from Hubei in China and is a graduate of Hubei Normal University, where she specialised in English teaching. She is part of a programme delivered through the Confucius Institute, working in partnership with Ulster University and schools across Northern Ireland.

As part of the competition, McClintock Primary’s P6 class recorded a video performance with the help of Xai, which impressed judges on a global stage, earning the school a place in the highly commended category.

One pupil, Charlie, has been selected to represent the school and collect the award at a special Chinese New Year celebration at Belfast City Hall on February 17, which also marks Chinese New Year and the Year of the Horse. The event will take place in the Great Hall from 11am to 1pm, with Charlie attending alongside one of his parents and school principal Sam Dennison.

Charlie was chosen for his creativity and leadership throughout the project, particularly for developing many of the gestures used in the performance.

Speaking about the Mandarin programme, Rachael Jones, the P6 teacher at McClintock Primary, said the children have been learning Mandarin for a long time.

“The children have been doing Mandarin ever since I came here in 2020, but it was going long before that,” she said. “They learn every Friday, and it’s something they really look forward to.”

Mrs Jones said she is continually amazed by how well the children respond to learning a new language.

“They find it really good. The P6s are very interested, and they always amaze me because Xai gets them to write things down in their wee jotters, and they’ll go back to them later. A lot of them can still read it, which is brilliant. They pick it up much better at their age.”

She explained that the lessons go far beyond vocabulary and pronunciation.

“Xai teaches them about Chinese culture as well. Sometimes they’ll do arts and crafts, especially around Chinese New Year. This year, because it’s the Year of the Horse, they did activities based around that."

Mrs Jones also highlighted how pupils learn about cultural differences in everyday life.

“For example, in China there are different words for your mother’s mother and your father’s mother. We’d just say granny and granddad, but in Chinese it’s very specific. It’s interesting and useful, and the children really enjoy learning things like that.”

Mrs Jones said she was extremely proud of the pupils’ performance in the competition.

“They are great singers. That’s why we chose the P6 class to enter, they’re lovely singers and they pick up songs so quickly. We’d maybe practice a song once or twice and they’re flying. It takes them no time at all.”

She added: “I am so proud of them. They’ve done so well for themselves.”

Speaking with the tutor, Xai, she explained that her role involves teaching Mandarin across several schools.

“I go around four schools, which is about 20 classes altogether, from P1 to P7,” she said. “I even teach one Year 13 student, who is 17 years-old.”

She said that when she first meets a class, she enjoys introducing herself and her culture.

“For my first class, I wore traditional Chinese clothing called a Qi Pao so the children could learn more about Chinese culture. I also explained my name. In China, the family name comes first and the given name comes after. My family name is Xai, and my given name means ‘a beautiful dream’.”

Xai said the song chosen for the competition was fun and engaging.

“The song is called Xiong Mao Xiong Mao Bu Shi Mao. It’s a Chinese pun. In English, it means ‘panda, pandas are not cats.’ In Mandarin, xiong means bear and mao means cat, but together they mean panda.”

She explained that the song is more of a chant than a traditional melody.

“The children learned the language, rhythm and gestures in just three weeks, even though we only have one lesson a week. They are very talented.”

Xai also praised Charlie for his creativity.

“Most of the gestures were created by a little boy in the class called Charlie. He came up with so many ideas and he’s very creative.”

She added that she has enjoyed living in Northern Ireland since arriving last August.

“Everyone is very friendly. People say hello to you on the street, which I really like. I love the environment, here are so many trees and so much green. The weather is a bit cold," she joked, "but I really enjoy being here.”

Several pupils spoke positively about their Mandarin classes.

“The Mandarin classes are going really good and the video was really fun,” said Olivia, a P6 pupil.

Speaking about their tutor Xai, Grace, another P6 pupil said: "I find Xai really nice and she has fun games for us to do."

“For the video, we made rice and different things,” added Ethan.

Charlie explained why he thought he was chosen to represent the school.

“I sort of led the class with the actions and other stuff, so I think that’s why I got chosen,” he said.

School principal Sam Dennison said the Mandarin programme has been hugely beneficial.

“We are delighted that we can offer a second language in the school,” he said. “Research shows that learning a second language improves cognitive ability, and it gives children exposure to different cultures, which is especially important in a rural area.”

He added that Mandarin is the world’s most widely spoken first language.

“Some of our pupils may not stay in Seskinore when they’re older, they might go out into the wider world. Giving them experience of Mandarin is incredibly valuable.”

Mr Dennison also praised the cultural aspect of the programme.

“It’s not just about learning how to speak Mandarin. It’s about learning about Chinese culture, which is increasingly important as China is a major global economic power.”

He thanked Linda Beatty, South West College Confucius Hub Project Officer, for her ongoing support.

“She works very closely with the school and keeps us informed of opportunities like this competition. We are very grateful.”

Mr Dennison said the award is a significant achievement.

“To be recognised on a global scale is something really special. It’s wonderful to see children from a small school in Northern Ireland being acknowledged internationally, and we are very much looking forward to attending the event in February.”

To watch the video of McClintock's P6s singing in Mandarin, visit their Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/mcclintockprimaryschool