Delivery driver’s English puts him on the road to a master’s degree
Print Edition
A delivery driver who became an online celebrity for sending his customers messages in English will soon have more opportunities to use the language.
Mao Zhaomu, from southwest China’s Chongqing municipality, has returned to Sichuan International Studies University, where he used to deliver food, to register as a student. He plans to major in English.
Mao, 18, was in his first year of high school when he dropped out in March 2016.
“I like English, but my scores in other subjects were not good,” he said. “I thought it was unlikely that I would enter college. So I decided to work and help my family.”
He changed jobs several times that year, from hairdresser to bartender to home decorator.
“I didn’t like these jobs,” he said. “But I didn’t receive much education, which prevented me from getting a better job.”
In those days of confusion, Mao made up his mind about one thing — to continue his studies and go to college.
“My English teacher in middle school entered university through an entrance exam for self-taught adults,” he said. “He encouraged me to do the same.”
Most Chinese students enter universities via the national college entrance exam. However, for those who had not finished secondary school, a self-taught higher education exam was introduced in 1981 as a way to gain access to higher education.
Mao began working as a delivery driver at the beginning of this year, studying English at the same time.
“While I was waiting for the customer to pick up the meal, I could memorize several English words,” Mao said.
Seizing every chance to practice, he began sending text messages in English.
“Hello, your phone was power off when I called you. Your meal have been put by me on the vending machine,” he would write.
There were grammatical mistakes, but that didn’t prevent him from trying.
“I thought that students at the university must be good at English, so I wanted to practice,” Mao said.
On Weibo, social media users praised Mao’s efforts. “This is so inspirational,” said one user. “Whoever has a dream and dares to pursue it is the loveliest person.”
Some students at the university, such as Huang Lanhong, ordered takeout from the restaurant where Mao worked just so they could meet him.
“I think we should learn from him,” Huang said.
Teachers and students gave him books. Mao recalled that a student once gave him an English dictionary, which he put into the takeaway box. “When I arrived home, I found the book was stained with grease. I felt so sorry for the student who gave it to me.”
A teacher from Shanghai, known only as Kevin, contacted Mao and taught him online. He also sent him BBC audio clips for him to translate.
The efforts paid off.
Earlier this month, Mao received a letter of admission from the College of Continuing Education at the Sichuan university.
Mao has now quit his job and plans to get a master’s degree and become an interpreter.
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