Easier learning

The access to materials that learners can relate to, or materials that take into account the learners' environment is key when learning a foreign language, said Mushangwe.

The portable electronic dictionaries some Japanese students were using to learn Chinese he saw while he was studying in China in 2017 made him realize the importance of developing a dictionary for Zimbabweans.

He then started drafting a Shona-Chinese dictionary, which later became the first Shona-Chinese/Chinese-Shona dictionary ever published. Shona is Zimbabwe's most spoken language.

Mushangwe said the access to locally produced materials is key to learning a language and achieving high proficiency.

His latest handbook, Introduction to Chinese Characters from a Zimbabwean Perspective, makes it easier for Zimbabwean students to learn China's written form.

"Your own language is the basis of understanding a foreign language. That's why we need to develop our local resources which better explains the target language, its terms, grammar patterns and so forth," he said.

Mushangwe has co-authored several books including the first English-Shona-Chinese phrase book published by the University of Zimbabwe in 2019.

He has also published countless research papers in reputable local and international journals, and has been playing a significant role in developing locally produced materials for learning Chinese.