A teenager from Glasgow has won the top prize in a prestigious Mandarin speaking competition.

Fifteen-year-old Ellie Koepplinger, who is from Maryhill, impressed a panel of judges at the British Museum in London with her command of the Chinese language.

The Hillhead High School pupil took her first Mandarin lesson only a year-and-a-half ago but her talent was such that she triumphed as the sole winner in the beginner category.

For her entry, she gave a presentation on her favourite Chinese-language pop group – Taiwanese band Fahrenheit – and fielded further questions from the judges.

The teenager said she was drawn to the language for its rich history and because she hopes to pursue a career in international politics.

She said: “It’s a beautiful language that’s full of cultural references and stories – there’s a history to every word and phrase. The way the characters are formulated is also fascinating.

“I want to become an international politician when I’m older and that means you will have to interact with China and the Chinese. The more people that learn Chinese the better-connected and richer Britain will be in the future. China is going to be a superpower and if we can speak their language it’s going to help us massively, so I think it’s great that the British Council is encouraging people to speak it."

She will now join ten champions from other categories on a trip to Beijing to visit the Forbidden City and the Great Wall.

The annual Mandarin contest is run by the British Council and HSBC.