He Learned English—and Everything Changed

I have a very close friend who grew up in a province. Like many kids in rural areas, English wasn’t something he was confident in. He had a strong provincial accent, and even though he tried, he struggled a lot with English—his vocabulary was limited, his pronunciation was off, and he had difficulty forming complete sentences. Writing was even harder. He wasn’t used to expressing himself in English, and that became a huge challenge later on.

When I met him, he was already a student at a State University, taking up Mechanical Engineering. His family could still support him at that time. But in August 2023, everything changed. His mom suddenly became very ill—so ill that she couldn’t work anymore. That also meant the end of financial support.

He tried to handle it. He applied at restaurants and got a job as a staff member. But juggling that kind of physical work with the demands of engineering school was just too much. Eventually, he failed some of his classes. During those hard times, he would call me at night, while I was preparing for my board exams, to pour his heart out.  He was overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and on the verge of giving up. He would cry and tell me how helpless he felt, how lost he was.

At that time, I was also working and studying. I had tasks—academic tasks and freelance work—that I needed to finish. I saw his need, and I wanted to help, so I gave some of those tasks to him and paid him for completing them. It wasn’t much, but it gave him something. Still, I made it clear to him: “This won’t last. Tasks like this come and go.”

That’s when I told him, “You need to learn English. It’s the only way you can elevate yourself. It can open doors for you.”

He was hesitant. He said English was too difficult. He couldn’t even pronounce words properly, let alone construct full sentences. His writing was poor, and his confidence was lower than ever. But I didn’t give up on him. I told him I would help him.

I became his mentor. I taught him everything I knew. We practiced pronunciation and simple conversations. It wasn’t easy. There were days when he would say he couldn’t do it. But I saw that he was trying. He really wanted to improve.

During that time, I was also receiving commissions for academic work. Every time I earned, I shared what I could with him. It wasn’t just financial help—it was also moral support. I wanted him to know someone believed in him. Little by little, I started to notice changes. His writing was improving. He was learning how to express ideas clearly. His confidence was growing. He started to say things like, “I think I’m ready to apply for a better job.”

We worked together on his resume, wrote his cover letters, and practiced interviews. Every time he got an interview invitation, we celebrated together. Then we would practice—how to introduce himself, how to answer common interview questions, how to adjust his tone and pace when speaking English. We did mock interviews, and I gave feedback.

We faced many rejections. But we didn’t stop. And then one day, a company finally saw him. A foreign company. It's a company where English is the only language used. And because he learned English, he was ready.

He got the job. It’s been a year now. He’s been working there ever since. He doesn’t call me at midnight crying anymore. He calls to tell me he sent me food. Or a gift. Or just to say thank you.

We may have gone our separate ways now, but I’ll always remember those nights we stayed up—me helping him with English, him doing his best not to give up. And I will always be proud of him.

Learning English didn’t just give him better grammar or pronunciation. It gave him a future.

He’s living proof that English isn’t just a subject. It’s a tool. It’s a key. And sometimes, it’s exactly what you need to change your life.