My English Online journey: How learning English changed my life

To celebrate 5 years of English online courses, we launched a writing competition and were thrilled with the range of imaginative and inspiring entries. Every piece showed effort, imagination, and personality, making the judging a real challenge. These five stood out for their clear writing and engaging style and emerged as winners.

We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we did, and that they inspire you to explore your journey of learning English:

My English Online Journey

For many years I searched a lot about how I could learn English, year after year. I always hoped to be a fluent speaker, but I often felt frustrated.😔

My schedule was always busy, and I didn’t have time to attend an English center, I remember many moments when I wanted to improve my English, but there was no chance.

One day, while I was surfing the internet, I discovered an amazing opportunity: English Online with the British Council. 😍 When I saw this announcement, I didn’t hesitate in the same moment, I pressed the link, looked at the plans, and chose the one that fit me after testing my level, they even gave me two free lessons to try the portal and to understand how everything works, that was the start of my journey.

Now, after almost two years, I can say that English Online with the British Council has become an essential part of my life, I only delayed my classes for one month when I traveled, and honestly, I felt that something was missing from my routine.

Every time I join my lessons, I feel excited I meet people from different countries, and I can choose my teacher and my time for any lesson. What an amazing thing!

I am 47 years old, and I took the decision to start this journey two years ago, I use English every day in my work, but before, I always felt stuck and embarrassed when I needed to speak, I was afraid of making mistakes.

Today, I feel much more confident, happier, and more knowledgeable😎 I can understand most of what I deal with in my work. What a relief!

Of course, my schedule is still busy, but I try to practice as much as I can, I try to learn some new words each day from articles, movies, series, or even from advertising. Sometimes I write down phrases I hear in real life and repeat them later Step by step, I can feel my English improving.

The journey was not always easy. There were moments when I felt tired, or when I thought I had no progress, but each time, my teachers motivated me to continue.

I met many wonderful people during this experience, my classmates from around the world inspire me, because they all share the same dream to speak English better.

This program gave me more than language skills, it gave me confidence, it gave me the courage to speak in meetings, to explain my ideas, and to connect with people in different countries.

Before, I felt nervous, but now I enjoy these opportunities, English Online became not just a study platform but a part of my personal and professional growth.

I intend to continue my journey until I reach the C2 level, I am full of hope that I can do it.

I believe learning English is not only about grammar and vocabulary but also about building confidence, creating connections, and opening doors to new experiences.

Finally, I would love to thank every single person in my lovely British Council MY TEACHERS ❤️ who guide me with patience, and the amazing SUPPORT TEAM 🩷 who are always there when I need help, literally, a great thank you to each and every one of you.

Please accept my few words. I loved to write this story about my journey.

Haitham Mashal, Saudi Arabia

My Journey of Perfecting English

My journey of perfecting English is not recent. I have been travelling on this path for the last 50 years.

The first time I understood the magic of English was when I was seven years old. I was studying in a Kannada-medium school. In the evenings, I attended home tuitions along with my cousins. My cousins went to an English-medium convent school. However, while playing, we neither spoke English nor Kannada. We spoke only Telugu amongst ourselves.

One day, I saw my cousins conversing in English with some of our relatives. I was amazed to see that the whole group was appreciative of them. Although my Kannada was three years above my class level, and I used to teach Kannada to my older cousin, and my general knowledge was also better than theirs, I felt neglected. My young mind reasoned that it was because of the English.

The next day, I asked my tuition teacher to teach me English along with my cousins. She scolded me and told me to complete my work. Disheartened, I took the matter to my mother and pestered her to direct the tuition teacher to teach me English. My tuition teacher was a young girl of 16 – 18, who had probably completed her tenth standard. She started teaching English through the alphabet. She asked me to write A, B, C … I was disheartened. I wanted to speak immediately, not learning the alphabet.

“No, teach me to talk in English.” I protested meekly, but she said, “First, learn this,” and frowned. Just then, I saw a girl reading an English lesson. I listened to it intently, and I caught some words. “Hurray! I can speak English now”. I ran to the teacher and exclaimed, “Teacher, I can speak English, listen – “Cat, go, milk, drink.” My eyes were wide open, twinkling, expecting an appreciation for my discovery. But I heard a “Phat” following a sting of pain, as my teacher’s hand hit my back.

That was the end of my English learning. Throughout my schooling, I hated English so much that I managed to pass in English, while scoring above 90 in other subjects. Those who corrected my English papers might have given me grace marks to get me promoted.

Fifteen years later, the love of learning English surfaced again. This time, I found a professor who could teach me to get a master’s degree in English literature. I was thrilled and expected the degree to polish my English. Again, I was disappointed. I did earn my master’s degree, but it did not improve my English.

Ten years back, I joined a 60-hour General English Course by the British Council, Chennai Branch. I do not remember the details of the course, but I do remember the activities that helped us recognise the sounds in a song. It helped us become aware of how sounds were heard at different parts of a sentence. I enjoyed it and strived to get as many correct as possible. The course was five days long, and its effect faded as I became busy with my doctoral thesis.

Now, speaking flawless English has surfaced in me again. I aim to develop an affordable Montessori Online Training Program for parents and teachers, making the Montessori method of education accessible to the public in English. I have re-joined the British Council, but on a different course.

I attended my first private class. The teacher was accommodating and allowed me to speak. But I still have that seven-year-old hurt girl surfacing, reminding me of the pain. Before the session, I feared getting criticised for my poor use of language. To my surprise, he ignored the mistakes I made. In fact, he encouraged me, “Nothing wrong with what you said.” I felt encouraged, confident and motivated. Immediately, I upgraded my Silver plan of the Flexible course to Platinum!

I understand that learning a language is not a destination; it is a journey. I continue learning and improving myself. In parallel, I look forward to delivering the presentations confidently, inspiring parents and teachers to make learning enjoyable through engaging activities.

Shashi Rekha Munireddy, India

My English Online Journey 

When I think about my English Online journey, I realise how much it has transformed not only my skills, but also my confidence, my career, and even my friendships. 

I have always been passionate about mathematics. Teaching higher mathematics at university is both a challenge and a joy: it requires precision, creativity, and clear communication. But today’s academic world is international, and I understood that if I wanted to grow, share knowledge more widely, and open new opportunities, I needed English to be a natural part of my professional life. 

Joining English Online was the beginning of that transformation. At first, I was nervous before every class. Even as a university lecturer, I suddenly felt like a beginner again—hesitant to speak, afraid of mistakes. But the teachers on English Online created a safe, supportive environment. They encouraged me to speak, to experiment, and to use mistakes as stepping stones. Slowly, I built not only my vocabulary, but also my courage. 

With every lesson, I developed practical tools: phrases for explaining ideas, strategies for discussions, and the confidence to manage academic conversations in English. Soon, I realised I could do something I had once only dreamed of—teach mathematics in English. The first time I explained a complex theorem in English and saw that my students understood me, I felt a wave of pride. It was proof that this new skill was not abstract; it was alive in my classroom. 

Life gave me a chance to test this new confidence even further. My family and I moved to Doha, Qatar, where English is the key to professional and daily life. Without English Online, this transition would have been overwhelming. Instead, I felt ready. I help my daughter at her international school. English became the bridge that allowed me to continue my career and adapt to a new environment smoothly. 

Another unexpected gift of this journey was friendship. In English Online classes, I met people from all over the world. We shared not only grammar exercises, but also stories, laughter, and encouragement. One of those classmates later became my closest friend. We still talk regularly, support each other, and celebrate our progress together. English Online gave me a best friend I might never have met otherwise. 

Of course, there were challenges. Once, at a meeting, I misunderstood a question about student motivation and started answering about integrals. Everyone laughed, and I laughed too. The difference was that I didn’t feel embarrassed—I felt resilient. English Online had taught me how to pause, breathe, and continue without fear. 

Looking back, I see how deeply English Online has shaped my journey. Professionally, I can now lecture in English, prepare students for international programmes, and connect with colleagues around the world. Personally, I feel stronger, more open, and more curious. I also treasure the friends I have made along the way—especially the best friend I found thanks to this journey. The nervous lecturer who once doubted herself has become an international professional who feels at home in Doha and surrounded by a supportive community. 

To anyone who is unsure whether to start, I want to say this: learning a language is not about perfection, it is about progress. Each small step matters. One day you will look back and see not just new words, but a new version of yourself—more confident and ready for the world. 

For me, English Online with the British Council has been more than a course. It has been a journey of transformation, helping me become the teacher, the friend, the mother, and the person I always wanted to be. 

Anna Lapshina, Qatar

My English Online journey: How learning English changed my life 

“The world is our oyster”: there are infinite possible ways to lead our existence, so why shouldn’t we fight for the one we crave the most? That’s exactly what I thought when I joined the English Online community, since it unlocked many opportunities for my future. I can clearly still recall how my journey started, almost four years ago today… As I had just finished high school and was about to enroll in an Italian law school, I was suddenly overcome by a deep sense of sadness because I wouldn’t be studying English anymore, as it wasn’t part of my university program. I had been learning this foreign language since I was a child and the thought of having to give it all up filled my heart with an indescribable sorrow. I couldn’t bear that feeling, so I opened up with my mom, who immediately came up with a great idea: taking virtual classes provided by the British Council worldwide. I didn’t acknowledge back then that I was about to embark on a life-changing experience! 

However, my initial excitement was darkened by doubt. More specifically, since lessons took place online, I was a bit skeptical about their positive outcome: I didn’t see how I could’ve ever benefited from learning through technological devices, as I reckoned they would’ve been a source of distraction, due to all the cookies and windows popping up on my screen. Furthermore, what I feared the most was that fitting all the classes into my schedule might’ve been too difficult, if not impossible. Nevertheless, as time wore on, all my worries vanished and a sense of fulfilment invaded my soul: since then I’ve never felt so motivated to study in my entire life, as it resembled more a hobby than a burden!  

Firstly, the classes turned out to be extremely flexible, so I was able to strike a great balance between studies and leisure. In addition, I soon figured out the other perks that lie within studying a foreign language online, such as meeting and creating boundaries with people from all over the world. In fact, I had the chance to hear different accents and I became accustomed to multiple pronunciations, to the point that now when I listen to non-native speakers I’m fully able to understand them, no matter which country they’re from. Consequently, this course taught me the true meaning of the word “tolerance”, which is being aware of the so-called “differences” existing between human beings, in terms of religion, culture, language and, most importantly, opinion, and accepting them freely, without any prejudice or judgment.  

Secondly, these lessons boosted my confidence, thus allowing me to cope with my shyness and lack of self-awareness. I discovered it’s fundamental to speak out and make our voices be heard in whichever situation we face throughout our life: our thoughts always matter and they might have a big impact on others, if not the power to change the world. Therefore, the fear of making mistakes shouldn’t keep us from expressing ourselves: on the contrary, it’s perfectly normal to slip up, but it’s nothing to be ashamed of as long as we turn our errors into a life lesson, because if it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be able to grow and fulfil our tendency to strive for perfection. Hence, asking for help in case of uncertainty is not a sign of weakness: no matter how much we try to convince ourselves that we’re fully able to deal with a problem or carry out a task, nothing beats the power of cooperation.  

To sum it up, this journey has undoubtedly been character-building: not only did I enhance my vocabulary and expertise, but I also changed my perception of reality. Thanks to English Online, I realised we need to devote time to the things we love and pursue our interests because we won’t be given another chance to reach our goals and strive for the future we dream of. Consequently, I will never stop chasing my long-cherished ambition to become a diplomat and work for the United Nations, hoping that one day I will finally succeed and I’m totally sure this course will play a crucial role within the process.  

Sara Scognamiglio, Italy

My English online journey

How learning english changed my life

At first I thought learning English was not important and that I would not face difficulties in my university studies and after that, in my first year at university, I realized that English is important, especially as a computer science student,such as programming codes , slides in various subjects and submitting assighments.

During my studies in the first year, and when I studied my lectures, I translated most of the word , but after I started learning English, I noticed that I only needed to translate a few words, and I could write my assignments better.

My English learning journey was full of difficulties. I actually started learning English when I was 10 years old.I was learning simple words online, such as fruits and simple daily verbs . I was trying to read short stories and write words and short sentences in my notebook, I was learning basic grammer , such as pronouns and others 

Studying  with english online has helped me with my studies at university .In the beginning I did not understand the university slides because there are in English ,but after I realzied then that 

I had to go back to learning English online, I began to understand most of the slides and got excellent grades. It also helped me, as a computer science student, to learn programming  from Youtube channels specializing in programming most of the good channels were in English.There were also specialaized websites that offer courses in computer skills that I wanted to enroll in. Through learning English, I was able to learn from that websites and obtain professional certificates.

I love reading books, but I felt that I was limited to books in my mother language. Throught English, I gained access to a huge world of knowledge. Most of the knowledge-rich books were in English, and online learning resources are written in English, which made learning much easier. I am now able to learn from professional sources and develop my academic performance.

With English I became more confident than before after developing this skill, especially when traveling and needing to talk to people from cultures and different countries and make friends from other countries, or when I give presentations on various topics. English has opened doors for me in many aspects, whether personal, social or even academic.

Moreover, English has opened up many opportunities for me in the future because it has become one of the most important requirments to get good jobs and an excellent work environment. It has shown me that it is not just a skill, but rather it is like the key to other skills that develop my personality and make my life easier.

In short, English has given me many opportunities in my life and made many things easier for me, such as my studies, travel ,meeting friends from different countries, expressing my thoughts without limits, and improving many skills. It has benefited me in my present and in my future as well.

Remas Alharby, Saudi Arabia

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