Heart And Soul: How my English teacher took me from small-town boy to world citizen


The writer, photographed at the Taj Mahal in India, says his English proficiency has expanded his global exposure and broadened his horizons. — VINCENT TEH

I was born and raised in Sabak Bernam, Selangor, in the 1990s – a peaceful small town where English was rarely spoken, good English teachers were scarce, and resources were limited.

Growing up as a kampung boy in such an environment, I learnt English by rote at a Chinese primary school, where teachers conducted lessons in Chinese, drilled grammar, and prepared us for spelling tests. English, to me, was merely another subject.

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