English learning success story

An inspiring journey from "not knowing one word” to using English every day as a data scientist. 

Tieming Yuan was only 7 years old when his sixth-grade teacher threw his backpack out the school window due to frustration with his complete lack of English ability. This life-changing event had a profound impact on Tieming. 19 years later, he graduated with first-class honors from one of the U.K.’s top universities. How did he do it? New Voice Learning CEO Matt Sussman sat down online to interview Tieming about his incredible journey.

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‍Matt: 
Hello, Tieming. Here I am in southern California and you are there in Singapore. Thank you for joining us for this interview. Thousands of people reacted very positively to your inspiring story that you posted on social media about learning English. For people in our community who might be hearing about this for the first time, can you please share your story in your own words?

Tieming: 
I migrated with my family from China to Singapore when I was 6 and a half years old. At the time, I did not speak a single word of English. When I joined primary school, I really struggled because all the subjects were taught in English. I didn’t even know the meaning of the word “homework.” I had trouble with my classmates and could not understand them. I was really the odd one out.

My Mother made me wake up every morning at 4:30 am to read storybooks in Chinese and English. I had to check the dictionary over and over. I really hated that.

As I learned more words, I was able to start communicating with my classmates. I just wanted to blend in. Slowly they started to understand me and I slightly got better at taking tests and doing my homework. Every small step forward was a celebration for me.

“Every small step forward was a celebration for me.”

‍Matt: 
I recall that in your post you mentioned you had a difficult experience with your second-grade teacher about learning English and then 19 years later you graduated from a university in the U.K.  What happened to that 7-year-old boy that would motivate him to reach this remarkable life goal?

Tieming: 
At that time, my second-grade teacher was talking to me about homework and being prepared for a spelling test. I didn’t know what she meant and so hadn’t done any of the necessary studying. When the teacher read out the spelling words, I didn’t do anything. I can understand her feeling because she was so frustrated that she threw my bag off the fourth floor of the building and it fell into a pond. I was so shocked and cried a lot. I come from a traditional family so they rightly took the teacher’s side. I am fortunate that my family was supportive and that they believed in me. With their support, I made progress after 3 months. I learned how to prepare for the spelling tests and my classmates helped me too. Eventually, I passed through the various educational levels and, many years later, entered New Castle University’s 4-year Marketing and Management degree program. I was able to finish in 3 years with first-class honors. 

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Matt: 
Wow, what an incredible story. That must have been a huge shock for a young boy but perhaps that was the start of your motivation to improve at learning English?

Tieming: 
Yes, that’s right. I didn’t want to let myself or the people who believed in me down. I just kept learning and making small progress. Some people said I was a slow learner and wouldn’t make it in life. I wanted to show them I could do it.

Matt: 
Some people might think that you were young so you could learn quickly. People who are older trying to learn English might think it is much harder to improve like you did. What do you think?

Tieming: 
You have to ask yourself “how much do you want it?” Your attitude will determine your success. Age, race, nationality, and gender do not matter. What matters is how much effort you put in. Language is not that difficult. If you have a purpose you can overcome the hurdles. Your mindset is what is important. If you think you can do it, then it will come true.

“If you have a purpose you can overcome the hurdles. Your mindset is what is important. If you think you can do it, then it will come true.”

‍Matt: 
How important has knowing English been for your career?

Tieming: 
English is one of the most spoken languages in the world. I made a career switch from being a police officer to a data scientist. The UK, US, and Europe are at the forefront of this field. In Singapore, although we have 4 national languages, English is the one primary working language. If you cannot present and communicate well in English, it will be hard to progress in your career here. Communicating complex information to business owners in a simple and easy-to-understand manner is critical. You could be a genius at data science but if you can’t communicate in English clearly, then your knowledge and information are wasted. On the other hand, if you are an average data scientist but can communicate clearly in English then you will excel in this field.

Matt: 
Do you have any advice for English learners who want to progress from intermediate to advanced level?

Tieming: 
Surround yourself with people who are similar and will learn with you. Join a supportive community. Put yourself in the right environment for growth. Form a group of friends and practice together. This environment will force you to listen, speak, and try to understand. This will really boost your learning ability. When you try something different, you get different results.

“Join a supportive community. Put yourself in the right environment for growth.” 

Matt: 
Do you have a methodology for learning English or any recommendations?

Tieming: 
Constant and frequent practice. I used to read out loud to a mirror. Daily practice for 10 minutes is much better than 1-hour of practice on Sunday. The brain is a muscle. If you only study on Sunday, then the muscle goes back to normal on the other days. If you study a little every day, eventually the muscle will grow. Your muscle memory gets refreshed.

“Daily practice for 10 minutes is much better than 1-hour of practice on Sunday.”

Matt: 
Do you have any final words for English learners?

Tieming: 
Believe in yourself.
Find your purpose.
Put yourself in the right environment and don’t be afraid to try new things.

Matt: 
You have a strong voice because you lived by those words. It was inspiring to hear your story about how learning English has helped you to be successful. Thank you.