Xinel Lee # A Catch-Up That Sparked Memories and Inspiration

A Catch-Up That Sparked Memories and Inspiration

A few days ago, I reconnected with an old friend—Xinel Lee. It had been a long time since we last chatted. She's the amazing person who first introduced me to China. I actually shared that story in one of my very first blog posts, where I talked about the power of networking to land a better job after university.

networking-is-an-essential-part-of-building-a-successful-career

In that post, you’ll find the photo I started this article with —taken right in front of the BIEI headquarters in Beijing.

Fast forward to today, Xinel is now married and living in Vancouver, Canada. So much has changed in just a few short years! I was honestly thrilled to see how drastically life can evolve in such a short time. She even told me she never imagined herself getting married, and yet here she is—happily married. That made me smile, especially because so many of the girls I talk to on campus say they don’t want to get married. Funny how life surprises us!

Now, the reason I’m sharing this today is because during our conversation, I asked Xinel how learning English had changed her life. Her answer really inspired me—and I think it might inspire you too. Here’s what she wrote:

How Learning English Changed My Life

A few days ago, I read Marcelo’s article, “Life Before College,” and it really resonated with me. He talked about how learning English changed his life, and it reminded me of my own journey. I’m glad I have something to share too — because English has truly transformed my life in many ways.

1. Better Job Opportunities

Like most people, I started learning English in school, but I never had many real chances to use it. My real English journey didn’t begin until I got my first job. I was working as an administrative assistant at an international education institute, where I had to interact with teachers from the U.S. and other countries — and deal with a ton of paperwork in English.

That was a wake-up call. I realized how essential English is in the workplace. Not long after, I quit that job and started teaching English to children. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve made. Teaching was fun, and more importantly, it gave me a chance to use English every day. I gradually became more confident speaking it, both at work and in life.

Looking back, those two to three years were incredibly important for my career. Since then, English has become one of my biggest strengths — helping me land better jobs, grow professionally, and even earn a higher salary. It really opened doors I never thought possible.

 

2. Access to Information, Education, and Entertainment

To be honest, learning English hasn’t always been fun. It took years of effort — memorizing vocabulary, repeating phrases, and making mistakes again and again. But it does get easier. Over time, you develop a sense of the language — you start to “feel” it, and you no longer need to memorize everything just to express yourself.

If your job or studies require you to use English daily, your progress will naturally be faster. But even if that’s not the case, I have a tip that worked for me: change your phone, computer, and other digital devices to English. It won’t magically make you fluent, but it helps you get used to seeing and thinking in English — an easy way to make the language part of your everyday life.

Learning English can actually be simple — especially now that we have AI. Tools like ChatGPT can help you practice, correct your writing, or even explain grammar. For example, while writing this very testimony, I used ChatGPT to polish my words. 

As my English improved, I gained access to a much wider world. I could read books, take online courses, and understand academic materials that weren’t available in my native language. I also started following English-language social media — full of amazing content, from educational YouTube channels and inspiring TED Talks to hilarious memes and trending videos. Knowing English has made learning more fun and even relaxing!

 

3. Confidence, Adaptation, and Global Communication

I never felt more grateful for my English skills than I did three years ago — when I moved to Canada to start a new life.

Adapting to a new country is never easy, but speaking English made everything smoother. I could handle daily tasks, talk to locals, and make new friends without too much stress. It also gave me the confidence to be independent and proactive in this new environment.

Speaking English helped me connect with people from different backgrounds and cultures. It made me feel included, rather than isolated, and helped me build a life that I’m proud of. In many ways, English wasn’t just a language skill — it was a bridge to a whole new world.

 

Many people say that learning English can be fun — and yes, sometimes it is.
But my personal experience was not always so joyful. I went through long periods of anxiety, afraid to speak up. I felt frustrated when I couldn’t express myself fluently, and discouraged when I saw little or no progress.
But the truth is, these struggles are simply part of the learning process. I didn’t have a perfect solution for them — I just had to face them. What I can tell you is: they are temporary.
And now, when I look back and talk about how English changed my life, I don’t just feel lucky — I feel like I earned it.

There are many opportunities in life — don’t let poor English skills limit your potential.

 

英语如何改变了我的人生

几天前，我读了 Marcelo 写的文章《大学之前的生活》。他说英语如何改变了他的人生，这让我想起了我自己的经历。我也很高兴能分享一些自己的故事，因为英语真的在很多方面改变了我的人生。

1. 更好的职业机会

像大多数人一样，我从学校开始学英语，但一直没什么真正使用它的机会。直到我找到第一份工作，我的英语学习之路才真正开始。当时我在一家国际教育机构做行政助理，要跟来自美国和其他国家的老师打交道，还要处理大量英文文件。

这让我意识到英语在职场中的重要性。不久之后，我辞掉了这份工作，转而去教小朋友英语。事实证明这是我做过最正确的决定之一。教学的过程很有趣，更重要的是，我可以每天都在用英语。渐渐地，我越来越自信，也更敢开口说了。

回头看，那两三年的经历对我职业发展非常关键。从那以后，英语就成了我最大的优势之一，帮助我找到更好的工作、提升专业能力，甚至获得更高的薪资。它真的帮我打开了许多原本触不到的门。

2. 获取信息、教育和娱乐的渠道

说实话，学英语的过程并不总是快乐的。这是一个漫长的过程，需要反复记单词、练句子、不断犯错。但坚持下去真的会变得更容易。随着时间的推移，你会逐渐形成语感，不再总是依赖背诵来表达自己。

如果你的工作或学习每天都需要用英语，那进步会更快。但即使你没有这样的环境，我也有一个简单的建议：把你的手机、电脑和其他设备的语言都调成英文。它不会立刻让你流利，但能让你更熟悉英语，是把语言融入生活的最简单方法。

而现在学英语其实可以变得更简单，尤其是有了 AI 的帮助。像 ChatGPT 这样的工具可以帮你练习、改写、解释语法。比如我写这篇见证的时候，就是用 ChatGPT 帮我润色的。

随着我的英语能力提升，我进入了更广阔的世界。我可以读英文书、上在线课程、理解以前看不懂的研究资料。我也开始使用英文社交媒体，那里有各种有趣的内容，从教育视频、TED 演讲到搞笑短片、流行趋势。英语不仅让我学得更多，还让我在空闲时感到放松和快乐。

3. 自信、适应力和全球沟通

三年前我移民加拿大，开始新生活。那是我第一次真正感谢自己学了英语。

适应一个新国家从来都不容易，但英语让一切变得顺利得多。我可以处理生活琐事、和当地人交流、交朋友，一切都轻松了很多。英语也让我更有信心去独立生活、主动面对新挑战。

英语帮助我与来自不同文化背景的人建立联系，让我不再孤独，反而感到被接纳。它帮助我建立了一个让我感到自豪的新生活。在很多方面，英语不再只是语言技能，它更像是一座通向新世界的桥梁。

很多人说学习英语很有趣——的确，有时候是这样。但我的亲身经历并不总是那么快乐。我经历了长时间的焦虑，害怕开口说话。当我不能流利表达自己时，我感到沮丧；当看不到什么进步时，我感到灰心。但事实是，这些挣扎只是学习过程的一部分。我没有完美的解决办法——只能去面对它们。我想告诉你的是：这些都是暂时的。现在，当我回头谈论英语如何改变我的生活时，我不仅仅觉得幸运——我更觉得这是我应得的。

人生有很多可能性，不要让英语不好限制了你的人生。

 

Article by Marcelo Gameiro

Published 03 Jun 2025