How did Srinath learn to speak 3 languages? 🤯 (Ep.32)

追加: 2026-05-25

[00:00:00]You know the best way he said to for anyone that doesn't know English to learn English well [laughter] how get a girlfriend I said this the intention is to learn bro you can learn from anywhere we used to bring our phone to school and then we used to go inside the drama room lock ourselves inside used to watch a movie for a good 3 hours bro [laughter] it is okay to get embarrassed [music] in the age of like 16 18 22 more than getting embarrassed in later but speaking English and studying English is two different things. So whatever theory was there every words that I didn't understand I used to like I had a dictionary so I used to write the talle meaning on top of it. No, no, actually to be honest, yes, this is not only for the podcast. It happened in real life.

[00:00:46]So that helped [laughter] I had to say it. So and I was I won the junior nationals doubles championship in 2017 under 18 junior national doubles championship. And >> very nice to have you here.

[00:01:02][clears throat] [music] >> All right. Hello everyone. Welcome back to another episode of the success podcast. I'm very excited to introduce our guest here today. It's a very special friend of mine, Udy Chandran Shrinat. So Shrinat has been a tennis player, national tennis player for as far as I can remember him, right? And he's been a studio student at the same school as me and he's been an outstanding student at the University of Sri Jawardura and currently now he's in the corporate sector. He's pursuing tennis also. So the reason I have invited him on the conversation on the podcast today is just to get an idea of how good communication has helped him throughout his journey up to now. Shinat very nice to have you here.

[00:01:56]>> Thank you Sashan. Thank you for having me and it's a pleasure to be here.

[00:01:59]>> Absolutely. How's your day going? All good.

[00:02:01]>> All good. All good. It's a bit tiring after last night. [laughter] You know, you know the reason.

[00:02:06]>> Of course. We had a wedding. We had a great time. And you went for tennis in the morning as well?

[00:02:11]>> Yeah, bro. So it actually So I think left the wedding around 1:00 2:00 and I had a tennis I had tennis practice from morning from 8 to 9. So after 8 9 I'm right here with you. [laughter] >> Glad glad I'm glad you could come despite your busy schedule. So for you always.

[00:02:28]>> So tell me a bit about when you first started playing tennis. What was your journey like when you first got into it?

[00:02:34]>> Yeah. [snorts] So given that I mean in terms of my tennis background so my grandfather, grandmother and especially even my father so all three of them were like groundsman at SLT. So even like from my child I was living and living in Sri Lanka tennis assoc associations. So given that fact I was always exposed to tennis from the day I think from the day I know. So from there onwards only like everything started. So I started playing tennis. I was living in SLDA basically.

[00:03:02]So then I was I would just watch that sport every single day in the morning and evening and then Yeah. So tennis started right there. So you are you're a epitome of living, breathing and eating tennis back [laughter] then. Yes. Yes.

[00:03:16]>> So how did the journey progress? I mean what have you achieved in terms of being a tennis player? How has tennis the sport itself helped you in your general life?

[00:03:25]>> Yeah. So basically because of I mean tennis helped me a lot in my life because wherever I am currently now it's mostly I would give it to tennis mainly because of the fact that I think I started playing tennis at the age of three like I said I was exposed to tennis right from the day I was born so it was just there for me so from then onwards I started I got a lot of help from the coaches so and then I started playing tournaments and then from there onwards you know victories came along and then I got better opportunities that's how I got into the school that we both studied and then from there onwards it's like a long journey so from there on tennis uh from school days so I I mean I was I was playing like from myself from my personal self I think I played my good tennis in under 16 under 18 and I was I won the junior nationals doubles championship in 2017 under 18 junior national doubles championship and and then from there onwards A levels was there and then uni also I played tennis. First two years I couldn't play tennis because of covid.

[00:04:31]So the third year and fourth year I played tennis for my university that is university of shriapura and then onwards uh I played some tournaments at that time as well. So yeah tennis has been quite a long ride and then you know everything came along with tennis only.

[00:04:46]>> Have you represented Sri Lanka in foreign tours and so on? Yeah, I only represented Sri Lanka in one uh thing that was like a development camp held in Thailand. I that was in 2015. So that's the only representation. I only represented Sri Lanka in an under 16 development camp held in Thailand.

[00:05:02]>> Right. Right. What are your do you have any other national records and so on when it comes to tennis itself? In terms of national records, I think not a national record but then Kawink and I.

[00:05:14]So we used to play doubles for inter schools for like seven years and we never lost a inter school doubles. So I think that would be that really good.

[00:05:22]Yeah.

[00:05:22]>> You so you have always been champion like all our >> No. So every match that we played we never lost in terms of doubles in inter school. So yeah [laughter] you know coming and I do know. So give me a bit about your school background as well. you did you start off now the reason is you have performed really well at your university right and you've got a first class degree and you were a top performer there in sports as well um so obviously in your university life speaking English would have been a big a big tool that you would have used to be successful right >> did you start off from an English- speakaking background did you start off from an English- speaking culture what was your initial school life like give me some background there Yeah. So yeah, that's a good question, Sesan. So I'm definitely not from a English speaking background. So it all started off like this. So like I said, I started tennis at the age of three and then I was growing up. You know, I don't have to I mean you definitely know tennis is a sport where like English is a very common language, right? So for me uh when I went in so obviously it was like a bit difficult cuz I'm not coming from English speaking background. So then like in tennis every under 10 to under 12 everyone are speaking in English and then I came to Peter and then it was all English.

[00:06:38]>> What was your school before Peters?

[00:06:39]>> 1 to five grade five was in Hindu college. Uh next door next door [laughter] just next door you walked here just walked and then yeah so grade six I came to Peter and then you know then when I went to Peter like it's all English right?

[00:06:55]Then >> then yeah like you said so it was >> at St. Peters it was all you joined Tamil medium right?

[00:07:01]>> Yeah but then tennis team was all English.

[00:07:02]>> Tennis team was all English. Okay.

[00:07:04]>> Yeah it was just there and then so then I understood for a fact that okay now this language or that English requirement is a much of a big importance for me back then. Then you know just that then I thought to myself okay you know I'm going to learn this language. I'm going to be I'm just going to interact cuz I it's not only for tennis but I I I like realized it a very young age that English is a very crucial language for me to learn and from there onwards you know I just followed some certain techniques and you know that's how I think I learned.

[00:07:37]>> Do you speak English at home?

[00:07:38]>> No.

[00:07:39]>> What is Tamil?

[00:07:40]>> Yeah.

[00:07:40]>> So how do what are the techniques you use to kind of build up because I'm assuming since you were in Tamil medium also you didn't speak in English in class.

[00:07:48]>> No all Tamil.

[00:07:49]>> Yeah. So how did you pick up English?

[00:07:51]>> Yeah. So I think for for me to explain this I should go back to my grade Hindu call like grade three this thing. So when I was in grade three for itself you know like when I was playing tennis tournaments and obviously when you win matches or when you lose matches or something sometimes some you know parents come and speak to you or something then they come and obviously they speak in English they say okay put you played well or something then you know sometimes I'm just I don't know what to say. I know I all I know I used to say okay thank you auntie or something but then later on then I realized I mean more than me I think my mother realized that you know he he needs to learn English so she put me to a spoken English class >> back when grade four and five so it was like every Saturdays I remember four to six so I actually didn't like it to be honest I didn't like it >> because I was I think I was the smallest kid there learning English with that set of people was I was in great for I was 9 years old but Then but then actually to be honest that class actually helped me.

[00:08:47]Uh so had to learn about DAC grammar to everything but then got a big opportunity I passed scholarship came to Peter and then boom now everything is English the team to everything.

[00:09:00]Then the technique I use session is basically I would say it's because before I speak or before I you know before I like wanted to learn I just observe people on how they speak what sort of a words they use how was the grammar they were using and I still do remember days I just go home and you know I just um just I just practiced if they ask a question like this this is the answer I should give so it was like a pre-made answers for everything [laughter] for everything I was like okay me my I should answer like this >> so then over time over time I saw how my friends were communicating what were they saying then I started watching movies and from those like so basically my first thing was I learned from observing people and how they speak >> so you learn completely by yourself is it >> yeah observe >> that's crazy because when you now you and I met when you came to my class for A levels >> yes >> right when we became prefect rather Yeah.

[00:09:59]>> So from the time I remember you, you have been able to speak pretty good English >> which means it's fantastic. I mean did the school English speaking or the English teaching at school helped you out or was it something that you completely built up by yourself? It's it's a combination of all the factors s I would say because actually actually school helped me and then I also had that I feel like I also that so I would say it's the need cuz for me learning English was a need that back then cuz it was there cuz I felt that that was a need for me because if I am going to play tennis if I'm going to continue in this if I'm going to perform well for me English was like a tool like it was a very important tool I felt it I understood it then I had to work for And then I would say even my friends also really help me because you know when you're learning and when you're like talking like that obviously not everything would be perfect. So normally what people think is if you're speaking wrong English or something sometimes people will like embarrass you orbody like there's an idea like that. So yeah I think I wouldn't say that I never had any embarrassment. Obviously nowadays [laughter] still there so many embarrassments bro it's a very common thing now [laughter] you must be used to all the insults mash that's why it's it's like so if I'm coming at meeting and if I don't get 10 bro it's [laughter] like my day is incomplete like it's like I'm very used to it yeah but back then when I was like playing tennis when I was small you know like embarrassing And it just hurts like just hits you then. But then I was like come on it's fine you let's learn if someone embarrassing or if I tell a word wrong or something and if people are smiling I I learned that I was like okay that's the wrong word then I learned and I had good set of team members as well. So every time when I felt like I'm speaking something wrong or the grammar was wrong they never they never said anything wrong. They just was like mangled like >> these were Peterites.

[00:12:05]>> Sorry, >> these were Peterites your friends. Wow.

[00:12:07][laughter] >> Yeah. So teammates teammates you know you know some of my teammates as well.

[00:12:12]So [laughter] >> I'm surprised I have to say no no actually to be honest there this is not only for the podcast it happened in real life. So that helped [laughter] I had to say it. So it helped me and to be honest even the school seniors and you know it's like so I would say that need and that environment helped me to learn and it was I also had the willingness I think need willingness and uh I would put the environment all three just helped me so by the time so 6 to1 I was in travel medium and A levels obviously I moved to English medium so that English switching to that English medium also because of that need that willingness that need basically cuz I knew for a fact that if I want to pursue higher studies it's all going to be English. So I more than going to a place where everything gets complex. I just want to learn it from school itself to like to study from English and then go from.

[00:13:07]>> Did any new opportunities open up to you because you came to English media?

[00:13:11]I mean yes very much on like more than opportunity I I would say it helped me a lot later on >> right because English medium from time a boy from starting from Tamil medium from grade 1 to 11 and moving to English medium that was like a big like a that was a big step for me because like I said no English background at my house or anything so studying English medium all alone so it's it's all on me >> and obviously I'm not going to I I can tell this now because when I wanted to move to English medium many I mean many people who were really close to me didn't like it they were like you're taking a wrong decision you know it's not going to help you I mean not going to help you now do A levels in the most comfortable medium you are then do that killer but then I thought behind my head but there were some people who were like really really supportive they're like no you take the decision this will help you along in the future so I think looking back at it now I think I made the right decision but yes I wouldn't say it's an easy journey Because my first term I still remember it was a disaster. It was a disaster.

[00:14:16]>> But then I told myself it's fine. The disaster is here because I felt like if I go outside and get embarrassed it will be more embarrassing. So it's better to get embarrassed now. So that's how I just stick to it. So you ended up getting three A's for your A levels.

[00:14:31]>> Two A, one B.

[00:14:31]>> Two A and one B. Nice. So what was the journey like? I mean you said the first term was disastrous. How did you pick up from that? Yeah, the first term was disaster to be honest. It was a it was a disaster. And then I still remember after the first time I remember I think uh some of my friends or some of my friends came and told me in vain what did you do? You would have stayed something you would have done what could what you could have done or something.

[00:14:55]Then I think that was the turning point when they came and say you could have done what you could have done. Why did you why trying to do something you know you are not okay with then I felt like okay then that only made me realize okay you know this is the place I need to start. So sashan so starting from that after the first term the way I started was simple so you know that B see notes right so whatever the theory was there every words that I didn't understand I used to like I had a dictionary so I used to write the Tamil meaning on top of it >> really >> and every time when I you know every time when I you know every time when I study so just I get that meaning from Tamil meaning I get the concept in the head like that and I used to practice it in English so I just work for it like I don't know I just work for it. So like I like I told you so when we met back in so we met each other in prefecture so by that time you obviously like I could I could speak English but speak English and study English is two different things. So for me speaking English was okay but study English was a whole different thing cuz you have to write it in English you know the questions were different and everything. So then yeah so I used to write like that until I got the hang of it. I used to write everything in Tamil you know you know the meanings meanings meanings and then after I practice practice after some time it was okay for me then I just continued it. How did you navigate prefecture? Because now Mahanama told me was that when he first came to prefecture, he had quite a tough time navigating it because he came from singular medium >> and he struggled to gel with the English medium people that were there and then a lot of opportunities that came in prefecture also came to people that could speak English well. M.

[00:16:39]>> So because of that he said initially at least he picked up fast and he was able to move up really quick but he said initially when he came in there was a sense of fear there was a sense of nervousness when dealing with this type of situation. Did you ever have that when coming in?

[00:16:55]>> Yeah I mean just cuz from tium only I think initially when we joined prefecture it was only four people. So obviously I think we were like product we were like cash.

[00:17:06]So I think I mean I mean when we went for the first meeting itself I I'm sure there were around 60 people or >> yeah there were 60 people >> 60 to 70 people then I was like I still remember I was telling Jeremy I was like we'll go in we'll [laughter] see we'll see how things goes.

[00:17:24]>> Yeah. uh we'll stay for a week and we'll see and then I was like we'll go and we just went we open the sister floor this thing 7 60 people I was like should we actually do it [laughter] but then yeah but then so that time my tennis captain was the DSP >> was the DP so then and Shanti was a senior so then yeah I had then I was like they were like no no you have to do this I was like okay and then I stayed and then like I said so initially was that jelling period was a bit tough Because obviously I can understand cuz English medium people were different like you know we were like like >> different groups >> different groups and then after some time I think like when we started working together and I think I think especially after sport I mean when we started working the sports period it it was okay cuz after that I think from English medium side then I knew at least one or two people from English medium so that's how I think it got clicked and then like we somehow gel together and like I think I would agree with man so After some time it became okay >> initially. Yeah that nervousness >> facing those initial interviews and all would have been >> pretty nervous. quite challenging.

[00:18:31]>> Very quite challenging in the first few Yeah. First I mean the first two days where you had to give an introduction you had to give give an introduction in front of like 60 people you had to tell about everything and then I was like okay that was pretty nervous and then after that yeah I just it just helped and honestly like looking back that decision only helped us I mean I'm not only me I'm pretty sure our entire set like it helped us after levels you got into Sri Jarapura right what what did you study there >> so I did my bachelor's in sport science and management Why? Okay, that's that's a that's quite a story. So So the story is like this.

[00:19:09]So when I was joining A levels, so my I just want to do English medium and I just continue it. So but I always had a thought behind my head that you know just I I have seen so do you remember like in Alevel days so people who do like A levels better they get a fitation >> like you know they walk in. So I remember I think during grade 10 or 11 my mother came and told me you know like like I I went and told and all this stuff and then she was like asmbly for me I had this motivation okay one day I'm going to take my mother to an asmbly show it to her so and then you know that's how that's my main reason for me to work like a lot on my A levels and with all God's grace it happened and then I To be honest, bro, I was never planning to go to university. I was doing ACCA back then.

[00:20:03]>> I was just full >> You completed ACCA?

[00:20:06]>> No, [laughter] >> no. So, I was doing ACC and then out of nowhere. So, I was then this local university applications was open. So, then state university application and then I was like uh you know 2 years I don't I for me it was registered that you know if you get only 3 years you can go for state university. So I don't think anyone from my family this thing would have went for a local I mean to do bachelor's I don't know so I didn't have any knowledge so I mean even to this day you know my tennis called like patrasa you know in tennis so he only called me and told see there's a degree called sports science you better go and do it it's good for you know what I what I said in the first place I was like so why should I do sport sands you know I did commerce for a levels you know why should I go and do it even till this day I He he just tells me no to be honest that's the first thing I told cuz at that so then I then he told me to speak to someone at Japur and then I went and spoke to that and then he said he told me how much of a scope this degree has and everything then I thought to myself okay you know what I also want to do a degree so I was like okay fine let me do this degree it's so it's a it's like a very new thing I don't know what is inside so I was like okay let me just go and give it a try and then yeah that's how I joined sports >> degrees fully in English >> fully in English >> how easy or hard was it to navigate that space >> to be honest it was quite not I wouldn't say easy but it was quite like convenient for me like it was okay for me because I did my A levels in English medium so it was like okay for me I'm really honest like it was really okay for me nice so you also were doing tennis on the side, right? And you were involved in a lot of clubs, societies because every time we will see [laughter] after effects, congratulations. Congratulations.

[00:22:05]I got tired of seeing it after a while.

[00:22:08]What What things were you doing in in university outside of obviously the degree itself?

[00:22:12]>> Yeah. Yeah. So like you said I was in I was playing tennis then I was involved in the road track club and then I was involved in the sports council of my university and then I was also involved in my department team like team of sports science yeah only those four things right how are you navigating all of that while working towards your first class yeah so it's like this so first initially when I went to uni so obviously I wasn't Like I said, I wasn't planning to go to university. So, it was everything was new for me. So, first when I first I went there, first two three months was going, I was getting to know people there. And then COVID came then everything was online. So, when it was online, then this road track club was there and then I [clears throat] thought to cuz back then in school we had interact but I didn't do interaction interact. So then I I wasn't a member of interact club. Then I I thought okay I'll try road track at uni. So then I joined road track at uni. I did road track. While I was doing road track then I anyway was planning to play tennis back in uni. So while I was playing uni uh tennis I was playing tennis in uni I got this opportunity to work in sports council and yes and then on my final year my department on my department this thing I work I was working for my department as well. Yeah.

[00:23:31]So in terms of that I would say it's just that while I was working on myself and the degree while I was just going along these opportunities came up and then yeah just I whatever the opportunity that I felt like personally it's good for me I just chose it and just from there onwards then while I was working for all those then it was quite like time management and all this all this stuff were there and then yeah everything worked out well for those that are in university right now. See, when you go to university, whether it be private or local, everyone aims to get a first class degree, but not everyone ends up getting it.

[00:24:11]>> How did you study to get your first class? Was there any specific strategies you used? Was there anything you implemented to make sure that okay, by this time I need to be at an average where I'm going to get a first class?

[00:24:23]Okay. So [clears throat] if I'm being really really honest when I went to uni the first two years so for me it was like when I was doing when I was went for an exam I just wanted to give my best so I just thought to myself okay every single subject that I do I'm going to just go give my best so I'm being really honest like I told you I'm not coming from this background of this all these big big things. So I actually only I got to know about these classes you know first class second class and everything is in the second year [laughter] I'll be really honest because like I said we went to co so it was all online so no one much we were not interacting much with people everything was online so I didn't know much about things so only from second day I had a friend so she had two brothers who got this first class and everything so she was coming and telling you know this is this is what this is it I was like okay what then I was like boss what are these [laughter] I have no idea what are these Then only she explained and then I was like okay you know that's quite a good thing cuz we are going to university so obviously like you said local or private or whatever like you're putting your time and effort right so might as well just do it do your best so rather than me you know just planning like you know like everything like big big things I only what I did was I just plan this semester okay the semester I am how many subjects do I So after some time after like 2 3 weeks you know what subjects are hard for you then I shortlisted those and then those subjects I put in more effort the other subjects which I felt a bit okay like I said since I did my English medium back in A levels it was a it was like a big help for me in my university studies cuz the language was convenient. So it was it was me about putting in time and just working for it. So then that each semester I used to plan okay this semester this subject I'm trying to get a result on this much this subject I'm trying to get a result of this much. So like that I was working on it. I was just planning for it. And then like each semester I planned. I didn't plan way too ahead like why four years how much I should have this semester. Okay. This was the plan. If that if that if I if I felt okay I did this better the next semester. So I went semester by semester that all started to be honest the first year until the second first semester it was like I was just going with the flow only from the second year second semester I used to plan. I was like okay this is what I want and I just plan and just everything came along. That's interesting because now even when it comes to my public speaking training or trainings that I do for students, [clears throat] a lot of students have this there's two two things that they have. One is that they have the fear that they can't speak in front of people. So there's constantly negative negativity going on in their brain. And the second thing is they have this goal that I have to be able to speak English well by the end of this term. But the thing is no one puts in the work. Now, I wouldn't say no one, but most people don't put in the work each week in order to improve to get to their goal, >> right? So, what you mentioned is actually quite interesting because instead of focusing on that first class degree, you focused on getting through it semester by semester and giving it your best in every semester.

[00:27:33]>> That's a fantastic mindset to have and I think for anyone that is looking to improve their English speaking skills that that is looking to improve any skill for that trigger. True. Right now we what we spoke about was not about speaking English. It was about getting a first class degree in your university.

[00:27:49]Right?

[00:27:49]>> So whether it's that whether it's running a business, whether it's doing your work, whether it's working in a corporate company, instead of focusing on that end goal, if you actually focus on it on the tasks you have to complete in that moment, >> I think people can achieve a lot of things in their lives. True.

[00:28:06]>> Yes. And other thing I would say like if I'm coming back to in terms of speaking English like you said like you said in public speaking first like you said they have the fear and number two they don't put in the work for me I think like I said if I go back to my like junior days of playing tennis speaking English like I said more than it's while the fear was there and it was a need for me as well.

[00:28:30]So I think in terms of speaking English like you said putting in the work and that fear like if you like I think the fear is basically not to get embarrassed right.

[00:28:41]>> Okay.

[00:28:44]So for me I I was thinking way ahead. I was like thinking okay for me it is okay to get embarrassed in the age of like 16 18 22 more than getting embarrassed in later.

[00:28:57]>> That was my mindset. like it's fine. I can get embarrassed in front of like 10 to 20 people here. It's better more than getting embarrassed on a you know on a big on a big place like on a speech or something when you're giving a speech to a big place you know you know I felt like okay let me speak here practice here get embarrassed it's totally fine cuz whoever is laughing here all my friends or people I know it's fine they will laugh for some time one year two year every time I meet they might laugh but I don't mind because the first thing that was going through my head is I want to learn I want to learn I want to learn I wanted to learn cuz I I think if anyone who's watching this like in terms of public speaking cuz like I said I'm also not coming from a English speaking background. So all that I'm saying is understand that just it's okay to be a parent like it's totally fine but just always make sure that you just go out there and you know learn just if you are I think that's a mindset.

[00:29:55]I'm not saying that I have that big mindset or anything but my belief is simple. It's simply that if you want to learn, if your focus is on learning, you won't bother about getting embarrassed.

[00:30:06]If you're bothering about getting embarrassed, then it's like that you are you are just expecting others to give you some validation. But if your internal thing is like only you want to learn, then it's totally about you learning. It's only about you learning.

[00:30:20]So even if other people laugh, you don't mind it because you are learning. So if you make a mistake and if others are laughing then if your intention was to learn then you are like okay cool I learned this okay this is a mistake I made so next time you won't do it or I mean rest of your life you won't do it cuz if that mistake is so big and you remember it so I think more than doing it in a way where other people are expecting I want to learn public speak public speaking or English communication or anything don't do it because others are expecting it from You expect it from yourself. You learn because you want to learn. Then you want that fear and everything will go.

[00:31:00]>> That's interesting because when it comes to public speaking, what stops a lot of people is that fear of embarrassment.

[00:31:07]And people are scared to speak in front of an audience because they are scared of making mistakes and they're scared of people saying things about them.

[00:31:15]>> But in reality, you can't learn anything if you don't make mistakes because none of us are good at everything.

[00:31:21]>> Definitely, >> right? We [snorts] have to make mistakes. We have to make those errors in order to learn and in order to perform better later on. I mean, >> even as a sportsman, you would know this, right? I you do training. Yes.

[00:31:33]>> When the kids come to you and when adults come to you to learn, >> all of them make a lot of mistakes.

[00:31:39]They're not good. They're not great, >> right? And you start from there, you continue from there, and you keep practicing until you get better. One [clears throat] of the things that I have noticed is when it comes to doing a sport, people seem to understand the fact that okay, I'm going to be bad at first, then I need to practice for a lengthy period of time and then I'll get better.

[00:31:58]>> With speaking, people seem to want to improve in a day in in one week in two weeks. You have courses like this in 10day courses, 12-day courses, right?

[00:32:09]People don't want to put in that effort to learn English to learn how to speak confidently over a period of time.

[00:32:18]>> How long did it take for you to become very fluent and become as confident as you are?

[00:32:25]It took me years. Took you years, right?

[00:32:27]I mean, [laughter] see like I mean I can tell this here right publicly because I do remember when I went to uni, I obviously spoke to you. I mean I mean I would have spoken to you also like 10 to 15 times asking m I have this speech like this I give a speech like this bro what should I say >> then what I can only remember coming and telling so I sometimes send in the script I say yeah m I'm going to do this and say is like reach to he tells me and I'm like mam see that fear of embarrassment even though I'm telling this much because I worked on it and I overcame it but actually s also help me a lot because sometimes when I speak to s like macham just go for it just go for [laughter] it you know I mean yeah So I mean see like like I said you if you know that you need to work on it it's okay to ask for help right so I always come to you like shan I have this speech what should I say how should I do it because at the end of the day people forget that's what a lot of people don't seem to understand they think this embarrassment or this this laughing that people do at them is permanent that's not true I mean how many of us remember this discard [laughter] you But even if we remember it, I mean when we see that guy, we don't go and say it to to him directly. We don't make any fun of him or what not. We laughed at him at the time.

[00:33:44]>> But it's forgotten.

[00:33:46]>> Yeah.

[00:33:46]>> Right. It's forgotten. Similarly, I mean there have been so many people I mean throughout even our school career, maybe during your university career, you would have seen a lot of people get on stage and bomb.

[00:33:56]>> Yeah.

[00:33:56]>> Right. We remember the disc thing because he's a popular person.

[00:34:00]>> Yeah.

[00:34:02]But most of the other instances where people have got embarrassed in public because of their lack of speech, nobody remembers it. Nobody cares enough about you to remember it. Right? And that's what a lot of people don't seem to understand. A lot of people seem to think the world centers around them and just because they make one mistake, people will remember it forever, right?

[00:34:26]But it's always the people that make the mistakes but continue to keep learning that end up doing better in life.

[00:34:32]>> Very true. Very true. I totally agree with you.

[00:34:34]>> Yeah.

[00:34:35]>> Absolutely. How has being able to speak well helped you when you were applying for interviews when you were trying to get your first job?

[00:34:45]>> Yeah. So I think now the way everything is moving around in this world, communication is like the main thing like interviews like you said. So every time since I have practiced so much of you know uh speaking and you know in universities and you know interactions in English and everything. So when I'm going to interview I'm just confident like you know I can answer it. So even for that even even till now even if I'm going for an interview or everything I still do practice like I do I feel like if you do that homework like whatever the work you are put in yourself and if you know for yourself honestly that you have put in work then you don't have to worry so I feel like sometimes people go to interviews and they say nervous obviously the nervous feeling is very common thing like you're on interview you don't know the question they're going to ask it's common but if you know for yourself that you have put in work you you know your language you know you can speak well you know you have dressed well and everything just go there just be authentic just give a very give an give an answer in a way where what you feel about it that's all about it >> cuz and like I said it's practice so you should like now with chat GPT and everything now if you just put one question like what are the common interview questions or anything that will give you questions and answers so you just have to put in practice you just have to say Okay, these are these are the things or sometimes I speak to my friends. I'm like I have interviewers and then you know they sometime give me tips and you know what to say and what not to say. That's how it is. So just like I said keep practicing just put in practice. I always say practice builds competence and competence builds confidence.

[00:36:25]>> Yes.

[00:36:25]>> Right.

[00:36:26]>> We usually feel confident when we know we can do something.

[00:36:30]>> And how do we know we can do something?

[00:36:32]We have made the mistakes early part. We have practiced again and again and again. I mean to talk about it in terms of sports, right? I used to play bminton >> and there used to be players that I know are better than me, right? And so I would always practice to try and beat them, >> right? And by doing that, I would constantly force myself to practice more, get better than I was before, so that when I meet them in a tournament, when I meet them in a match, I'm confident in my ability to beat them.

[00:37:05]>> Yeah. So even if I lose sometimes I'm still my confidence is not beaten down because I know I have put in the work necessary and at the end of the day what happens on that day >> you can't really because he's also good it's not like the other player is a bad fellow and he hasn't put in the work so that's just a match of wits in that point right >> match of effort rather >> it's the same for you with tennis right if you didn't put in the effort if you didn't put in the how many hours of practice do you do a day I'm assume consuming about four 5 hours of practice every day.

[00:37:37]>> 2 hours in the morning, 2 hours in the evening.

[00:37:40]>> You have to eat properly. You get all of that for an extended period of time to go to that tournament and perform well.

[00:37:47]>> Even when it comes to speaking, that's what a lot of people seem to be misguided on that they think, okay, if I go for a class and I speak in that class once a week for 3 months, I'll be really good. But that's not the case. You have to keep practicing again and again and again and again to become better at being a good speaker.

[00:38:07]What are the other things that you did to improve your English speaking skills?

[00:38:10]Are you a reader? Do you watch movies?

[00:38:12]Do you listen to songs? What are the other things that you did?

[00:38:14]>> So yeah, like I used to have a reading habit then paused in the middle. Why?

[00:38:21]Because of technology. I [laughter] don't know. It just paused in the middle. But yes, the other thing is I used to watch a lot of movies, >> you know. I watch a lot of movies.

[00:38:31][laughter] >> Yeah. So, but the thing is when I'm watching movies at home, I used to watch movies in the prefect room, bro.

[00:38:40][laughter] Cut one of one of our favorite pastimes is so for for me it was not the prefect room though. For me, it was the drama room.

[00:38:51][laughter] >> You had the keys.

[00:38:54]>> You had the keys. We used to bring our phone to school and then we used to go inside the drama room, lock ourselves inside, used to watch a movie for a good 3 hours, bro. [laughter] That's how we learned English.

[00:39:09]And the best part is [clears throat] most of what we used to watch was mind your language, [laughter] bro. That was this one time.

[00:39:18]>> [snorts] >> Um so we were inside the drama about four of us and we were watching mind your language okay and then one of the buggers decided that he wanted to go back to the class so he was bored of staying here he was like okay guys I'm going to go back to the class he said okay if you want you go [clears throat] he came out he went out of the drama room and just as he went out he got caught right to a priest now ma we can hear this bugger he's now talking to the priest. He's like, "Where did you come from? Why were you inside here?" And all that these fell is like, "No, no, I came to grab some stuff."

[00:39:54]They're like, "Who else is in here?" We were like, "Oh, You're [laughter] going to get caught now." So, what we did is we had these massive mattresses.

[00:40:01]Watch out.

[00:40:02]>> So, on the mattresses, we have the big cloths. Like, when I say cloth, it's not like a bed sheet, but it was costumes, drama costumes.

[00:40:10]>> So, all three of us just covered ourselves with it. [laughter] I don't know how. So it was a priest bar opened the door right and he looked inside and then this fellow [clears throat] behind see father I told you no one else is there I [laughter] just came to get the stuff father closed the door go back go back there came this bugger and [laughter] sent you out bro I thought we were going to get devgot caught with that definitely >> but that was a good time I used to watch movies in Cool. [laughter] No. So honestly like I so when I was watching movies I always used to put on subtitles because sometimes like you said they talk very fast the accent and all. So sometimes those grammatical stuff you can grab from there as well.

[00:40:59]That's why I said the the intention is to learn bro you can learn from anywhere.

[00:41:03]>> So that so that was there and then like I said I didn't follow like very magical techniques. So whatever the resources I had in front of me, I just made the maximum use of maximum use out of it.

[00:41:15]>> And you also were in touch with a lot of people who were speaking English. I think even your tennis coach all the tennis players >> and then I think we speak a lot in >> school >> school >> by we I would say about 50 60% of the time we do speak in singular [laughter] but yeah but for anyone I mean I I I know a lot of people >> in our batch >> who really struggle to speak in English but they made a constant effort to speak with all of us in English.

[00:41:45]>> Yeah. [snorts] and as a result they continued to improve over a period of time. So that's fantastic. When [clears throat] it comes to your job, what do you currently do?

[00:41:55]>> So I'm currently working as a tour executive at 8 Spence Travels. So yeah.

[00:42:00]>> And you also do tennis coaching. Yes, I used to but currently I'm not involved in much of those. But yeah, I used to be a tennis coach. Yes. To be a tennis coach. You do something fitness related also, right?

[00:42:11]>> Yeah, that's I just play, you know, I just just play for myself. like I just go and play bit of tennis here and there and sometimes with my friends that's about it for now. So in your job how important has good communication been?

[00:42:25]>> It is because sometimes s I have to since it's corporate you know you have to work with a lot of people in the company and outside the company. So like I said English became even more important going there. So then I have like sometimes yeah we do communicate here and there in singhal but then English is really important. So then when we talking to people like client not clients perhaps but then with the guides or anything because I'm working in the travels industry with the hotels and everything. So yeah English is really important there. So a good communication skill and good use of language is very crucial there.

[00:42:59]Absolutely. How important do you think it is for people in general to improve their communication skills to improve their English speaking skills if they want to do better in their lives?

[00:43:11]So I would say so I'll go to my university and I'll give the example from that right so like like I told like how would I say at least I am coming from English speaking school like a good English speaking school I did my English medium back then in A level so everything was smooth for me back in uni >> but to be honest there were some of my batchmates back in uni and some of my friends who I know back in uni they just came out of nowhere I mean like from different different cities they come to uni and everything is English and I know some of my friends who came to uni like that ended up getting first classes ended up getting second upers. So sometimes I go and have a chat with them like how's your language doing? How's how's things with you? How did you improve cuz I also want to learn how did they learn so that I also can learn in the future. So they also say you know so for them also to get to know that language I mean to study English and to learn English to speak English and everything they just put a lot of effort. So sometimes I think these stories many people doesn't know but local uni students also sometimes we have lectures from 8 to 5 and after 5 sometimes most of the boys or even girls they do part-time jobs. So sometimes those jobs finish at 8 9 and they still they come back to their boardings host they study English. So I give as they're like no much I read the same notes again and again it was say I sometimes put it to Google translator translate it and study like that I used to read I used to watch movies I used to listen to people when they are speaking I used I used to listen to podcast you know so like that you know those people learned like that so I think anyone who's watching this if you really want to learn English I would simply say first you know put in effort like you should be able to put in effort. That's number one. And number two, make it an intention to learn for yourself. Don't go for expectation of others or you know [clears throat] no cuz I feel like this will help me do it in that way like make sure that's mostly intrinsic if that motivation or if that discipline if it's most of the times if it's intrinsic session I feel like you will do even more better right and the other thing is put yourself in environments where you're uncomfortable or Maybe if you are if you're not a much of a person who doesn't speak English much go to places where people mostly or somewhat interact in English. So then you will learn those words the grammar what sort of a vocabulary they use and how do they the body language how do they speak. I think I also learned a lot from like I said prefecture when I joined the English we had to click then I saw how you all speak to each other at the jokes and then you know how you all used to [laughter] yeah so those things also you know we can we can learn from that as well right so I think yeah so just you can go out and interact with some people just know but have a maybe you can have a friend like you know who can you know like teach you so I used to have from some friends you know you and I had some other friends also if I don't understand a word or understand a meaning or understand something or how to say something so Ashen was another guest we had back in the day okay [laughter] and you know the first you know the best way he said to for anyone that doesn't know English to learn English well how [laughter] get a girlfriend who speaks good English [laughter] well whatever told I'm It's true.

[00:46:51][laughter] It's true.

[00:46:53]>> But told I'm just trying to tell it even more in a nicer way. Put yourself in uncomfortable situation. [laughter] >> When a girlfriend is speaking in very good English and if you don't know English, you're [laughter] screwed. Then that will motivate you.

[00:47:08]>> You know, I actually had a couple that I trained. Okay. These guys were from Oman.

[00:47:14]>> Okay.

[00:47:15]>> And the girl was a real go-getter. Okay.

[00:47:19]She was motivated. She was she wanted to learn and she would speak in English.

[00:47:25]Her English was good. The boy was really struggling, right? The boy was really struggling. And then so I told them to start practicing. Okay? And then now you know me, I give them motivation. I give them to speak and all that. And so while both of them in the class, I said, "Okay, from today onwards, I want you all both to not speak in Tamil, not speak in single. I want all to speak in English at home. [laughter] You say just me. He's like, uh, sir, why did you say that, sir? [laughter] No, no, she doesn't want to talk to me in any other language.

[00:47:57][laughter] I said, that's great. Now, you'll learn what a relationship advice.

[00:48:03][laughter] What a relationship advice.

[00:48:08]>> Well, at the end of the classes, they were both speaking English. Well, >> well, it worked. It worked. [laughter] If it works, it works. It works. It works.

[00:48:18]But yeah, >> but what a good relationship advice.

[00:48:20]>> Yeah, [laughter] >> that girl was good. The girl was she was a real go-getter.

[00:48:25]You just dragged the fellow. So even at in my own house, something similar has happened, right? Where my mother is a real go-getter.

[00:48:34]>> So she wanted to speak English and she wanted to improve the English of all of us, right? Because at home you speak in singular lecture at university as well.

[00:48:43]>> She was a lecturer, right? So at home we speak in singular but where when we were small especially in AU not so much but when we were small we used to have to sit down with the whole family father me my brother everybody and for that one hour two hours we can only talk in English [laughter] everybody doesn't really want to do that but we have no choice but as a result of that I mean all of us my father myself my brother all of us learned how to speak English quite well and >> to me personally in my own life I would say every opportunity that has come my way and every job that I'm doing now is thanks to my ability to communicate and I would never have got that had our parents or my mother and my father >> had not put us through that drill because even my father although he initially struggled to speak in English >> he would also encourage us to speak in English as much as possible and with us he would always try to speak in English he'd always try to communicate in English And as a result of that, I think all four of us started speaking English well. And my brother and I were able to study in English medium. And my brother actually he had some trouble speaking single [laughter] >> initially. Joshua, what is this Joshua?

[00:50:01]>> What is this?

[00:50:02]>> I told this is some other podcast also two weeks later. Here did you say that I had trouble [laughter] speaking single?

[00:50:10]I was like yeah. Well, that's the truth.

[00:50:13]>> That's the truth. Is this Josh?

[00:50:15][laughter] The thing is his friends I think must be watching this [laughter] and clipping it and sending it to the hilarious >> but yeah. So do you still speak you don't speak in English at home? Your brother does he study English medium as well?

[00:50:33]>> Followed my same path to learn Tamil medium medium.

[00:50:36]>> He's still in school right?

[00:50:37]>> He's doing A levels this year.

[00:50:39]>> Yeah he's doing A levels this year. Do you all speak in English or Tamil?

[00:50:42]>> Tamil mostly. level mostly nice and he also can speak English I think since I also learned English and then I also I mean from school environment and everything so now he also can speak English as well yeah all right so before we wrap things up do you have any final advice or any final words to tell the audience that's watching because the audience that watches our videos are mainly people that either struggling to speak English and they're watching these videos to learn how they can speak better or it's people that can already speak English to a certain level but struggle to speak in front of an audience confidently.

[00:51:19]>> What final words would you leave them with?

[00:51:22]>> Yeah. So just to give a summary of like whatever we spoke I mean I would simply say number thing just it's it's okay to be embarrassed but take it as if you're being if you ever felt embarrassed just take it as a motivation and try to learn just always make sure your intention is to learn. Make sure that's very intrinsic like like it's the motivation should like you can go to anyone to study English like anyone like you can go for big names and everything but if the intention is not within you if you don't want to learn wherever you go you won't do it that's number one and number two put in effort like I would say even though I'm speaking a podcast right now today I think for me to at least to come to a podcast like this and speak I think it took me years like I would Definitely I would say like 10 years not 10 years but yeah sometime to be confidently speak like this but even for even if you asked me to do a podcast back in 2020 or 2019 I would have done so because I was like okay fine cuz I had confidence so like you said you need to put in work and then it builds competence and competence builds confidence so that's how it works so you number two you have to put in effort number three it's the environment so or I would say a good circle of friends have people who will like help you to learn and who will actually help you grow in terms of speaking English like if you are a they say I mean this is this is something Shashan told me you are a product of who the four people you who you associate the most so if you want to learn English have some friends who speak English [laughter] >> or get a girlfriend or get a girlfriend yeah get a girlfriend who can speak really good English or who's coming from school that is like very English dominant school then obviously yeah you'll pick up your English you will definitely pick [laughter] up your English all right super thanks thanks for being here thank you sashan for having me all right thank you >> guys if you enjoyed this video make sure to subscribe to the channel share this with a friend let us know your comments down below until our next video keep practicing