Student Spotlight: Mika's English Journey 🇫🇮

Hey there!

Let’s face it: We all fall out of practice sometimes.

One day, you are confidently using phrasal verbs in meetings, the next, you are googling “what does zone out mean again?”

That is exactly where Mika from Helsinki found himself. Once fluent, but feeling a little out of touch with English after years of focusing on other languages. 

Here is his story 👇

"I'm Mika from Helsinki, Finland. Knowing foreign languages, especially English, has always been essential for my studies and professional life. When I don't work, I spend my time doing sports, playing piano, loving dogs, travelling and learning English.😉"

Mika’s love for English started early. Really early.

Growing up in Finland, he would watch the DJ Kat Show, totally hooked… even if he did not understand a word. But that curiosity stuck with him.

By age 9, he was officially learning English at school. Later, he explored even more languages (Swedish, German, French, Polish), and with so many new words bouncing around, English quietly took a backseat.

And that is when it happened:

"While I concentrated on learning and using these other languages, I one day noticed that my English was rusty. I had taken for granted that my English would stay fine no matter whether I was using it or not. But I struggled with vocabulary, and my speech was not at all fluent anymore."

Sound familiar? Mika realised something many advanced learners do: languages need to be used, not just remembered.

So, he took action.

He joined The English Life Academy and has not looked back since.

"I found English Life with Benjamin and The English Life Academy last year, and it has been great for me. It is such a fun and great way to learn English. Teachers are great, and there are students from all over the world. I have gained back my confidence, learned a lot about phrasal verbs, idioms, grammar, and just debating with other international students."

Language learning is not a straight line, it is more like a winding road with a few U-turns and scenic stops. Mika’s journey reminds us that it is never too late to get back on track, and sometimes all it takes is the right environment to thrive again.

👉 Want to build confidence and fluency like Mika?

Join our small-group conversation classes at The English Life Academy and surround yourself with friendly, motivated learners from all over the world.

You might just fall in love with English all over again.

See you in the next one! 😌

Benjamin & Cami