How did I Learn English?

by Hla Min

Updated : September 2026

Learning English

How did I learn English? Not so easily.

Ms Hong Kong (Amelia Kyi)

She taught us English in VI and VII standards using the carrot & the stick.

My daily pocket money was 25 pyas. I would be fined 50 pyas if I failed in a weekly English test, but I would be rewarded 50 pyas if my scores are super.

Brother Xavier

He taught us English in VIII and IX standards mostly using red ink & the stick.

He would give 100 marks (perfect score) for any paper or test & then subtract 10 marks for each error (spelling, grammar …).

One of my classmates received -230 (minus 230) written in red in his report card.

He would ask a student to stand on the chair or kneel in front for blatant violations of Grammar.

According to Ko Zaw Min (St. Albert’s 64), Brother Xavier stopped using the brute-force techniques at St. Albert’s HS.

Brother Austin

He taught us English and “Morals and Manners” in X standard mostly using the carrot.

He was a Librarian for SPHS Library.

He said, “Don’t copy from your friends. You’ll waste your time and my time.”

He reminded me not to write very small. He would reduce score for writing small.

He would reward students who could recite verses from “Morals and Manners” by letting them “time off” for the rest of the period and handing out surprise gifts (e.g. a UK or European soccer match played with his 8mm camera). I won a ticket to see “1960 Summer Olympics at Rome” at the Thamada (President) Cinema.

I am not sure if these kind of incentives will be effective in the present time.

Support

from parents

They bought books, magazines, cartoons, and comics in Burmese and English. Most of them cost less than two kyats.

We had two typewriters : a new Olympia typewriter for Burmese, and an old Remington typewriter for English.

They and my uncles maintain private libraries.