'Studying in the UK transformed my confidence in English and opened doors internationally'

Apichaya Chaisungka grew up in Thailand and studied in Thai public schools before receiving a GREAT Scholarship to study Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) at the University of Hull.

Today, she works as an English as an Additional Language teacher in the UAE, supporting multilingual students across the British curriculum.

She shares how studying in the UK helped her become more confident using English, changed the way she thought about learning and teaching, and helped her build an international career.

‘I learned English in Thai public schools, not international schools’

I grew up in Thailand and went to Thai public schools all the way from kindergarten through to high school.

When I was younger, learning English mostly meant memorising vocabulary, grammar and textbook exercises. Students were expected to sit quietly and remember information rather than really discuss things.

At the time, I didn’t question it because that was just normal to me.

Everything changed when I joined an international programme at university in Thailand for the first time. Suddenly, classes felt completely different. People discussed ideas together and students were expected to join in rather than just listen.

That experience completely changed the way I thought about learning languages.

I became really curious about how English was taught internationally, especially in countries where English is part of everyday life. The UK is the home of the English language, so it felt like the best possible place to learn.

‘Studying in the UK changed the way I understood language learning’

Before moving to the UK, I was working as a teaching assistant at an international school in Thailand.

I loved working in education, but I’d also started noticing that in some international environments there could be assumptions about who could be seen as a confident English teacher.

That made me even more determined to prove myself.

So I started applying for scholarships and opportunities to study in the UK.

I’m a bit of a control freak, so whenever I applied for a scholarship, I think 80 per cent of me was already preparing for rejection. I applied for many opportunities before eventually receiving a GREAT Scholarship to study TESOL at the University of Hull.

Each application helped me become clearer about my goals and more confident expressing myself in English.

Receiving the scholarship changed everything because financially, studying abroad would never have been possible for me otherwise.

I still remember getting the email while I was at work. I went straight home to tell my parents.

My dad hugged me and cried. It genuinely felt like something from a film.

‘Living in the UK helped me become more confident speaking English’

Moving to Hull was my first time living outside Thailand and my first time in the UK.

The weather was definitely a shock at first. Coming from Thailand, I found the cold and dark winter difficult to start with. But surprisingly quickly, Hull started to feel like home.

One of my favourite things was meeting people from all over the world. We spent a lot of time sharing food and stories from home.

I never felt as homesick as I expected because there was such a strong support system at the university and among the other scholarship students.

Outside my studies, I joined activities like cheerleading and dance clubs, which helped me become more confident socially as well.

Because we were speaking English constantly, in class, with friends and during activities, it slowly stopped feeling stressful. For the first time, English stopped being something from a textbook and started feeling natural.

That kind of immersion made a huge difference to my confidence.

‘My course helped me understand English in a completely different way’

At the University of Hull, I studied TESOL. What I loved most was how practical the course felt.

As part of the programme, we taught multilingual learners, including at asylum centres in Hull. That experience completely changed the way I thought about language learning.

Before studying in the UK, I had mostly experienced English through grammar exercises and memorisation. In Hull, I realised English was really about communication, confidence and connecting with people.

Living in the UK also helped my English improve much faster because I was using it every day in real situations, with friends, in shops and in everyday life.

That experience helped me feel genuinely confident communicating in English.

‘Studying in the UK helped me build an international career’

Today, I work at an international school in the UAE as an English as an Additional Language teacher, supporting multilingual students across subjects including English, humanities and science.

I also help train teachers in how to support English learners in multilingual classrooms.

Looking back, I know studying in the UK played a huge role in helping me get here.

Living and studying in an English-speaking environment gave me a completely different level of confidence in using English professionally.

My UK degree also opened doors internationally and helped me build a career working across international education.

One thing I care deeply about now is helping students understand that confident English communication is something they can achieve too, no matter where they come from.

Today, I still work closely with British Council and British Embassy activities in Thailand, speaking to students who hope to study in the UK themselves.

When I look back now, I can see how much that experience changed the direction of my life.

For me, studying in the UK didn’t just improve my English.

It changed what I believed I could do with it.