SINGAPORE – Thirteen years ago, at age 11, Sazzad Hossain arrived in Singapore with his family and could barely speak or write a word of English.

Although he had learned the language in Bangladesh where he was from, he did not learn phonetics and never had to apply the use of proper English. Furthermore, the subject was taught in Bengali, which is the country’s national language.

When his family immigrated here in 2005, Mr Sazzad struggled to fit in with his classmates. Because of his poor command of English, he was enrolled in Primary 4 – a year behind peers of the same age.

Recalling those early days in school, he said: “I didn’t understand them and they didn’t understand me.” He felt embarrassed and isolated.

But within two years, thanks to the dedication and encouragement from one of his teachers at Yuhua Primary School, Mr Sazzad managed to pick up English and went on to score an A for the subject at his Primary School Leaving Examination.

Since then, he has come a long way. Now 24, the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) undergraduate is the founder of a social enterprise teaching English to foreign workers. To date, he has coached some 6,000 workers.

BECOMING A TEACHER

Mr Sazzad, who lives in Lakeside, regularly crossed paths with foreign workers staying in the dormitories in Jurong and became acquainted with them.

Struggling to understand instructions and signs in English, the exasperated workers would turn to Mr Sazzad for help. They asked him to teach them English. Their plight resonated with him, and he agreed.

“I was in their shoes before. Not knowing English in Singapore could isolate and deprive them of opportunities,” said Mr Sazzad.

Over the weekends, he would teach about six of the workers at Taman Jurong Green Park.

At the time, Mr Sazzad was in Secondary 4 when he first started giving English lessons to the workers. By the time he entered junior college, the number of students swelled and he thought it would be best to have a proper course structure.

So, for the next eight months, he sourced for cheap textbooks and designed worksheets himself.

In 2013, when he was 19 and in his first year at Saint Andrews Junior College, Mr Sazzad started his social enterprise, SDI Academy, offering English classes.

His first lesson was well received, with 134 foreign workers who turned up for it. The rental for the venue and course materials amounted to S$600, which he said he paid out of his own pocket. “I saved some of my school pocket money over the years,” he said.

He has since formed a partnership with NTU, which allows him to conduct his four-month course – comprising 16 lessions – on its premises. Currently, each person who enrolls pays S$235 per course, and the fees may be paid in instalments. His academy also now has 12 trainers.

INSPIRED BY A TEACHER

On his journey to becoming a teacher, Mr Sazzad – who is currently studying electrical engineering and business at NTU – said his form teacher in Yuhua Primary School, Ms Kavitha Govindasamy, had been his inspiration.

Ms Kavitha, 42, left a lasting impression on him and became his mentor.

Ms Kavitha Govindasamy taught Sazzad Hossain when he was at Yuhua Primary School. She encouraged and motivated him to do well in English, the subject he lagged behind in, and eventually became the inspiration that led him to become a teacher to foreign workers. PHOTO: Najeer Yusof/TODAY 

After school, she would coach him and other students weak in the subject. In class, she encouraged him to do more presentations so that he can apply what he had learnt.

Back then, Mr Sazzad had a strong accent. “When he talked, other students would ask, ‘what is he saying?’,” said Ms Kavita. “But he improved as he went along.”

Though he lagged behind his peers, Sazzad was determined to succeed. Ms Kavitha – herself inspired by a former teacher – recounted seeing him attending class with “bloodshot eyes”. Communicating regularly with his father, she learned that he would revise English at home late into the night.

Ms Kavitha, who became a teacher in 1999, said: “When you see a driven student, and as a teacher, if you don’t do anything to help him or her, you won’t feel good about yourself.”

She noted that students are discerning, and they know if a teacher genuinely cares. “If a teacher has a heart for the child, the child can sense it, and they will make an effort,” she added.

Mr Sazzad said: “Ms Kavitha not only taught me to do well in my studies. She also taught me about the impact a good educator can make. I thought I could be a good coach to the workers.”

The teacher and student lost touch after Mr Sazzad moved on to Jurong Secondary School and Saint Andrews Junior College subsequently.

But two years ago, they reconnected by chance. They had bumped into each other at Jurong Point Shopping Centre.

“My jaw dropped when I heard him speak English so fluently,” Ms Kavitha said with a laugh. “And I am proud to learn that he is contributing back to society.”