“I’ll buy my dad a Benz”: 12-year-old whiz from Tashkent masters English through YouTube, dreams big

Mirabbos Mirafzalov, who learned English independently, now speaks it as fluently as Uzbek. When his father observed the mindset of young professionals in the logistics field while working at a gas station, he decided to direct Mirabbos’ focus entirely toward education. Currently, Mirabbos is also learning two other languages. Kun.uz spoke with the young polyglot about how he’s mastering foreign languages without tutors and what goals he has set for himself.

Mirabbos Mirafzalov is a sixth-grade student at School No. 132 in Tashkent. He began learning English at the age of 8. Initially, he attended language courses for three months, but stopped due to dissatisfaction with the lessons.

“During the sessions, I would get distracted and join in playing with the other kids. I couldn't concentrate and didn’t learn much. So, I quit the course. My parents explained that if I learned English, I could work at major companies, earn a good salary, and drive luxury cars. Eventually, their encouragement pushed me to start studying on my own,” he said.

At a time when even students with tutors struggle to complete homework, Mirabbos disciplined himself to use his phone not for games, but for learning. He studied English through online tutorials on YouTube, while his father monitored his progress.

“English seemed very difficult at first. There were times I cried because I didn’t want to study – I wanted to go outside, play football with my friends. But my parents kept explaining how dedicating my time to learning would open doors in the future. Their support always gave me strength, and despite the challenges, I tried hard to master the language,” Mirabbos shared.

His father played a significant role in his language learning journey. By reinforcing and repeating what he learned, Mirabbos became fluent in English. His father would take him to places with many foreign visitors – like metro stations and pilgrimage sites – so that he could practice speaking with tourists. Occasionally, Mirabbos even acted as a tour guide.

“I started learning English in 2020, and after about two years, I reached a level where I could speak freely. I corrected my pronunciation by listening to audio and video lessons and watching movies. I practiced what I learned by speaking with people who knew English. Besides English, I began studying Japanese last year and memorized around 150 words. But since I had no one to speak with and didn’t repeat the material, I forgot most of the words within a year. It’s true what they say – knowledge comes from repetition,” he explained.

Mirabbos has an intense thirst for knowledge and big dreams. He aims to study at one of the world’s top 10 universities, open a private university, and one day gift his father a foreign luxury car.

“I’m currently reading books related to business, and the more I read, the more I grow interested in this field. I want to become a businessman and meet people like Elon Musk and Steve Jobs. To become successful, I plan to learn Spanish too. I want to study well, earn a high income, and buy my dad a Mercedes-Benz, a Neta car for myself, and gift my other family members the cars they dream of. Whatever I become, I want to be a good person who does work that benefits the nation,” he said.

In the interview, Mirabbos also spoke about how important it is for parents to spend time with their children, how his peers can find the most effective time of day for studying, and how to use gadgets with purpose and avoid distractions from games.

Watch the full interview on Kun.uz’s YouTube channel.