JustEnglish.lk founder and CEO Dilina Bandara’s mission to democratise English
Starting something new often comes from a place of personal experience, and for Dilina Bandara, the journey to founding JustEnglish.lk was no exception. At just 17, he was the youngest software engineer at his company, navigating both university life and a demanding job. Yet, something stood out to him in both spaces: talented individuals were often held back, not by their technical skills, but by their struggle to communicate in English.
This sparked an idea. Why should language fluency be tied to privilege? Why should anyone feel limited because they didn’t grow up speaking English at home or attend a prestigious school? Dilina began by helping two friends – both professionals – boost their English-speaking skills. That small start has since grown into JustEnglish.lk, a platform that has helped over 100 working professionals across Sri Lanka find their voices and thrive in their careers.
In conversation with The Daily Morning Brunch, Dilina shared the motivations behind his platform, the importance of anonymity, and how his programme is helping people redefine their professional paths.
Following are excerpts from the interview:
What inspired you to create JustEnglish.lk, and why did you specifically target working professionals in Sri Lanka?
At 17, while attending university, I started working as a software engineer, being the youngest at the company. In both university and at work, I noticed many skilled individuals being held back in their careers due to their inability to converse in English.
I believe English shouldn’t be a privilege – people don’t need to attend a fancy school or university, or come from a family background that speaks English at home to speak it well.
JustEnglish.lk started with me helping two friends, both working professionals, improve their English-speaking skills. Today, we’ve had over 100 working professionals graduate from our programmes.
Why is anonymity a key feature of JustEnglish.lk, and how does it benefit working professionals seeking to improve their English fluency?
Let’s say you’re an executive at a company, and what’s holding you back in your career are your English-speaking skills – what options do you have to improve?
You could join an online programme, attend tuition, or take classes or courses. But the issue is that in these settings, everyone knows who you are, what you do, and perhaps even personal details. Imagine being identified as a professional with a prestigious role who can’t speak English well and needs classes.
Anonymity removes the fear of questions like, “What if someone laughs at me when I speak?”, “Am I using the right words?”, and “Is my grammar wrong?” At JustEnglish.lk, students can practise and improve without worrying about what others think or say.
Beyond fluency, what other skills or aspects of English language proficiency does JustEnglish.lk aim to develop in its participants?
To speak English well, you need confidence. Speaking English effectively to anyone, anywhere, requires knowing what you’re saying and being able to handle the situation. At JustEnglish, while we focus on improving English fluency, we also help build our students’ confidence to express their thoughts clearly in English.
Along with this confidence, students will also develop interpersonal skills where they will use their target language – which is English – to effectively communicate with others. A main reason for this is, apart from the linguistic aspect, we focus on other facets like conversation etiquettes and interaction strategies as well.
Given the busy schedules of working professionals, can you elaborate on the programme’s structure and time commitment to ensure accessibility?
Rather than just being another English programme, we wanted to create something that truly addresses the problem of English fluency in Sri Lanka. After speaking with hundreds of working professionals, we designed a flexible schedule. We also structured the programme so that if someone misses a few days, it doesn’t affect their progress – they can keep joining and improving without stress.
How does JustEnglish measure the success of its programmes? Are there any specific metrics or participant outcomes you track?
At JustEnglish.lk, we focus on one thing – results. You don’t have to join with doubts. You can confidently expect to speak fluently and confidently by the end of our programmes.
We measure student progress in two ways: qualitatively – through confidence, engagement, and content– and quantitatively – through vocabulary, grammar, and filler word usage.
These are assessed during demo days, which are held three times throughout the programme.
What are some of the biggest challenges working professionals in Sri Lanka face when it comes to improving their English fluency?
For working professionals, time is limited, and the need to improve is urgent. You can’t afford to spend months on improvement, which is why our programmes are short and intensive, covering the necessary practice in a condensed period.
Other programmes focus on a broad audience with generic curricula. We offer personalised, individual attention to help working professionals excel in their careers through English-speaking skills.
Beyond the programme itself, does JustEnglish offer any additional resources or support systems for its participants?
Once you graduate from any programme at JustEnglish.lk, it doesn’t stop there. Our alumni community gains access to exclusive programmes and opportunities. Whenever our alumni need support – whether for a job interview, presentation, or anything else – the JustEnglish team is always there to help.
Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for JustEnglish? How do you envision the platform evolving in the future?
Personally, I’m working to make JustEnglish the go-to space for English fluency in Sri Lanka, focusing on results rather than just being another English course or class. I want it to be a name every Sri Lankan turns to when looking to improve their English and build confidence.
From a company perspective, we’re building a scalable global product that helps anyone improve their English, no matter where they are.