It wasn’t until Prashant Choudhary quit his desk job at a Delhi insurance firm to work as a driver that he began to speak English with some fluency.

Choudhary left insurance because he wanted to be his own boss and have more control over his working life — but there has been an unexpected upside to his new career.

As an Uber driver, Choudhary has to use an English-language app day in, day out, and he has found it has significantly improved his language skills. “I enjoy speaking English and often speak in English with my clients. Being an Uber driver has increased my confidence [in speaking],” he said. “I meet clients from many different countries, and doing so many trips and meeting different passengers has definitely helped me improve my English.”