I guess I´ve always been prone to the English language, as I live in Mexico.
In fact the US influence in the Mexican culture is pretty noticeable.
I was encouraged by my parents from an early age to constantly brush up on it.
In fact, I learned how to read and write English and Spanish at the same time (around 6 of age) - probably a good thing on the one side, and probably not on the other side.
I never let up on the English language learning through grade school.
I finished high school and had not yet decided on the future, but again, never slackened off on the English language learning.
During those years I read the Oxford dictionary from A to Z.
I would watch cable, and put down phrases that I did not know and research their meaning.
By the time I entered college I had a superior mastering of the language... or so I thought, for there, what I learnt was that I really didn’t know much (although much more than the average).
So University did do it for me. It kind of put a message across that you never stop learning - which I have found to be true even for my mother tongue, Spanish.
I was never a straight A student in college, but when there was a tough paragraph to be translated, people would come up to me to solve the thing. I guess the translation activity takes decent common sense and fear of God.
I started working before graduating. Family and friends mainly. A lot of mistakes back in the day. Nothing unusual.
I graduated and started working here and there; I thought I was all that. I was not. I was only ready to start learning. So I have never stopped ever since. There is always a word, a phrase that I have never heard before. That used to surprise me. Not anymore.