The use of English in research papers and presentations is sometimes more important than the content for this Mechanical Engineering doctoral candidate. Her supervisor and department tutor provide support.

Preparing for the IELTS exam in Beijing expanded this Mechanical Engineering student’s circle of friends. She only reads English if it will help with her studies.

Being immersed in an environment with English TV would be better than doing lots of exercises including proofreading according to this Computer Science major. She read Pride and Prejudice and thinks youngsters like such love stories.

Years after first reading Animal Farm and the poem, Solitude, this Accounting major is able to see how the authors’ use of metaphor applies to life. She hopes to resume reading fiction after she graduates.

Group discussions during the DSE speaking module is enjoyable. This student seldom reads in English except for lecture notes. He uses English to communicate with gamers from other countries.

This Engineering major felt past papers instead of tutorial classes would have better prepared him for A-levels. A secondary school teacher advised him to use lyrics to improve his vocabulary. He likes Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and Bruno Mars.

A communications major had to catch-up when she transitioned to Hong Kong in Primary 3. Initiating a speech club helped prepare for the DSE. She uses English when she has to and prefers to read Chinese.

This Marketing major would have paid more attention during class if high school English was more interactive. Tutorial lessons helped with grammar when she was young. She read The Shadow of the Wind and believes English is a requirement in business.

Writing exams is the main motivation of studying English for this Accounting major. She uses “basic English” in her programme and believes the most effective way to learn is to communicate with native speakers.

English is the only language of communication in Hong Kong for this Indonesian student. She uses Google and the thesaurus when she encounters difficulties reading journal articles.

Remembering names of NETs was a big challenge for this Korean student who transitioned to an EMI school. A friend’s mum and a private tutor helped to improve her English. She picked up Harry Potter because of her sister. She is now into non-fiction such as How Google Works and What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School.

A teacher provided support when this student had to self-introduce at his new EMI school and ignited his interest in English. He read Angela’s Ashes, Lord of the Flies, Julius Caesar, and Steve Jobs which changed his perspective on business and marketing.

“Survival instinct” pushed this Korean student to learn English when she had to make friends and study in a Mainland international school. She is focused on reading course material because it results in a transfer of knowledge rather than a pastime.

This student finds high school English literature class difficult. Her favourite children’s books were from Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl. Now she enjoys reading about economics and finance.

A two-month stay in the UK with a host family was memorable for this Biology major. He plans to enrol in an exchange programme and have more chances of speaking English. He loves Dan Brown novels including Angels and Demons but he is exploring other hobbies as reading takes a lot of time.

Joining a speech festival as a primary school student sparked an interest in poetry. He found The Time Keeper and The Five People You Meet in Heaven inspiring. He watches the Mentalist and the Hell’s Kitchen and chats with exchange students to learn vocabulary and communication.

This student liked the storybooks, group discussions, and relaxed teaching style at the international primary school in Shanghai. Using “English as a First Language” and reading The Thing They Carried during IB programme were memorable.

Responding to teacher’s questions in English class was a nervous experience. This Civil Engineering major works hard in the compulsory language courses for a better GPA. He reads course materials and believes English learning should start from kindergarten.

A student describes the interaction with a buddy during an exchange trip to the US, also sampling food and writing Chinese New Year lucky scrolls. He reads course materials and the news. He finds the English version of Harry Potter more colourful.

An environmental science PhD student was mesmerized by her high school English teacher’s retelling of a love story. She was influenced by her mother to pick up reading. She enjoys Sherlock Holmes. English is the medium of instruction in native Philippines.

Tutorials provided primary school students opportunities to improve speaking skills. Secondary school English classes focused on formal writing styles. Now this biochemistry major writes lab reports, reads academic papers and improves vocabulary with the help of professors, dictionary, Google and Wikipedia.

Primary 1 classes in the UK improved this Biology major’s English writing and speaking but her Chinese suffered. She read English books such as Matilda but now prefers Chinese versions.

Studying in Dublin was like a three-month intensive English lesson for this Business major. She also taught English as a volunteer in Cambodia. She read the news and The Saga of Darren Shan.

Competing in a secondary school Speech Festival expanded this Business major’s vocabulary. He used English textbooks at school and enjoyed the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Secondary school English classes allowed this Business major to have a better relationship with the teacher than in university. She’s not a reading type of person but liked Harry Potter.

Watching children’s TV programmes was a more effective way to learn English than attending extra-curricular tutorials for this Business major. She has enjoyed reading children’s literature and adult fiction.

The university environment is a better place to learn English for this Business major. He credits the reading material and interacting with others. He reads websites related to his major.

English has been important for this Engineering major since an early age as it was the language for communicating with her family’s domestic helper. She likes books by Mitch Albom.

University English course has taught this Business major how to make better presentations. She read The Little Prince in Chinese and then English as she wanted to get more out of the story.

Secondary school English classes involved performing drama and singing for this Business major. The Five People You Meet in Heaven is one of his favourite books. He wants to read more English books to improve his proficiency.

English was the lingua franca during a trip to Mongolia for this Engineering major. Reading in English is limited to course material.

During the final year of secondary school this Engineering major improved her English by interacting with international students. The Chaser is a scary book with a lot of hidden meanings.

Reading newspapers and magazines were part of this Physics major’s DSE exam preparation. He feels English will be important in his future career.

Writing and performing dramas in secondary school English classes were more interesting than learning grammar for this Business major. She learnt more about the USSR by reading Animal Farm.

A secondary school teacher provided extra-curricular support for this Business major and his friend as they prepared for the DSE. He likes reading news whether it’s online or printed.

Studying senior secondary in the UK challenged this Surveying major’s comprehension skills. She prefers to watch TV dramas such as Downton Abbey and Bones to reading.

Watching the Twilight movie triggered this Engineering major’s interest in reading. She surprised herself by completing the book and noticed it also improved her English. She read a number of books for high school English.

A very good secondary school English teacher taught this Engineering major to read the newspaper and write summaries. She doesn’t have the passion to finish an entire book.

An Engineering major discovered he needed to broaden his subject-specific vocabulary after struggling to communicate while visiting family in Canada. He read a bilingual version of The Little Prince.

Volunteering as a teacher in Bangladesh exposed this Engineering major to other varieties of English. His secondary school teachers pushed him to read to improve his vocabulary.