This Visual Arts major received dialogue coaching from teachers while she prepared for a drama competition in Form Four. She prefers to read Chinese books but read English fiction and non-fiction for the SBA.

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.

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.

“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.

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.

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.

The school Speech Festival required this Occupational Therapy major to read a poem with emotion. She is getting used to doing English presentations in university.

Achieving good results in IELTS is a goal for this Fashion major who wants to travel after graduation. She recalls reading English passages in the DSE exam.

English was a hobby in primary school and it became a necessity to gain a place in university for this Engineering major. He only reads English material if it’s required for his studies.

Preparing for the speaking section of the IELTS exam was part of this Engineering major’s plan to qualify for postgraduate studies in Hong Kong. Her English reading centres on course material.

A university English club provides more speaking opportunities to prepare for the IELTS exam. This Automotive Design Engineering major read some English novels and articles to pass speaking tests.

Independent learning and logical thinking skills are key to excelling in IELTS according to this Social Policy major. As a postgraduate student in Hong Kong, she has used English more. She reads course material for writing papers.

Despite feeling as if she struggled with the spoken part of IELTS, this Geography major passed on the third attempt. She read the English version of The Little Prince in the hope of getting closer to the author’s thoughts.

Preparing for a future career propelled this Transportation System Engineering major to take an IELTS course and acquire language skills. Writing a script for a musical in school made learning English fun. . As a violinist, he reads about music to nurture his musicality.

Even though past paper drilling is dull, it’s the only way to prepare for the DSE according to this Mechanical Engineering major. What he has learnt from school helps him grasp the gist when watching TV and movies.

Coming from a CMI school, this Language major had done extra self-practice to prepare for the DSE. She realises learning back then was particularly productive. Her reading interest ranges from fantasy novels such as Howl’s Moving Castle to romance like One Day.

Enthusiasm about astronomy has led this Management major to subscribe to online lectures conducted in English. She also read many relevant articles in TOEFL exam papers. Among her favourite writers are George Orwell and Stephen King.

Doing past papers for the DSE in her own time improved the English listening skills of this Surveying major. She read newspapers provided by her teacher and was asked to write journals weekly which enriched her vocabulary bank.

An English camp led by British students from Oxford and Cambridge inspired this Nursing major. She started tutorials for the first time in order to prepare for the DSE. She read with an exchange student in Form Four. Reading in English takes longer because she needs to check the vocabulary.

Other than doing many exercises when preparing for the Gaokao, this Accounting and Finance major also did the TOEFL listening test to improve her English. She enjoys readings books by O. Henry and Agatha Christie.

After doing poorly in the DSE, this Textiles major took IELTS to meet university entrance requirements. She gained some practical knowledge and skills while preparing for the IELTS assessment.

To help prepare for the public examinations, this Biotechnology major’s English teacher gave him one-on-one lessons. He read books such as A Christmas Carol, The Railway Children and The Diary of a Young Girl for his literature class.

Winning a class competition for a video in secondary school created a good learning atmosphere for this Engineering major. She reads the South China Morning Post to improve her English.

Despite winning a competition singing an English song, this Management major does not think her interest in music helps her learning. She likes to read fashion magazines.

Studying phonics and taking part in English singing and speech competitions became a habit for this student who now likes western pop music. She uses social media to find interesting articles to read.

The competitive environment of secondary school motivated this Cultural and Heritage Management major to improve her English by reading more books and learning about grammar. It was compulsory to read the newspaper in her secondary school.

Spending time in Australia and Europe motivated this Finance major to improve her English. The children on a farm in Australia taught her English. She participated in an English reading programme in high school.

Attending a summer school in the UK during secondary school immersed this Nursing major in an English speaking environment. She read TIME magazine while preparing for the DSE because it broadened her knowledge of international issues.

Practising with teachers helped this Computer Science major change her speaking habits, especially pronunciation. She likes the humour in O. Henry’s short stories and essays.

Interacting with the family’s maid helped this Chinese Studies major learn English. She took part in a reading scheme in secondary school and had to write a brief report for each book.

A drama competition in secondary school was a welcome break from exams and textbooks for this English major. He was the scriptwriter and used a dictionary to complete the job. The local content in the SCMP is appealing.

Preparing for the GRE, this Chemistry major read books and online materials. She needs to write more papers and read more journals in order to improve her skills. She read The China Daily, The New York Times and one chapter of Harry Potter.

Despite having what he felt was a poor standard of English entering senior secondary, this Business major improved his exam scores by working with vocabulary books. He browses websites such as Amazon and Google, and uses Tudou and Google Translate.

Winning a primary school English writing competition ignited this Medical student’s love for reading and writing. She posts her own fan fiction online and hopes to write a novel. Those who wish to pursue writing should read widely.

Getting a good grade for writing and producing a video for an English language course in university is a highlight for this Computer Engineering major. He uses Google and Wikipedia to search for definitions. He watches YouTube videos with English subtitles and reads reference books.

Preparing for the TOEFL test involved watching films, listening to the radio and talking. This Business major read the Harry Potter series and notes the talent, honesty, loyalty, kindness and happiness of the writing.

Being proficient in English was important for this student as she prepared for the GMAT. She felt there was more pressure than the normal English lesson. Reading Little Women was a relaxing alternative to textbooks.

Reading Computer Engineering books is important for this student as they relate to his major. During secondary school, he pushed himself to read more and checked new words in the dictionary.

Taking part in an English language competition during his bachelor studies motivated this student to practise a lot and seek help from mentors and peers. He finds inspiration in song lyrics such as Katy Perry’s Fireworks.

Rewriting the lyrics for the Alice in Wonderland musical was the culmination of a class competition that involved watching the film and reading the book. This Nursing major read magazines about the human body in secondary school and now course materials related to her major.