English songs, poems and drama are an alternative to grammar and “technical English.” Watching movies such as Harry Potter and The Hunger Games will get you interested in reading the original books.

Shakespeare exposes students to exaggeration and similes. Good movies make books interesting.

A student enjoyed writing poems and playing games in a workshop on Thanksgiving day at university organised by an international tutor. The workshop was different to secondary school because it was interactive. Although reading English books is hard, she was able to finish Matilda. [4CJ093]

Learning English has been part of this student’s life since kindergarten. She learnt difficult sentence patterns and how to write a composition during junior secondary while she watched movies and read poems and lessons with NETs in senior secondary.

Primary school English included dictation and poems for this student. This student attended after-school tutorials in secondary school. In university, students are expected to have a level of proficiency to communicate withy others.

Doing a poetry reading in a speech festival helped this student with the DSE speech examination. Despite this experience, she does not read much, just CNN.

Studying English poetry helped this logistics major prepare for the DSE exams. He says like poetry, logistics uses language in a unique way.

A community health major learnt English through activities such as poetry reading in primary school. She read the South China Morning Post in secondary school.

Use rhyming words to write a poem in primary school was fun for this English Teaching major. She prefers to teach primary because it is hard to motivate older students for exams. She read the newspaper to boost her vocabulary for the DSE.

An English Teaching major worked in a group as part of a competition to transform a poem into a video in secondary school. She also read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Preparing for the DSE exams by working with poems and doing the SBA was memorable for this student. Chinese books are easier to read because she is familiar with the vocabulary.

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.

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.

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.

When she was a child, this Translation postgraduate taught herself spoken English by imitating the characters in movies. She reads about economics, English literature as well as poems mainly for study.

Reciting Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken”, this Computer Science major recalls analysing and writing poems in secondary school. She also read a wide variety of fiction ranging from Enid Blyton and JK Rowling to Ayn Rand. She is starting Games of Thrones and planning to watch the series.

An active learning environment in university language classes including presentations and discussions enabled this Business major to speak more English. Reading poetry allows him to know more about English culture. Shakespeare is his favourite writer.

Secondary school NET teachers from the US used poems, songs and dramas to create an interesting learning environment. This Cultural Studies major learnt a lot through the lyrics of Leona Lewis. She read Twilight and The Hunger Games.

Growing up in UK meant involved learning English and the culture for this Law student. She was required read a variety of books and analyse them for secondary school English class assignments. She read Shakespeare, The Great Gatsby, The Glass Menagerie, and To Kill a Mockingbird.

Despite being shy, this English major used the language to communicate during a homestay in New Zealand in primary school. She likes Sophie’s World because it explores ideas that people might think but never discuss. She also read Oedipus the King and analyses poetry in university literature class.

Moving to Hong Kong changed this graduate student’s focus on reading from textbooks to the poetry of Pablo Neruda. He was embarrassed when he couldn’t ask a question using English during a forum.

A tough teacher enabled this Law student to be better prepared for the IB exams and raised her interest in poetry from William Blake and Shakespeare. She liked reading Harry Potter.

Despite receiving support on how to improve his English, this Computer Engineering major has negative feelings. His girlfriend encourages him to read newspapers and he asks her to help with new vocabulary.

Studying English Literature as an undergraduate developed a deeper appreciation for works in the language. This student will read a book twice to explore possible connections between different passages.

Taking a university course about literature raised this student’s awareness of poetry. It was different to secondary school because she could appreciate how literature relates to human experience.

Studying in Australia during the Hong Kong school holidays allowed this student to experience a more creative learning environment. She likes the contrasts in William Blake’s poetry.

Taking part in a speech festival made this student feel like he was learning from the new vocabulary and poems. He cannot remember the English classics he has read. He reads journal articles in university.

Taking a university course in romanticism made this philosophy major fall in love with English. He likes the poetry of John Keats and Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables.

A poetry workshop and performance broadened this student’s horizons. Her favourite book is Catcher in the Rye because it describes teenage struggles. She is also learning new vocabulary while studying Philosophy in university.

A secondary school teacher encouraged this student to let English into his heart. He liked drama and poetry. He gets immersed when reading books such as Cloud Atlas and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.

A university English course allowed this student to become an active participant of the class. She had a horrible experience reading Shakespeare’s sonnets and recommends Charles Dickens for children.

Watching lunch-time movies and writing a reflection was more interesting than reading books for this student in secondary school. He studied poetry during his associate degree. Inception is his favourite film.

In university English literature lessons, this Accounting major read poems and stories. She read The Pillowman.

A movie event let this Engineering major make friends and learn new vocabulary. To prepare for the DSE, she borrowed storybooks with many poems inside from the library.

Learning street dance motivated this English major to watch video tutorials. His friend gave him the book Paper Towns in which he came across the poet Walt Whitman. Aimless Love by Billy Collins is his favourite poetry collection. He also likes In Cold Blood by Truman Capote.

Secondary school dictation on TV news was useful for this French major. Her favourite book is Animal Farm by George Orwell. She also likes reading poems.

The poetry recitation competition gave this English major a chance to improve her pronunciation. She likes reading fairy tales. She found The Yellow Wallpaper thought-provoking.

This Science major reads English aloud every morning to improve pronunciation. In secondary school, she read poems and fiction. The most interesting book for her is Remember Me?

In an exchange to Norway, this Arts major experienced different varieties of English. She read books, novels and poetry in a literature course. Her favourite author is Charles Dickens.

Watching Friends taught this Finance major everyday language. Her favourite movie is Harry Potter. She read poems and the book The House on Mango Street.