Listening to the BBC and watching a drama helped this student with the DSE. She likes the vampires in the Twilight books. She says there is more detail in text.

Tutors provided reading, writing and speaking support for this student and her classmates during English Week activities in secondary school. She read Harry Potter after watching the movie.

Interviewing tourists during a field trip to Tsim Sha Tsui in secondary school allowed this Maths Education major a chance to use the English he learnt in a classroom. He read Harry Potter because he loved the film.

English Week activities provided a rare chance for this Maths Education major to use the language. He read The Hunger Games as it was a recommended book in secondary school.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

English was the lingua franca for this Engineering major during a study tour to Singapore that focused on the environment. Reading science fiction stimulates his imagination. He read Harry Potter and Percy Jackson.

Learning English through games such as Scrabble in a learning centre was better than classroom exercises for this Business major. English is important for her future career but she prefers using Cantonese.

A new teaching style helped this Science major achieve a good result in DSE English. He loved Animal Farm but now enjoys reading sports news on the Internet.

Taking an English course provided this Financial Planner with more up-to-date information. His secondary school teacher worked hard to improve his English level.

Extra classes in a community centre resulted in a higher than expected DSE grade for this Social Work major. Reading in English is very important in her chosen field.

Being encouraged to speak in university English classes is a positive difference for this Accounting major. He reads newspapers and has started Harry Potter.

Extra-curricular English classes improved this Engineering major’s confidence and chances of attending a better secondary school. His teacher encouraged him to read a newspaper.

A three-week study tour to England in primary school involved attending local classes and communicating with the host family. While studying Engineering, she also attends academic English classes.

English is a lifelong pursuit for this Speech Therapy major. She used the language during a tour of Europe and also reads articles in English.

After travelling to England in Secondary 5, this Multimedia major improved his communication skills. He uses English to learn more about software.

An Accounting major feels there should be more focus on spoken English to improve intercultural communication. She read Pride and Prejudice on a teacher’s recommendation.

Watching Forrest Gump was the solution to this Banking professional’s English learning challenges in secondary school. Reading The Economist gives him insight into international events.