Secondary school English ambassadors polish their language skills by testing other students and leading activities. Watching Pride and Prejudice led to reading the original Jane Austen book.

Crazy English teaches students to communicate. Preparing for IELTS involves careful reading. She read TIME magazine.

Preparing for IELTS was very tiring – working hard every day. English teachers focus on basic language skills and have little time to read more than news websites such as the BBC and The New York Times.

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

Collaborative writing and presentations in university allow students to develop together.

The accent and teaching style of a NET is more appealing. You can learn through watching movies.

A summer camp led by native English speaking students built confidence because it focused on communication and not errors. Books such as Harry Potter and Tuesdays with Morrie are good for learners.

Choral speaking sparked this student’s interest in literature. Roald Dahl and children’s book are easier to understand because of the simpler language and illustrations.

An accessible NET provides an opportunity for lunch-time chats. The Harry Potter movie created an interest in comics. Playing the violin involves reading English language textbooks.

A student needed to answer questions about the book ET as part of an entrance test for a school in Macau. He later moved to Hong Kong and remembers English was used in an activity-filled international summer exchange programme in New Zealand.

Watching Titanic in primary school on the Mainland created an interest in the lyrics of the song, “My Heart Will Go On.” The student also watched Harry Potter and Twilight. She briefly looked at the Harry Potter book.

A Maths Teaching major from the Mainland says his secondary school was different because there were many foreign teachers. He also took part in an English summer camp in Hong Kong. He is now reading and studying in English at university.

A postgraduate psychology student enjoyed an English camp organised by American tutors on the Mainland during secondary school. Jane Eyre is a really touching book.

Reading can involve preparation for tests such as TOEFL and SAT and can be fiction like The Vampire Diaries. Dictionaries are good for developing vocabulary.

A visual arts major, who hates English, used English to communicate while holidaying in Nepal. Reading is a necessity for assignments.

Watching movies and enjoying live Shakespeare during a trip to the UK may have helped this student but she feels there is not enough time in secondary school to learn all that is expected.

Listening to the BBC and reading online and printed newspapers were part of this student’s A-level preparations. He used a dictionary to check new vocabulary.

English is important for a science and web technology major who enjoys playing the piano. Her secondary school English teacher used songs for writing exercises. She thinks Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is funny.

An interest in dance led to a study trip to Canada where English was used by this student. She also read A Christmas Carol as part of the SBA.

Watching movies, listening to music, and reading books are recommended by this student who also read the Life of Pi.

Attending an EMI school allowed this student to boost his vocabulary. He feels it is better to learn some science subjects in English. He read Harry Potter because the movie was not very impressive.

A student enjoyed the TV dramas and movies shown by NETs including Sherlock. She also read the first three Harry Potter books after watching the movie. She finds the smartphone dictionary helpful.

A student who felt frustrated during an English language summer camp practised alone by talking to herself. Most of her reading was past papers for the A-level exam but she now plans to read Gone Girl.

A student communicated with Singaporeans during a senior high school travel programme. She says her teacher recommended some meaningful books to students.

A Christmas-time drama allowed this student to learn without focusing on difficult grammar rules. She read more books exchanging with others after she finished them.

A postgraduate student developed her English language skills while working as a teacher in Beijing. She read magazines like TIME to prepare for IELTS.

Different modes of learning such as drama and watching films in secondary school are highlights for this student. She describes The Five People You Meet in Heaven as inspiring and educational.

A student is interested in reading Harry Potter after seeing the movie. She also watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and read the book.

Listening to songs and writing down the lyrics helped this student build her vocabulary. She also enjoys reading English language horror stories because the complex language sometimes hides the gore.

A “great” teacher left a good impression with this student. She bought Harry Potter but couldn’t finish it. She also did some reading exercises to prepare for IELTS.

A violin major overcame her fear while travelling alone to the US during junior secondary. She had to use English to survive. She prefers non-fiction books like My Happiness Project and Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.

A student says an overseas exchange programme provided a better learning environment. The South China Morning Post and TIME magazine feed his interest in politics.

A Chinese teaching major learnt English through drama during NET-led classes in secondary school. She read Harry Potter and is comfortable reading E-books, and using other online sources such as dictionaries and search engines for vocabulary building.

A two-week exchange programme provided a chance for a student to experience Aussie culture. His reading has mostly focused on preparing for IELTS to secure a place in university.

A performing arts competition helped this student in the speaking part of the DSE exam. She also took part in the daily reading scheme during secondary school. She prefers printed books but also uses an e-dictionary.

Taking part in a drama helped this student polish his speaking skills. He read Typhoon Club Magazine and English Newspapers. Now a Liberal Studies major, he says English is important for writing essays.

A working holiday in a relatives’ Chinese restaurant in Nottingham exposed this student to regional accents in the UK. She also learns unique vocabulary while playing rugby. She likes to watch a movie before reading a book.

A mother enrolled an English Teaching major in tutorial classes during primary school. She later studied in Singapore for one year. She has read Frankenstein and the Lost Symbol by Dan Brown.

A Mainland student uses mostly English in Hong Kong. She recalls a three week study trip to England during high school. She bought the book High School Musical after watching the movie.

Trips to Singapore and Australia raised a student’s awareness of accent. She has also read The Trumpet of the Swan, Reader’s Digest, and National Geographic. As an English Teaching major, she feels learning should relate to students.