A homestay experience in Australia that involved attending (secondary) school there helped this student improve her fluency. She read Narnia during secondary school and also watched the movie version.

A school trip to Italy was better than boring worksheets for this student. During a junior form reading programme she picked random books from the library which led her to buying a series.

English was the only language allowed in a camp attended by this student while in secondary school. She says that because she attended a CMI school, she did not read many English books.

Chatting with exchange students during Secondary 5 let this student practise his communication skills. He read The New York Times while preparing for the DSE. He feels his English competency is in decline in university.

An English language camp on Lamma Island during secondary school allowed this student to make friends with visitors from Mexico and the Mainland. He has read TIME magazine and Narnia.

A Burmese student had to pass TOEFL to enter a Hong Kong university. She started learning English in kindergarten but her transition to tertiary education required her to read more academic material.

Communicating with people from other English speaking countries during an overseas exchange programme provided an authentic language learning environment for this student. She has read Harry Potter.

Immersion during a home stay in the US state of Arkansas enabled this student to learn by communicating with native speakers. She has also studied on the Mainland and Korea. She has read Twilight and course material. She plans to teach in Africa.

A trip to England exposed this student to different speaking tones. She also found some people spoke too fast. She read English newspapers in secondary school. She prefers English language movies to books, but is interested in song lyrics.

Starting at 15, this student travelled for exchanges to the US, Scandinavia, and Africa. She watched Sesame Street VCDs when she was young and believes that cultivated an interest in Teen Titan comics.

An English camp in Cheung Chau organised by this student’s teachers included games that enhanced her communication skills. She has read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Using English as a lingua franca during an exchange in Korea allowed this student to communicate with classmates from other countries. She did some reading to prepare for IELTS.

A tutor used a unique teaching approach to change this student’s views on pronunciation of English. She was inspired by the content in The Hunger Games. She uses English and Cantonese in her General Studies degree.

English was used by this Social Science major when she attended a Girl Guides event in Norway. She read Billy Elliot in secondary school and is now enjoying a self-help book called the Power of Slow.

A Social Science major recalls the fear of chatting with an American NET for the first time. She uses English when travelling and studying. She reads journals.

Performing a drama and communicating with other students during a trip to Singapore in Form 6 gave this student a unique opportunity. She read TIME and The Economist, and Harry Potter.

A secondary school scheme included a trip to England where this student treasured visiting a local family. Although she read the Life of Pi, she thinks the movie was more impressive.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

A tour of England during secondary school included intercultural communication with the locals for this Speech Therapy major. English is important for case notes and professional communication.

A New Zealand home stay in secondary school was an all English speaking experience for this Engineering major. She read Tuesdays With Morrie and says it taught her to forgive.

A Bilingual Studies major used English to explore religious differences during a cultural exchange programme in Israel. She sees The Great Gatsby as a complex love story and The Alchemist as an adventurous story.

English is used more often in this Engineering major’s university life as she communicates with fellow students and travels. She used the dictionary to read about Physics in English.

Studying in foreign countries has helped this Hotel Management major’s English learning. She also developed a daily reading habit after taking part in a compulsory university programme.

A summer English camp in Canada also taught this Science graduate about western culture. He read 12 Years a Slave after watching the movie.

Speaking English helped this Accountancy major make friends during an exchange programme in Canada. It was compulsory to read newspaper articles in secondary school.

Going on an exchange programme to Canada in her childhood pushed this Chinese and Bilingual Studies major to speak English. She studies the Bible and cross-reads both its English and Chinese versions.

A summer course in New Zealand included learning how the host family and others used English to communicate. This Physiotherapy major found the locals friendly and chatty. She read Harry Potter after watching the movie.

Staying with a host family in Liverpool for two weeks in Form 5 has had a long-term effect on this Engineering major. He remembers frequently looking up words in the dictionary on his first attempt to read The Hobbit.

An exchange in the UK provided plenty of opportunities to speak the language. Practising English with his father induced this Accounting and Finance major to pick up a particular accent. Though reading the translated version of the French book, La Chambre Claire, is a daunting task, he still values the process.