A harsh learning experience involved learning pages of phrasal verbs because this Medical student’s English was not up to standard in Form 1. Even though the Hunger Games was a required reading in secondary school he completed it out of pure interest.

Teaching English to primary student students was unpleasant for this Physics major because it was hard to express himself. The readings in a compulsory university English course contain a lot of unfamiliar vocabulary.

English is the lingua franca for this Religious Studies major when playing football with international students at university. It was compulsory to subscribe to a newspaper and clip stories during secondary school.

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.

Even though learning English may not be interesting, this Cultural Studies major appreciates the focus on preparing for exams as it provides a foundation for future learning. She likes reading Sophia Kinsella and TV dramas such as The Vampire Diaries and Gossip Girl.

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.

Feeling inadequate in an EMI secondary school, this Biomedical Engineering major joined societies and activities to improve his English. He expands his vocabulary by reading about psychology and philosophy.

English tutorial classes taught this Chinese Medicine major communications skills. She valued the lessons because she mostly used Cantonese. She has read TIME magazine and thinks the articles are informative.

Tutors who treated students like friends made English more interesting by using games and movies. Eat, Pray, Love was the first English novel this Education major read. She watched the movie instead after chapter one because it was too difficult. She uses a Kindle to read academic papers.

Presenting in English on a video for a university language course made this Urban Studies major nervous. She enjoyed the Lord of the Rings book and the movie because she could compare the text with the visuals.

Grammar used to be an obstacle for this student but she and her classmates took extra lessons to improve. Her reading skills progressed as she progressed through a detective novel and became more familiar with the vocabulary.

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.

Writing research papers and proposals in university has been the most challenging for this Medical and Automation Engineering major. Reading Harry Potter is easier than the SCMP because a book provides more background information than a news article.

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.

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.

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.

A teacher made secondary school English classes fun with games. This Nursing major read textbooks to prepare for the DSE and also Harry Potter, TIME, user guides, and reference books from library

Learning English in Canada and Hong Kong exposed this Medical student to different curricula. She learned a lot of vocabulary from reading Geronimo Stilton. She felt watching TV dramas like the Mentalist, House, and Once Upon a Time is a better way to learn.

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.

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.

Watching a TV series during undergraduate years developed this student’s understanding of other cultures. She did a lot of reading exercises in high school. Using an e-dictionary saves time.

Drama introduced by a secondary school teacher was the starting point for this student’s interest in English. She likes Stephen King’s books and recommends 1986.

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.

Learning with NETs from an early age encouraged this Law student’s fondness for English. Doing IB literature changed her focus from grammar to a more in-depth study of themes, characters, and literary devices. One of the novels she read was Heart of Darkness.

English was the only language this student could use in tutorial classes with NETs during secondary school. She started Pride and Prejudice and Gone with the Wind but didn’t finish reading them.

Overcoming a fear to speak with others is this Computer Engineering major’s biggest obstacle with English. He didn’t use the language a lot in secondary school so he watched YouTube videos about sports. He read materials on engineering.

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.

The first assembly after transition to an EMI secondary school confused this Nursing major because everything was in English. She improved by reading the Bible, reciting prayers and singing hymns. She showcased her language skills in a drama in Secondary 5. She read Bridge to Terabithia.

An English teacher helped this Nursing major overcome her shyness by choosing her to make a speech in Form Four. The Five People You Meet in Heaven is the first English book she finished for her school’s reading scheme.

English enhancement lessons at a Canadian university were interesting because the classes included videos and intercultural communication. This Food and Nutrition major reads a lot of academic material in the field of Life Science as it helps with research for projects.

Being a scriptwriter and a performer for a secondary school drama allowed this Medical student to explore the use of everyday English. She took part in her school’s reading scheme which involved group speeches but she did not like the stories.

An English only kindergarten with small classes and her first experience with drama laid the foundations for this Psychology major’s confident use of the language. She liked Twilight more than Harry Potter because it’s a love story and easy to understand.

This Business major loved an extra-curricular class with a NET because they played games, watched movies and had sharing sessions. He was inspired by reading Life without Limits.

Writing and acting in a secondary school drama was hard for this China Studies major. She has started many books but not finished them and did book reports by skimming. She finds it difficult to grasp analects and Confucius when taught in English.

Extra-curricular English tutorials during primary school were fun for this Global Studies major. She studied Macbeth in secondary school and later travelled to Edinburgh where she learned more about the history of the play. She also likes Oscar Wilde, Barbara Demick, and many others.

A psychology major enjoyed the time when a NET used drama in secondary school class and rewarded the students for their efforts. Another teacher used videos to engage students in reading Pride and Prejudice. She also read Harry Potter after watching the movie.

Writing and performing a drama in front of the whole school stretched this Nursing student’s English skills. She feels watching a movie is more interesting than reading because she can learn how to pronounce words.

Primary school English classes included songs which made remembering words easier. This Fine Arts major’s teachers said she could practise English when ordering in restaurants. She likes books about ceramics.