A teacher corrected this student’s pronunciation during her undergraduate studies. She also practised English by listening to the radio and accessing the BBC and CNN. She also did an Intensive Reading Course and read newspapers.

University tested this graduate’s English proficiency because it was the medium for instruction and homework. He reads about soccer on the Internet and read a book about North Korea.

A nice primary school teacher and watching movies followed by a personal reflection are this student’s learning highlights. She enjoyed reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower because she could relate to the story.

Reciting irregular verbs in Form Two has stuck in the mind of this student. He is hesitant about what he reads in English. He uses English for about 70% of his higher diploma course and sees English as a lingua franca in the workplace.

Researching a topic for a presentation in secondary school made this student question his English proficiency. His reading has centred on course material. He is finding it difficult to study in English university because he used Cantonese in secondary school.

A secondary school exchange in Canada placed this student in an all English speaking environment. He developed new vocabulary while reading academic journals in university.

Preparing for a public exam in the Mainland made this student focus on a good grade and not interpersonal communication. She started to read a lot more in English in university when she was studying course textbooks. It’s easier for her to read books that have been translated into Chinese.

Learning how to cover up the bad points in an argument made university debating classes interesting for this student. She liked how the characters interacted with each other in Harry Potter.

Interactive English classes in university stimulated this student because there were discussions and the teacher also used videos and music. She has read the Harry Potter series and says it has helped her with reading academic material in university. She reads e-books on public transport.

Mini games in university English classes are different for this student who attended a CMI secondary school. She reads a lot of reference books on topics such as contract law for her surveying studies.

A designer recalls an English class where he took part in a group project that involved cooking and performing a drama about it. He laments the decline of English in his workplace. He plays in a band that uses English songs but is not sure about the meaning of some of the lyrics.

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.

Learning English songs in primary school and performing a drama after reading Pride and Prejudice in Secondary 3 are positive memories for this student. She says the demands of high grades through exams were frustrating. She also read Memoirs of a Geisha for school competition in Secondary 5.

A drama and musical with dancing provided this student with an English learning experience in secondary school. She likes science fiction and ET is her favourite book because it has a touching story about a family.

Secondary school grammar lessons were memorable for this student because the teacher used a lot of jokes. He prefers to watch YouTube in English rather than read. English is used widely in his university Management studies.

Secondary school teachers gave this student some topics to discuss with foreigners who he must approach in the street. Reading Rain Man made him realise you cannot judge people by their appearance.

Creating a musical in Secondary 4 required this student to perform and write lyrics. She does not read much in English but English is used in her BBA.

Watching American TV drama and movies and lessons with a good English teacher are the reasons why this student feels he has good English communication skills. Reading 1984 in preparation for an assessment started his interest in English. University English is skill-based.

Attending an all English tutorial class with a foreigner allowed this student to improve with practice. He read a book for a school assignment and took part in a group discussion.

Reflecting on his English learning, this student describes it as the same model over the years – grammar, presentation, and some good sharing. He’s a football fan and has read FourFourTwo magazine and checks results on a website called Who Scored.

Sessions with a NET created a different atmosphere for this student to learn English. He also read the Young Post and the South China Morning Post. He is motivated to read what’s interesting but says it’s also important to consider other topics.

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.

This student was part of a secondary school team that won an inter-house drama competition with their own composition based on Mario Brothers. She bought All the Light We Cannot See because she is interested in history.

Word games in secondary school and during Associate Degree studies helped this student build her vocabulary. Also in secondary school, she read Oliver Twist and performed it as a drama.

Watching English language movies sparks this Psychology major’s interest in words. Her favourite is Harry Potter. Subject-specific textbooks have honed her understanding of vocabulary.

Reading Harry Potter and Hamlet in secondary school English literature helped this student’s analysis, writing and organisation skills. She does not like Shakespeare’s writing style so Harry Potter is her favourite.

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.

Preparing for a speech festival in senior secondary gave this student a chance to read a variety of scripts while receiving guidance on pronunciation. In university, he prefers to read English versions of some material as translations may be inaccurate.

Coming from an all English IB secondary school, this student had difficulty adjusting to the use of Cantonese at university even though she used it at home. She has developed a liking for classical literature such as Plato but couldn’t get the hang of Othello.

English was the only language this student could use during a summer exchange in Korea. Although he prefers to read Chinese material, he feels comfortable with the English course material and instructions in university.

Doing an Associate Degree helped this student develop a wider scope for learning English. She likes reading a news website where users comment on the content. She says there is a passive attitude towards using English.

This Visual Arts major received dialogue coaching from teachers while she prepared for a drama competition in Form Four. She prefers to read Chinese books but read English fiction and non-fiction for the SBA.

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.

Primary school teachers, including a NET, helped this Social Science major with her pronunciation. Pop music also helped. She appreciates the writing of William Shakespeare.

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.

English is the lingua franca in university for this Social Work major as she needs to communicate with international students. She reads English journal articles.

Interviewing tourists helped this Social Science major improve his conversation skills. He reads about football on the Internet and uses a dictionary when he comes across new words.

Although she attended tutorials to prepare for public exams, this student is not sure if it really helped. She likes the fantasy aspect of the Percy Jackson stories.

Workshops by international tutors in this student’s university provide an alternative way to learn English. She uses little English in her part-time job in a theme park.

Playing cards with an American tutor in a village primary school was how this student learnt English in an informal way. She reads articles and online news in English for research purposes.