This student was surprised when a teacher said he spoke with a German accent. His reading has focused on Chinese texts, but he appreciated the difference when he was writing an assignment in English.

University English classes have interested this student. She has read The Kite Runner.

Taking a university course in romanticism made this philosophy major fall in love with English. He likes the poetry of John Keats and Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables.

Learning foul language in secondary school was meaningful for this student because he now knows if someone is scolding him. He likes popular science books such as The Feynman Lectures on Physics.

English language courses in university for this Sports Science major involved learning job interview skills. She reads journal articles about her major.

This student values the English experience in an EMI school. She likes translated works of the Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho.

As a Nursing major, this student is exposed to English in class and through reading course material.

Attending university in Hong Kong has involved speaking and listening more in English for this student. He was required to read quickly and efficiently while taking a class on Anthropology.

Attending university gave this student more opportunities to speak English. She loves children’s literature. Anne of Green Gables is her favourite book. She also reads research papers.

This student had a hotpot-themed class that involved worksheets. She is not a keen reader.

A secondary school teacher encouraged this student to let English into his heart. He liked drama and poetry. He gets immersed when reading books such as Cloud Atlas and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Smaller classes and a systematic approach to teaching grammar make English learning in university better than that in secondary school for this student. She reads course material.

A university English course allowed this student to become an active participant of the class. She had a horrible experience reading Shakespeare’s sonnets and recommends Charles Dickens for children.

A secondary school teacher asked this student and her classmates to discuss the use of language in a movie they had seen. JK Rowling is her favourite author while Lord of the Rings is her favourite book.

A teacher advised this student to use descriptions if she got stuck with a word. She feels English is important for the future.

Entering an EMI secondary school immersed this student in English but she does not think it’s the best way to learn subjects such as biology. She read a lot to complete assignments in secondary school but feels unfulfilled.

Talking with foreign teachers in everyday English in secondary was interesting for this student. She felt a sense of accomplishment when she finished reading The Lord of the Rings series on a second attempt. The Little Prince is her favourite book.

A secondary school teacher urged this student to read and share in front of the class. She also appreciated that a teacher had taken them to watch a performance with captions on an offstage screen.

A secondary school teacher guided this student and her classmates to identify the parts of speech in newspaper articles. Watching a drama performance, also in secondary school, was an enriching experience.

A Form One teacher encouraged this student after his classmates laughed at him and helped him to overcome the fear of learning. He reads the course material for his major, Computer Science.

Interviewing travellers at the airport during primary school was the first time that this student had spoken to foreigners. Her secondary school teacher asked the class to rewrite the endings of the readers. She enjoys Marvel and DC comics.

A foreign teacher helped this student to improve his speaking skills in secondary school. He also watches programming on BBC and CNN. He read a lot while preparing for IELTS, and also during a university language course.

In Form Three, this BBA major had an English lesson in the kitchen and learnt English when cooking food. She reads English recipes and learns food names.

This Communications major remembers his English teacher inviting a friend to the class. His favourite story is The Hunger Games. Movie adaptations make him read the original books.

A teacher spent a lot of time to design a course for this Science major’s class to practise speaking while learning about American culture. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is the first English book he read.

The job as a programme assistant provided the environment for this Computer Science major to speak more and learn more English. He recalls a teacher who encouraged him to read as much as possible.

A teacher was able to spark this Accounting major’s interest through humour. As a big fan of Hollywood stars and supermodels, he pushed himself to understand their interviews in fashion magazines.

This Business major spent her kindergarten years in Canada where she learnt English through pictures, actions and words. She read fiction in the library every day during primary school. Her favourite authors are Christopher Pike and Diana Wynne Jones. She now reads online stories and blogs.

This Biology major was pushed by an English teacher to read and memorise reading materials. He likes the way the NET taught English. He only reads a few papers or scientific journals.

A university teacher taught this Economics major how to write a good essay and communicate fluently. In secondary school, he had to read Tuesdays with Morrie and Animal Farm.

University English classes interested this Communications major because the teacher prepared a lot of activities. Books give her more room to imagine.

A professor leading a GE course on morality inspired this Chemistry major. Reading helps improve grammar and build vocabulary. His favourite book is For One More Day.

Secondary school teachers taught this Chinese major vocabulary. The secondary school reading scheme motivated her to read after class. She likes books by Sophie Kinsella such as Remember Me?

An inspiring secondary school teacher motivated this Translation major to spend more time learning English. Reading conceptual or philosophical texts in university has been a bad experience for him.

A foreign teacher required this English major to read newspapers every day which she finds more interesting than textbooks. She discovers more when she rereads a text. She read Revolutionary Road after watching the movie.

A senior form English teacher taught this Arts major many skills and vocabulary. Her favourite book is Number the Stars because it tells the story about a precious friendship between two friends.

Transitioning from a CMI primary school to an EMI secondary was difficult for this Chemistry major. She attended a compulsory reading period in secondary school. Harry Potter books are more descriptive than movies.

A university instructor taught this Business Administration major a lot of grammar. She read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in secondary school.

Some university English classes seemed useless to this Chinese major because they covered content she studied before. She enjoys reading jokes in English.

An English lesson taught this Hospitality major interview skills. His vocabulary grew in secondary school while reading horror stories chosen by his teachers.