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.

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.

Despite receiving support on how to improve his English, this Computer Engineering major has negative feelings. His girlfriend encourages him to read newspapers and he asks her to help with new vocabulary.

NETs in primary school seemed more fun to this Finance major because they made jokes. In secondary school, another NET introduced him to Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Hamlet.

Attending a camp in Poland as a teenager gave this Law student a wonderful experience in which she had to use English all the time. She has read Harry Potter and Twilight which she describes as classics.

English was used for chatting with students from North America and Europe during an exchange to the US. This Cultural Studies major conducts research in English including reading academic articles.

Taking a university course about literature raised this student’s awareness of poetry. It was different to secondary school because she could appreciate how literature relates to human experience.

Communicating with people of different nationalities and tertiary educational background has kept this student’s focus on English. She is comfortable reading journal articles related to her major.

Group discussion as an alternative to learning strictly about grammar made senior secondary school English classes more interesting for this student. She read Tuesdays with Morrie in Form Three and considers it a good book.

Being a member of the English society committee in secondary school enabled this student to learn more English through activities. He doesn’t read much due to time constraints.

Interacting with her teacher while practising choral speaking in Form Three helped this student. She felt a sense of accomplishment after completing Lord of the Flies in Form Four because it was a difficult book.

Studying in Australia during the Hong Kong school holidays allowed this student to experience a more creative learning environment. She likes the contrasts in William Blake’s poetry.

DSE revision helped this student’s spoken English. He read for the SBA part of the DSE but forgets the name of the book. He also likes science fiction.

Learning grammar and important vocabulary in tutorial classes were useful for this student’s DSE experience. He feels comfortable with his reading ability when using English textbooks at university.

A summer internship in a law firm in the US immersed this student in an all English environment. He also used English during a bike trip after the internship. He read Tuesdays with Morrie for her HKCEE studies.

This student recalls listening to regional accents and learning slang in the north of England. He read material written by Robert Boyle for an assignment. He enjoyed a book on the Byzantine era by John Julius Norwich.

Taking part in a speech festival made this student feel like he was learning from the new vocabulary and poems. He cannot remember the English classics he has read. He reads journal articles in university.

Role-playing with her cousins in English exposed this student to new vocabulary when she was little. She read a children’s book by Roald Dahl in early secondary school as she felt her English level was beneath that of general native-speaking kids.

Games were used in this student’s school to build vocabulary. She is interested in reading articles about public health which is her major.

Rooming with a student from England during a study exchange in Korea placed this student in an English speaking environment. The Lord of the Rings is the first English book she has completed.

A poetry workshop and performance broadened this student’s horizons. Her favourite book is Catcher in the Rye because it describes teenage struggles. She is also learning new vocabulary while studying Philosophy in university.

Doing research about IT and making a presentation on it in university boosted this student’s confidence. He values reading in university more as the General Education course material has been more challenging than that in secondary school.

English Day gave this Social Work major a chance to talk with a NET and some exchange students. She also enjoyed reading the books chosen by the NET in secondary school.

Primary school lessons with a NET meant this student could only use English in the class. She did some role-plays and dramas after reading a classical English book with her class in secondary school.

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.

Motivated to learn more English, this student downloaded material from the Internet to improve his pronunciation during the second year of university. His reading focuses on textbooks.

The Internet is a self-study resource for this Engineering major. He also reads books related to his major such as Core Java and publications by Isaac Newton and da Vinci.

Making a presentation in a summer programme in Form 3 gave this student a different learning experience. He was exposed to new ideas and vocabulary while reading a university book In Dialogue with Nature.

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.

Having group discussions and being critical while preparing for IELTS were new experiences for this student who felt he had been spoon-fed in secondary school. Reading Silver Linings Playbook touched his heart.

Performing in a Christmas play during secondary school boosted this student’s confidence. Reading Wuthering Heights in Form Three cultivated an interest in literature.

Debates over literature in secondary school exposed this student to her classmates’ opinions. She read A Streetcar Named Desire and says it is a reflection of past American society.

Interacting with foreigners and native speakers gave this student a chance to practise her speaking skills in secondary school. She believes writing will be important for her future career as a social worker.