In Primary 1, this Chemistry major was required to speak English at all times. She read the House of Night and the Harry Potter series, which were recommended by one of her secondary school teachers.

Speaking with foreigners made this Nursing major realise that they usually use simple words instead of the ones he learnt in class. A Tale of Two Cities was given to him as a gift and he finds the read challenging.

Coaching from classmates helped this Science major achieve a good result in the SBA. Reading The Paradox of Choice exposed him to economic theories that science students don’t normally learn about.

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.

Playing games such as Monopoly was part of the casual learning this Business major undertook in her quest to communicate with English-speaking relatives from Australia. She read the Hunger Games to get a sense of the story before watching the movie.

Joining a speech festival as a primary school student sparked an interest in poetry. He found The Time Keeper and The Five People You Meet in Heaven inspiring. He watches the Mentalist and the Hell’s Kitchen and chats with exchange students to learn vocabulary and communication.

In the university English courses, this Marketing major could speak more and do presentations. She had to read many passages to prepare for the HKCEE and A-levels.

Learning the pronunciation of A to Z in secondary school was not expected by this Medical student. Sophie Kinsella’s books make her cry. The first book she read from the author is Can You Keep a Secret?

Interactive primary school English classes with a NET focused on talking for this Social Science major. Reading Wikipedia helps with her research.

Learning English in primary School was the most difficult time for this Humanities major. She reading texts and answered questions in English lessons.

Choosing interesting materials for self-learning was more memorable than learning at school. This Linguistics major was impressed by the content of the book Giovanni’s Room.

Frequent contact with the foreign teacher of a speaking class improved this Economics major’s English. He read about financial crises and learnt from it although it was boring.

Debating in secondary school has developed this Surveying major’s research, reading, pronunciation, and presentation skills. He was forced to read every day in secondary school. English is important in his field because the laws and contracts are in the language.

As an exchange student in Germany this Chemistry graduate used English to communicate. Reading The Hunger Games exposed him to a new range of vocabulary.

Reading newspaper articles in secondary school helped this Fashion major build a vocabulary list. She ran out of time to finish books for the SBA.

A university exchange trip to Australia made this student read more to strengthen her English language skills. She read The Maze Runner to familiarise herself with the story before watching the movie. She reads course material.

University English lessons taught this Accounting major how to use the language and see it in an interesting way. He started to read books every week after his parents brought him to the library. He likes Percy Jackson.

Using Chinese to teach English was weird for this Arts major. The DSE reading papers were hard but taught him things about biology and culture.

Watching a movie chosen by the students and the subsequent interaction with the teacher made for a fun learning experience. Reading The Hunger Games in a couple of days was also rewarding.

A speech pathology major moved to Vancouver in primary school and was introduced to a Chinese speaking friend by her teacher. These days she reads case studies related to her professional interest and remembers Shakespeare as difficult.

Speaking English with other people is a better way to improve according to this Chinese major. She had to read newspapers every morning during secondary school.

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.

Writing letters to students from other countries during secondary school was interesting for this Science major. Reading books chosen by himself rather than teachers was more relaxing.

A party let this Social Science major learn everyday English instead of just studying it from a textbook. The Kite Runner made this student cry and keep reading.

A discussion after watching a movie in Secondary 1 English class helped this student better understand the scenes. He read his first English book in primary school.

Filling in missing song lyrics in secondary school was new to this Biomedical Engineering major. By reading Obama’s speech, she learnt different sentence patterns and vocabulary.

The Umbrella Revolution inspired this Science major to read more about politics. He had previously listened to the BBC to improve his English communication skills.

Watching the movie The Dark Knight Rises expanded this Nursing graduate’s vocabulary. He recalled the first time he had read a journal article and observed how the information was presented differently from newspapers, magazines or textbooks.

Reading a novel given to this student by his secondary school English teacher was challenging. He has been too busy to read books while in university. He suggests students should prepare for the DSE by reading.

An exchange in Italy provided this Engineering and Management major the opportunity to practise her English with other students. Although she likes Harry Potter, it is difficult to finish the whole book.

Two secondary school teachers inspired this student to learn English. One teacher used songs and English movies with subtitles while the other emphasised a lifelong need for the language.

An American visitor corrected this student’s table manners and grammar during a family meal. She also describes the book Annie John as creepy. She feels songs and videos will help children learn English.

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

A university tutor motivates this Computing major to speak more English. He reads articles about technology and economics. He learns the views from different cultures by reading online columns.

Preparing for A-level English was difficult for this Science major. He read the newspaper every day. These days he reads articles related to his major.

A secondary school teacher who had failed the English public exams shared his experience with this Business major. Reading Tuesdays with Morrie inspired her.

Studying a higher diploma allowed this CMI graduate to focus on English to earn a university place. He reads books about Christianity and uses English when attending international events.

An English camp let this Accounting and Finance major meet friends from different countries. Harry Potter is her first English book. She only reads textbooks now.

Writing and listening were taught to this trainee doctor in junior high school while she focused on speaking in senior secondary. Academic writing and spoken English are important in university.