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.

A visual arts major prefers to independently learn English by listening to music instead of what he describes as boring teaching. He likes reading novels and sci-fi. His favourite book is Harry Potter.

Communicating in English with a home assistant gave this student more opportunities to speak in English rather than school. She reads about music history which is related to her major.

A commercial tutorial school provided an intense English language learning environment for this student who enjoyed the smaller classes and foreign teacher. He enjoyed reading Romeo and Juliet even though it was quite difficult.

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.

The end of a drama performance gave this student a chance to meet and chat with the performers. As a Chinese Language Education major he does not use much English in university.

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.

A tutor used a unique teaching approach to change this student’s views on pronunciation of English. She was inspired by the content in The Hunger Games. She uses English and Cantonese in her General Studies degree.

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.

English was used by this Social Science major when she attended a Girl Guides event in Norway. She read Billy Elliot in secondary school and is now enjoying a self-help book called the Power of Slow.

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.

A secondary school scheme included a trip to England where this student treasured visiting a local family. Although she read the Life of Pi, she thinks the movie was more impressive.

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.

Listening to songs, watching movies and making sentences was how this student’s English learning developed in primary school. She read a book about North Korea titled Nothing to Envy which she found in the library.

Playing games with international tutors in university is a fun way for this Sports Science major to learn English. He has to read English articles and books for his course.

Listening to the BBC and watching a drama helped this student with the DSE. She likes the vampires in the Twilight books. She says there is more detail in text.

Tutors provided reading, writing and speaking support for this student and her classmates during English Week activities in secondary school. She read Harry Potter after watching the movie.

Interviewing tourists during a field trip to Tsim Sha Tsui in secondary school allowed this Maths Education major a chance to use the English he learnt in a classroom. He read Harry Potter because he loved the film.

English Week activities provided a rare chance for this Maths Education major to use the language. He read The Hunger Games as it was a recommended book in secondary school.

Conversations skills are important for this accountant who enrolled in tutorial classes that focus on speaking. She was motivated to study after working in a multinational company. She read TIME magazine.

An Engineering graduate uses English for problem solving with colleagues overseas. He has read journals and newspapers. He feels newspapers use everyday English. Talking to foreigners can also improve speaking skills.

The use of English in research papers and presentations is sometimes more important than the content for this Mechanical Engineering doctoral candidate. Her supervisor and department tutor provide support.

Preparing for the IELTS exam in Beijing expanded this Mechanical Engineering student’s circle of friends. She only reads English if it will help with her studies.

Being immersed in an environment with English TV would be better than doing lots of exercises including proofreading according to this Computer Science major. She read Pride and Prejudice and thinks youngsters like such love stories.

Years after first reading Animal Farm and the poem, Solitude, this Accounting major is able to see how the authors’ use of metaphor applies to life. She hopes to resume reading fiction after she graduates.

Group discussions during the DSE speaking module is enjoyable. This student seldom reads in English except for lecture notes. He uses English to communicate with gamers from other countries.

This Engineering major felt past papers instead of tutorial classes would have better prepared him for A-levels. A secondary school teacher advised him to use lyrics to improve his vocabulary. He likes Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and Bruno Mars.

A communications major had to catch-up when she transitioned to Hong Kong in Primary 3. Initiating a speech club helped prepare for the DSE. She uses English when she has to and prefers to read Chinese.

This Marketing major would have paid more attention during class if high school English was more interactive. Tutorial lessons helped with grammar when she was young. She read The Shadow of the Wind and believes English is a requirement in business.

Writing exams is the main motivation of studying English for this Accounting major. She uses “basic English” in her programme and believes the most effective way to learn is to communicate with native speakers.

English is the only language of communication in Hong Kong for this Indonesian student. She uses Google and the thesaurus when she encounters difficulties reading journal articles.