Preparing for IELTS was very tiring – working hard every day. English teachers focus on basic language skills and have little time to read more than news websites such as the BBC and The New York Times.

Learning in a small class included storytelling, role-playing and writing for this English major. A reading competition in secondary school motivated her to read.

The mother of this Computer Science major bought a machine to train his English spelling which he found helpful. He didn’t enjoy the drilling exercises in primary school class. He tried to read Harry Potter but did not finish it.

Reciting English vocabulary helped this student in the DSE and life in general. Reading is a hobby. He enjoys educational comics.

Attending an EMI secondary school helped this Civil Engineering major because all the subjects were in English. He feels it is easier to master grammar than vocabulary. He used Wikipedia to look for information.

School English classes were the major language input for this Science major. He read Harry Potter in Form 5 after watching the movie.

A primary school teacher helped this Accounting major improve vocabulary and grammar by allowing her to write her own sentences. She read Twilight because she loved the movie.

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.

Prompted to practise more during university, this English major held balcony conversations with her best friend from the hall. She read Lady Chatterley’s Lover after a friend suggested the novel to her in secondary school.

Interactive tutorials with games helped this Civil Engineering major develop a passion for learning English. He seldom reads and prefers science fiction. He read Star Wars because of the movie.

Listening to songs and writing their lyrics might helped this TESOL major prepare for secondary school exams. She read a book titled Emma in primary school.

Writing drama scripts and performing them improved the English writing and speaking skills of this Economics major during secondary school. She likes to read the Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella as they are relatable and humorous.

Trips to Singapore and Australia raised a student’s awareness of accent. She has also read The Trumpet of the Swan, Reader’s Digest, and National Geographic. As an English Teaching major, she feels learning should relate to students.

A New Zealand home stay in secondary school was an all English speaking experience for this Engineering major. She read Tuesdays With Morrie and says it taught her to forgive.

A good primary school teacher gave this Engineering major a strong foundation in English. English textbooks are easier to read compared to their Chinese counterparts because of the clear explanations.

English acquired from exam drills in secondary school is inapplicable to this IT major’s university study. He read Harry Potter in school and looks at online resources for assignments or research.

A sister-in-law helped this student improve his English. After he improved he felt more comfortable reading books such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

A class drama exercise helped this student with his presentation skills.

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.

Tutorial classes were different to regular school classes because this student could learn exam skills. He checks the dictionary while reading newspapers and academic material.

A study tour to Australia surprised this Library major as she could communicate well in English. She had to read books written in a different style while studying history. Her favourite book is 1984.

A secondary school English teacher helped this Geomatics major to catch up by providing additional classes focusing on reading and comprehension. Her classmate also assisted in translating what the teacher was asking. She enjoyed reading Pride and Prejudice and Romeo and Juliet with her friends.

In university English literature lessons, this Accounting major read poems and stories. She read The Pillowman.

A study tour to Australia required this Communications major to use English while interacting with her schoolmates and host family. She read P.S. I Love You for the SBA. It was the first time she had completed a book in English.

The feeling that she couldn’t express herself in complete sentences when speaking with foreigners motivated this English major to work harder. She checked the dictionary and wrote down the Chinese meanings while reading Harry Potter.

Motivated to get a good result in the DSE, this student enrolled in private tutorial classes. He has read a book about travelling to Japan and also a magazine called Guitar World because he is interested in playing the instrument.

Having received education in both New Zealand and Hong Kong, this Business major doesn’t like the content taught in HK’s English class. He read an inspiring book by Adeline Yen Mah for the SBA.

This Marketing major enjoyed reading A to Z Mysteries and Harry Potter in elementary school. She also read children’s magazines.

Being in a musical helped this student in the speaking component of the DSE exam. A NET provided a guided reading experience with Matilda which included showing the film.

English was the lingua franca for this student’s university exchange to Moldova. She read about a swimmer in the 2004 Olympics because she liked him.

A good relationship with a teacher motivated this Mechanical Engineering major to spend more time on English. He reads magazines and textbooks to get a sense of English. He has difficulty in choosing the right word when writing his PhD thesis.

TV shows and movies have entertained this student while he learnt. He has also read some novels. He values English for his future career.

Interacting with students from different countries during an exchange in the Netherlands let this Accounting major to learn different types of accents and cultures. He had to read a lot of course materials during the exchange.

Studying overseas advanced the growth of this Commerce graduate’s learning process. Reading university textbooks required her to think in English and use the language instead of Chinese to comprehend the text.

An exchange to the Netherlands required this Business major to speak English. Reading an article for an English course enhanced her understanding of Korean culture.

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.

A Geography major in the US had to use English to survive. She knew she mastered the language when she started dreaming in English. She reads the Seattle Times newspaper and course material.

A university English course taught this Geography major how to write essays and papers. Reading The Death and Life of Great American Cities has changed the way she sees reading.

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.

Kindergarten was probably the starting point of this student’s English learning. This student attended tutorial classes in secondary and loves reading English books or watching movies in her spare time.