A camp in secondary school organised by students from the University of Cambridge motivated this Chemistry major to learn English through drama and songs. A struggling reader at first, she managed to conquer English novels after going through the first two Harry Potter books with the help of a dictionary.

Pronunciation and grammar drills were annoying but ultimately valued by this student. He did multiple book reports on The Old Man and the Sea and wondered what problems the protagonist may face while reading the book.

Being unable to express herself clearly in a study tour to Cambridge motivated this Business major to learn the language. The Hunger Games movies motivated her to read the original books.

A student learns English through news websites.

An exchange to Hawaii made this English major realise that language learning is not limited to vocabulary and grammar. He read Thinking, Fast and Slow, The Lonely Londoners and Mrs Dalloway.

Preparing for TOEFL exam and visiting Edinburgh improved this Economics major’s reading, listening and speaking skills. He had to read a lot during a course in Scotland.

During senior secondary, this Business Administration major did a lot of in-class practice with CE and A-level papers. He reads newspapers and magazines including the Financial Times and The Guardian.

To prepare for the A-levels, this Humanities major read the South China Morning Post and did past papers. He also watched TV series without subtitles. He likes the Harry Potter series.

Having studied in Australia and Malaysia enabled this Accounting major to make friends from different backgrounds. Her IB school experience deepened her understanding of different literature works such as The Outsider, The Doll’s House and those by Shakespeare.

Watching movies such as Southpaw, Inception and Fight Club boosted this Accounting major’s interest in English. He read the Young Post and South China Morning Post in secondary school to develop his reading habit.

Education in the UK values the practical use of English in class and daily life according to this Economics major. He reads about Chinese history and economy.

Being forced to memorise and learn, this English major hated the language. A phonetics and pronunciation course in Form Four was the only course she enjoyed. Working as a flight attendant affected her use of English.

Secondary school teachers gave this student some topics to discuss with foreigners who he must approach in the street. Reading Rain Man made him realise you cannot judge people by their appearance.

Watching TV dramas such as Fringe and Bones helped develop this Ecology major’s English fluency, pronunciation and accent. He likes reading online news about scientific discoveries.

A drama project with a NET in college taught this Engineering major to speak on stage like a native. He had to read a lot of reference books and lecture notes to get good results in examinations.

This Management major remembers singing, playing games, and learning words and sentences in kindergarten. He reads lecture notes.

Being able to talk and interact with NETs in class motivated this Optometry major to learn English. He found Lord of the Flies inspiring and also reads sports news on the Internet.

Adjusting to an EMI secondary school required this Geography major to pay more attention in class and check the dictionary often in order to catch up. Reading stories during that period expanded his vocabulary. He now reads non-fiction books about science and geography.

Being part of the Umbrella Revolution motivated this BBA major to read more from news media like the BBC and TIME. He feels he needs someone to teach him how to read efficiently.

Teaching English to children in Russia made this Marketing major more aware of the language and improved her spoken English. She read the Young Post, Tuesdays with Morrie, and Charlotte’s Web for assignments in school.

An English class exercise allowed this History major to write her own fiction. With limited time given, she found reading the book Naomi challenging.

A teacher suggested watching films and reading news to this International Journalism major. She reads the South China Morning Post for her interest and studies.

A multi-national programme encouraged this Politics major to speak English. She read My Sister’s Keeper because of the movie.

Primary school classes included grammar lessons. This Computer Science major read Robinson Crusoe, The Phantom of the Opera and The President’s Murderer in secondary school.

An English major likes to draw pictures while reading to help remember the meaning of a phrase. She says her primary school teacher encouraged her to draw. She says parents encourage children to learn English because it’s an international language.

Studying IB Language and Literature significantly raised this Physics major’s English. He likes to read academic material related to his major.

An English learning programme in Beijing used games and movies to teach this Economics major. She liked to borrow novels from the university library and she was addicted to Sherlock Holmes.

Lecturers and students in university motivated this Mechanical Engineering major to improve her English. Reading materials for a Law course was hard to understand.

Thinking of the future, this Biology major’s father enrolled him in an English learning centre to ensure he could speak and communicate in the language when he ventures in the world. He mostly reads English course material.

An advanced reading and writing course helped this student understand inferences and idioms. He likes to read automobile magazines because he is a ‘car maniac’. He prefers news articles to novels.

Watching digital stories made by fellow students in a university course led this Computing major to learn about heritage. Readings on how to write academic papers and citations were also part of the course.

There were lots of opportunities for this English major to exchange and communicate with native speakers during primary school. She explored different literature genres in secondary school.

Watching movies and writing down lyrics were relaxing means of English learning for this Teaching major. Reading magazines such as TIME keep her up with current affairs.

Doing a project for a university course taught this BBA major some business English and creative ideas for his presentation. A humanities course required him to read the Bible and the Torah in English.

A teacher suggested this Computer Science major watch Japanese cartoons with English subtitles. He had to read famous texts like Shakespeare in secondary school but the vocabulary inside was difficult.

In order to improve his language skills for the DSE, this Textile major read the South China Morning Post. She thinks reading pop-up books is an interesting way to learn.

A university English course taught this Nursing major medical terms and communication skills. She reads articles related to her major and sometimes picks up newspapers.

University English course has taught this Business major how to make better presentations. She read The Little Prince in Chinese and then English as she wanted to get more out of the story.

Primary school English classes were fun for this Hotel Management major because she played games and received candy. She had to read the newspaper aloud every morning during secondary school.

A university language course taught this Engineering major vocabulary and presentation skills unique to his field. Reading fiction expanded his vocabulary while experiencing other people’s lives. His favourite book is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.