The teaching style in the UK focused on content while grammar was stressed in Hong Kong. This Medical student found his course material difficult.

Watching Sesame Street on TV was a way to learn English when this Translation major was young. She likes to read Sherlock Holmes.

Doing grammar exercises in Form 1 was boring but it helped build fundamentals of English for this Journalism major. He developed a reading habit after completing Oliver Twist. He also reads South Morning China Post and The New York Times.

A Chinese Language Teaching major enjoyed drama in junior secondary school. She read Tuesdays with Morrie because it was compulsory. She says her secondary school English teacher helped her get a good result in the DSE.

Spending time in Australia and Europe motivated this Finance major to improve her English. The children on a farm in Australia taught her English. She participated in an English reading programme in high school.

Watching movies and TV series enhanced this Business major’s vocabulary and speech. Although he read Harry Potter, he enjoyed the movies more because he didn’t need to check the dictionary.

A trip to the US gave this Geography major the opportunity to use conversational English. Although English lyrics often involve simple words, the meanings behind are very complex.

English is more than learning vocabulary and doing tests for this student. You need to interact with others to have “practical experience.” Her English improved after working in a tutorial centre.

A Cambridge course helped improve this Human Resource major’s English and pronunciation. She chose Tuesdays with Morrie for her reading scheme as it was a bestseller in the bookshop.

Being in drama during secondary school exposed this Social Science major to new vocabulary and sentence structures. Performing also gave him confidence to speak in front of others. He prefers movies to books.

Reciting and analysing Shakespeare’s sonnets for a presentation in senior secondary was a refreshing break from the demands of SBA for this Law major. Difficult books in Primary 5 discouraged him from reading.

Speaking English with teachers and friends in class was how this Japanese major learnt. She started reading science fiction novels in secondary school.

Studying English with foreign teachers was different to ‘technical’ classes in school for this Journalism major. As a South Korean he identified with the political and ideological ideas when he read 1984 for the IB.

Watching a movie in high school helped this Economics major appreciate the use of real life English. She felt closer to the author by reading the English version of Harry Potter.

Shakespeare has been central to this Geography major’s English learning. She watched a Shakespeare movie without subtitles during an exchange trip to the US. She also read Twelfth Night and watched two movie adaptations.

This Creative Writing major learns English bit by bit. He wrote his first English words when he was four. He hopes to learn another language.

English was the lingua franca for this Marketing major during an exchange programme in the US. Most reading centres on textbooks to prepare for exams.

Watching movies in secondary school let this Chemistry graduate learn everyday English. He expands his vocabulary by reading TIME with a dictionary. He reads about international news and science.

Watching foreign films and absorbing different culture is part of this Nursing major’s independent English learning. Reading is a good way to learn English and easily build vocabulary. She likes to shop for her own books.

Books associated with his major made this Philosophy student appreciate the function of grammar and words. He reads novels on Kindle because it is easier to check the dictionary. He likes Jorge Luis Borges.

Participating in a charitable event with foreigners gave this Science major a chance to communicate in English. Reading was better in primary school as the teachers would lead the class to do interactive activities such as drama. She likes both the Harry Potter books and movies.

Getting a good grade for writing and producing a video for an English language course in university is a highlight for this Computer Engineering major. He uses Google and Wikipedia to search for definitions. He watches YouTube videos with English subtitles and reads reference books.

Reading helped this student to improve his writing skills.

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.

This Chinese teaching major treasures a secondary five trip to Hangzhou that involved chatting with a British student. He has also liked the characters in Harry Potter.

Performing a drama about witches in secondary school exposed this Translation major to vocabulary unique to drama. She read both the Chinese and English versions of Wolf Totem.

A student prepared for the DSE by reading BBC online news in English.

Primary education gave this Education major opportunities to work on her pronunciation. She attended English tutorials.

Travelling to the US gave this student the opportunity to use English. She found some course material to be lively. She uses a dictionary when she discovers new words.

Conducting interviews with foreign tourists gave this Textile and Clothing major a chance to speak English. She read a book about Japanese embroidery because she loves sewing and the Japanese culture.

Being an intern for the Australian Chamber of Commerce in China provided this Translation major with a practical environment to learn the language. She usually reads English books that have pictures inside since she likes drawing.

Entertaining games in secondary school enabled this Visual Studies to learn English. She read and discussed books with classmates in a session after lunch. She likes books about science.

Extra-curricular English classes for this Business major included eating and making handicrafts. She read The Other 8 Hours during Form 6 a-book-a-day exercise.

A student says an overseas exchange programme provided a better learning environment. The South China Morning Post and TIME magazine feed his interest in politics.

Two months of English classes with foreign teachers in junior high school involved conversations and games according to this Arts major. She now needs to read more material in English.

Meeting an Indian painter during a trip to Taiwan provided this Fashion and Textile major an opportunity to interact in English although the accent was hard to understand. She read the South China Morning Post when she was in secondary school.

An English Teaching major took part in a Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in Primary 5. He read TIME magazine but found it too complicated.

A teacher mixed revising past papers with movies as this student prepared for the DSE. She started reading a book but it was too thick and preferred the movie version. She will read if it’s for academic purposes.

A volunteer activity required this Social Work major to speak English for the entire day. It was a challenging experience but had taught him new vocabulary. A secondary school teacher encouraged her to read the South China Morning Post.

An ELT lecturer shared personal experiences with this Anthropology major’s class. Some ethnographies are written as if they were telling stories about culture and human behaviour. She once read about foot binding in the SCMP.