English classes should focus more on practical skills such as speaking and listening rather than examinations. This Engineering major read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain.

Attending a summer course at an organisation in Primary 2 gave this Computing major more confidence in speaking English. He went through the storyline of the game BioShock. He also read articles from newspapers and websites.

A student recalls a class trip to Central to interview native speakers; she remembers sharing books with her family.

Being in an English speaking environment during secondary school has helped this Ecology major improve her speaking and listening skills considerably. She read books about sharks due to her interest in the animal.

A weekly NET class allowed students to learn in a relaxing environment. Reading past papers for the DSE is a must but new vocabulary makes reading difficult.

Newspapers are the preferred English text for this Graphic Designer. She reads to broaden her knowledge and possibly help her get a better job. It is easier to read Chinese books.

After being forced by a high school teacher to watch English videos in every language class for two terms, this IT major improved. She read Harry Potter in English because she could not wait for the Chinese version.

Having debates in biblical ethics class enabled this Psychology major to express her opinion from a religious stance. After reading Romeo and Juliet, she made a video and performed in a skit.

This student realised the importance of English when she was a teenager. She enjoys watching reality shows and documentaries because they demonstrate how people use English.

Learning English in the UK continues after you leave the classroom according to this Psychology major. She completed the English version of Harry Potter after watching the movie and reading it in Chinese.

During a visit to a furniture store, this English major’s father pointed to each object and asked her to remember its name. Watching a visual representation of a novel complete with audio and moving images made it more captivating.

A girl from Germany helped this Design major improve her spoken English. After watching the movie Life of Pi, she read the book.

A student is interested in reading Harry Potter after seeing the movie. She also watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and read the book.

Studying in the UK at 14 years old was stressful at first because this student didn’t have the vocabulary to ask simple questions. Holes was the first children’s literature she completed.

This student uses English for communication and learning in university. Rating his English as weak, he reads online newspapers to improve.

A university language centre’s English buddy scheme helped this Environmental Management major to practise her spoken English. She can learn English vocabulary and sentence structures from reading the newspaper.

Watching lunch-time movies and writing a reflection was more interesting than reading books for this student in secondary school. He studied poetry during his associate degree. Inception is his favourite film.

Building a strong vocabulary in senior secondary helped this Chinese major to achieve a good College Entrance Exam result. He read a lot for the TOEFL exam and also took part in CET and GRE.

Learning English in secondary school was boring for this Science major because she did a lot of worksheets. She prefers to learn everyday English by watching movies such as In Time and Friends with Benefits. She reads textbooks related to her major.

Despite being bored with her father’s attempts to teach her, this Psychology major learnt spoken English with an audio disc. Reading academic and professional articles was stressful initially.

A drama performed by native English speakers impressed this Nursing major. Reading a novel for leisure eased her mind during exams.

Learning the alphabet in primary school marked the start of this Engineering major’s English learning. He read Sherlock Holmes with a dictionary.

Playing card games in secondary school entertained this Chinese major and helped improve his vocabulary. He has read Batman comics.

Having forced to study hard every day for dictation by his parents was very painful for this Economics and Finance major. Academic journals are hard to understand because there are many difficult words and ideas.

A summer exchange to New Zealand improved this Accounting major’s language skills. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was the first English novel she finished and it was very satisfying for her.

Being an exchange student at UCLA exposed this Language major to different accents and grammar. Her reading focuses on texts about how foreigners interpret Chinese literature.

A study tour to the UK immersed this Marketing and Management major in an English environment. She likes the Twilight books more than the film version because of the detailed descriptions of the characters, emotions and settings.

A lecturer in college taught this Psychology major Mahjong and the terms used in the game. She had to read comprehensions aloud in secondary school class.

Although this Chinese Medicine major didn’t want to learn English, he had to for examinations. A secondary school teacher suggested he read the South China Morning Post to improve his language skills.

A tutor sparked this Nursing major’s interest in the language through the surroundings such as street signs. She also forced herself to watch TV shows and movies to help improve her language skills. She read Pride and Prejudice.

Watching hilarious movies allowed this Radiography major to learn and be entertained but reading was time-consuming. He read The Hunger Games after watching the movie.

An exchange trip to Singapore made this Psychology major realise people can understand her even if she makes mistakes. She was forced to read storybooks to prepare for the DSE.

Studying in America for one year made this English major think it’s better to learn the language in a foreign country. She likes Vladimir Nabokov and Friedrich Nietzsche.

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.

Learning English in Canada as part of a university activity was more enjoyable than in Hong Kong because the teachers were more encouraging. This Nursing major read Seventeen magazine and watches make-up videos on YouTube.

Creating a musical in Secondary 4 required this student to perform and write lyrics. She does not read much in English but English is used in her BBA.

A three-month exchange to South Korea required this Hotel Management major to use English for daily communication. After watching a movie without subtitles, she decided to read more to improve her English. She read The Hunger Games.

English learning began with the alphabet and single words in kindergarten for this Arts major. She studied writing and speaking in school and applied her skills for academic essays in university.

While preparing for IELTS, this Politics major improved his English and became more aware of the language requirements of international exams. He was exposed to readings in different fields after entering university.

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.