Prompted by her friend, this student reads and watches TV dramas to improve her English. Her earliest memory is learning the alphabet in kindergarten. She read Harry Potter and Narnia.

Extra classes in a community centre resulted in a higher than expected DSE grade for this Social Work major. Reading in English is very important in her chosen field.

The principal administered an A-level exam as the final paper for this Interior Design major and his Secondary Two classmates. He started reading the South China Morning Post when he was five because his aunt said it would be a good experience for him.

Learning English through poems and songs in Form Four entertained this Science major. As he had to answer questions about books in the SBA, he took reading seriously.

A student who is ‘crazy about rock music’ learnt more vocabulary while looking for the meaning of lyrics. She thinks the English version of Harry Potter is better than the Chinese translation.

Using “English to understand English” was a breakthrough for this Social Policy major who had felt he was incompetent. In Form 6, he abandoned reading Chinese news in favour of the BBC which he credits for his improved English.

A language centre salesman dented this highly proficient student’s English speaking confidence after performing a test in the street. She is an English Teaching major and a fan of Harry Potter.

When this Geomatics major first arrived in Canada, he was sent to an ESL class to learn about the basics of the language. English is important for one to survive in the world. It took him two months to read The Merchant of Venice.

Being fluent in English and able to converse with foreigners is important to this Biotechnology major. She attended an expensive tutorial class to improve her pronunciation. She skimmed books in secondary school.

Listening to tapes and doing shadow reading helped build this Arts major’s confidence in learning the language. She read Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser in university and found the characters relatable.

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.

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.

Learning phonics in primary school taught this Politics major how to pronounce words. After reading Harry Potter she discovered that a single English word can encapsulate a life experience.

Watching a video of Sudanese refugees for an SBA assignment made this Translation major realise the importance of English for essential communication. She reads TIME and The Atlantic.

University English classes are smaller and more interactive than secondary school for this Nursing major. She reads English material related to her major.

Watching Forrest Gump was the solution to this Banking professional’s English learning challenges in secondary school. Reading The Economist gives him insight into international events.

This Information Engineering major watched High School Musical and explored the meaning of the songs. Matilda by Roald Dahl was the first book he read by himself.

Majoring in English made this student worry about her proficiency and try hard to improve. She read the last Harry Potter book in English. She is disappointed with her postgraduate programme in literature because it is too theoretical.

A student enjoyed writing poems and playing games in a workshop on Thanksgiving day at university organised by an international tutor. The workshop was different to secondary school because it was interactive. Although reading English books is hard, she was able to finish Matilda. [4CJ093]

Doing online research in English before class helped this Finance and Banking major to prepare for her university courses. Newspapers broaden her horizons. She reads financial and international news.

Studying drama in secondary school was quite inspiring for this Nursing major. She doesn’t read that much but says English is important for her future career.

A NET talking about life made this Business major enjoy lessons. She reads Wikipedia and journals. She watched Kingsman: The Secret Service which let her learn the accent.

The first assembly after transition to an EMI secondary school confused this Nursing major because everything was in English. She improved by reading the Bible, reciting prayers and singing hymns. She showcased her language skills in a drama in Secondary 5. She read Bridge to Terabithia.

Group discussions in secondary school was difficult but useful for this General Management major. The Last Lecture was an inspiring book.

A performing arts competition helped this student in the speaking part of the DSE exam. She also took part in the daily reading scheme during secondary school. She prefers printed books but also uses an e-dictionary.

In order to prepare for the DSE, this Nursing major watched reality shows such as America’s Got Talent and The X Factor. This benefited his English learning and pronunciation. He read Matilda at school and How to Win Friends and Influence People during his spare time.

University English classes that include discussions and games improve this Engineering major’s referencing, speaking, debating, and writing skills. She has developed an interest in reading novels since high school and practised English with her Australian neighbour.

A spelling mistake spotted by a foreigner became a funny moment for this Translation major. She read Harry Potter in English because the Chinese translation hadn’t been released.

An English learning programme in the UK gave this Computer Science major a chance to speak with the local people. He sometimes reads magazines in the library. He gave up after reading one chapter of the Great Gatsby.

Textbooks such as Look, Listen and Learn, Cambridge English and Go For It have helped this English major’s learning. Learning in high school was mostly for the university entrance exam.

Being a member of a speech club in secondary school helped this student improve her pronunciation. She likes the adventures in the Sherlock Holmes series.

A teacher required this student to speak only English in class. Being able to understand Shakespeare after 700 years surprised this English Literature major. He likes Percy Shelley’s Ode to the West Wind.

A summer bridge programme which used English to teach a variety of subjects helped this student in the DSE exams. She read passages for school assignments and now looks at websites.

The difference between the English standards and teaching practices of Hong Kong and the Mainland surprised this Hospitality major. She focused on reading academic texts in secondary school.

Secondary school English class involved reading and performing a script. This Urban Studies major wrote a poem in response to an assigned poem given by her teacher.

Drama classes in this student’s secondary school involved improvisation. He says it helped improve communication for daily life. He will read something related to his hobbies.

Living with an exchange student improved this Chinese major’s aural English. He enjoys the readings in English lessons.

A teacher said that this Business major could learn a lot from movies and TV shows. She felt excited about watching Harry Potter, her first English movie in secondary school. She finds it difficult to understand books despite knowing the meaning of individual words.

A primary school excursion required this Nursing major to interview foreigners in English. She reads material related to health and nursing.

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.