While the writing skills that this Engineering major acquired from secondary school can be transferrable to university, speaking is her weakness. She prefers reading Chinese to avoid looking up English words in the dictionary.

Drama lessons in secondary school left a strong impression on this Biology major because it involved games, interaction with NET, and a play production with friends. With a teacher’s help he was able to understand what The Alchemist was about.

If the story is good, then the language in which it is written is secondary according to this Public Administration major. To Kill a Mockingbird is a really good book.

In secondary school, this Engineering major learnt English from exercises and tests. He did a lot of reading in university common core courses.

Preparing for the Gaokao was hard work for this Accounting and Finance major since she feels her English is poor. She didn’t finish Harry Potter after finding it difficult but she would like to read works of Agatha Christie and the Sherlock Holmes series in the future.

Doing past papers in preparation for the DSE without receiving the explanations for the answers was dull and frustrating for this Design major. She copied vocabulary and definitions without reading the required text for her writing assignments.

Having a group presentation in university deepened this Engineering major’s understanding of a research topic. Analysing the book Game of Thrones was a special reading experience.

The first learning experience with a foreign English teacher opened a new world for this electrical engineer. He read a bilingual version of Phantom of the Opera that his mum bought.

Speaking English with other people is a better way to improve according to this Chinese major. She had to read newspapers every morning during secondary school.

Listening to authors and poets reading their own works allowed this Arts major to appreciate the beauty of the language. She believes English is not as important as Chinese so she seldom reads.

Being a member of the English Society in secondary school improved this Business major’s proficiency in the language. She views English as a tool but not an interest.

Extra-curricular classes improved this Economics major’s English speaking skills. An exchange programme also enhanced his English. He enjoyed reading novels like Harry Potter but mainly reads non-fiction now.

Studying in England for three months gave this Risk Management major a chance to learn from a new study pattern and culture. She came across many new terms when reading social science texts.

English textbooks were rare in this Mechanical Engineering major’s middle school period. He and his classmates valued reading and studying New Concept English.

A student remembers how his teacher and mother used videos to help him learn English. He believes that immersion in an English speaking country is the best way to learn.

In order to pursue a postgraduate degree, this Engineering major studied hard for the IELTS. He has been exposed to few books in English due to the reading culture in the Mainland.

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

TV dramas and games taught this China Studies major vocabulary and grammar. He reads notes given by tutors.

Performing drama in secondary school was different to reading books and memorising vocabulary for this trainee doctor. Reading books like To Kill a Mockingbird is more than words, it’s about interpreting the author’s intent.

A tutorial school provided writing and exam-oriented support for this Social Science major. He read passages in his tutorial notes but now he tries to avoid English materials.

A secondary school English teacher put this Accounting major under too much pressure to get good grades. He reads news about video games like League of Legends.

Sessions with a NET created a different atmosphere for this student to learn English. He also read the Young Post and the South China Morning Post. He is motivated to read what’s interesting but says it’s also important to consider other topics.

English learning centred on grammar, reading, writing, speaking, and listening for this Science major. She went to the US for an exchange.

Studying grammar made this Computer Engineering major fall asleep during English lessons. He likes watching films in English but Chinese subtitles help him to understand the dialogue. He browses Stack Overflow for programming solutions.

Learning English is a continuous journey for this Arts graduate. She read Twilight because her friends were crazy about it.

When this Communications graduate attended the lecture for the first time, he couldn’t understand the professor or the suggested readings. He improved after a few months though.

Playing, singing and watching cartoons were a fun way to learn phonics in extra-curricular classes for this Social Work major. She said people who don’t like reading much need to find a book that interests them.

Primary school English classes involved improvisation and role-playing for this Arts major. There is so much new vocabulary in university readings that she spends the whole day looking up words in the dictionary.

A study tour to Oxford gave this Human Resource major the chance to interact with the locals and immerse herself in an English environment. A book about E.T. inspired her to read more English books.

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.

Getting familiar with the vocabulary in the textbooks increased this Computer Science major’s reading speed.

Learning from books without words was difficult at the beginning for this Marketing major. She learnt little in an exchange to the US. She mostly reads romance novels. Her favourite is Gone with the Wind.

Studying in Canada and Australia exposed this Business major to foreign culture and language learning. She had to complete book reports in secondary school. She hates reading because it’s difficult to understand all the vocabulary.

A NET made English fun for this student. He feels NETs are more open-minded. He reads material about the environment and says English is used for formal communication.

A history teacher used drama to teach this Architecture major a variety of English accents. Animal Farm was a required reading. He is interested in books that have been made into movies.

Common core classes in English focused more on interaction, sharing, and personal expression. This Nursing major has read a variety of short articles.

The desire to get into a better university motivated this Accounting major to study a lot of grammar and vocabulary in 2 months. Reading The Little Prince and Harry Potter taught her written English.

The poetry recitation competition gave this English major a chance to improve her pronunciation. She likes reading fairy tales. She found The Yellow Wallpaper thought-provoking.

As a member of the drama club, this Translation major did a lot of research to prepare for a performance in English. Reading cookbooks let her learn a different style of text. She read Notes on a Scandal by Zoë Heller.

Professional English classes allowed this MBA graduate to chat with foreigners. The Lord of the Rings let him experience a different world. He now reads about business, marketing, personal development, architecture and interior design.