Filling in missing song lyrics in secondary school was new to this Biomedical Engineering major. By reading Obama’s speech, she learnt different sentence patterns and vocabulary.

Watching American TV shows formed part of this Social Science major’s English learning. He has some friends from the UK and also worked with British students for two years.

Even though learning English may not be interesting, this Cultural Studies major appreciates the focus on preparing for exams as it provides a foundation for future learning. She likes reading Sophia Kinsella and TV dramas such as The Vampire Diaries and Gossip Girl.

A secondary school scheme included a trip to England where this student treasured visiting a local family. Although she read the Life of Pi, she thinks the movie was more impressive.

There were more chances to speak English during secondary school than university for this Finance major, especially interacting with classmates. Thinking Fast and Slow is the first English book he completed.

Learning exam skills for the DSE didn’t enhance this Journalism major’s English level. She learnt about different topics and expanded her vocabulary by reading the SCMP before taking the DSE.

Interactive English drama lessons led by a foreign teacher involved games that allowed this student to communicate with classmates. Reading academic journals in university has raised his political awareness.

Attending the Book Fair with her friend this year, this Customer Services Officer found some comics that she likes to read.

Learning English on the Mainland involved more writing and reading than speaking. This Information Systems major also watches movies and listens to songs. As a programmer, he had to read a book about this subject in English in order to get the newest information.

Primary school teachers, including a NET, helped this Social Science major with her pronunciation. Pop music also helped. She appreciates the writing of William Shakespeare.

A primary school teacher helped this Counselling major learn vocabulary. In secondary school, she had to write summaries based on newspapers.

Moving from Taiwan to Hong Kong, this Engineering major had to learn English from scratch. English is hard to understand but is used in university course material.

Listening to songs in class was an interactive and enjoyable way for this Biology major to learn vocabulary. A secondary school teacher taught her the meaning behind Lord of the Flies.

A school teacher remembers using English with a German businessman during a dinner hosted by her parents. She read Lord of the Flies for a secondary school literature class.

Joining an English Scrabble team increased this Civil Engineering major’s knowledge of English. She read newspapers and stories in the reading time during secondary school.

Having group discussions and being critical while preparing for IELTS were new experiences for this student who felt he had been spoon-fed in secondary school. Reading Silver Linings Playbook touched his heart.

A tutor in an extra-curricular class told this Design major that grammar does not matter which is the opposite of what she learnt in school. She thinks the passage on the DSE reading paper is very difficult to understand.

To prepare for the DSE, this BBA major did a lot of exercises to improve his English. He mostly reads the assigned materials in university courses.

A teacher used different ways, such as group projects, to make this Fitness major’s learning fun. Biographies chosen by teachers were boring.

Chatting with foreigners has helped this Government and International Studies major develop a native use of the language. Reading newspapers relates to daily life.

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.

This Japanese major watched movies with friends. Her favourite is Love, Rosie. In secondary school, she read The Five People You Meet in Heaven and did a book report.

Speaking English with her family’s domestic helper and listening to songs helped this Linguistics major acquire the language. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green is her favourite book. She also reads the Seventeen magazine.

Communicating in English in university is more interesting than secondary school as this student can take part in activities with people from different countries. She read part of Tuesdays with Morrie. Her course material is in English.

A brilliant secondary school English teacher explained the use of Shakespeare in Chinese writing and prepared this Environmental Science major and her classmates for exams with drills and news clippings. Agatha Christie’s famous detective character Hercule Poirot is funny and made her think about life.

A study tour to Australia allowed this Computer Science to compare the accents of Britons and Australians. Watching movies and reading the corresponding books such as the Maze Runner and The Hunger Games improves his writing skills.

Learning words before the alphabet in primary school made this Architecture major feel she was behind the rest of the class. All her course materials have been in English since secondary school.

A few months of training for TOEFL, iBT, SAT and AP significantly improved this Physics major’s language skills. He also read Harry Potter, A Tale of Two Cities, and Walden during that time.

Doing past papers took up most of this Mechanical Engineering student’s time in secondary school and she is not particularly fond of English. She found The Five People You Meet in Heaven too difficult and boring.

Prompted to practise more during university, this English major held balcony conversations with her best friend from the hall. She read Lady Chatterley’s Lover after a friend suggested the novel to her in secondary school.

A foreign teacher required this English major to read newspapers every day which she finds more interesting than textbooks. She discovers more when she rereads a text. She read Revolutionary Road after watching the movie.

Tutors who treated students like friends made English more interesting by using games and movies. Eat, Pray, Love was the first English novel this Education major read. She watched the movie instead after chapter one because it was too difficult. She uses a Kindle to read academic papers.

It took this student courage to converse with native speakers but it is a rewarding experience because she learned about other cultures. She likes fashion magazines because the vocabulary is easier to comprehend.

Preparing for the DSE involved a lot of intensive work, particularly with reading comprehension, for this Chinese Medicine major. The Five People You Meet in Heaven is meaningful.

An exchange to Japan exposed this Business major to the everyday use of English. From reading 1984, she understood that English is a medium for expressing thoughts.

Joining a summer camp required this Business major to speak English with students from other countries. It was challenging for him when he first read university course material in English.

A tutor taught this Chinese Medicine major pronunciation. Her readings about medicine include grammar and vocabulary that are difficult.

Learning through interactive activities was more pleasant than sitting for lessons in a classroom. This Business major read Shakespeare in English literature class.

Learning that focuses on reading and people who are hesitate to speak in English are cited as a problem for Hong Kong. Reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest made this Engineering major think about confirming to society’s norms.

Watching the Harry Potter film motivated this Medical student to read the books. She started with the Chinese version but choose to read in English to get closer to the story. She also prepared for the public examination with group work and past papers.