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

A sister-in-law helped this student improve his English. After he improved he felt more comfortable reading books such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

This Translation major tried hard to learn English from teachers and her sister in secondary school. She watches YouTube channels, English movies and TV dramas. She has friends form different countries.

This English major feels it’s important to master the language. She no longer sees English as a tool.

Remembering names of NETs was a big challenge for this Korean student who transitioned to an EMI school. A friend’s mum and a private tutor helped to improve her English. She picked up Harry Potter because of her sister. She is now into non-fiction such as How Google Works and What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School.

Arranging English classes for his son had made this Nursing major more aware of his own language needs. He feels his standard of English has affected his life’s direction.

Negativity towards English has changed since this Property Management student had to teach her son the language. Not being taught phonics properly in secondary school hindered her study and has made her uneasy when teaching her son.

Relatives recommended this Nursing major to attend an English learning centre during her primary school. She read Matilda for her exams and prefers books with movie adaptations.

Playing games such as Monopoly was part of the casual learning this Business major undertook in her quest to communicate with English-speaking relatives from Australia. She read the Hunger Games to get a sense of the story before watching the movie.

This Government and Law major watches and discusses movies and TV dramas with her family. She reads original books such as The Lightning Thief in the Percy Jackson series after watching the movie.

Talking to the NET in secondary school allowed this Communication major to learn English and culture. He finds it more meaningful to read on his own. He likes Harry Potter and Before I Go to Sleep, which is a strange book to him.

The different accents of secondary school teachers was difficult for this Law major to understand. She practised speaking with her brother. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest motivated her to study law.

English was used when this Chinese major talked with his cousin in Vancouver. He read Primitive Passions by Rey Chow.

Apart from English classes at school, this Sociology major learnt from travelling. She has been to Taiwan and London. Her parents and sister have also been sources of learning.

In primary school, this Social Work major was taught by her sister at home. She started learning other subjects in English in secondary school. University studies required her to speak a lot.

Learning in primary school was stressful for this International Studies major. Secondary education was more enjoyable. Family, travelling and playing different kinds of sports were sources of learning.

Secondary school involved reading longer passages and preparing for the DSE. In university, this Business major built on her foundation to write reports and academic essays. She spoke English while travelling and communicating with her sister.

English was the language of communication in this student’s home from an early age. This English major learnt phonics in kindergarten in the US.

Watching movies with her family allows this Business major to learn English and strengthen relationships. Reading English books is troublesome as she has to check the dictionary frequently.

The homestay experience in New Zealand in Form Four immersed this Science major in an English speaking environment as she communicated with people while sightseeing. She remembers reading The Three Little Pigs with her family.

Extra-curricular DSE classes in a smaller tutorial centre helped this Accounting major make new friends and get a better exam result. He bonded with his older sister while reading Harry Potter.

Participating in the Harvard Model Congress Asia in university enabled this Accounting major to speak with people who use English as their first language. She read a set of Ladybird books given by her aunt.

Relatives of this Nursing major’s taught her how native speakers use English when she visited them in Canada. She read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory because of its colourful cover.

Upon her brother’s advice, this Psychology major wrote a diary to improve her English. She felt tired when forced to read newspaper articles just after lunch in secondary school.

A course in university taught this English major how to appreciate and analyse literature. Her brother recommended she read The Hunger Games but she was apprehensive when she saw it was a trilogy.

Studying with a Filipino teacher and watching English TV with her two daughters after-school helped this Operation Research major. Reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was difficult.

Reading the South China Morning Post and sharing the articles with her aunt was a useful learning method for this Communications major. Her favourite poem is Look Up by Gary Turk and she enjoyed reading The Secret by Rhonda Byrne.

Turning a song into a drama performance during secondary school was an alternative this Arts major preferred compared to drilling exercises. She enjoyed reading Letters to Sam by Daniel Gottlieb as it reminded her of her grandmother.

Chatting with his cousins in Canada allowed this Science major to learn informal English. He read One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh and Inuyasha comics in English.

Watching movies with English subtitles contributed to this Public Policy major’s learning experience. She enjoys reading short stories and her favourites include the Elbow Room collection, stories by Alice Walker and Raymond Carver.

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.