Reading can involve preparation for tests such as TOEFL and SAT and can be fiction like The Vampire Diaries. Dictionaries are good for developing vocabulary.

A Burmese student had to pass TOEFL to enter a Hong Kong university. She started learning English in kindergarten but her transition to tertiary education required her to read more academic material.

Discussions after in-class movies were this Chemical Technology major’s favourite in secondary school. Having followed the American Advanced Placement Curriculum, she is used to studying in English and applying the technical terms of the subjects.

Enthusiasm about astronomy has led this Management major to subscribe to online lectures conducted in English. She also read many relevant articles in TOEFL exam papers. Among her favourite writers are George Orwell and Stephen King.

Other than doing many exercises when preparing for the Gaokao, this Accounting and Finance major also did the TOEFL listening test to improve her English. She enjoys readings books by O. Henry and Agatha Christie.

Spending time in Australia and Europe motivated this Finance major to improve her English. The children on a farm in Australia taught her English. She participated in an English reading programme in high school.

Practising with teachers helped this Computer Science major change her speaking habits, especially pronunciation. She likes the humour in O. Henry’s short stories and essays.

Preparing for the TOEFL test involved watching films, listening to the radio and talking. This Business major read the Harry Potter series and notes the talent, honesty, loyalty, kindness and happiness of the writing.

Role-playing movie characters in class was one of the few chances this Software Engineering major had to practise English while studying on the Mainland. She also read newspapers, magazines and course material to prepare for TOEFL.

Talking to an American exchange student was an enjoyable experience for this Maths major. He read TOEFL course material.

The speaking test in TOEFL was difficult for this Journalism major. Reading material in a course was difficult, which makes him think he should practise more.

Preparing for TOEFL involved understanding a lot of subjects and handling all kinds of questions that will appear in the exam according to this Business major. As a debater in school, she read the BBC news to familiarise herself with world affairs.

Taking TOEFL required this Business major to memorise a lot of vocabulary. The speaking paper was the most difficult. He reads a lot of textbooks.

Preparing for SAT and TOEFL expanded this Science major’s vocabulary. She read poems and stories in school. Nicholas Sparks’ stories touched her heart.

A book on writing skills prepared this Computer Engineering major for TOEFL. She can’t understand what the words mean in academic papers.

Studying in an international school allowed this Psychology major to speak English every day. However, she feels her standard is declining because she uses the language less in university.

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.

Doing research on the Internet is how this Computer Science major learns English in university. His reading experience is mostly associated with exams.

Memorising vocabulary has been difficult for this Electrical Engineering major. She has not read much but would buy some books based on movies she had seen.

Learning English through games in a cram school was fun for this International Relations major. She read faster after practising reading for TOEFL exam.

Using English with his mother nightly influenced this Mechanical Engineering major. He read most when preparing for TOEFL and GRE exams.

Preparing for TOEFL exam and visiting Edinburgh improved this Economics major’s reading, listening and speaking skills. He had to read a lot during a course in Scotland.

To prepare for TOEFL, this Asian Studies major attended tutorials outside of school and learnt from native speaking friends. He tried very hard to read an English novel for an assignment in high school.

Preparing for TOEFL, the Business major stayed in her room studying intensively for three months. Reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People made her realise she had made progress with English.

Extra-curricular tutorials exposed this Accounting major to different English accents. She was required to read textbooks for TOEFL exam. She also read Twilight and The Vampire Dairies.

A teacher encouraged this Marketing major to watch the Friends sitcom to improve her English. The Harry Potter series were the first English books she read. She also read the Great Gatsby.

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.

English was used every day while this Comparative Education major was an exchange student in the US. Reading for the TOEFL exam was challenging for her.

An embarrassing mistake in pronunciation during class motivated this Finance major to work hard and improve his English. He has a habit of memorising five new words per day. He likes reading materials related to philosophy including A History of Western Philosophy.

Preparing for IELTS was hard for this Accounting major as the test focused on areas she didn’t learn while studying in the Mainland. Reading financial reports for work is a challenge as she is unfamiliar with some of the terminology.