University provides this student with more English training opportunities because the language is used by most professors. Most of the course material is in English and he checks new vocabulary with a dictionary.

This student describes his English learning experience as “pretty simple”. His English reading mostly centres on textbooks. He says he has learnt English from playing computer games.

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.

A primary school programme let this student become friends with a Canadian child through letter writing. She has read CNN news and course material for engineering.

A student has fun memories of a drama workshop in Form Two. She doesn’t read much English but would be interested in something funny. She uses English to read course material about nursing.

TV shows such as Heroes enabled this student to learn English. She has also read The Hunger Games and Divergent. As a Nursing major, she is able to notice a difference between reality and fiction when she compares the books to subjects such as biology and physics.

Writing her first academic essay in English in university was very different from do exams and exercise in school for this student. She will only read English text if she has to.

Adapting to university classes in English was very difficult for this student. Her secondary school English classes on the Mainland included small groups led by foreign teachers. Using Google Scholar, she found essays to help with academic writing.

An ambulance officer remembers exciting English language enhancement classes in university led by an American NET. He has read academic books and a ghost story in junior secondary school.

Immersion during a home stay in the US state of Arkansas enabled this student to learn by communicating with native speakers. She has also studied on the Mainland and Korea. She has read Twilight and course material. She plans to teach in Africa.

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 teacher corrected this student’s pronunciation during her undergraduate studies. She also practised English by listening to the radio and accessing the BBC and CNN. She also did an Intensive Reading Course and read newspapers.

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.

Researching a topic for a presentation in secondary school made this student question his English proficiency. His reading has centred on course material. He is finding it difficult to study in English university because he used Cantonese in secondary school.

A secondary school exchange in Canada placed this student in an all English speaking environment. He developed new vocabulary while reading academic journals in university.

Preparing for a public exam in the Mainland made this student focus on a good grade and not interpersonal communication. She started to read a lot more in English in university when she was studying course textbooks. It’s easier for her to read books that have been translated into Chinese.

Mini games in university English classes are different for this student who attended a CMI secondary school. She reads a lot of reference books on topics such as contract law for her surveying studies.

Creating a musical in Secondary 4 required this student to perform and write lyrics. She does not read much in English but English is used in her BBA.

Watching American TV drama and movies and lessons with a good English teacher are the reasons why this student feels he has good English communication skills. Reading 1984 in preparation for an assessment started his interest in English. University English is skill-based.

Attending an all English tutorial class with a foreigner allowed this student to improve with practice. He read a book for a school assignment and took part in a group discussion.

Watching English language movies sparks this Psychology major’s interest in words. Her favourite is Harry Potter. Subject-specific textbooks have honed her understanding of vocabulary.

Communicating in English with a home assistant gave this student more opportunities to speak in English rather than school. She reads about music history which is related to her major.

Using English as a lingua franca during an exchange in Korea allowed this student to communicate with classmates from other countries. She did some reading to prepare for IELTS.

Preparing for a speech festival in senior secondary gave this student a chance to read a variety of scripts while receiving guidance on pronunciation. In university, he prefers to read English versions of some material as translations may be inaccurate.

English was the only language this student could use during a summer exchange in Korea. Although he prefers to read Chinese material, he feels comfortable with the English course material and instructions in university.

A tutor used a unique teaching approach to change this student’s views on pronunciation of English. She was inspired by the content in The Hunger Games. She uses English and Cantonese in her General Studies degree.

This Visual Arts major received dialogue coaching from teachers while she prepared for a drama competition in Form Four. She prefers to read Chinese books but read English fiction and non-fiction for the SBA.

English was used by this Social Science major when she attended a Girl Guides event in Norway. She read Billy Elliot in secondary school and is now enjoying a self-help book called the Power of Slow.

A Social Science major recalls the fear of chatting with an American NET for the first time. She uses English when travelling and studying. She reads journals.

English is the lingua franca in university for this Social Work major as she needs to communicate with international students. She reads English journal articles.

Interviewing tourists helped this Social Science major improve his conversation skills. He reads about football on the Internet and uses a dictionary when he comes across new words.

Although she attended tutorials to prepare for public exams, this student is not sure if it really helped. She likes the fantasy aspect of the Percy Jackson stories.

Workshops by international tutors in this student’s university provide an alternative way to learn English. She uses little English in her part-time job in a theme park.

Playing cards with an American tutor in a village primary school was how this student learnt English in an informal way. She reads articles and online news in English for research purposes.

Playing games with international tutors in university is a fun way for this Sports Science major to learn English. He has to read English articles and books for his course.

Tutors provided reading, writing and speaking support for this student and her classmates during English Week activities in secondary school. She read Harry Potter after watching the movie.

English Week activities provided a rare chance for this Maths Education major to use the language. He read The Hunger Games as it was a recommended book in secondary school.

An Engineering graduate uses English for problem solving with colleagues overseas. He has read journals and newspapers. He feels newspapers use everyday English. Talking to foreigners can also improve speaking skills.

Preparing for the IELTS exam in Beijing expanded this Mechanical Engineering student’s circle of friends. She only reads English if it will help with her studies.

Group discussions during the DSE speaking module is enjoyable. This student seldom reads in English except for lecture notes. He uses English to communicate with gamers from other countries.