A student says secondary school English prepared him for university. He mostly reads for his degree studies.

A student says it was stressful studying for the DSE. Although she has to read more now, she enjoys it because it focuses on her chosen field.

This student explains that learning tenses in English is different to Cantonese and Putonghua. She also believes watching a film adaptation helped her to appreciate A Tale of Two Cities.

This postgraduate student improved her English during her first degree by attending an English Corner in her university. Her favourite book is The Little Prince.

A student says learning a language allows you to absorb a new culture. Reading materials such as Eat, Pray, Love and TIME magazine help improve her vocabulary.

A postgraduate student with a bachelor’s degree in English found reading to be boring but feels knowing the language can broaden her opportunities.

A student says he used English more in secondary school than university and occasionally read newspapers.

Coming to Hong Kong as a primary school student was the best English language learning experience. Reading includes textbooks.

It was interesting comparing English to Cantonese in secondary school. It’s better to read a book after watching a film because it can help build a mental picture.

A student who read Harry Potter recalls how she did presentations and reviews on books and movies. She feels there’s too much writing in the DSE exam.

Attending an EMI school allowed this student to boost his vocabulary. He feels it is better to learn some science subjects in English. He read Harry Potter because the movie was not very impressive.

Primary school was the most important period of English learning for this student. She consolidated her knowledge in secondary school and uses English for gaining other knowledge during university.

Exposure to English was limited during this student’s kindergarten and primary years. It changed when she studied in an EMI secondary school which had extra-curricular English activities.

Learning English through paper work is more practical for this student but she feels real life experiences are better. She worked on past papers to prepare for public exams.

Despite learning English for many years, this student does not feel her language skills are very good. She feels that because she lives in Hong Kong, there are few chances to speak English outside of school.

English is a global language but this student notes that it is not easy to learn.

This student has a philosophical view of how he learnt English.

Practising English has been limited to the classroom for this student. He feels that it would be better to have more interactive opportunities that could help in the workplace rather than academia.

Studying in the UK at 14 years old was stressful at first because this student didn’t have the vocabulary to ask simple questions. Holes was the first children’s literature she completed.

An art historian learnt a lot of new terminology related to the treatment of her cancer. She felt that The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho had a big influence on her and taught her some life lessons.

The Umbrella Revolution inspired this Science major to read more about politics. He had previously listened to the BBC to improve his English communication skills.

A Hong Kong-born student learnt vocabulary through games in primary school on the Mainland. She returned to Hong Kong in secondary school. She says Hong Kong schools treasure English.

A Chinese teaching major feels there is too much homework to allow time to enjoy language learning through games and conversation. She read National Geographic magazine.

Grammar was challenging for this student because English is different to her mother tongue. She felt there wasn’t enough time for the SBA component of the DSE. She uses English journal articles for homework.

A student is motivated to practise more with native speakers and tutors because she feels she needs to catch up with other undergraduates. She read Alice in Wonderland.

English was used in an NGO programme in this student’s secondary school. She also joined a pair-reading scheme. She says her mobile phone prevents her from reading.

A Korean student attended two tutorial classes, one with a native speaker and the other with a Korean who taught grammar. She read book passages for academic purposes.

Practising to be an emcee was a challenge for this student because Cantonese was not allowed. He read Harry Potter in Secondary 3. Students should learn English from primary school.

Learning English became more difficult as this cross-border student got older. She uses an e-dictionary to check new vocabulary. She prefers printed books.

Songs and computer games were used by this Maths Teaching major’s English teacher. She is confused about the MOI for maths as she learnt the subject in English and is now learning to be a teacher in Chinese. She finds reading difficult.

English language opportunities in university are not the same as drama in school. She says she might read more in English if she sees a movie and wants to find out more in the book version.

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 language centre salesman dented this highly proficient student’s English speaking confidence after performing a test in the street. She is an English Teaching major and a fan of Harry Potter.

Coming from an all English IB secondary school, this student had difficulty adjusting to the use of Cantonese at university even though she used it at home. She has developed a liking for classical literature such as Plato but couldn’t get the hang of Othello.

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.

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.

A communications major had to catch-up when she transitioned to Hong Kong in Primary 3. Initiating a speech club helped prepare for the DSE. She uses English when she has to and prefers to read Chinese.

This Marketing major would have paid more attention during class if high school English was more interactive. Tutorial lessons helped with grammar when she was young. She read The Shadow of the Wind and believes English is a requirement in business.

English is the only language of communication in Hong Kong for this Indonesian student. She uses Google and the thesaurus when she encounters difficulties reading journal articles.

“Survival instinct” pushed this Korean student to learn English when she had to make friends and study in a Mainland international school. She is focused on reading course material because it results in a transfer of knowledge rather than a pastime.