Despite being afraid of NETs in primary school, this Tourism major worked more closely with them in secondary and now feels there are no barriers to intercultural communication.
5CJ334
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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.
5CJ344
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English is one of many languages used by this Bilingual Studies major. She likes reading Stephen King because his stories are exciting. She also enjoys 1984 and The Storyteller.
5CJ376
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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.
5CJ470
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Primary and secondary English classes should be more interactive and less drilling. This Product Design major turned to YouTube and dramas to prepare for the DSE but was still unhappy with the result.
5CJ543
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Immersed in a competitive environment, this Biotechnology major tried harder. She read literary works for school such as Bridge to Terabithia, Lord of the Flies and Taming of the Shrew. And her favourite fiction is Harry Potter.
5CJW016
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Learning to translate a Chinese story to English made this student appreciate the differences in the two languages. Books by Nicholas Sparks such as Dear John and the Notebook have made this Translation major cry.
5CJW018
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Starting from kindergarten, this Creative Media major felt her parents, especially her mum, forced her to learn English. She attended a special English-speaking kindergarten and was forced to watch CNN and the BBC. Reading is difficult because she has to check words in the dictionary.
5CJW031
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Travelling made this Economics and Finance major feel there’s too much emphasis on accent in Hong Kong. He liked the courage and the friendship between the characters in Harry Potter. He also read The Hunger Games, National Geographic and The Economist.
5CJW035
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After attending an EMI secondary school, this Engineering major feels she uses English less now. She participated in choral speaking and English Day in secondary school. She read a book about Shakespeare in secondary school.
5CJW045
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University gives this student more opportunity to speak in English. Secondary school classes were led by a teacher. She likes funny books such as Sophia Kinsella’s Shopaholic.
5CJW047
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As English is not her mother tongue, this student feels the language is a challenge for her. She finds it difficult to translate Chinese to English as well as the grammar and sentence structure.
5CJW062
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A harsh learning experience involved learning pages of phrasal verbs because this Medical student’s English was not up to standard in Form 1. Even though the Hunger Games was a required reading in secondary school he completed it out of pure interest.
5CJW064
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Interacting with foreign students in university required this Physics major to use English differently to the way that he was taught in secondary school. When speaking in English you need to organise your thoughts quickly and remember the grammar is different to Cantonese.
5CJW072
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Feeling inadequate in an EMI secondary school, this Biomedical Engineering major joined societies and activities to improve his English. He expands his vocabulary by reading about psychology and philosophy.
5CJW073
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Growing up in the 1970s in China, this Architecture lecturer feels he was lucky to be tutored by a native speaker. Despite studying English for many years, there’s still a lot to learn. He encourages his eight year old son to read books that relate to his interests.
5CJW078
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It’s more comfortable using English with foreigners than locals because there is too much focus on accuracy in Hong Kong. This Electronic Engineering majors exchanged stories with other tourists in Berlin. She likes comics and science fiction novels.
5CJW079
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A miscommunication with a customs officer in Australia created embarrassing moments for this Math major. He had a difficult time understanding the Batman movie without subtitles during a secondary school study tour to the UK.
5CJW083
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Grammar used to be an obstacle for this student but she and her classmates took extra lessons to improve. Her reading skills progressed as she progressed through a detective novel and became more familiar with the vocabulary.
5CJW085
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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.
5CJW089
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Preparing to teach children English made this Business major more aware of her own learning. She likes books by Cecilia Ahern including P.S. I Love You.
5CJW115
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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.
5CJW116
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Overcoming a fear to speak with others is this Computer Engineering major’s biggest obstacle with English. He didn’t use the language a lot in secondary school so he watched YouTube videos about sports. He read materials on engineering.
5CJW118
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The first assembly after transition to an EMI secondary school confused this Nursing major because everything was in English. She improved by reading the Bible, reciting prayers and singing hymns. She showcased her language skills in a drama in Secondary 5. She read Bridge to Terabithia.
5CJW133
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Despite receiving support on how to improve his English, this Computer Engineering major has negative feelings. His girlfriend encourages him to read newspapers and he asks her to help with new vocabulary.
5CJW135
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Studying English Literature as an undergraduate developed a deeper appreciation for works in the language. This student will read a book twice to explore possible connections between different passages.
5CJW138
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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.
5CJW144
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Studying grammar made this Computer Engineering major fall asleep during English lessons. He likes watching films in English but Chinese subtitles help him to understand the dialogue. He browses Stack Overflow for programming solutions.
5CK002
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Communicating with people of different nationalities and tertiary educational background has kept this student’s focus on English. She is comfortable reading journal articles related to her major.
5CK015
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Revisiting what has been taught in primary school English while at university was an interesting experience for this student. He has read the Harry Potter series, including the Order of the Phoenix more than 70 times. J.K. Rowling and Malcolm Gladwell are his favourite authors.
5CK106
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This student learnt the hard way that English may not be useful in all parts of Germany. She read The Architecture of Happiness because it was mentioned in the movie, 500 Days of Summer. She prefers to read in Chinese.
5CK203
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University English classes were not useful for this Engineering major because they focused on reading and writing instead of speaking and listening. Reading for the SBA was very difficult for him.
5CK211
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This Engineering major thinks that he didn’t have enough time to speak English in secondary school. He finds language in scientific papers hard to understand.
5CK223
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English was a brand new language for this Science major in primary school. She has read The Little Prince. Much of her course material is in English.
5CK288
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Learning English in primary School was the most difficult time for this Humanities major. She reading texts and answered questions in English lessons.
5CK329
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Discipline and motivation can impact on English learning opportunities according to this Chinese major. She did not finish the assigned books in secondary school and did poorly in a subsequent exam.
5CK331
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University English classes are a little difficult for this History major but she improved her grammar and academic writing skills. Some courses require her to read material in English.
5CK346
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An exchange trip to Singapore made this Psychology major realise people can understand her even if she makes mistakes. She was forced to read storybooks to prepare for the DSE.
5CK382
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Living with English in university is the best way to improve for this China Studies major. He read a book about Jerusalem and says it is amazing.