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.

Learning English took place in primary and secondary school according to this Business major.

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.

Studying English literature exposed this Economics major to various genres. She had to read and analyse Lord of the Flies by William Golding. She likes reading The Economist and TIME.

Being in an English speaking environment during secondary school has helped this Ecology major improve her speaking and listening skills considerably. She read books about sharks due to her interest in the animal.

A drama and musical with dancing provided this student with an English learning experience in secondary school. She likes science fiction and ET is her favourite book because it has a touching story about a family.

A study tour to Oxford gave this Human Resource major the chance to interact with the locals and immerse herself in an English environment. A book about E.T. inspired her to read more English books.

Watching the TV programme Humans without subtitles enhanced this Business major’s English. Blackout Girl by Jennifer Storm was the first book she completed and it made her reflect on her life.

Watching online videos helped this Engineering major’s English pronunciation after her friends said she needed to improve. She loved reading about Steve Jobs.

A student enjoyed writing poems and playing games in a workshop on Thanksgiving day at university organised by an international tutor. The workshop was different to secondary school because it was interactive. Although reading English books is hard, she was able to finish Matilda. [4CJ093]

Competing in a secondary school Speech Festival expanded this Business major’s vocabulary. He used English textbooks at school and enjoyed the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Reading the Wimpy Kid series reminded this Social Work major of her happy memories in school. Performing a Valentine’s Day-themed drama made her classmates laugh while learning about the topic.

Watching a movie, reading about it, and writing a review exposed new skills to this Maths Teaching major. She doesn’t like reading but will use an e-dictionary. She feels it is better to use Cantonese to teach maths in primary school.

An embarrassing presentation experience motivated this undergraduate to improve his English. A teacher from secondary school recommended the Harry Potter series to him. Film adaptations inspire him to read books including Fifty Shades of Grey and Paper Towns.

When this Psychology graduate could not understand the dialogue in Brokeback Mountain, she could refer to the subtitles. A regular 20-minute session in secondary school helped to establish a reading habit.

English is used by this Physics major to speak with the priest, read the Bible, and sing hymns in church. He found the reading paper in the DSE difficult.

A tutor in high school introduced this English major to poetry and inspired her to choose her major. She helped a P2 student’s writing and reading when she was in P6.

Debating in university gave this student an opportunity to prepare speeches and arguments. She has read Jane Eyre and Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express. She finds the latter exciting.

A humorous tutor taught this Science major vocabulary through sharing daily experiences. Graphics in Diary of a Wimpy Kid helped him understand the story and kept him reading.

Attending a conference with students from other countries gave this Business major a chance to practise his spoken English. He likes reading novels such as Percy Jackson and Harry Potter.

A student is motivated to polish her English by listening to YouTube hosts. She also read Tuesdays with Morrie, The Five People You Meet in Heaven and The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom.

Attending a British Council programme in Singapore broadened this student’s horizons. As a Chinese Language major, she does not read much in English but she did review past papers for the public exam.

Taking a university course in romanticism made this philosophy major fall in love with English. He likes the poetry of John Keats and Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables.

A two-minute writing game in Form Three impressed this Computing major. He was touched by a book he read as a university freshman.

Watching YouTubers from the US and UK has taught this Social Science major a lot about English. She likes to read The Economist online because it is free.

University language classes exposed this student to more vocabulary than when she was preparing for the DSE. She also enjoys learning English through watching videos. The Reader made her think. She is also interested in psychology.

Extra-curricular classes were more interactive than those focusing on exams in school for this Science major. She mostly reads research papers and textbooks.

Watching movies and enjoying live Shakespeare during a trip to the UK may have helped this student but she feels there is not enough time in secondary school to learn all that is expected.

While exploring synonyms in a university GE course, this student became aware that one must choose one’s words carefully. Eva Hoffman’s autobiography is similar to this English major’s experience of moving to Hong Kong.

If the story is good, then the language in which it is written is secondary according to this Public Administration major. To Kill a Mockingbird is a really good book.

University English course has taught this Business major how to make better presentations. She read The Little Prince in Chinese and then English as she wanted to get more out of the story.

English came naturally to this Business major as it is a primary language in Singapore. She read children’s books by Enid Blyton when she was young.

This student was surprised when a teacher said he spoke with a German accent. His reading has focused on Chinese texts, but he appreciated the difference when he was writing an assignment in English.

Taking a course in the university language centre gave this student more speaking opportunities as she prepared for IELTS. She read some course material about Asian Christianity for a presentation.

Foreign friends provided a better learning experience than school on the Mainland for this student. As a postgraduate student in Hong Kong, she is strengthening her English by watching movies. She practised for IELTS by reading.

Interacting with the family’s maid helped this Chinese Studies major learn English. She took part in a reading scheme in secondary school and had to write a brief report for each book.

Memorising vocabulary in secondary school was helpful but not so enjoyable. This Sociology major spent a lot of time reading How to Read a Book in university.

Meeting exchange students from other countries gave this English major more opportunities to use the language. She reads English materials from different periods in her course. She loves newspapers.

English language courses in university for this Sports Science major involved learning job interview skills. She reads journal articles about her major.

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.