A part-time job in a cafeteria gave this Accounting major an opportunity to practise English. Harry Potter is the first English books she read. She also reads detective and love stories.

A university class taught this Economics major how to write a resume and cover letter as well as how to perform in job interviews which she thought would be useful for her future career. She usually reads books related to her major.

Starting with A, B, C, and D, this Hotel Management major began learning English in primary school when she first came to Hong Kong. She found Tuesdays with Morrie easy to read and meaningful.

A secondary school study tour to England involved interacting with people from other countries. Reading the South China Morning Post for weekly newspaper reviews has become easier over time.

English was used to chat with some visiting German students in this Science major’s secondary school. She reads about Chemistry and Maths in English.

Monolingual NETs in primary school encouraged this student to interact in English because it was the only common language. She has read The Hunger Games and Harry Potter but now prefers Chinese books.

Having to express her opinions by speaking and writing in university is difficult for this Social Science major.

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.

Using English while travelling in Canada was more comfortable for this Social Science major because it didn’t involve being tested. YouTube videos helped her understand a book on morality.

This Actuarial Science major had to listen to songs and write down the lyrics in secondary school. He attended a bridging course to help make the transition from a CMI primary to an EMI secondary school.

International summer school in the UK allowed this Management major to interact with fellow students. She had to answer some questions after reading a short weekly article related to her daily life.

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.

Face-to-face communication with native English speakers is more effective than traditional school lessons. Reading Harry Potter helped this Business major get a satisfactory A-level result.

Working in New Zealand and Australia exposed this Sport major to an English speaking environment. He usually reads books related to his studies including titles about sports training and rehabilitation.

Staying with a host family while studying in Australia was a cultural exchange and English learning experience for this Finance major. She watched the TV series Prison Break and read the English and Chinese subtitles.

Being proficient in English was important for this student as she prepared for the GMAT. She felt there was more pressure than the normal English lesson. Reading Little Women was a relaxing alternative to textbooks.

Watching documentaries and cartoons during secondary school English classes taught this Science major vocabulary and how people interact. She says The Five People You Meet in Heaven is inspiring.

A music loving student enjoyed senior secondary English as the teacher shared food and showed movies in class. He likes to read the lyrics from the Beatles, Queen, John Lennon, and Pink Floyd.

A teacher encouraged this student to become a school emcee to overcome her pronunciation difficulties. She also enjoyed reading Elizabeth: The Golden Age and Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

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.

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.

Watching YouTube gaming channels developed this Economics and Finance major’s English speaking skills. Reading a book about a boy who suffered from health problems inspired him.

Group discussion as an alternative to learning strictly about grammar made senior secondary school English classes more interesting for this student. She read Tuesdays with Morrie in Form Three and considers it a good book.

Performing a drama in secondary school boosted this Art major’s speaking skills and confidence. She had to do reading reports in secondary school.

Having a debate in a university English course was challenging but useful. This Occupational Therapy major may buy the books if she likes the movies. However, she seldom finishes them.

A student who recalls learning the alphabet in kindergarten later used translation skills for a university exchange. Nowadays she likes to listen to music and watch movies and TV. She also reads the newspaper.

In a university course, this Biology major had to make an eight-minute speech. She reads Wikipedia to find information about experiments in her studies.

Watching films was a fun and useful way to learn English. This Logistics major enjoyed reading books such as A Christmas Carol while preparing for reports in secondary school.

After a bad experience in kindergarten, this Accounting major’s mum placed her in a neighbourhood learning group led by an American tutor. She learnt through field trips and everyday activities. She read a lot of Mitch Albom books and also magazines such as TIME and Vogue.

A Biology major enjoyed watching the movie Alien during a Year 3 university English course. After completing the Chinese version of Harry Potter in junior secondary, he read the English one.

In Form Three, this BBA major had an English lesson in the kitchen and learnt English when cooking food. She reads English recipes and learns food names.

Travelling put this Civil Engineering major in touch with English speaking people. Reading the South China Morning Post every day improved his English proficiency.

Studying Edith Hamilton’s Mythology in secondary school involved reading the book, discussing it and making a drama for this Engineering major. She experienced the mood of Dante’s Inferno when a teacher read it aloud in a dynamic voice.

An Accounting major values extra-curricular tutorial classes with a NET during primary school. Her teachers asked her to read newspapers and write a summary.

After studying lyrics in secondary school, this Mechanical Engineering student fell in love with English songs. Her favourite bands are Westlife and My Chemical Romance. She prefers design books but has read some of Shakespeare’s works including Macbeth.

The teaching style and activities in extra-curricular tutorials were different to regular classes for this Civil Engineering major. He read The Witches for the SBA in secondary school.

A NET made English fun for this student. He feels NETs are more open-minded. He reads material about the environment and says English is used for formal communication.

Watching movies such as Southpaw, Inception and Fight Club boosted this Accounting major’s interest in English. He read the Young Post and South China Morning Post in secondary school to develop his reading habit.

Mr. Bean was played to teach this Arts major British culture in a university English class. She was required to read the South China Morning Post at secondary school although she was not interested.

A university tutor used puzzles to teach this Social Work major how to write an academic essay. In secondary school, her teacher exposed her to different parts of speech by highlighting them on the passages.