Preparing for IELTS was hard for this Accounting major as the test focused on areas she didn’t learn while studying in the Mainland. Reading financial reports for work is a challenge as she is unfamiliar with some of the terminology.

Reading both the Chinese and English versions of a book simultaneously taught this Psychology major grammar and vocabulary. He prefers the Harry Potter books to the movies because of the descriptive writing.

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.

Primary and secondary English classes included drilling, worksheets and drama for this Maths major. He read the SCMP in secondary school. He also reads Reddit.

A drama competition in secondary school involved writing her own script and directing the performance. This Information Engineering major seldom gets to read books that she likes due to the school syllabus. She likes romance novels.

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.

An advanced reading and writing course helped this student understand inferences and idioms. He likes to read automobile magazines because he is a ‘car maniac’. He prefers news articles to novels.

Shakespeare exposes students to exaggeration and similes. Good movies make books interesting.

Smaller classes and a systematic approach to teaching grammar make English learning in university better than that in secondary school for this student. She reads course material.

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

Being a member of the English society committee in secondary school enabled this student to learn more English through activities. He doesn’t read much due to time constraints.

Tutorial centres provided additional learning opportunities for this English major during senior secondary school.

University English lessons and subject-specific articles have helped this student develop the vocabulary of psychology. He has to read a lot of textbooks and one novel during the summer break.

Although this Medical student found his middle school NET to be harsh, he appreciates her fun and effective style of teaching. He identified with the protagonist in the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.

Reciting Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken”, this Computer Science major recalls analysing and writing poems in secondary school. She also read a wide variety of fiction ranging from Enid Blyton and JK Rowling to Ayn Rand. She is starting Games of Thrones and planning to watch the series.

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.

Attending high school in Vancouver was non-stop studying for this Nutrition major. Reading Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream in senior high was fun even though it was something new to her.

A volunteer activity required this Social Work major to speak English for the entire day. It was a challenging experience but had taught him new vocabulary. A secondary school teacher encouraged her to read the South China Morning Post.

A junior secondary NET taught this Marketing major English literature through drama. She read about language learning after taking a university class.

Interacting with a NET helped improve this Engineering major’s spoken English. He read a lot of articles in order to prepare for IELTS.

Participating in an English video competition in Form 3 complemented this Social Work major’s study of grammar. Education in senior secondary was exam-oriented and less interesting. University learning was practical and helpful for the future.

Learning grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing and speaking have contributed to this Education major’s English learning. Joining extra-curricular activities was also a source of learning.

Taking tutorial classes during primary school was different to being taught the conventional way in Hong Kong public schools. Reading Around the World in Eighty Days while watching the movie was more interesting.

This student was amazed that her team completed a debate assignment for a university language course. Transitioning to Hong Kong meant she had to read course material in English and use online resources to help search words. She says English is very important for her future career as a potential employer emphasized language ability during job interview.

Listening to his classmates speak in university English lessons shattered the confidence of this Finance major. A law course exposed him to difficult vocabulary.

An interest in bands led this student to develop an interest in inversion. While reading 1984, she felt like she became part of the story. She also likes Cloud Atlas.

This Religious Studies major stayed with an American family with whom he watched and discussed movies. He reads the Bible and course material.

An exchange to the UK let this Economics major make friends and learn about the culture in different countries. She reads the online versions of the South China Morning Post or New York Times.

Studying in the UK allowed this Politics major to learn English by talking to people. She got different IELTS reading scores in her two sittings. She read several pages of Harry Potter.

Interacting with other gamers online has broadened this Business major’s language skills. He feels comfortable chatting online because he can speak without focusing on grammar. He reads The Economist weekly but may miss the meaning of sentences even with a dictionary.

A university exchange to Canada exposed this student to conversational English. This English major read Quiet by Susan Cain and found it resonating.

Debating in secondary school taught this Business major to research and respond quickly in a discussion. She read a book about Sir Alex Ferguson because she likes football.

This student recalls listening to regional accents and learning slang in the north of England. He read material written by Robert Boyle for an assignment. He enjoyed a book on the Byzantine era by John Julius Norwich.

A two-day workshop taught this BBA major how to research and deliver a short speech. A primary school reading session involved eating as the book was about food.

Academic writing in a university English course was boring according to this Anthropology major. The vocabulary used in course material is also a pain because he is not good at reading.

A NET from secondary school used games to teach vocabulary to this Animation major. In primary school, her mother requested that she read magazines. It took her a month to finish one with the help of a dictionary.

The Book Fair is a good chance for this Business major to buy at reasonable prices. She likes reading English fiction and bought Eclipse, The Hunger Games and Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus.

Basic English, including the alphabet, was taught in this Nursing major’s primary school.

A graduate explains how she overcame her fear of speaking in English during a trip to Australia. She says students should practise and not be too self-conscious.

Watching Forrest Gump was the solution to this Banking professional’s English learning challenges in secondary school. Reading The Economist gives him insight into international events.