Watching TV programmes and movies enabled this Philosophy major to learn through listening to the actors. He enjoyed reading the newspaper articles that his teacher prepared for the class. He uses the dictionary for university readings.

A poetry workshop and performance broadened this student’s horizons. Her favourite book is Catcher in the Rye because it describes teenage struggles. She is also learning new vocabulary while studying Philosophy in university.

Coaching from classmates helped this Science major achieve a good result in the SBA. Reading The Paradox of Choice exposed him to economic theories that science students don’t normally learn about.

A class story-writing competition led this Business major to combine his writing skills and creativity. He reads TIME and Bloomberg to keep up-to-date with business news.

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.

A summer camp led by native English speaking students built confidence because it focused on communication and not errors. Books such as Harry Potter and Tuesdays with Morrie are good for learners.

English was used by this Social Science major when she attended a Girl Guides event in Norway. She read Billy Elliot in secondary school and is now enjoying a self-help book called the Power of Slow.

This student values the English experience in an EMI school. She likes translated works of the Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho.

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.

Preparing for the CET Band 4 test involved a lot of pronunciation practice for this Finance major. She says reading and writing are easier than speaking. She read BBC news.

English learning started in Grade 3 for this Swedish exchange student. She wrote essays and had presentations in secondary school. As an English major, she is immersed in the language.

The DSE drama elective sparked this student’s interest in English. She likes the Last Song by Nicholas Sparks and says students should be encouraged to read in English or Chinese.

A high school teacher helped this Chinese Literature major with problems like forgetting words and pronunciation. He also improved her confidence. She read TIME on the Internet to prepare for IELTS.

A university English course for this Business major was tough because of the workload. She finds Tuesdays with Morrie meaningful.

Modal verbs puzzled this Arts major in an exam. She read Oliver Twist as part of an undergraduate literature course. She found Dickens’ descriptions attractive.

This Creative Media major who is not fond of formal education, learnt from movies and reading books. Spending her childhood in books, her all-time favourite is Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar. She also read young adult novels such as The Mortal Instruments and The Hunger Games.

Attending a tutorial school with a lively teaching style boosted the interest of this Economics major. After coming to Hong Kong, she read English texts only when they were assigned to her.

Learning AP English gave this student a reason to love the language again. She read Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince in six hours because she couldn’t put it down. Nowadays, she reads from a Kindle.

This student played English puzzles at home at a young age. She studied reading, writing, and aural English in senior secondary. In university she combined research skills and academic writing.

University language classes required this Economics major to work with international students in English and other languages. She had to read The New York Times for one of her courses.

Doing reading, writing and listening papers in preparation for the DSE was hard work for this Nursing major. Her boyfriend gave her The Five People You Meet in Heaven but she found it boring and did not finish it.

A drama competition in secondary school was a welcome break from exams and textbooks for this English major. He was the scriptwriter and used a dictionary to complete the job. The local content in the SCMP is appealing.

Preparing for the A-level exam for this student involved being pushed by a teacher to do mock examinations and many exercises. She finds reading English books difficult and was unable to finish Harry Potter.

Participating in a storytelling competition challenged this Maths major as he had to retell one of the Harry Potter stories in front of a large audience. He read the South China Morning Post and the Standard. He prefers using English to teach mathematics.

Learning English for the first time in primary school was tough for this Translation major. Finishing her first English book was a satisfying moment for her.

Debating in high school exposed this student to persuasive language. Although she does not like English books, she needs to read course material at university.

A student and her classmates had discussions and wrote reflections after reading novels and watching their corresponding movies in secondary school. She read The Happiness Project.

A working holiday in a relatives’ Chinese restaurant in Nottingham exposed this student to regional accents in the UK. She also learns unique vocabulary while playing rugby. She likes to watch a movie before reading a book.

Watching American TV shows such as House, Person of Interest and How to Get Away with Murder was an effective and fun way for this student to learn English. She reads materials related to her major.

Secondary school classes with NETs gave this Fashion and Textiles major more chances to speak English. She read books provided by her school.

A summer programme in Australia helped this Accounting major obtain a deeper understanding of the country’s culture and variety of English. She reads articles related to her hobbies on Vogue and TIME.

A training session in university taught this Accounting major how to speak more persuasively and fluently. She spent many hours on a book about Chinese art because there were many words she didn’t understand.

Doing exercises in class during secondary school was dull for this Electrical Engineering major. She read a story book because her teacher encouraged her to read more.

This student realised the importance of English when she was a teenager. She enjoys watching reality shows and documentaries because they demonstrate how people use English.

Reading lessons in the UK include analysing the language according to this Architect. He also learns about the culture of English by watching the BBC news and living in the environment. Although he didn’t appreciate Shakespeare in school, he decided to read it again as an adult.

Interactive teaching including playing games in secondary school gave this Social Science major more chances to speak English. She only reads academic materials.

Foreign students spoke too fast for this Cultural Studies major. He read commentaries in the South China Morning Post to build his vocabulary as he was preparing to resit the DSE.

Taking part in English speech competitions made up for the lack of speaking opportunities in primary and secondary school for this Physiotherapy major. She has read popular fiction but is also studying the stories of the victims of war.

Choosing interesting materials for self-learning was more memorable than learning at school. This Linguistics major was impressed by the content of the book Giovanni’s Room.

Interactive classes with a NET helped this Computing major’s communication skills but English subject teachers provided the knowledge to pass public exams. She plans to read 1984 as she wants to know more about politics.