Being a Young Post cadet was a good way to learn how to write articles and develop a deeper understanding of English. This Arts major loves the book The Wishing Chair.

Doing a project in secondary school allowed this Engineering major to learn English in a fun way. He finished the book The Fault in Our Stars and watched the movie through participation in a university reading programme. He is now reading Paper Towns.

This Chemistry major speaks English at home because they have a domestic helper. He reads journals and reference books to find information about chemistry.

This Public Administration major prefers academic readings because she could learn English and gain new knowledge simultaneously. But she thinks fiction will be interesting as well and would like to read this genre in the future.

A secondary school teacher asked this student and her classmates to discuss the use of language in a movie they had seen. JK Rowling is her favourite author while Lord of the Rings is her favourite book.

Listening to an Irish accent from a video in class was challenging for this English and Education major. She read poetry from Shakespeare for a university literature course.

The mother of this Computer Science major bought a machine to train his English spelling which he found helpful. He didn’t enjoy the drilling exercises in primary school class. He tried to read Harry Potter but did not finish it.

As a Nursing major, this student is exposed to English in class and through reading course material.

A junior secondary school teacher should have provided more guidance according to this Business Administration major. He tried to learn English through the music of Taylor Swift and Usher. He subscribed to the Standard when he was in secondary school.

An American visitor corrected this student’s table manners and grammar during a family meal. She also describes the book Annie John as creepy. She feels songs and videos will help children learn English.

A university English course related to this Business major’s career goals. He started reading a book about expatriate life while travelling after buying it in an airport shop.

An internship in the US gave this Accounting major the chance to speak English all the time. She likes The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.

Books about art and life are appealing to this Fashion Designer.

Playing a role in a mock trial in university helped this Arts major gain confidence in speaking. Tess of the d’Urbervilles was the first English classics he read. Works by Thomas Hardy and Oscar Wilde improved his writing.

Living with a Korean roommate and meeting international students in university required this Education major to speak English daily. If I Stay is the first English novel she read.

Reading course material is a better way to learn English rather than having lectures. This Public Policy and Politics major also listened to music that his parents had gotten for him. He read Zorro and Matilda in secondary school.

Having every single piece of work graded in a university English course gave this Accounting and Finance major a lot of pressure. Harry Potter is the only English novel he would consider reading.

A three-month summer job gave this Design major the opportunity to communicate with a British colleague. He became interested in reading Sherlock Holmes after watching the TV series.

Training overseas allowed this Logistics major to speak to foreigners with different accents. It was difficult to understand at times. She rarely reads in English.

While working as an environmental protection intern in Australia, this Primary Education major used English to communicate with colleagues. She likes to read about spirituality.

Starting at an international school in Form 5 meant this Fashion Design major used English in all classes. She had to read books like Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress and The Handmaid’s Tale during secondary school and found the content to be too explicit for her age.

A summer course in New Zealand included learning how the host family and others used English to communicate. This Physiotherapy major found the locals friendly and chatty. She read Harry Potter after watching the movie.

A summer exchange programme in Singapore placed this Mathematics and Economics major in an English speaking environment. Secondary school English involved past papers rather than readings.

Starting in an EMI secondary school was difficult for this student because she felt her English was bad. She worked hard and improved a lot in one year’s time.

The way a foreign teacher taught English surprised this Science major in primary school. She learnt the difference between the lives of city and country folks during a reading exercise.

Staying with a host family in Liverpool for two weeks in Form 5 has had a long-term effect on this Engineering major. He remembers frequently looking up words in the dictionary on his first attempt to read The Hobbit.

Volunteering as a teacher in Bangladesh exposed this Engineering major to other varieties of English. His secondary school teachers pushed him to read to improve his vocabulary.

Preparing for IELTS improved this Business major’s English. Sometimes it is better to read the original book rather than the translated version. He read Harry Potter in English.

Watching TV dramas and movies has helped this Sociology major learn English. He has read Sherlock Holmes, Harry Potter and Charles Dickens. His favourite books are A Christmas Carol and David Copperfield.

In secondary school, this Business major did a drama. She had to check nearly every single word when reading an English textbook in Form One.

Talking to foreigners motivated this Sociology major to work on her spoken English and daily use of the language. She enjoyed reading the Harry Potter series when she was in secondary school.

Books such as Harry Potter and movies like Taken have helped this student learn English. As a BBA student, she needs to read a lot and finds some of the material difficult.

A Burmese student had to pass TOEFL to enter a Hong Kong university. She started learning English in kindergarten but her transition to tertiary education required her to read more academic material.

TV drama and movies taught this Chinese major how to use English. She didn’t enjoy doing a lot of reading exercises in secondary school.

Eating lunch with his secondary school English teacher gave this student an opportunity to learn more phrases and vocabulary. He read Hamlet and Macbeth in junior secondary and now reads The Economist to help with his BBA studies.

A one-month study abroad scheme at the University of Hawaii enabled this student to communicate with people from other countries using English as a lingua franca. She read the South China Morning Post in secondary school.

This Biology major was pushed by an English teacher to read and memorise reading materials. He likes the way the NET taught English. He only reads a few papers or scientific journals.

Doing case studies in a university language course was a refreshing alternative for this Business major. She grew bored with the secondary school reading scheme.

The experience of participating in a debate team let this Business Administration major markedly improve his English. He reads newspapers.

Preparing for IELTS involved 20 exercises a day over a three-month period for this Business major. She also read a lot of articles from various channels such as the BBC. The Secret Garden was the first English book she read.