Letters | How to speak and write better English, without breaking the bank
- Readers discuss ways Hong Kong students can improve their English skills, oversized baggage delivery at the airport, and the continuing appeal of The Peak
A new school year is set to begin next month. As a Hongkonger educated locally from kindergarten to university, I would like to recommend a few (economic) ways to improve one’s English skills.
The first step is to receive more input. Whether it’s a newspaper or a novel, read something in English for at least 15 minutes a day. Reading provides plenty of examples of how expressions are used and in which contexts. As you are exposed to various tones and different genres, you will develop a more general sense of English usage and not have to rely on memorisation to pass exams.
It’s imperative to read aloud as this allows you to strengthen orthographic mapping, or the connecting of sound to spelling. If you are weak at pronunciation, try mimicking an audiobook narrator.
Reading aloud also improves your fluency. When you read, your brain is taking in different words in context. Thus, when you find yourself in a similar situation later, you will have the words for it.
After receiving so much input, you must also boost output. When I was in secondary school, I was unafraid to express my opinions in English. From time to time, to practise new items of vocabulary I picked up while reading, I would try to incorporate them into my homework, letters to the editor and blog posts.
These days, thanks to advances in technology, you can even use tools like Google Docs and ChatGPT to check your written English and make writing suggestions (for schoolwork, please get your teacher’s consent).
Try comparing the corrected version with the original, and marking down three things – the grammatical mistakes you made, for example. These should go towards a checklist you keep, for the next time you write something.
If that sounds like a lot of work, just remember: no pain, no gain. Mastering a language requires time. It could take years for people to acquire their mother tongue, let alone a second language.
With English, the sooner you start, the better.
Alison Ng, assistant lecturer, Centre for Applied English Studies, University of Hong Kong
Passengers can expect prompt delivery of oversized bags
With a view to providing better service, oversized bags are delivered by Airport Authority Hong Kong’s service contractor staff with scooters directly to the respective reclaim carousels, so that passengers do not have to go to different carousels for standard and oversized bags.
Belt No 4 used to be one of two belts for receiving oversized bags and has recently been reconfigured to serve arriving intermodal transfer passengers, given the impending commencement of bonded bus services from Hong Kong International Airport to the rest of the Greater Bay Area via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. Belt No 18 continues to be used for oversized bags from arrival flights.
But with the delivery service, passengers do not need to walk all the way to belt No 18 to reclaim their oversized bags, especially if they are picking up their standard bags at the other end of the baggage reclaim hall.
Rest assured that after the reconfiguration of belt No 4, the baggage reclaim hall’s capacity for oversized bags continues to be sufficient to meet demand.
Airport Authority Hong Kong will conduct regular reviews of oversized baggage delivery performance to ensure prompt delivery to arriving passengers. To further enhance the service, we also aim to introduce autonomous delivery scooters in the future.
Olivia Lin, general manager, APM and baggage, Airport Authority Hong Kong
Views from The Peak are panoramic and free
My descent will be Lugard Road, or the morning trail, where panoramic vistas of Hong Kong are revealed, often framed by towering India rubber trees. Hong Kong’s majestic sunrise over the urban and rural scenery is breathtaking, completely free and something residents and tourists flock to see. One can take photographs without being blocked by plants or any financial outlay.
Mark Peaker, The Peak
