On May 14, 2024, the English Language Centre (ELC) celebrated the conclusion of the “i-Learner English for Universities Marathon Competition” by awarding top-performing students.
In line with ELC’s mission to empower our students to succeed in the English-medium university studies and in life by engaging them in English, academic and global skills learning, our teachers encourage students to develop independent learning habits outside of the English classrooms. The competition is one of many co-curricular activities ELC designed to increase students’ exposure to the English environment and boost the learning outcomes. This competition has attracted over 1,600 students to participate. Among them, 700 students completed more than their course requirement of 24 lessons, demonstrating their effort to independent learning beyond the classroom. In the writing competition, our students submitted an impressive 18,000 pieces of writing within the eight-week period. A total of 489 students submitted at least 24 pieces of writing, averaging three pieces per week!
The award ceremony commenced with a speech by Prof. Katherine Chen, Director of the English Language Centre, commending students’ diligence and talents. The winners, selected based on lesson completion and performance, were awarded with certificates of achievement and corresponding prizes. The champion of the whole competition, Lo Sam Wun, a year-2 student from UE3, set a new record for winners by completing 165 lessons, with an average score of 97 out of 100. Most winners this round have completed significantly more lessons than last year’s winners! We hope our students’ newfound grits in independent English learning will continue to grow!
Follow is a list of the winners:
| Name | Faculty | Lessons completed | |
| Champion | Lo Sam Wun (UE3) | Year 2, FSS | 165 |
| 1st Place in E5 | Tao Zhaoyu | Year 1, FAH | 93 |
| 1st Place in E4 | Ni Hanxiang | Year 1, FAH | 65 |
| 1st Place in UE 3 | Hui Joey | Year 4, FSS | 74 |
| 1st Place in UE 2 | Wu Keng Weng | Year 1, FST | 84 |
| 1st Place in UE 1 | Yang Yunhan | Year 1, FED | 31 |
| 2nd Place | Wong Chong Hei (E5) | Year 2, FST | 89 |
| 2nd Place | Magne Dina Julião Neves (E5) | Year 1, FST | 78 |
| 3rd Place | Nick Jia Ming Liu (UE3) | Year 1, FSS | 70 |
| 3rd Place | Cheong Io Lam (E5) | Year 1, FST | 69 |
The writing competition showcased remarkable talent across different levels of study: Lao Iek Chit from UE1 wrote a captivating descriptive writing on recalling his first day of school; Leong Chi Hou from UE2 demonstrated exceptional skills in a creative writing task, with an engaging plot and interesting characters; Chen Weiqi from UE3 showed precise and appropriate language for the academic context, using a good range of vocabulary.
Best writers:
| Name | Faculty | Scores | |
| Champion in UE 1 | Lao Iek Chit | Year 1, FAH | 106 |
| Champion in UE 2 | Leong Chi Hou | Year 1, FST | 174 |
| Champion in UE 3 | Cheng Weiqi | Year 1, FST | 154 |
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As always, feedbacks from students are very positive:
Ms Tao: Thanks to the ELC for introducing the i-Learner platform to us. By joining this contest, I find great improvements in my English, particularly in grammar and reading. At first, I just wanted to compete for the award, but gradually, I found myself enjoying the process of learning at my own pace.
Mr Chen: This is the second time I’ve presented at the marathon ceremony on behalf of my friend. I am inspired to complete more lessons and hope that next semester, I’ll be the one coming to receive the award myself!
Mr Liu: The variety of exercises and multimedia resources on the i-Learner platform cater to different learning styles. I appreciate ELC for designing innovative approaches to help us learn English. Indeed, I have a much more enjoyable experience by joining this contest!
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Reflecting on this semester’s competition, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to all participants and winners of the “i-Learner English for Universities Marathon Competition”. The ELC looks forward to hosting more engaging activities in the future. Stay tuned for more!
Champion of the i-Learner English for Universities Marathon Competition
Winners of writing competition
Group photo