Happy Halloween at CILL!

Looking for a frightfully fun way to get into the Halloween spirit? Come join us at the Centre for Independent Language Learning (CILL) in Room A305 for a spooktacular celebration running until 31 October 2025! The space has been transformed with spooky decorations, and there's a generous supply of treats and candies waiting to be enjoyed: first come, first served! Whether you're dropping by between classes or just curious to see what eerie surprises await, CILL offers a chillingly good time for all. It’s a great chance to relax, connect with fellow students, and soak up the festive atmosphere while exploring what CILL has to offer. There are also our expert ELC teachers on hand to offer guidance. Whether you're haunted by academic writing or cursed with citation confusion, our team is here to banish your doubts and conjure up confidence in your language skills at the Helpdesk or WAP. And if you're feeling tongue-tied or your speaking skills need a little resurrection, we've got Workshops and SAP to bring your confidence back to life. Don’t miss out! Swing by Room A305 and treat yourself before the ghosts vanish!

READ@PolyU: Meet the Author - David Nicholls

The PolyU Library is excited to announce the concluding event of their campus-wide reading programme this year.  Acclaimed author Mr David Nicholls features in a special conversation to discuss his bestselling novel One Day, which has been selected as the 2025 Common Book for READ@PolyU. The novel follows Emma and Dexter, two fresh graduates whose lives intertwine every 15th of July over two decades, exploring their evolving relationship and the impact of time on their dreams and choices. The witty, heartfelt story explores themes of love, friendship, ambition, and the unpredictable twists of life’s journey. During the event, Mr Nicholls will spend the first 30-40 minutes sharing insights into his creative process for One Day, followed by a Q&A session. Date: 16 October 2025 (Thursday) Time: 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. Format: Online via Zoom (Moderated by Mr Dean A.F. Gui, English Language Centre) Quota: 200 participants. Register to reserve your seat.  Registration  Have a Question for David Nicholls? Post it to Win a Prize! Want a chance to win another bestseller by Mr Nicholls? Join the Library’s Instagram campaign for a chance to win one of his novels: You are Here, Us or Starter for Ten. Steps to Participate: Post your thought-provoking question related to One Day on your Instagram account, using the hashtag #PolyUReads_David_Nicholls. Email a screenshot of your post to lbueo@polyu.edu.hk. Deadline for submission: 14 October 2025 (Tuesday) After the deadline, the questions will be compiled and sent to Mr Nicholls for his consideration. During the Q&A session, he will answer 5-7 of the most intriguing questions submitted via Instagram before addressing further questions from the audience. If your question is chosen, you will receive his bestselling book as a prize. About the Author David Nicholls is a novelist and screenwriter for TV and film. He has written six bestselling novels, including One Day, Us (long-listed for the Booker Prize) and his latest, You Are Here. His TV adaptation of Patrick Melrose, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, was Emmy-Nominated and won him a BAFTA for Best Writer.  

ELC2011 CILL Feature Article Competition

We are pleased to announce the ELC2011 feature article competition. Come to Room A305 to view the posters and articles and take part in the competition. Dates: Monday 13 October until Friday 24 October Venue: Room A305 (CILL) ELC2011, Advanced Reading and Writing, is one of the ELC’s LCR Electives. The second assessment in the subject involves writing a multimodal feature article on a topic that the student is personally connected to. ELC teachers have selected six or the best articles from the previous year and converted them into posters for the competition. QR codes on each poster point to the full article. Come to Room A305 to view the posters, read the full articles, and vote for the one that you find most engaging. All students are welcome! Staff can also vote by using their ‘connect’ account. Competition winners will be through a special lucky draw. Be sure to come and join this event!  

Join the ELC's Chat Corner in CILL!

Join the ELC’s Chat Corner in CILL!  The ELC is delighted to announce the return of the Chat Corner in CILL, Room A305. Come to CILL and engage in English chat with like-minded students.  Meet the chat corner hosts and talk about a wide range of different topics. Boost your English skills by improving your fluency, expanding your vocabulary and becoming a more confident speaker. No registration is needed, just drop in when you are passing CILL. Times are on the poster above, but do check the schedule in CILL to confirm the time each week.    

Join the ELC CILL Workshops and boost your language and communication skills

The ELC CILL Workshops are starting from Week 2 (8 September). There are workshops throughout the week starting at 2:30pm. On Mondays, you can practise for IELTS while on Tuesdays you can enhance your academic English. Wednesday sees workshops about cultural diversity and Thursdays are about using AI to help you study at university. The week ends on Friday with workshops focusing on speaking skills. Find out more Book a place

Service Learning Photo Exhibit: CILL September 2025

Service Learning Photo Exhibit: CILL September 2025 Come to CILL, Room A305 this September to take part in our Service-Learning Photo Exhibit "Snapshots of ELC Service”. All students and staff are welcome! This is a chance to appreciate the great work our ELC Service Learning students have done and vote for your favourite photo.  Date: September 2-26, 2025 Location: CILL A305 Voting: QR code for students, another QR code for staff (on pull-up poster in CILL) Subjects ELC2302 Serving the Community through Teaching English ELC2S03 Persuasive Digital Storytelling: Small Charities Big Impacts Pop into the CILL (A305), explore the exhibit, and cast your vote. Your vote matters! Voters can join a lucky draw to get the chance to win a great prize! Winners will be announced at the end of September.

Join the ELC Open Online Courses

Study online, anywhere at anytime!  To enhance students' communication skills so that they can pursue academic and professional excellence, we have developed:  English@Work gets YOUR foot in the door and helps YOU impress your interviewer! Join the courses and get professional tips from industry experts and English language input from language professionals. Academic Skills for Independent Learners (ASIL) helps YOU improve the academic English that YOU need to successfully complete YOUR university studies! Join this course to self-study, practise and master academic English.  To foster students' independent, life-long English language learning and whole-person development, we have developed:  Read to Know! is for YOU to read more and know more! Join the course and increase YOUR knowledge and develop YOUR critical thinking skills. Learning English through Short Stories helps YOU increase your reading proficiency and develop your language and literacy skills!  More information: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/elc/independent-learning/moocs/

Excel in IELTS!

Excel in IELTS! Are you ready to excel in your IELTS exam? Take your preparation to the next level with our face-to-face IELTS workshops in CILL! Comprehensive: Our workshops cover all four essential IELTS skills - Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking. Our experienced instructors will guide you through each component, ensuring holistic and comprehensive preparation. Interactive: Engage in hands-on activities and interactive discussions with fellow participants. Our workshops create an immersive learning environment, allowing you to practice and develop your skills in a supportive setting. Effective: Learn effective strategies and pro tips for each IELTS component. Our experienced teachers will share valuable insights and techniques that will boost your confidence and maximize your score potential. Start Right, Score Right! Join our face-to-face IELTS workshops and unlock your doorway to global opportunities! Enrol now and secure your spot in our upcoming workshops! Click the link below and take the first step towards achieving your IELTS goals. https://elc.polyu.edu.hk/booking/main.php 

2025 PolyU 3MT Final Results

The 2025 3MT final was successfully held in early July at the Chiang Chen Studio Theatre. An enthusiastic audience saw finalists from 7 faculties and 3 schools face the five judges. Thorough preparation from ELC workshops ensured that there were excellent performances from all the candidates. The winner, with a prize of HK$10,000, was JIN Minxia (RS). First runner up was QIU Xuejie, Daffne (SHTM) and second runner up was PENG Yingying (CBS).

Photos from the AHKLC 2025 Symposium

Photos from the AHKLC 2025 Symposium  The AHKLC 2025 Symposium, jointly hosted by the ELC and CLC, was successfully held from 22-23 May 2025 at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. We are now delighted to showcase the photos taken at the event.   https://events.polyu.edu.hk/ahklc2025/gallery The event was well attended, with language educators from sister universities in Hong Kong, neighbouring cities as well as further afield giving overwhelmingly positive feedback. We look forward to the next AHKLC Symposium in 2026 scheduled to be held at HKU.