A group of HKCC and SPEED students joined an English Study and Cultural Tour to Sydney, Australia from 8 to 17 July 2023. The tour was co-organised by PolyU CPCE and Macquarie University. Its main objective was to strengthen the students' spoken English skills through offering English courses conducted by Macquarie University and providing them with the opportunity to experience a different culture, thereby broadening their horizons.
Besides studying, the students also joined a zoology course organised by Taranga Zoo, went hiking in the famous Blue Mountains, and climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Many students reflected that the tour not only polished their language skills but also enhanced their problem-solving abilities. One student recalled in her self-reflection that she took a train in the wrong direction one night. It was quite a frightening experience as suburbs in Australia are usually dark and quiet at night. Luckily, she managed to remain calm and find her way back home.
Moreover, the students also found the cultural differences between Hong Kong and Australia fascinating. From the side people usually stand on an escalator to people's opinions on work-life balance, these differences widened the students' worldview and made them realise there are other possibilities in their lives.
