Language is a vital skill for students to engage with the world. Being fluent in both Chinese and English gives them a competitive edge and stronger communication abilities. As a global city, Hong Kong’s language education policy focuses on developing students’ proficiency in both written Chinese and English, as well as spoken Cantonese, English, and Mandarin (biliteracy and trilingualism). The goal is to ensure that by the time they graduate, students can write fluently in both languages and communicate confidently in all three. As a result, language education plays a pivotal role in Hong Kong's educational discourse. The path to language mastery lies in consistent practice: reading, listening, and speaking. Developing strong reading habits is essential, and interactive eBooks have transformed this process. Unlike conventional textbooks, eBooks incorporate multimedia elements—such as text, audio, and interactive exercises—to simultaneously improve vocabulary, comprehension, listening skills, and practical fluency. This approach creates an immersive and engaging learning experience, elevating language learning to new heights.
eReading Resources Enhance Learning Interest and Effectiveness
With technology advancing at breakneck speed, reading has expanded far beyond traditional paper and text. eBooks first emerged in the early 2000s, and the launch of the Kindle in 2007—the first handheld e-reader—revolutionised the way we read over the following decade. Today's eBooks go far beyond static words on a screen, offering features like voice narration, animated videos, interactive games, and even augmented reality (AR) to create a more immersive experience.
In 2024, researchers at Columbia University conducted a study with children ages 6 to 8 using augmented reality (AR) nonfiction books. These innovative books combined traditional print content with digital enhancements like animations, videos, images, and sound effects. When viewed through tablets, the books’ colourful illustrations came to life with AR features, while teachers guided children through the material using an engaging storytelling approach that encouraged interactive exploration. The young readers participated in various AR activities including cooperative games, colouring pages, audio recording, and photo capture.
The results showed that these multimedia reading materials significantly improved children's reading engagement, comprehension, concentration, and vocabulary acquisition.
‧ 28.8% increase in reading interest
‧ 21% boost in overall comprehension
‧ 28.9% improvement in attentional control
‧ 11.3% growth in engagement with vocabulary
eBooks demonstrably enhance learning by delivering content through multiple formats - text, audio, and interactive elements - which together create a more engaging reading experience. This multimodal approach accomplishes three key objectives: it captures students' attention more effectively than traditional books, sustains their focus for longer periods, and activates multiple cognitive processes simultaneously. Most importantly, it helps develop early reading motivation and foundational learning skills.
The Challenges of Learning English
Reading in a second language presents unique difficulties that often frustrate learners. As noted by Robyn D. Shulman, an experienced American ESL educator, many students can successfully decode individual words while failing to achieve true comprehension of texts. This phenomenon reveals deeper learning challenges.
English language learners frequently encounter significant obstacles when processing written texts. The reading process often breaks down at both the lexical and structural levels, creating compounding difficulties. Many students develop the ability to decode words in isolation or within familiar contexts, yet find themselves unable to properly comprehend or utilize these same words when they appear in new grammatical constructions or different situational contexts. Common pain points include automatically skipping over unrecognized vocabulary, misinterpreting punctuation cues, and consistently struggling with small but crucial function words like articles (‘a’, ‘an’, ‘the’) and prepositions. This phenomenon reveals a fundamental gap between surface-level word recognition and deeper linguistic competence.
Learning to read in English presents additional challenges stemming from differences in writing systems, pronunciation, and cultural backgrounds. Students must contend with confusing elements like homophones and synonyms that can easily be misunderstood. Everyday English contains slang expressions and colloquial phrases that are particularly difficult for non-native readers to interpret. The language also uses certain sentence structures and word orders that don't exist in many other languages. Perhaps most significantly, when reading literature, learners often struggle because they lack the cultural and historical context needed to fully understand the stories.
Interactive eBooks Transform Language Learning
Education expert Robyn D. Shulman champions interactive eBooks as powerful tools for language acquisition, noting their unique ability to enhance the English learning process. These digital resources offer multiple advantages that traditional textbooks simply cannot match:
Engaging Interactive Content
eBooks transform language learning by integrating dynamic multimedia elements—including videos, audio clips, and hands-on exercises. The latest AI-enhanced versions take this further by providing real-time feedback, effectively reducing learners’ reluctance to participate. This instant responsiveness not only keeps students engaged but also allows educators to pinpoint knowledge gaps immediately.
Increased Learning Opportunities
The portability of eBooks breaks down the barriers of traditional learning spaces, enabling students to engage with language material anytime, anywhere. When internet-connected, these digital tools unlock even greater potential—delivering context-rich content, facilitating peer interactions, and offering gamified learning exercises. This constant access transforms idle moments into productive practice sessions, reinforcing vocabulary retention, grammatical understanding, and reading comprehension. The result? More frequent, active engagement that not only speeds up language acquisition but also leads to stronger, longer-lasting recall.
Personalised Learning Experience
Modern eLearning materials feature adjustable pacing options, enabling students to tailor their study plans according to individual reading needs and learning progress. These e-books also incorporate practical learning tools such as bilingual dictionaries, digital notebooks, highlighters, and calculators - all designed to make the learning process more accessible and efficient.
Learning Anytime, Anywhere
eBooks provide unparalleled flexibility, allowing students to access materials anytime using smartphones, tablets, or e-readers. With an internet connection, learners can pick up where they left off—whether at home, on the bus, or between classes—tracking their progress while enjoying a more efficient and self-directed learning experience.