The interview questions, shown in Appendix One, were informed by the research done by Abraham and Vann (1987) in their case studies of two language learners. The questions were adapted to suit the learning experiences of Hong Kong students. The questions covered the following areas: family background, including access to literature; abilities of the family members in using English; primary school experiences, including the interviewees perception of their ability; secondary school experiences, including the access to English speaking situations and finally current learning experience, including opinions, opportunities to practice, motivation to learn, strategies used and learning styles.