Survey report: English on the Way to Settlement

Learning needs among UK Hongkongers, for the settlement English requirement and for daily life beyond it

In late February 2026, Hongkongers in Britain (HKB) asked the Hongkonger community in the UK how they learn English: what defeats them in an ordinary week, what they have tried, what they abandoned, and what they would change.

This report is written for two groups of stakeholders. The first commissions, funds and plans English provision for the UK Hongkonger community: local authorities and strategic migration partnerships, combined authorities and other funders, further education colleges, adult and community learning services, and voluntary-sector providers. The second designs and delivers it: curriculum and materials writers, ESOL tutors and volunteer teachers.

Infographic

Almost everyone is struggling, and the difficulty is concentrated.
97 per cent named a situation in the past 30 days where their English caused them stress. Two dominate and are effectively tied: understanding fast or accented speech, and getting through a phone call.

Listening gives more trouble than speaking, but people ask for speaking practice.
51 per cent name listening as their hardest skill, against 38 per cent for speaking. Asked what they would change, they ask for chances to talk. A course built around what learners request will under-supply the very thing they find hardest.

Passing the test moves the problem rather than ending it.
Respondents who passed the Trinity B1 test at Merit or Distinction name fast speech and regional accents as a source of stress more often than those who never sat it, at 78 per cent against 64.

Progress feels real in conversation, not on a score sheet.
83 per cent said their English felt genuinely better after a conversation with local people worked. 16 per cent pointed to a score in a test or a language app.

Full report

July 2026 – HKB – UK Hongkongers’ English learning needs for settlement and daily life Download

Last Updated: 29-07-2026