This summer holiday, I learned Italian from a book. At first, I had a tough time with the pronunciations. But the great thing about doing it yourself is that you can set the pace at which you learn.

If you are struggling with a word, you can repeat it until you get it right. This is less stressful than sitting with a teacher and not having enough time to tackle difficult words and phrases.

Summer holiday is meant for relaxation. So, buy a foreign language book and study it yourself. Believe me, it's worth a try!

Kathy Tsang Yi-wai, Leung Shek Chee College

English tips

I would like to share my views about learning English.

It is important to have a positive attitude and try to master the language actively.

If you are a shy person, learning English will be very boring. There are many ways to learn English, like reading books, writing compositions, listening to songs, and watching TV programmes or movies.

Also, don't be afraid to tackle a new language and work hard.

If you follow my advice, you will succeed.

Gabrielle Ho Ching-kwan, Pentecostal Lam Hon Kwong School

Healthy hike

I enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere and beautiful scenery during a hike from Tsuen Wan to Yuen Long with my family.

It was a long walk, but I was very happy.

I saw a lot of trees and the air was fresh.

The trek was tiring, but I felt relaxed at the end of the journey.

I think we should enjoy the greenery, breathe some fresh air and do exercise when we have time.

It will make us feel comfortable and healthier.

Gary Leung Sze-ho, The Chinese Foundation Secondary School

Food shortage fear

The world is running out of food.

As one-third of all the grain will feed hoofed animals and poultry, the food for people will decrease.

Also, severe droughts in many parts of the world are affecting food crops.

Grain harvests are also decreasing because of climate change.

The most important thing we should do now is to improve the environment.

We should not allow people to destroy our planet.

We should protect the environment together, so that we can live longer and have less to worry about.

Carol

Happy camping

My friends and I had great fun at a two-day camp at Tai Lam Country Park.

We arrived at the camp site at about 10am, and pitched our tents. There were three tents - one for boys, one for girls and one for storing our food and equipment.

Afterwards, we set up a table using bamboo sticks and ropes. We also made a rack to hang our clothes.

Then we prepared our lunch, which included noodles, eggs and cabbage.

It was very tasty. We played a lot of games in the afternoon. We were really happy - and hungry.

For dinner, we had yummy chicken wings, pork chops and vegetable soup, with big bowls of rice. We set up a camp fire and sang and played games. Unfortunately, it rained so we couldn't continue. We went inside our tents and played cards until midnight.

We got up at seven o'clock in the morning, had breakfast and went hiking.

There was bright sunshine and the breathtaking view thrilled us. When returned to the campsite for lunch, packed our bags and went home.

It was a wonderful outing and I hope I can go camping with my friends again.

Cheryl Tong Sum, Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen Yiu Memorial College

Say no to barbecues

Most young people organise barbecues with their friends during holidays, but this is not a healthy trend.

Usually, they buy a lot of food and drinks and leave the leftovers at the barbecue site. This is a waste of money and harms the environment.

Also, barbecue stoves release a lot of ashes and smoke into the air. This is not good for the health of people who are sitting around the fire.

Hence, I wouldn't encourage youngsters to attend barbecues during their free time.

Soey Au Yeung

Forget dating while still in school

Some of today's teenagers fall in love easily, but their parents usually oppose such relationships.

In my opinion, 'puppy love' is unacceptable.

Students should concentrate on their school work because they are too young to be involved in love affairs.

Dating can affect their academic results because they are not mature enough to handle problems relating to such relationships.

There are newspaper articles about teenagers who have committed suicide after breaking up with their lovers.

Besides, the young lovers' parents will be worried about their children who will spend more time with their 'sweethearts' than at home.

Don't think about puppy love while still in school.

Please think carefully before falling in love.

Yolanda Tsang Wai-yin