The Centre for Applied English Studies (CAES) primarily offers English enhancement programmes to assist postgraduate and undergraduate students to use English more effectively in their academic studies and their subsequent careers. In addition, CAES offers a taught postgraduate programme leading to the degree of Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics and co-offers the Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages with the Faculty of Education.

CAES also offers the following support to help students and staff at the University of Hong Kong improve their English skills in the Chi Wah Learning Commons, Zone R, Student Advisory Services:

• CAES curates a broad range of English self-study resources, IELTS, TOEFL and GRE test practice materials, a film library, and a selection of newspapers and magazines. The resources in Zone R address all language skills including academic writing and improving oral fluency and confidence.
• CAES offers small group learning activities (workshops and discussions), individual consultations with a CAES teacher for advice on improving English, and writing support consultations in Zone R.
• The Peer Tutoring Scheme (provided jointly with CEDARS) is also operated in Zone R. Peer tutors are selected for their native or near-native speaker abilities and provide one-to-one opportunities to practice speaking, improve confidence or maintain existing oral skills.
• Virtual English (http://caes.hku.hk/ve) serves as a guide to the resources available to HKU students for self-study of English. It provides information about all the independent learning opportunities offered by CAES and is the place to sign up for the above support services. It also provides an online catalogue of all the learning resources in Zone R, and, through its internet resources pages provides a large range of suggestions for, and links to, ways of studying English both in Zone R and on the Web.