1. What kinds of meals do you like?
I love brunch. It’s definitely unhealthy, I know, but this kind of meal saves me quite a lot of time for a longer sleep in the morning, which I really desire.
2. Do you often have dinner with your family or friends?
Well, I live far away from home, so I don’t usually have a meal with my family. Instead, I always dine out with some of my close friends. Honestly, one can hardly ever see me eating alone.
3. When do you usually have dinner?
I usually have my work finished at around 9 p.m., so it’s likely that my dinner will start at about 9:30. It’s quite late, I know, and I’m attempting to rearrange my schedule to make it easier to have an earlier dinner.
4. Are there any fruits or vegetables you don’t like? Why?
Well, I’m a hearty eater, so basically, I can eat nearly all kinds of food. However, there is a sort of fruit that I really detest. It is durian and the reason is pretty simple – I can’t bear its terrible taste and smell.
5. And what is your favourite cuisine?
It’s kind of weird but I’m a die-hard fan of Vietnamese cuisine. It seems like I will never get tired of eating dishes like Pho or spring rolls. The taste, smell and texture of all the ingredients in these dishes are perfect to my taste buds.
1. Do you like swimming?
Yes, especially in summer. I love immersing myself in cold water to get me in good shape. Somehow, I also have a feeling that swimming gives me a chance to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.
2. Where do (or can) people go swimming in your hometown (or, near your home)?
It may sound strange, but people in my hometown often swim in the Red River, which makes them feel close to nature. It is a popular outdoor activity and people do this on a daily basis, even though they may possibly drown.
3. Is swimming very popular in your country?
Yes. You know, Vietnam has a very long coastline, so Vietnamese people often learn how to swim when they are small. However, they are not trained professionally at school, they just learn from mimicking their father or siblings. This leads to the tragic fact that thousands of children drown each year.
4. Why do many people like swimming?
I’m not sure but most people around me enjoy swimming because it helps them keep fit and cool down on boiling hot days.
5. What do you think are the benefits of swimming (or, the benefits of knowing how to swim)?
First, knowing how to swim definitely helps me to protect myself, especially when I’m near the beach, and maybe even save someone else’s life.
1. How old were you when you started school?
I began my formal education at the age of six. I studied in a small local primary school and that was my only choice back then because that was the only school in town. To be honest, the authorities in my hometown didn’t care much about children’s education.
2. How did you get to school each day?
Well, normally, my father or mother would drive me to school. But sometimes, when they were occupied with their jobs, they would just ask a relative, or even an acquaintance to take me instead. People really trusted each other back then.
3. Tell me something about your school.
Well, it was located only 10 minutes away from my house, so I was never late for class. And because it was a school for gifted students, the competition was fierce, which, somehow, was a great source of motivation for me to try my best in studying.
4. Did you enjoy it? (Why?/Why not?)
Yes, I did. As I said earlier, my school was extremely close to my house so I wasted no energy on travelling. Moreover, all teachers were wonderfully supportive and always available to help me with my problems.
5. What were some of the most popular activities at primary school?
Well, at that time, mostly children played together in the playground. Besides studying in class, sometimes we had ceremonies to commemorate national heroes who died fighting for our country’s freedom. These events often included a singing contest, which I enjoyed tremendously.
6. Have you ever returned to see your old school again?
Well, in all honesty, ever since I graduated from primary school, I never had a chance to go back. My old school has been reconstructed, so it might be significantly different now from the one I knew. However, I’m planning to visit it in the near future with some old friends, and I bet that will be amazing.
7. Are you still in contact with any of the friends you had in primary school?
Yes, but not so many. This is mainly because most of my childhood friends have left town to find career opportunities in other parts of the country. I rarely go back home, but when I do, there are still some friends from primary school that I contact and we always have wonderful time together.
1. Why do you think people volunteer?
I believe each person has his or her own motives when signing up for voluntary work. Some want to offer their help to people that are less fortunate in life, while others just look for memorable experiences. Oddly enough, some individuals volunteer to earn certificates as a way of polishing their CVs, so they would have a better chance of being accepted when applying for jobs or scholarships.
2. Would you like to work as a volunteer?
Currently, I don’t. I’m too busy finding out a way to balance my life and my work, so if there is an occasion when I have time for myself, I’d rather use that time on entertainment activities rather than some other kind of work.
3. Have you ever done any voluntary work?
No, I haven’t. As I said earlier, all those work-life things pretty much occupy my mind, so I have never considered volunteering as a way of spending my days in the past.
4. Is volunteering worth the time it takes?
I think it depends on your schedule. If you have a lot of spare time, then signing up for voluntary work is a good idea since you can easily broaden your social circle and have a great time helping out other people. On the other hand, if your work costs a lot of time and is causing you troubles, then you’d better focus on that aspect before thinking about volunteering.
5. What could you do to help if you had no money?
There’s plenty of things you could do. For example, donating clothing or serving free food in a soup kitchen are great ways to help out people in need. Or else, you can sign up for a volunteering program in need of manpower.
6. What situations need voluntary workers?
Well, in my country, when a charity organization needs manpower to distribute supplies of food and clothes to people in disaster areas, they would recruit volunteers. Or else, places like a soup kitchen where poor people come to get free food always need voluntary workers to keep things in order.
7. Can you think of different types of voluntary work?
No, sorry. Nothing comes to mind right now. I guess that’s because I lack real-life experience in doing voluntary work so I don’t have an in-depth understanding about this aspect.
8. Would you volunteer to help people outside your community?
I think I would. Some of my friends, who do voluntary work regularly, told me that they always had an immense feeling of satisfaction after contributing to something that a lot of people can benefit from. So, if people need help, no matter where they are, I would like to lend them a hand.
9. Have you read a book about voluntary work?
No, I haven’t. In all honesty, I don’t even know that kind of book actually exists until you asked me. I suppose they are about fascinating experiences that the authors had when they did voluntary work, which sounds pretty intriguing to me. So, I think I might try check one out after I leave this room.
10. What types of voluntary work would be unpleasant for you?
I think I don’t like doing anything I have not been fully trained to do. There were a few times in the past when I was thrown into group activities with no preparation, and then the leaders didn’t show up and suddenly I was in charge, with no real training or help.
Those situations brought me terrible feelings.
11. What benefits other than personal satisfaction could you personally get by volunteering?
First of all, volunteering can give you tons of valuable work experience and, in some cases, open doors for potential employment. Moreover, you will get to work with other people outside your usual sphere of contacts. This, in turn, allows you to expand your social circle, which, in my opinion, will greatly benefit your life in the future.
1. What’s your favourite season?
That’s summer. I am really into sunbathing at the beach and eating ice. These activities make me feel more alive after shivering with cold for so long during the winter.
2. What do people in your country like to do in different seasons?
Well, in summer, Vietnamese people tend to take part in water sports, which helps them to cool down. In contrast, they often stay indoors and drink hot chocolate to keep themselves warm through winter.
3. What’s the least favourite season in your country?
I guess it is summer even though it is my favourite season. Most people don’t like soaking with sweat. Besides, Vietnamese women are obsessed with pale complexion, so they always worry about being tanned in summer.
4. What are the differences between different seasons?
I think the biggest difference is the temperature. While summer has a higher temperature, around 35 degrees, winter is colder with temperatures between 5 – 15 degrees. In different seasons, people also pick different types of clothes. They love wearing light clothes during summer, while in winter, the use of woollen clothes increases.
5. What season is good for travelling in your hometown?
It is definitely summer. This is when children get off school and families can spend time together. Besides, it is also suitable for most types of activities, from energetic activities to relaxing ones. That’s why summer is the best choice for travelling.
1. How often do you use your dictionary?
Countless times a day, and seven days a week, I have to say. I work as an English teacher, and in my working environment, I encounter new or strange word combinations all the time, so that’s why I always need a dictionary by my side.
2. Do you like paper dictionary or electronic dictionary?
Answer 1: Either of them sound fine to me. The paper version is quite original, but I’m not very keen on the idea of carrying a heavy, thick book here and there just to look up some words occasionally. I’d much rather use the built-in dictionary in my kindle e-book reader, so that I wouldn’t have to bring too many things with me.
Answer 2: E-dictionary, absolutely. It’s very convenient and portable. I can use my smartphone and look up new words whenever and wherever I want without having to carry a heavy book with me all the time.
3. What kinds of dictionaries have you used before?
There are several types of dictionaries: paperback, electronic, built-in, online, monolingual, bilingual, or even multi-lingual, and perhaps I’ve tried every single one of them. Each version has its own special features, but technically, they all serve the same purpose.
4. How will dictionaries change in the future?
Answer 1: Actually, many different prospects have come to mind, but I believe the most possible one is what I would call ‘dictionary implantation’. It’s indeed a little bit scary, but just think about it: you can instantly learn a new language just by having a minor operation. How cool is that?
Answer 2: Given that technology has become more and more developed, it is highly likely that unique kinds of dictionaries like a visual dictionary will be created and developed, which allows users to acquire vocabulary quickly and effectively.
5. What kinds of dictionaries have you used before?
I’ve used quite a lot of dictionaries; but 3 dictionaries that I make use of the most are Cambridge Dictionary, Collocation dictionary, and Thesaurus dictionary. All of them are absolutely necessary for any English learner, I believe.
1. What’s your favourite colour?
My preference varies for different purposes. For example, when choosing clothes, I tend to go for blue, since blue goes well with my skin tone. For house decorations, I would prefer white as it creates a peaceful vibe for the room.
2. Are there any colours you dislike (Why?)
I am not a fan of brown. All shades of brown look sort of dull to me. In terms of fashion, it is really hard to put on a brown item, unless you are extremely gorgeous.
3. Are colours important to you?
To me personally, colours are indeed important. Not only can colours make our life more vivid, they can also indicate feelings. For instance, I often wear yellow clothing when my mood is up, but go for black if I am feeling down.
4. Were colours important to you when you were a child?
They were definitely more important to me than they are now. When I was small, I used to judge objects by their colour, like pink stuff was for girls, while blue things were for boys. As I grew up, I realized that things are a lot more complicated, and that colours don’t matter that much.
5. Are there any colours that have a special meaning in your country?
In my country, almost all colours are associated with something. Take red as an example, red symbolizes happy events, like victories or weddings. In contrast, black is seen as the colour of death, which explains why Vietnamese people often wear black clothes to funerals.
6. What colour would you choose to paint the walls of your room?
I am a big fan of simplicity, so white is my go-to colour when it comes to choosing wall paint. Scientists have proved that white can make a room seem more spacious. Plus, looking at this colour will help us to ease our mind.
7. Do you think different types of people like different colours?
In my view, a person’s favourite colour does not necessarily reflect his or her personality. In fact, it really is up to one’s own preference, so we should not make any assumptions just through people’s choice of colour.
1. What is the busiest part of the day for you?
I am a procrastinator, so I tend to get extremely busy at night, when all my work piles up. I love working at those hours though, because no motivation is as good as the urge to sleep.
2. What part of your day do you like best?
My favourite time of the day would be 7 p.m., which is when I come back from work and gather around the dinner table with my family. Seeing them after a long hard-working day can help me feel recharged, so I look forward to this time of the day the most.
3. Do you usually have the same routine every day?
Answer 1: I used to, back when I was still a student. Now that I have started working, I don’t have a fixed schedule anymore. Since my working time is quite flexible, there are days I can just sleep in, but there are also days I have to wake up really early in the morning.
Answer 2: Pretty much yeah, although there’s a slight change on Sunday. I usually wake up really late on Sunday and I don’t have any coffee either. I just want to spend my weekend in my warm bed.
4. What is your daily routine?
Answer 1: My daily activities depend on my work schedule, so nothing is fixed. The only routine I never skip is writing in a diary, which gives me time to reflect on my day.
Answer 2: I’m an early riser so I wake up at around 6 o’clock, then I have a cup of coffee 30 minutes after that before I go to the gym. I stay at home for pretty much the whole afternoon and I teach English classes in the evening.
5. Have you ever changed your routine?
Yes, lately I am trying to change my sleeping habit. In the past, I pulled a lot of all-nighters, and would often doze off in class during the day. These days, I force myself to go to bed early, and you know what, I have never felt so refreshed in the morning!
6. Do you think it is important to have a daily routine?
Answer 1: I honestly think it is essential to have a daily routine. Human bodies have a biological clock that works according to routine. By sticking to that fixed schedule, we can prevent our body from getting shock.
Answer 2: It’s not something that a person can’t live without I think. It’s important to me but it doesn’t mean that everyone should follow a routine everyday. It’s fun to have changes once in a while.
7. What would you like to change in your daily routine?
If time permits, I would love to make exercise a part of my daily routine. It’s not like I am not aware of the wonders exercise can do to my health, I just can’t seem to fit a workout into my tight schedule.
8. What is the busiest part of the day for you?
It’s the evening. All of my English classes are in the evening, 7 days a week. In the morning and the afternoon, I just spend my time relaxing by going to the gym or playing computer games.
9. What part of your day do you like best?
Probably the morning. I do exercise regularly in my room when the sun rises, and sometimes I go to the gym. What’s best about the morning is coffee time. I just love it because coffee keeps me active all day long.
10. What would you like to change in your day to day routine?
Well if I can, I want to cancel 1 or 2 classes in the evening because I really could use some nights to go around the city. Working 7 days a week is not a great idea.