Speaking Quý 3.

2022 (tháng 9-12)

I. Work and studies

1. Do you work or are you a student?
What subjects are you studying?
Why do you choose to study that subject?
 Currently, I’m in my senior year of high school. And I’m graduating
this year. Now I’m working hard in order to get passing grades ‘cause
I’m planning to apply for Foreign Trade University which is one of
the top schools in Vietnam with competitive admission. I want to
major in Finance ‘cause I’ve always want to fulfil my dream of
working in a multinational company.
2. What do you like about your studies?
 I will probably sound a bit nerdy, but I’m happy that school provides
me about things I didn’t know before. I guess that most subjects, we
are taught, will help us to succeed in the future. So I never miss
lessons and complete all the assignments on time.
3. What do you dislike about your studies?
 As a high school student, I can safely say that I dislike school very
strongly mainly because the teachers pile so much work onto us that
we hardly get 5 hours of sleep at night during an average school week.
You see, no matter when I go to bed, I have to wake up early because
my classes usually start at 7 am. To top it off, most subjects are boring
and irrelevant to our future careers. So it causes a lot of stress, making
me and my fellow students reluctant to study.
4. What was your dream job when you were young?
 Oh, when I was younger, I wanted to either become a CEO of a big
company or be self-employed. I was really sure that this would bring
me an adequate remuneration and, as a result, a sense of satisfaction.
What is more, I understood that I was good at problem-solving and
managing people, could take on responsibility and work under
pressure, which is very important for pursuing such careers.
5. Have you changed your mind on your dream job?
 Well, on the whole, 'no' as this is what I still dream about. However,
now I realize that there are quite a lot of things in this career which I
didn't think about at a younger age, for example, the fact that working
 under pressure is robbing people of their life, taking them from their
families and pushing them to participate in the rat race in order to get
recognition and good money.

II. Housework and Cooking

1. Do you do some cooking or help your family cook at home now?
 Well… Truth be told, I am busy preparing for a life-changing exam
happening next year, therefore, it has been such a long time since I last
help my parents with the housework. However, I would say that I have
a keen interest in cooking as well as food science and I can completely
immerse myself in the creative process of cooking.

2. Did you do some house cleaning when you were young?

 Yes, I did. Because my parents are quite strict, I was not exempt from
doing household chores. As my parents said, getting my hand dirty is
a way to prepare for independent lives.

3. Do you have breakfast at home everyday?

 I would say, yes. Since I acknowledge the detrimental effects of
skipping breakfast, I hardly ever skip breakfast despite my hectic
schedule. This is the major reason why I rarely feel tired and lethargic
in the morning.

4. Do you want to learn how to cook well?

 Definitely, yes. Because cooking is not only considered as a vital
survival skill but also reserves as a creative form of thinking. As when
cooking involves all five senses, requiring us to be completely
immersive and creative in that process. Therefore, bing proficient in
cooking enables people to enjoy delicious meals and enhance
creativity capacity.

5. Who does cooking in your family or house?

 Cooking in my house is mostly done by my mother and my father just
shares the load once in a blue moon.
III. Technology
1. What technology do you often use, computers or cellphones?
 Well, my answer is both because I use them quite often. Cellphones
are indispensable necessity whenever I go out. I usually utilize them
for sending voice messages, navigating routes or simply keeping track
 of time. However, when it comes to word processing, I prefer
employing a computer. Because it is portable, I can it anywhere to
solve work purposes such as making an excel spreadsheet or sending
formal emails.

2. What electronic devices have you bought lately?

 Well, truth be told, all of the electronic devices in my house are
bought by my parents since an electronic device really cost a fortune.
Last month, they purchased a robot vacuum. It is by far the most
advanced household appliances, therefore, it cost them an arm and a
leg. Despite that, thanks to this cutting-edge gadget, our lives have
become more comfortable and relaxing.

3. Are there any technologies you want to buy?

 Recently, I’ve been yearning for a brand-new cellphone. As my
current phone is quite outdated, it can hardly accommodate all my
needs such as playing or working. Therefore, I have set my eyes on
the Iphone 13 with latest-updated features and other superior
functions.

4. What are the benefits of technology? Do you think it is important in your

life?
 Technology have definitely exerted numerous positive changes to out
lives. Firstly, news facilitates cross-border communication. Thanks to
the proliferation in wireless Wifi transmission, people nowadays can
interact with people in other countries or even in far-flung areas
without the need for travelling. This potentially widens our vitual
networks by making new friends from all over the world.

5. Do you like to use new technology?

 Yes, surely I do… Although I don’t consider myself a geek, I quite
enjoy using all the new items like laptops and smartphones… All in
all, we’re living in the computer age and it’s impossible to ignore
cutting-edge technology.
IV. Weather
1. What is the weather like where you live?
 Because of the seasonal patterns, if we talk about summer, then the
weather tends to be scorching most of the time; however, when
winters comes, the weather will be chillier and more pleasant.
2. Do you prefer cold or hot weather?
  Truth be told, I am a kind of person who is terrified of the cold;
therefore, I would prefer hot weather. However, boiling days makes
me not only sweat and feel discomfort but I also suffer from
barometric pressure headaches due to unpredictable changes in
temperature. Those are all reasons why I do not like hot days at all.
3. Do you prefer dry or wet weather?
 I would prefer the former because high humidity is a hassle for every
activity. To begin with, wet weather makes our clothes stink. This
unpleasant odor is a result of increased humidity and excessive
perspiration during monsoons. Such smells emanating from clothes
can make people feel little discomfort.
4. Do you often check weather forecasts?
 Well, I have formed the habit of checking weather forecasts since I
believe that attaching much importance to the weather updates can
help us to be well-prepared for unpredictable downpours or
heatwaves.
5. What weather do you like? = What’s your favorite kind of weather?
 Well, cool and mild climate is definitely my cup of tea. This type of
weather always promotes an uplifting mood. You know, I can show
off my fashionable outfits with different layers and enjoy my favorite
hot pot.
6. Do you like the weather in your hometown?

7. Advertisements
1. Do you watch ads from the beginning to the end?
 Only if I find the adverts fascinating and if they promote products that
I care about. Most of the time those adverts that I saw on social media
are just scams, featuring useless items or services or
even exaggerating the efficacy of them. I skipped those ads as soon as
they popped up. Recently there are a slew of advertisements about
medicines on YOUTUBE that purport to cure all. To me they are
nothing but snake oil that tricks people into wasting their money.

2. Is there much advertising in your country?

 Indeed, there are a lot of advertisements. Apart from television
commercials and print adverts, outdoor advertising is also very
popular in my country.

3. What are the different places where we see advertisements?

   In today’s media dominated world, advertisements can be seen
everywhere – television, newspapers, magazines and roads. From
hoardings and pamphlets to stickers and banners, there are numerous
forms of advertising that cover almost every place around us.

4. What advertising do you have in your country?

 Oh, it's everywhere. We have billboards, and posters, and viral
marketing, and YouTube ads inserted into videos and ads and the
breaks on TV shows. I think the only recipe is on the BBC and even
they have them for their programs

5. How do you feel about advertisements?

 Sometimes, I find it a little bit disappointing because the quality
products are usually overrated. However, there are other beneficial
advertisements in supermarkets which has informative contents for
customers such as on which days there will be promotions or which
new products will be launched.

6. Do you like advertisements?

 Well, I think nobody likes advertisements because they’re usually
time-consuming. When I'm watching a very exciting part of the TV
drama then all of a sudden (suddenly), it's cut because ads need to
play. All the high intense (extreme) emotions are spoilt (destroyed)
because of the commercial and that's undeniably annoying.

7. Do you like advertisements on TV?



8. What kind of ads do you dislike?

9. What do you think is the purpose of advertising?

10. Do you think advertising plays a very important role in today’s world?

11. Why do you think companies advertise themselves or products?

8. Snacks
1. What is your opinion on snacks between meals?
  I think all kind of snacking between main meals is bad for your
health. If people avoided snacking, they would be much healthier
and less over weight.
2. Is it healthy to eat snacks?
 I think it all depends on what you are eating. So, if one is eating
fruits in between the meals, I think it is fine. Also, some people
don’t take full meals but rather prefer eating small meals more
number of times. So, in that cases eating healthy snack is your way
out.
3. What kind of snacks do you like to eat?
 Actually, there are many kinds. You know, nuts and cereals are my
thing. I just can’t resist cashews or walnuts. Whenever I go to a
convenience store, I would definitely buy a Snickers bar or Dairy
Milk bar.
4. What kind of snacks do children in your country like to eat now?
 Well, nowadays, from my observation, I think that children tend to
eat lots of almonds because they have special flavour and the
parents believe almonds are a great source of protein and healthy
fat that is satisfying.
5. What was the most popular snack when you were young?
 When I was a little girl, the salty snacks with scallion were very
popular among the children maybe because we ate too much candy
so our parents didn’t intend to give us any other sweet food.
6. When do you usually eat them?
 Well, I usually have some snacks, especially sweet things when I'm
groggy and lethargic. As far as I know, some research has indicated
that sweet food can increase dopamine, a chemical substance that
can boost our energy and promptly recharge our batteries.
7. Do your parents allow you to eat snacks?
 Yes, actually most of the snacks in my house are bought by my
parents, because they wish me to eat them if I’m hungry between
meals.

9. Names
1. Is there any tradition about naming babies?
 Well, normally the parents will name their child, but in some cases,
grandparents also want to join in the process of naming. Apart
 from that though, the family name of newborn babies must follow
their father’s family name.
2. How do you choose names for your next generation?
 Uh, it is such a tricky question because I have never thought about
that. But I guess, I would send my expectations into my offspring’s
names. I hope they will become well-mannered and tolerant
members of society.
3. Does your name have any particular (or, special) meaning?
 Most Vietnamese names do, I suppose, and mine is not an
exception. My name can be interpreted as a girl who is outstanding,
intelligent and talented. So, I assume my parents did have
somewhat an expectation when they named me that.
4. Do you like your name?
a. Yes, of course, I do like the name my parents gave me. It’s not
only a part of my identity but also symbolizes the love from my
beloved parents.
5. Would you like to change your name?
a. No, I wouldn’t do that, because there are tons of things I would
have to do and all kinds of forms to fill in to get a new name.
Besides, this thing makes no sense to me. Unless somebody’s a
criminal and wants to change their whole identity, there’s no point
getting a whole new name.
6. Do people in your country ever change their names?
a. Yes, many people change their name if they think it brings them
bad luck or is hindering their career progress. Of course, some
people simply don’t like the way their name sounds. A fortune
teller is often consulted when choosing a new name.
7. What name do people at home (your family members) call you?
a. I don’t have any nickname or a special name which is called by
kith and kin. My family members call me by my first name.