Task 1 Introduction
Hometown
I’d just like to ask you some questions about your hometown.
- Where is your hometown?
- What was it like growing up there?
- Has it changed much since you were a child?
- What do you like most about living there?
- What kinds of things can visitors to your hometown go and see?
- Do you think you will live there when you are older?
Home
I’d like to ask you some questions about your home.
- Do you live in an apartment or a house?
- Is it a large apartment/house?
- Who do you live there with?
- What is your favourite room in your apartment/house?
- Is it a quiet or noisy place to live?
- What can you see from the windows in your apartment/house?
- If you could change anything about your apartment/house, what would you change?
Family
I’d like to move on and ask you some questions about your family.
- How many people are there in your family?
- Do you all live in the same house?
- What things do you like doing together?
- Who is your favourite family member?
Studies
I’d just like to ask you some questions about your studies.
- What are you studying?
- Why did you choose that particular course?
- What is your favourite subject?
- Are you friends with many other students on your course?
- What job would you like when you have completed all your studies?
- Will you have to do further studies in the future?
Work
I’d just like to ask you some questions about your work.
- What work do you do?
- What do you enjoy most about your work?
- What are your main duties?
- Is there any other work you would like to do in the future?
- What do you normally do when you finish work every day?
- Will you have to do more training for your work in the future?
Neighbours
Let’s change the topic and talk about your neighbours
- Do you know the people who live next door to you?
- How often do you see each other?
- What kind of relationship do you have?
- How can neighbours be helpful?
- What kind of problems can people have with their neighbours in a big city?
Dreams
I’d now like to discuss your night time dreams with you.
- Do you dream much at night?
- Do you often remember your dreams?
- Do you think we can learn anything from dreams?
- Do people in your country talk about their dreams?
- Do you think that dreams can come true?
Food
Moving to a new topic, I’d like to discuss cooking and meals with you.
- Do you enjoy cooking?
- What type of things can you cook?
- What kinds of food are popular in your country?
- Is it an important part of your culture to have dinner parties?
- Do you prefer to eat with other people or on your own?
Timing
Let’s move on and talk about being on time for appointments.
- Is being late acceptable in your culture?
- Are you ever late for appointments?
- What type of excuses do you think are alright for lateness?
- How do you feel when someone is late for an appointment with you?
Free Time
I’d like to move on and ask you some questions about your free time.
- What type of activities do you like to do in your free time?
- How long have you been interested in these activities?
- Do you like to do these activities alone or with other people? (Why)?
- Do you think people have enough free time?
Magazines and Newspapers
Okay, let’s move to a different topic and discuss magazines and newspapers.
- Which do you prefer reading, newspapers or magazines?
- What type of stories do you like to read about?
- Do you think reading a magazine or a newspaper can help you learn a language?
- Why do you think some people prefer magazines to newspapers?
Humour
Let’s change the topic and talk about comedy and humour.
- What type of programmes do you find funny on TV?
- Which types of programmes are most popular in your country?
- What kind of things make you laugh?
- Do you like to make people laugh?
- Do you think it is important to have a sense of humour? (Why)?
Museums
Let’s move on and talk about museums.
- Are museums popular in your country?
- Did you visit museums when you were a child?
- Do you like to visit museums nowadays?
- Do you think you should pay to visit museums?
Mobile Phones
Now let’s talk about mobile phones.
- Do you have a mobile phone?
- At what age did you first get a mobile?
- What do you most use it for?
- Is it a nuisance if people use mobiles in public places such as trains and buses?
Television
We'll now talk about television.
- How many hours a day do you spend watching television?
- What type of television programs do you like to watch?
- Do you think children in your country watch too much television?
- Do you think television is useful for education in schools?
The Sea
Now we'll talk about the sea.
- Do you like to go on holiday by the sea?
- Are there many hotels by the sea in your country?
- What kind of activities can people do by the sea?
- How long do people normal visit the sea for when they go on holiday?
Flowers
Now we'll talk about flowers.
- How you ever given anybody flowers?
- Is it popular to give flowers to people in your country?
- On what special occasions do people give flowers in your country?
- What kinds of flowers would you like to receive as a present?
Animals
Now we'll talk about animals.
- What is your favourite animal?
- What types of animals do you have in your country?
- What types of animals are kept as pets in your country?
- Do you think animals should be kept in zoos?
The Weather
Now we'll move on to talk about the weather.
- What kind of weather do you like the most?
- Does the weather affect the way that you feel?
- Do people like the weather in your country?
- Do the kinds of outside activities people do in your country change when the weather changes?
Public Transport
Now we'll move on to talk about public transport
- What kinds of public transport do they have in your country?
- What kinds of public transport do most people use?
- What is your favourite type of public transport?
- What do you do when you are travelling on public transport?
- How could public transport in your country be improved?
Sport
Now we'll move on to talk about sport.
- What is the most popular type of sport in your country?
- Is there a lot of sport on television in your country?
- What sports do children normally do at school?
- Do you think people do enough sport these days?