Life Topics: Work, Hometown, and More
Life Topics: Work, Hometown, and More
1. Work or study
Do you work or are you a student?
What technology do you use at work?
What technology do you use when you study?
What subjects are you studying?
Why did you choose to study that subject?
Do you like your subject?
Is it very interesting?
Are you looking forward to working?
Do you prefer to study in the mornings or in the afternoons?
Why did you choose to do that type of work (or that job)?
Do you like your job?
Is it very interesting?
Do you miss being a student?
What work do you do?
2. Hometown
Do you think you will continue to live there for a long time?
Please describe your hometown a little.
How long have you been living there?
Do you like your hometown?
Do you like living there?
What do you like (most) about your hometown?
Is there anything you dislike about it?
Where is your hometown?
Is that a big city or a small place?
3. Home/ Accommodation
What kind of house or flat do you want to live in in the future?
Full of amenities and facilities
Are the transport facilities to your home very good?
Do you prefer living in a house or a flat?
Please describe the room you live in.
What part of your home do you like the most?
How long have you lived there?
Do you plan to live there for a long time?
What’s the difference between where you are living now and where you
have lived in the past?
Can you describe the place where you live?
Which room does your family spend most of the time in?
4. Plants
Do you keep plants at home?
What plant did you grow when you were young?
Do you know anything about growing plants?
Do Vietnamese people send plants as gifts?
5. Challenges
What subject do you think is the most challenging at school?
Do you like to challenge yourself?
Do you like to have a life that has a lot of challenges?
How do you usually deal with challenges in your daily life?
6. Shopping
Do you like shopping?
Do you compare prices when you shop? Why?
Is it difficult for you to make choices when you shop?
Do you think expensive products are always better than cheaper ones?
7. Asking for helps
Do you ask for help when you have a problem?
Why are teachers always willing to help students?
What kinds of help do you often ask for?
When was the last time you asked for help?
8. Childhood memory
What did you enjoy doing as a child?
Did you enjoy your childhood?
What are your best childhood memories?
Do you think it is better for children to grow up in the city or in the
countryside?
9. Staying at home
Are you a person who likes to stay at home?
What do you do when you stay at home?
What is your favorite place at home?
What did you often do at home as a child?
Would you like to stay at home a lot in the future?
10. Schools and workplaces
Where is your school?
Do you like your school?
Do you think your school is a good place to study?
What is the environment like at your school?
What do you think could be improved in your school?
How important is interest in study?
Which subject do you find challenging?
Do you like your job?
Do you currently have a good work environment?
What do you think could be improved at your workplace?
Have you ever thought about changing jobs?
Easy applies in your company that makes you feel relaxed?
What are the advantages of a company having a relaxation room?
11. Exciting activities
Have you ever tried any exciting activities?
What do you think were exciting activities when you were a child?
Has anything exciting happened to you recently?
Would you like to try scuba diving in bungee jumping?
12. E-books and paper books
Which do you prefer, e-books or paper books?
When do you usually read online?
Will you read more online in the future?
Do you think printed books will disappear in the future?
13. News
Are you interested in news?
How do you usually find news?
How do your friends get news?
Have you read the news this morning?
Do you often talk with your friends about the news?
14. Breakfast
What do you usually eat for breakfast?
Do you think breakfast is important?
Are there any differences between the mornings of your childhood and now?
Would you like to change your morning routine?
15. Holidays
Where did you go for your last holiday?
Do you like holidays? Why?
Which public holiday do you like best?
What did you do on holidays?
Do you like to spend your day at home?
Do you prefer a leisurely or a busy holiday?
16. Internet
When did you start using the internet?
How often do you go online?
How does the Internet influence people?
Do you think you spend too much time online?
What would you do without the internet?
17. Morning routines
What do you do in the mornings?
Is breakfast important?
What is your morning routine?
Do you like to get up early in the morning?
18. Doing sports
What sports do you like?
Where did you learn how to do it?
Did you do some sports when you were young?
Do you think students need more exercise?
Do you know any people who are good at sports?
Do you think it is important for people to exercise?
Should schools encouraged young students to take more physical exercise?
19. Daily routines
What is your daily study routine?
Have you ever changed your routine?
Do you think it is important to have a daily routine for your study?
What part of your day do you like best?
20. Science
Do you like science?
When did you start to learn about science?
Which science subject is interesting to you?
What kinds of interesting things have you done with science?
Do you like watching science TV programs?
Do Vietnamese people often visit science museums?
21. Library
Do you often go to the library?
What do you usually do in the library?
Did you go to the library when you were a kid?
Do Vietnamese kids often go to the library?
22. Keys
Do you always bring a lot of keys with you?
Have you ever lost your keys?
Do you often forget the keys and lock yourself out?
Do you think it’s a good idea to leave your keys with a neighbor?
23. Jewelry
Do you often wear jewelry?
What type of jewelry do you like?
Do you usually buy jewelry?
Why do you think some people wear a piece of jewelry for a long time?
24. Relax
What would you do to relax?
Do you think doing sports is a good way to relax?
Do you think vacation is a good time to relax?
Do you think students need more relaxing time?
25. Weekends
Do you like weekends?
What do you usually do on weekends? Do you study all work?
What did you do last weekend?
Do you make clients for the weekends?
26. Social media
When did you start using social media?
Do you think you spend too much time on social media?
Do your friends use social media?
What do people often do on social media?
27. Number
What’s your favorite number?
Are you good at remembering phone numbers?
Do you usually use numbers?
Are you good at math?
28. Art
Do you like art?
Do you like visiting art galleries?
Do you want to be an artist?
Do you like modern art or traditional art?
29. Outer space and stars
Have you ever learned about outer space and stars?
Do you lack science fiction movies? Why?
Do you want to know more about outer space?
Do you want to go into outer space in the future?
30. Travelling
Do you like traveling?
How often do you go traveling?
Why do you usually travel?
How do you feel when you are traveling?
31. T-shirt
Do you like wearing T-shirts?
How often do you wear T-shirts?
Do you like T-shirts with pictures or prints?
Do you think older people who wear T-shirts are fashionable?
Would you buy T-shirts else souvenirs on vacation?
32. Staying up
What does it feel like the next morning, if you stay up late?
What do you do when you stay up late?
Did you stay up late when you were a kid?
Do you often stay up late?
33. Happy things
Is there anything that has made you feel happy lately?
What made you happy when you were a little?
What do you think will make you feel happy in the future?
When do you feel happier at work? Why?
Do you feel happy when buying new things?
Do you think people are happy when buying new things?
34. Chocolate
Do you like eating chocolate? Why or why not?
How often do you eat chocolate?
Did you often eat chocolate when you were a kid?
Why do you think chocolate is popular around the world?
What’s your favorite flavor of chocolate?
Do you think it is good to use chocolate as gifts to others?
35. Pen and pencil
Do you usually use a pen or a pencil?
Which do you use more often? Pen or pencil?
When was the last time you bought a pen or pencil?
What do you think if someone gives you a pen or pencil as a present?
36. Language
What languages can you speak?
What languages would you like to learn in the future?
How do you learn a foreign language?
How are languages taught and learned in your school?
What kinds of difficulties would you have if you want to learn a new
language?
37. Sharing
Did your parents teach you to share when you were a child?
What kind of things do you like to share with others?
What kind of things are not suitable for sharing?
Do you have anything to share with others recently?
38. Small businesses
Do you know many small businesses where you live?
Have you ever worked in small businesses?
Do you prefer buying things from big companies or small businesses?
Have you ever thought about starting your own business?
39. The city you live in
What city do you live in?
Do you like this city? Why?
How long have you lived in this city?
Are there big changes in this city?
Is this city your permanent residence?
Are there people of different ages living in this city?
Are the people friendly in the city?
Is the city friendly to children and old people?
Do you often see your neighbors?
40. The area you live in
Do you like the area that you live in?
Where do you like to go in that area?
Do you know any famous people in your area?
What are some changes in the area recently?
Do you know any of your neighbors?
Are the people in your neighborhood nice and friendly?
Do you live in a noisy or quiet area?
PART 2 & 3
1. Describe a sport you watched and would like to try
You should say:
When and where you watched it
Why you watched it
Who you watched it with
Whether you will do it in the future
And explain how you felt about it
Part 3:
Why do so many people like to buy expensive sportwear for playing ball
games?
What kinds of sports games do young and old people like to watch in your
country?
Why do so many people like to watch sports games?
Do you think that the international sport teams are for money?
Many advertisers like to use sports stars endorsements. What do you think
are the reasons?
Do you think sportsmen would use their sports gears promoted in the
commercials?
2. Describe a new development in the area where you live (e.g. shopping
mall, park…)
You should say:
What and where the development is
What it was like before
How long it took to complete it
How people feel about it
And explain how it has improved the area you live in
Part 3:
Is public transportation popular in Vietnam?
What can be done to improve public transport services in your hometown?
What leisure facilities can be used by people of all ages?
Do you think young people in your country like going to the cinema?
How is the subway system developing in your country?
What transportation do you use the most?
Part 3:
Which one is more important, personal goals or work goals?
Have your life goals changed since your childhood?
Does everyone set goals for themselves?
What kinds of rewards are important at work?
Do you think material rewards are more important than other rewards at
work?
What makes people feel proud of themselves?
Part 3:
Why do people take photos?
What do people use to take photos these days, cameras or phones?
Is it difficult for people to learn how to take good photos?
How do people keep their photos?
What follows two people often hang on the wall at home?
Is it necessary for students to learn art?
Part 3:
What are the advantages and disadvantages of eating in restaurants?
What fast food is there in your country?
Do people eat fast food at home?
Why do some people choose to eat out instead of ordering takeout?
Do people in your country socialize in restaurants? Why?
Do people in your country value food culture?
Part 3:
How do you get along with your neighbors?
How do neighbors help each other?
Do you think neighbors help each other more often in the countryside than in
the city?
How do children learn to cooperate with each other?
Do you think parents should teach children how to cooperate with others?
How?
Do you think it’s important for children to learn about cooperation?
Part 3:
What kinds of people are likely to be role models for teenagers?
Is it important for children to have role models?
Are there any differences between today’s famous people and those of the
past?
What qualities do famous people have?
What kinds of people are likely to become famous?
Do people tend to choose the best people as their role model?
Part 3:
What are the differences between online learning and offline learning?
Do you prefer to study alone or with a group of people?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of learning in a group?
What subjects do most young people prefer to learn? Why?
What is more important than when choosing a job, high salary or interest?
What do you think about face-to-face learning with teachers?
Part 3:
What kind of people like to visit natural places?
What are the differences between a natural place and a city?
Do you think that going to the park is the only way to get close to nature?
Why can people gain from going to natural places?
Are there any wild animals in the city?
Do you think it is a good idea to let animals stay in local parks for people to
see?
[Link] a rescue you took that you thought would lead to a terrible
result but ended up with a positive result
You should say:
When you took the risk
Why you took the risk
How it went
And explain how you felt about it
Part 3:
How should parents teach their children what a risk is?
What risks should parents tell their children to avoid?
Why do some people like to watch risk-taking movies?
What kinds of sports are dangerous but exciting?
Why do some people enjoy dangerous sports?
Who is more interested in taking risks, the young or the old?
[Link] someone you know who made a good decision recently
You should say:
Who he/ she is
When he/ she made the decision
What decision he/ she made
Why it was a good decision
And how you felt about the decision
Part 3:
Should parents make decisions for their children?
Do you think parents are the best people to make decisions about their
children’s education?
At what age do you think children should be allowed to make decisions by
themselves?
Why do most children find it difficult to make decisions?
Should parents interfere in children’s decision-making?
How should parents help their children make decisions?
[Link] a place where you have taken photos more than once
You should say:
Where the place is
When you took the photos
What special features the photos taken their have
And explain why you have been there more than once to take photos
Part 3:
Do you like to take photos?
Why do people often like to take photos?
Who would like to take photos more often, young people or older people?
Would you pay a lot of money to hire a photographer?
Do you think being a photographer is a good job?
On what occasions do people need to take formal photos?
[Link] a person you really enjoy studying/ working with
You should say:
Who this person is
When do you often study/ work together
What you study/ work together
And explain why you enjoy studying/ working with him/ her
Part 3:
Should children be empowered to learn from their peers?
What difficulties or problems would introverted people face in work or
study?
How can a person be a good coworker?
What makes a good employee?
How can people improve their collaboration skills?
Do you think it is more important for an employee to keep good
relationships with colleagues than just focus on the work?
[Link] a tourist attraction where very few people visit but you think is
interesting
You should say:
What the place is
What people can see there
Why only very few people visit there
And explain why you think it is interesting
Part 3:
Why do people visit tourist attractions?
What makes a tourist attraction famous?
Do you know who people like to visit local tourist attractions?
Do you think tourism causes environmental damage?
How can people prevent the environmental damage caused by tourism?
Should all tourist attractions be free to the public?
Part 3
Do you think children are more likely to achieve their goals if they are
encouraged?
What should parents do if their children don’t want to study?
Who do you think should set goals for children?
Who plays a more important role in children’s education, parents or
teachers?
Is money the only motivation for people to work hard?
Which is more important, competition or cooperation?
Part 3:
Why do people meet friends?
How do you communicate with friends?
Why don’t some people like to socialize?
Can talking with people improve social skills?
Does technology help people communicate better with others?
Do you prefer to go out with a proof of friends or just with a few close
friends?
[Link] a sport that you only have watched before but have not played
yourself
You should say:
What it is
When you watched it
Where you washed it
Who you watched it with
And explain how you felt about it
Part 3:
What kinds of sports would you like to play in the future?
Why are there many athletes in advertisements?
What are the features of people who watch sports games online, such as
gender or age?
What’s the most popular sport in your country?
What kind of sports are popular now but not popular fifty years ago?
Do you think there are too many sorts of sports games on TV?
Part 3
What rules should students follow at school?
Do people in your country usually obey the law?
What kinds of behavior are considered as good behavior?
Do you think children can learn about the law outside of school?
What are the benefits for people to obey rules?
How can parents teach children to obey rules?
Part 3:
Should students learn to cook at school?
Do you think people’s eating habits would change as they get older?
Do people in your country like to learn to cook from TV programs?
What kinds of fast food are popular in Vietnam?
Are there any people who wouldn’t eat meat for their whole lives?
What do you think about vegetarians?
Part 3:
Why do some people still use cash?
Will the pavement be paperless in the future?
What do you think of the view that time is as important as money?
Is it more important to choose a job with a high salary or with more time
off?
How important is it to have a variety of payment options?
Why are things more expensive in some places than in others?
Part 3
Do you like to learn on your own or with others?
What’s the difference between learning face-to-face with teachers and
learning by yourself?
Do you prefer to study at home or study in other places?
What are the benefits of gaining work experience while studying?
Do most people like to study in a noisy place?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of studying with other people?
Part 3
What are the features of living in the countryside?
Good schools teach children how to grow plants?
Why do some people prefer to live in the countryside?
Have new kinds of plants been grown in your city recently?
Why do some people like to keep plants at home?
Are there many trees in your city?
Part 3:
What are the differences between shopping in a shopping mall and in a street
market?
Which is more commonly visited in Vietnam, shopping malls or street
markets?
Is advertising important?
What are the disadvantages of shopping in a street market?
How do you buy cheap products?
Do you think things are more expensive in big shopping malls?
Part 3
What are the differences between cities and towns?
What has happened to towns and villages in recent years in your country?
What are the differences between big cities and small ones?
What factors will contribute to whether a place is good to live in or not?
What are the major changes that have happened in your city?
How different is life in the countryside to life in the city?
Part 3
Why do people choose to travel by public transport?
Why do more and more people like to travel by plane?
Do you think offering free public transport will solve traffic problems in the
city?
What are the disadvantages of traveling by public transport?
What do you think are the cheapest and most expensive means of transport?
What are the difficulties that commuters face during rush hours?
Part 3
Does consumption have any impact on the environment?
Why do people always want to buy new things to replace old ones?
Why do you think some people replace things more often than others?
Why do young people change things more often than old people?
Why do some people like to buy expensive things?
Why do some people prefer to buy things at the supermarket rather than
online?
[Link] an activity you enjoyed in your free time when you were young
You should say:
What it was
Where you did it
Who you did it with
And explain why you enjoyed it
Part 3
Is it important to have a break during work or study?
What sports do young people like to do now?
Are there more activities for young people now than twenty years ago?
Can most people balance work and life in Vietnam?
What activities do children and adults do nowadays?
Do adults and children have enough time for leisure activities nowadays?
Part 3
Do you think it is good for children to make noise?
Shoot children, not be allowed to make noise under any circumstances?
What kinds of noises are there in our life?
Which area is exposed to noise more, the city or the countryside?
How would people usually respond to noises in your country?
How can people consider others’ feelings when chatting in public?
Part 3
Do you think old people and young people can share interests?
What can old people teach young people?
Is it easy for young people and old people to make friends with each other?
Are there benefits when one person is interested in another person? Why?
Do you think people are more shellfish or self-centered now than in the past?
What benefits can people get if they are self-centered?
Part 3
What’s the most popular thing to learn nowadays?
At what age should children stomach in their own decisions? Why?
Which influences young people more when choosing a course, income or
interest?
Do young people suck their parents’ advice when choosing a major?
Besides parents, who else would people take advice from?
Why do some people prefer to study alone?
Part 3
How can children feel happy?
What’s the difference between adults’ and children’s happiness?
Do you think everyone shares a similar definition of happiness?
Some people say that living in a happy city is boring. What do you think?
Which do you think is more important in a workplace, happiness or high
salaries?
How can companies improve employee happiness?
[Link] a time when someone gave you something that you really
wanted
You should say:
What it was
When you received it
Who gave it to you
And explain why you wanted it so much
Part 3
Should employees have their own goals?
How should bosses reward employees?
What kinds of gifts do young people like to receive as rewards?
How should children spend their allowance money?
Why do people like shopping more now than in the past?
Do you think shopping is good for a country’s economy?
[Link] a piece of good news that you heard about someone you know
well
You should say:
What it was
When you heard it
How you knew it
And explain how you felt about it
Part 3
Is it cool to share something on social media?
Should the media only publish good news?
How does social media help people access information?
What kind of good news do people often share in the community?
Do most people likely share good news with others?
Do people like to hear good news from their friends?
Part 3
Are actors or actresses very interested in their work? Why?
Is being a professional actor or actress a good career?
What can children learn from acting?
Why do children lack special costumes?
What are the differences between actors or actresses who earn much and
those who earn little?
What are the differences between acting in a theater and that in a film?
[Link] a complaint that you made and you were satisfied with the
results
You should say:
When it happened
Who you complained to
What you complained about
And explain why you were satisfied with the results
Part 3
When are people more likely to make complaints?
What do people often complain about?
Which one is better when making a complaint, by talking or by writing?
Who am I likely to make complaints, older people or younger people?
How would you react if you received a poor service at a restaurant?
How do people often respond to poor customer service?
[Link] a person you met at a party who you enjoyed talking with
You should say:
What party it was
Who this person is
What you talked about
And explain why you enjoyed talking with him/ her
Part 3
In what situations poor people be willing to get to know new people?
Where do people go to meet new people?
How do people start a conversation?
Is it difficult for Vietnamese people to communicate with people from other
countries?
Why are some people unwilling to have conversations with others?
Is it difficult for adults to talk with children?
[Link] a time when you missed our world late for an important
meeting/ event
You should say:
When it happened
What happened
Why you missed/ were late for it
And explain how you felt about this experience
Part 3
Are you a punctual person?
Do you think it is important to be on time?
Do you always avoid being late?
Why are people often late for meetings or appointments?
Are people in your country often late for meetings?
Do you think people are born with time management skills, or they can
develop them?
Part 3
Why is it difficult for some people to relax?
What are the benefits of doing exercise?
Do people in your country exercise after work?
What is the place where people spend most of their time at home?
Do you think there should be classes for training young people and children
how to relax?
Which is more important, mental relaxation or physical relaxation?
Part 3
What would parents prepare when their kids go to school on the first day?
How do children socialize with each other?
Is socialization important for children?
What are the reasons for job change?
Are big company is better than small companies? Why?
What are the advantages and disadvantages coming along with changing
jobs?
Part 3
Do you think people me to wear formally in the workplace?
Why do some people like to wear traditional clothes?
Will traditional clothes disappear in the future?
Do old people change their style of dressing?
Why do some people like to wear expensive clothes?
Who would wear formal clothes more often, young people or old people?
Part 3
What practical skills can young people teach old people?
How can young people teach old people skills?
How can we know what to do when we want to learn something new?
Do you think showing is a better way than telling in education?
Do people in your country like to watch videos to learn something?
What skills can young people teach old people besides technology?
Part 3
Why do people visit historical buildings?
Do Vietnamese people like to visit historical buildings?
Do most people agree to the government’s funding to protect historical
buildings?
Is it necessary to protect historical buildings?
What factors do people often consider when buying a house or an
apartment?
What are the differences between today’s houses and those in the past?
[Link] a place you visited where the air was polluted
You should say:
Where the place is
When you visited it
Why the air was not good
And explain how you felt about this place
Part 3
Is there more pollution now than in the past?
Do you think the city is cleaner or dirtier than the countryside? Why?
What can factories and power planes do to reduce pollutants?
Do you think the wind has any effect on pollution? How?
In what ways can air pollution be reduced effectively?
Do you think many companies have been forced to reduce pollutants?
Part 3
Should children have learning routines?
What are the advantages of children having a routine at school?
Does having a routine make kids feel more secure at school?
How do people’s routines differ on weekdays and weekends?
What day little teens do people have at home?
What are the differences between people’s daily routines now and in the last
15 years?
[Link] another city you would like to stay for a short time
You should say:
Where the city is
Why you want to go there
Whom you will go there with
What you will do there
And explain why you will stay there just for a short time
Part 3
Why is noise pollution worse in tourism cities than in other cities?
Do most people like planned traveling?
Do you think tourists may come across bad things in other cities?
Why do places with historical sites develop tourism industry more actively?
Why are historical cities popular?
Why do people sometimes go to other cities or other countries to travel?
[Link] a piece of technology you own that you feel is difficult to use
You should say:
When you got it
What you got it for
How often you use it
Find how you feel about it
Part 3
Does the development of technology affect the way we study? Why?
What changes has the development of technology brought about in our
lives?
Why do technology companies keep upgrading their products?
Why are people so keen on buying iPhones even though they haven’t
changed much from one iPhone to the next?
Why do big companies introduce new products frequently?
What technology do people currently use?
[Link] an advertisement you have seen, but you did not like
You should say:
Where and when you saw it
What the advertisement was for
What you could see in the advertisement
And explain why you did not like the advertisement
Part 3
What role does social media play in advertising?
Does advertising encourage us to buy things we don’t need?
What do you think of celebrity endorsements in advertising?
What are the benefits of advertising?
Which one is more effective, newspaper advertising or online advertising?
What are the most advertised products in your country?
Part 3
What are the differences between old people and young people when they
use the Internet?
What kinds of people would still go to the library to read and study?
Is the library still necessary? Why?
Why do some people like to read the news on the Internet instead of getting
it from TV?
What’s the difference between the Internet and television?
What are the most popular and least popular apps in Vietnam?