Saturday, 18 November 2017
Saturday, 11 November 2017
IELTS Speaking Part 1 - Question set 1
IELTS Speaking Part 1 - Question set 1
Introduction:
• How are you?
I am fine. Thank you. How are you, sir/ madam?
• What is your name?
My full name is Mark Arthur. My family members and friends call me Mark. This is my nickname.
• How do you spell your name?
I spell it as M–A–R–K A–R–T–H–U–R.
• What can I call you?
You can call me Mark. That is my nickname.
• What is your first name?
My first name is Mark.
• What is your last name?
My last name is Arthur. It represents our family name and title.
• What is the meaning of your name?
Mark is a common male name in our country. This name derived from old Latin word "Mart-kos", which originally means "consecrated to the god Mars". It also means "God of war" or "to be warlike". Marcus was one of the three most common given names in Ancient Rome and the name Mark in modern time actually derived from that name. When friends say that I am to be warlike, I say them, ‘No I am a fighter.’
The part Arthur of my name is a bit obscured in terms of its meaning and origin. The meaning of this name is actually unknown. It could have been derived from the Celtic elements artos, "bear", combined with viros, "man" or rigos "king". It could be related to an obscure Roman family name Artorius if we look back in the history.
• Is your name important to you?
Yes, definitely. This name represents me. To the world, I am Mark Arthur. So this means a lot to me.
• Why do so many people change their names?
I think there are various reasons for people to change their names. Some people simply hate their original names and think their names are too outdated. They want to get the feeling of some modern names. For some, this could be the reason of changing their identity. Some women might change their names after marriage or some might change it after migrating to a new country. Religious belief could be another reason why some people might change their names. Finally, some might change their name only to show their status.
• How have you reached here today?
Well, after I got ready I took a taxi and that dropped me in front of this building. The traffic on the road was better than usual. So I reached here pretty comfortably.
• May I see your proof of identification?
Sure, here you are.
• How old are you?
I am 25. This coming November I will turn into 26.
• Can you tell me about yourself and your family in short?
We I have recently finished my graduation from a reputed university majoring Business Administration. I want to pursue my higher education from a large university in the United Kingdom. I dream to become a successful entrepreneur in Information technology someday. I like reading books, listening to music and travelling to new places. I like my father very much and he is the best mentor I ever had.
I have a lovely happy family with 5 members. My father is working as a professor in a university and my mother is a manager in a private bank. I have got a younger brother and a sister who is three years senior to me. I have a very close relationship with my parents and siblings. We often go out to watch movies and for shopping. I have so many happy memories of my family and I will always love my parents for the unparalleled contribution and sacrifices they have for me. My grandmother used to live with us and she died a few years ago. I often miss her. She was a loving and caring person, probably the kindest and benevolent woman in the world.
I am fine. Thank you. How are you, sir/ madam?
• What is your name?
My full name is Mark Arthur. My family members and friends call me Mark. This is my nickname.
• How do you spell your name?
I spell it as M–A–R–K A–R–T–H–U–R.
• What can I call you?
You can call me Mark. That is my nickname.
• What is your first name?
My first name is Mark.
• What is your last name?
My last name is Arthur. It represents our family name and title.
• What is the meaning of your name?
Mark is a common male name in our country. This name derived from old Latin word "Mart-kos", which originally means "consecrated to the god Mars". It also means "God of war" or "to be warlike". Marcus was one of the three most common given names in Ancient Rome and the name Mark in modern time actually derived from that name. When friends say that I am to be warlike, I say them, ‘No I am a fighter.’
The part Arthur of my name is a bit obscured in terms of its meaning and origin. The meaning of this name is actually unknown. It could have been derived from the Celtic elements artos, "bear", combined with viros, "man" or rigos "king". It could be related to an obscure Roman family name Artorius if we look back in the history.
• Is your name important to you?
Yes, definitely. This name represents me. To the world, I am Mark Arthur. So this means a lot to me.
• Why do so many people change their names?
I think there are various reasons for people to change their names. Some people simply hate their original names and think their names are too outdated. They want to get the feeling of some modern names. For some, this could be the reason of changing their identity. Some women might change their names after marriage or some might change it after migrating to a new country. Religious belief could be another reason why some people might change their names. Finally, some might change their name only to show their status.
• How have you reached here today?
Well, after I got ready I took a taxi and that dropped me in front of this building. The traffic on the road was better than usual. So I reached here pretty comfortably.
• May I see your proof of identification?
Sure, here you are.
• How old are you?
I am 25. This coming November I will turn into 26.
• Can you tell me about yourself and your family in short?
We I have recently finished my graduation from a reputed university majoring Business Administration. I want to pursue my higher education from a large university in the United Kingdom. I dream to become a successful entrepreneur in Information technology someday. I like reading books, listening to music and travelling to new places. I like my father very much and he is the best mentor I ever had.
I have a lovely happy family with 5 members. My father is working as a professor in a university and my mother is a manager in a private bank. I have got a younger brother and a sister who is three years senior to me. I have a very close relationship with my parents and siblings. We often go out to watch movies and for shopping. I have so many happy memories of my family and I will always love my parents for the unparalleled contribution and sacrifices they have for me. My grandmother used to live with us and she died a few years ago. I often miss her. She was a loving and caring person, probably the kindest and benevolent woman in the world.
Study:
• Do you work or study?
I am currently studying. I am in the 11th semester and my major is economics.
• Where do you study?
I study in the (…university name…). It is one of the best private universities in our country. My major is Economics.
• What is the name of your college/ university?
The name of my university is (…say the full name of your university…). It is more popularly known as (…name that people call it in short…).
• What subject are you studying?
My major is Economics. I completed my school majoring commerce and studying in Economics was a long dream for me.
• Which part of the course do you enjoy most?
I enjoy learning new things in every semester. The project works in each semester is the part I enjoy most. These projects enable me to work in a group and hands on the theories I learn throughout the semester.
• Why did you choose to study that?
Honestly, I did not particularly select this subject. I attended the university admission test in commerce faculty and based on my performance on the exam and interview with the faculty members, I was offered this subject from their end. I wanted to study in commerce faculty and now I feel very lucky that I was offered this major.
• Is it a difficult subject to study?
In a general sense, this subject requires extensive study, research, group works and other academic activities. Things are new and challenging in many cases but I think with passion and dedication it can be conquered. To me, it is a difficult yet very enjoyable subject.
• What is your favourite subject?
Economics without any doubt is my favourite subject. I am very fascinated to discover the connection of this subject in our everyday life and the global economic structure has made it more complex yet more intriguing. I love to explore different theories and researches done on this subjects and how economics are all around us.
• What kind of school did you go to?
In my early childhood, I studied in a local English medium school and then was shifted to a government school by my parents when I was in grade 7. I was in a cantonment college and I have finished my twelve class degree from there. Now I am studying in a large university which is one of the best public universities in my country.
• What was your favourite subject at school?
Organisational behaviour, microeconomics were my two most favourite subjects so far. These two subjects have built my base and love for the whole course and I still find it fascinating.
• What is the best thing about your university/school?
I love my university life. The classes, friends, teachers, university life, my freedom to do so many things and my participation in some charity works organised by the university are equally important to me. If I have to select one best thing about my university, I would choose my exposure to a diverse culture and academic life that has motivated and inspired me to do even better than I initially thought. I was exposed to a life and era that was unimaginable to me and that is the best part of my university life so far.
• What part of university life do you like best?
Well, I think my previous answer already covers this answer. However, I would say I enjoy most of my university life and my exposure to a whole new culture that I never imagined is the best part of my university life. My university life offers me a vision about my future and potential jobs sectors and I think this is the best part.
• What is the educational system like in your country?
I am glad that you asked this question. In our country the primary education is mandatory for all and it is funded by the government unless someone wants to send his kids to a private English medium school. The secondary and tertiary education systems are also managed and run by the government and private organisations. The government controlled educational institutes are less costly and the curriculums are presented and monitored by the education board. On the other hand, the private educational institutes are bound to include some of the national curriculums and they mostly follow their own syllabus. In all universities and in many colleges, higher education is offered in English. The technical and vocational colleges and universities are also popular in our country and they mostly offer certification and degree in selected technical and practical skill related fields. The private universities are approved by the Government controlled bodies and they have to follow their rules very strictly. I am happy to see many changes brought to our educational system in the last few years and innovation and quality modern education is a vision our country has already started implementing.
• What are your future study plans?
It will take me another 7-8 months or so to finish my graduation and then I will try to get admitted in a foreign university which has a reputation for better education. There I will complete my Master's degree and would get involved in a job. Besides doing the job I have plans to get enrolled in a professional MBS course to further my education. If time allows, I also wish to do some research based courses related to my academic background and interest.
• What kind of job would you prefer after graduation?
I would prefer to work in a multinational company which will offer me a position related to my academic background and have a positive working environment to learn and explore new things. I would not worry too much about my designation and salary initially but the company must have sufficient scope for career enhancement.
• What is your career plan after you graduate?
For the first few years, I will work in a multinational company. Then maybe in 10 years, I will plan to start my own business. I would like to be an entrepreneur rather than working in a company for the rest of my life. I know being an entrepreneur is not that easy and it requires a lot of dedication and commitment. However, I would work to fulfil this plan after I finish my graduation.
• Why are you taking the IELTS test?
I am mainly taking the test to achieve a band score I require to apply in most of the reputed universities in Australia or Canada. As I have my plans to complete my Master's degree in a reputed foreign university, the IELTS score is a pre-requisite to prove my ability to handle the language – English, and I need the score to even apply to those universities.
I am currently studying. I am in the 11th semester and my major is economics.
• Where do you study?
I study in the (…university name…). It is one of the best private universities in our country. My major is Economics.
• What is the name of your college/ university?
The name of my university is (…say the full name of your university…). It is more popularly known as (…name that people call it in short…).
• What subject are you studying?
My major is Economics. I completed my school majoring commerce and studying in Economics was a long dream for me.
• Which part of the course do you enjoy most?
I enjoy learning new things in every semester. The project works in each semester is the part I enjoy most. These projects enable me to work in a group and hands on the theories I learn throughout the semester.
• Why did you choose to study that?
Honestly, I did not particularly select this subject. I attended the university admission test in commerce faculty and based on my performance on the exam and interview with the faculty members, I was offered this subject from their end. I wanted to study in commerce faculty and now I feel very lucky that I was offered this major.
• Is it a difficult subject to study?
In a general sense, this subject requires extensive study, research, group works and other academic activities. Things are new and challenging in many cases but I think with passion and dedication it can be conquered. To me, it is a difficult yet very enjoyable subject.
• What is your favourite subject?
Economics without any doubt is my favourite subject. I am very fascinated to discover the connection of this subject in our everyday life and the global economic structure has made it more complex yet more intriguing. I love to explore different theories and researches done on this subjects and how economics are all around us.
• What kind of school did you go to?
In my early childhood, I studied in a local English medium school and then was shifted to a government school by my parents when I was in grade 7. I was in a cantonment college and I have finished my twelve class degree from there. Now I am studying in a large university which is one of the best public universities in my country.
• What was your favourite subject at school?
Organisational behaviour, microeconomics were my two most favourite subjects so far. These two subjects have built my base and love for the whole course and I still find it fascinating.
• What is the best thing about your university/school?
I love my university life. The classes, friends, teachers, university life, my freedom to do so many things and my participation in some charity works organised by the university are equally important to me. If I have to select one best thing about my university, I would choose my exposure to a diverse culture and academic life that has motivated and inspired me to do even better than I initially thought. I was exposed to a life and era that was unimaginable to me and that is the best part of my university life so far.
• What part of university life do you like best?
Well, I think my previous answer already covers this answer. However, I would say I enjoy most of my university life and my exposure to a whole new culture that I never imagined is the best part of my university life. My university life offers me a vision about my future and potential jobs sectors and I think this is the best part.
• What is the educational system like in your country?
I am glad that you asked this question. In our country the primary education is mandatory for all and it is funded by the government unless someone wants to send his kids to a private English medium school. The secondary and tertiary education systems are also managed and run by the government and private organisations. The government controlled educational institutes are less costly and the curriculums are presented and monitored by the education board. On the other hand, the private educational institutes are bound to include some of the national curriculums and they mostly follow their own syllabus. In all universities and in many colleges, higher education is offered in English. The technical and vocational colleges and universities are also popular in our country and they mostly offer certification and degree in selected technical and practical skill related fields. The private universities are approved by the Government controlled bodies and they have to follow their rules very strictly. I am happy to see many changes brought to our educational system in the last few years and innovation and quality modern education is a vision our country has already started implementing.
• What are your future study plans?
It will take me another 7-8 months or so to finish my graduation and then I will try to get admitted in a foreign university which has a reputation for better education. There I will complete my Master's degree and would get involved in a job. Besides doing the job I have plans to get enrolled in a professional MBS course to further my education. If time allows, I also wish to do some research based courses related to my academic background and interest.
• What kind of job would you prefer after graduation?
I would prefer to work in a multinational company which will offer me a position related to my academic background and have a positive working environment to learn and explore new things. I would not worry too much about my designation and salary initially but the company must have sufficient scope for career enhancement.
• What is your career plan after you graduate?
For the first few years, I will work in a multinational company. Then maybe in 10 years, I will plan to start my own business. I would like to be an entrepreneur rather than working in a company for the rest of my life. I know being an entrepreneur is not that easy and it requires a lot of dedication and commitment. However, I would work to fulfil this plan after I finish my graduation.
• Why are you taking the IELTS test?
I am mainly taking the test to achieve a band score I require to apply in most of the reputed universities in Australia or Canada. As I have my plans to complete my Master's degree in a reputed foreign university, the IELTS score is a pre-requisite to prove my ability to handle the language – English, and I need the score to even apply to those universities.
Work:
• Do you work somewhere?
Yes, I am working as a Business Analyst in a large IT company. the name of this company is IT Vista and I joined there 2 years ago.
• What do you do for the living?
The job is my main source of income. Apart from that, I work as a part-time consultant in a Business organisation and do some professional content writing as a freelancer.
• How much time do you spend at your job?
I spent around 8 hours every day in my day job. I get Saturday and Sunday off from this job which I utilise to spend time with my family. I work about 4 hours as a consultant in another office on Friday and Sunday. Apart from that, my freelancing career requires me 2 hours approximately each night. So on an average, I spend around 9-10 hours per day at my job.
• How long have you been working?
As a full-time employee, I am working for the last 4 years. But I started my freelancing career far before than that.
• Do you like your job?
Definitely, I love my job. I love the work I do and I like to be productive in my job field. In fact, my job brings me my bread and butter and I am grateful for having a nice job in a prestigious organisation.
• What are you doing these days?
You mean in my office right? In my office, I am working on requirement creation for a large software and I need to report the progress every day to the team lead. Apart from that, I am writing a pdf manual for a client.
• What do you do in a typical day at work?
I mostly research different software and try to understand what the market leaders of a particular software are doing. I document their strong and weak points and then call a meeting to describe my findings. Then I take feedback from the developers and other senior managers to finalise my software requirement. I often attend meetings with my CEO and team members to track the progress of a project.
• What responsibilities do you have?
Well, I work as a business analyst in a large software company and my responsibilities include understanding and documenting the requirements of the clients, competitor analysis, market research, then converting the requirements for the programmer, tracking the project, updating the CEO about the progress, collaborating with the developers, communicating the clients for further changes, testing the software from a high level and making sure that the software is delivered to the clients before deadline.
Those are in fact the main responsibilities I have in my job. However, due to the dynamic nature of the software industries, I often need to perform additional tasks as required for making a project successful.
• Why did you choose that kind of work?
Well, being a business analyst was not my initial career plan. I started my career as a programmer. While I worked with another large software company, they promoted me to this position and I found it more challenging and demanding. I started enjoying my work and then decided to work as a business analyst. The business analyst position of a company requires these kinds of works and the responsibilities are equally demanding and challenging. I think I chose to work in this position initially because I was promoted to this position but I have continued this position because I enjoy my work.
• Did you have to do any training or study for this job?
Computer Science was my major at my university and this is a must to start a career as a software programmer. After I worked in many software development projects for about 2 years, I was promoted to the business analyst job position. So I would say my education in university level and job experiences for about 2 years as a developer were required for this job position. Apart from that, I had to complete two comprehensive training sessions before I started working in this position.
• Is there anything you don't like about your job?
I would say I enjoy most of the responsibilities I have in this job position. However, the part I least enjoy is the pressure I have to take to finish a project before a deadline. Sometimes the time estimation is to perfect due to various facts but that’s something the CEO and the clients are adamant to listen to. Once a deadline is fixed, they want to have it religiously followed. Besides, I often need to cancel my family programs and work in the office during holidays. This is another part I do not like since it damages my family and personal life.
• Was it easy to get this job?
Well, it’s hard to say. As I told you I started my career as a software developer and then was promoted to this current job position. Probably the CEO of that company considered me as a deserving candidate for this position. Then I joined another company in this same job position and I went through a rigid interview session. So I would say this is a tough job to get but in my case, that was comparatively easier.
• Did you like your first day at work?
Thank you for the question. In fact, my first day at work was such a unique experience that I will remember it forever. If I recall my memory of that particular day, I was nervous. It was like being on an alien planet with no friends or known persons. I sat at my desk and filled up some necessary forms and other employees came to my desk to greet me. I was intimidated when the HR manager asked me for a document that I forgot to bring. But I got back my harmony and usual myself when I found that my boss, the HR manager and other colleagues were very amiable and friendly. My CEO called me in his room and described my job responsibilities and tried to motivate me. That was really impressive as it completely erased my fear and anxiety. So I would say I liked my first day at work very much.
Now whenever a new employee joins our company I behave very compassionately and try to be very friendly with them considering how much it matters to them.
• Have you always wanted to do this type of work?
If you mean working in a software company, yes, I wanted to work as a software developer and then working in more seniors positions as soon as I got admitted in my university. But before that, I always wanted to be a doctor.
If you mean working as a business analyst, that would be difficult to answer. I never thought to be a business analyst till the day I was promoted to this position. However, if you ask me what I think now, I would say I love this job position and I was lucky to be promoted to this position.
• How long have you been doing this job?
Well, I am working as a business analyst for the last one year and a half. Before that, I worked as a programmer for about 2 years.
• How long will you continue to do this type of work?
Umm! I will continue to work for this type of job at least next 5 to 6 years. After that, I have a plan to become an entrepreneur and run my own software company.
• Would you like to do a different job in the future?
I might try to work as a part-time web-strategist for a large web development company. But I have not given it that much thought. I would love to continue my current job role for the next few years but won’t be interested in working in a different sector unless and until I start my own software company.
Yes, I am working as a Business Analyst in a large IT company. the name of this company is IT Vista and I joined there 2 years ago.
• What do you do for the living?
The job is my main source of income. Apart from that, I work as a part-time consultant in a Business organisation and do some professional content writing as a freelancer.
• How much time do you spend at your job?
I spent around 8 hours every day in my day job. I get Saturday and Sunday off from this job which I utilise to spend time with my family. I work about 4 hours as a consultant in another office on Friday and Sunday. Apart from that, my freelancing career requires me 2 hours approximately each night. So on an average, I spend around 9-10 hours per day at my job.
• How long have you been working?
As a full-time employee, I am working for the last 4 years. But I started my freelancing career far before than that.
• Do you like your job?
Definitely, I love my job. I love the work I do and I like to be productive in my job field. In fact, my job brings me my bread and butter and I am grateful for having a nice job in a prestigious organisation.
• What are you doing these days?
You mean in my office right? In my office, I am working on requirement creation for a large software and I need to report the progress every day to the team lead. Apart from that, I am writing a pdf manual for a client.
• What do you do in a typical day at work?
I mostly research different software and try to understand what the market leaders of a particular software are doing. I document their strong and weak points and then call a meeting to describe my findings. Then I take feedback from the developers and other senior managers to finalise my software requirement. I often attend meetings with my CEO and team members to track the progress of a project.
• What responsibilities do you have?
Well, I work as a business analyst in a large software company and my responsibilities include understanding and documenting the requirements of the clients, competitor analysis, market research, then converting the requirements for the programmer, tracking the project, updating the CEO about the progress, collaborating with the developers, communicating the clients for further changes, testing the software from a high level and making sure that the software is delivered to the clients before deadline.
Those are in fact the main responsibilities I have in my job. However, due to the dynamic nature of the software industries, I often need to perform additional tasks as required for making a project successful.
• Why did you choose that kind of work?
Well, being a business analyst was not my initial career plan. I started my career as a programmer. While I worked with another large software company, they promoted me to this position and I found it more challenging and demanding. I started enjoying my work and then decided to work as a business analyst. The business analyst position of a company requires these kinds of works and the responsibilities are equally demanding and challenging. I think I chose to work in this position initially because I was promoted to this position but I have continued this position because I enjoy my work.
• Did you have to do any training or study for this job?
Computer Science was my major at my university and this is a must to start a career as a software programmer. After I worked in many software development projects for about 2 years, I was promoted to the business analyst job position. So I would say my education in university level and job experiences for about 2 years as a developer were required for this job position. Apart from that, I had to complete two comprehensive training sessions before I started working in this position.
• Is there anything you don't like about your job?
I would say I enjoy most of the responsibilities I have in this job position. However, the part I least enjoy is the pressure I have to take to finish a project before a deadline. Sometimes the time estimation is to perfect due to various facts but that’s something the CEO and the clients are adamant to listen to. Once a deadline is fixed, they want to have it religiously followed. Besides, I often need to cancel my family programs and work in the office during holidays. This is another part I do not like since it damages my family and personal life.
• Was it easy to get this job?
Well, it’s hard to say. As I told you I started my career as a software developer and then was promoted to this current job position. Probably the CEO of that company considered me as a deserving candidate for this position. Then I joined another company in this same job position and I went through a rigid interview session. So I would say this is a tough job to get but in my case, that was comparatively easier.
• Did you like your first day at work?
Thank you for the question. In fact, my first day at work was such a unique experience that I will remember it forever. If I recall my memory of that particular day, I was nervous. It was like being on an alien planet with no friends or known persons. I sat at my desk and filled up some necessary forms and other employees came to my desk to greet me. I was intimidated when the HR manager asked me for a document that I forgot to bring. But I got back my harmony and usual myself when I found that my boss, the HR manager and other colleagues were very amiable and friendly. My CEO called me in his room and described my job responsibilities and tried to motivate me. That was really impressive as it completely erased my fear and anxiety. So I would say I liked my first day at work very much.
Now whenever a new employee joins our company I behave very compassionately and try to be very friendly with them considering how much it matters to them.
• Have you always wanted to do this type of work?
If you mean working in a software company, yes, I wanted to work as a software developer and then working in more seniors positions as soon as I got admitted in my university. But before that, I always wanted to be a doctor.
If you mean working as a business analyst, that would be difficult to answer. I never thought to be a business analyst till the day I was promoted to this position. However, if you ask me what I think now, I would say I love this job position and I was lucky to be promoted to this position.
• How long have you been doing this job?
Well, I am working as a business analyst for the last one year and a half. Before that, I worked as a programmer for about 2 years.
• How long will you continue to do this type of work?
Umm! I will continue to work for this type of job at least next 5 to 6 years. After that, I have a plan to become an entrepreneur and run my own software company.
• Would you like to do a different job in the future?
I might try to work as a part-time web-strategist for a large web development company. But I have not given it that much thought. I would love to continue my current job role for the next few years but won’t be interested in working in a different sector unless and until I start my own software company.
Daily routine, Activities & Leisure:
• What would you like to change in your daily routine?
I would like to get up earlier in the morning than I do now. Next, I would like to take up regular exercises in a gymnasium. Apart from that, I would like to leave office/ university early to walk in the park for an hour. Apart from that, my current daily routine is all good.
• Are all your days the same?
Not really. My usual office/ university days and days off are quite different. While in a typical day I remain busy at office/ university, I mostly stay at home during my days off. The routines are quite different as well. During my longer holidays, my routine changes and they are quite different than other busy days.
• Tell me about your typical weekday and your typical weekend.
Well, on a typical weekday, I get up early in the morning, take a shower and eat my breakfast. Then I hurry for my office/ classes and the bad traffic kills some time on the roads. After I reach the office/ university, I need to concentrate on my work/ study & classes and I return home at around 6:30 pm. I eat my dinner at around 8:30 pm, read the daily newspapers or a book, watch the news channel and browse the internet. I study/ spend time with my family till 11:30 and then prepare to go to bed. I usually sleep at around 12:30 and always try to read something or listen to music before I sleep. If I have an exam/ office deadline, I study/ work till late night.
On the contrary, during my weekend, I wake up late in the morning, grab the newspaper and look at the headlines and in some interesting news sections. Then I take a shower and eat my breakfast. I watch some TV programmes and then go outside to meet my colleagues/ friends who live nearby. I spend some time outside and then return home before lunch. In the noon I take a nap and in the evening I either go to a shopping mall to buy necessary things or visit a theatre to enjoy a movie with friends/ family members or go to a park to walk. In the evening I either play video games or spend time reading books or browsing the internet. I usually take my dinner at around 10.30 pm during my days off and go to bed after 1.30 am.
• What is the balance of work/study and free time in your normal day?
Well, I think I can maintain a good balance between my work/study and free time in my daily routine.
When I am at home, I spend my time with my family members. I have some of my personal interests and hobbies that I have not quit. I can manage time to spend some quality times with my family members even during the weekends. I meet my friends regularly and spend time with them as well.
Overall I am happy with my daily routine as it let me maintain my work/ study life separate from my personal life.
• Do you have any hobbies or interests? What are they?
Well, I have numerous hobbies and interests including collecting coins, collecting stamps, reading books, watching movies in the theatre and updating a blog.
I like to update my blog and spend around 1-2 hours daily to write for this blog. This is a blog related to technology and I am very happy to notice the increase in daily visitors.
I have more than 300 coins from different countries and they include many old coins that are no longer in use. I love to collect new coins and stamps whenever possible. I love to read books, especially fictions and watch movies in theatres with friends and family members mostly in days off.
• How did you become interested in (the interest or hobbies you have mentioned)?
Well, I got interested in collecting coins mostly because one of my uncles had this hobby and in my childhood, I found it both fascinating and educative.
I started collecting stamps possibly because this is a common hobby when I was a teen. This is something I still feel passionate about. Reading books is a habit and hobby I possibly inherited from my grandmother who was a voracious reader and a wise woman. Watching movies in a cinema hall is something I myself found enjoyable and attractive.
Finally writing the blog was an academic requirement at first and then I realised the usefulness and possibility of it later on.
• What is there to do in your free time in your home town/ village?
In fact, there are a variety of activities someone can do in my hometown. Enjoying the sunset beside a river is a common interest of local people. They often enjoy boat riding, playing football, fishing and similar activities. Young people often play cricket, badminton and table tennis. There are also few large libraries where book lovers can enjoy their time.
Someone new in our hometown can visit the local photo gallery, museum and public library.
• How do you usually spend your holidays?
I mostly spend my holidays with my family members. Typical days are busy days and I scarcely get time to spend the whole day with my family. That’s why my first preference on my holidays is to spend some quality times with my family members. Apart from that, I often hang out with my friends in the evening or play outdoor games with them.
• Is there anywhere you would particularly like to visit? Why?
Well, I would love to visit Rome because of its historical significance and tourists attractions. It’s been quite a while since I have I planned to visit this city specifically to see Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Roman Forum, Piazza Navona, St. Peter's Basilica, Piazza del Campidoglio and Vatican Museum.
• What do you usually do in your spare time?
As I told you, I mostly spend time with my family members and friends in my spare time. I often watch movies with them, play football and chess, and go out for shopping. I also read story books and maintain my personal blog in my free time.
• What is your favourite colour? Why?
Blue is my favourite colour. This is probably because it is the colour of the sky and represents serenity, tranquility, nature and a decent personality.
• Do you like the same colours now as you did when you were younger? Why/ Why not? Yes, blue has always been my favourite colour. Apart from that, I had little interest in purple and green colour in my childhood that I started liking in my late teen ages.
• What can you learn about a person from the colours s/he likes?
Colour preference can represent the psychology and personality of a person. From the preference of colour of a person, we can learn about his background, personality, choices and many other psychological aspects.
• Do any colours have a special meaning in your culture?
Yes, white and red is the colour of our nationality and flag. White represents peace and serenity in our culture. Though red has a different meaning in our culture, it is perfectly okay to use red to show our respects to our country and freedom.
• Do you prefer relaxing at home or going out in the evening? Why?
That actually depends. If I stay home the whole day, I prefer going out in the evening. In case I stay outside the whole day and return home in the evening, I prefer staying at home rather than going out again.
• When you go out for an evening, what do you like to do?
I call my close friends to check out what they are doing and whether they are busy or not. If they are free, I either choose to visit a park and spend time there with my friends or arrange an outdoor game like cricket or badminton.
Sometimes I go out for shopping in the evening if this is necessary or enjoy a movie in a movie theatre.
• How popular is this with other people in your country?
I would say this is quite popular among the mass people in my country. Many of them like to visit parks or any recreational place in the evening. Young people prefer to play outdoor games while females mostly prefer to go out shopping. The number of people who enjoys movies in a theatre is also very large and I can feel it every time I go there.
• Is there any kind of entertainment you do not like? Why/ Why not?
Yes, there are certain types of activities that other people find entertaining and interesting but I do not enjoy at all. For instance: playing any games that might physically hurt others is something I never enjoy. Mocking others and making silly comments just to hurt others’ feeling is quite abominable in my opinion. I never understand how someone can enjoy such heinous activity!
Ahh, watching rubbish and boring soap opera which basically has no real plot or creativity is something I dislike a lot. Finally, listening music very loudly is something I never enjoy as it annoys others in most of the cases.
• What kinds of things make you laugh?
Watching funny and humorous TV serials like ‘Friends’, ‘The Big Bang Theory’ and ‘How I Met Your Mother’ often makes me laugh. I also enjoy and laugh when I see my 4 years old nephew doing something funny or serious. He seems like have got a sense of humour and a responsibility to make me laugh.
Apart from that, I laugh when I see any cute animal playing or doing something interesting. Another thing that makes me laugh is the stupidity of young and adult people, but often this is more of pity than pure laugh.
I would like to get up earlier in the morning than I do now. Next, I would like to take up regular exercises in a gymnasium. Apart from that, I would like to leave office/ university early to walk in the park for an hour. Apart from that, my current daily routine is all good.
• Are all your days the same?
Not really. My usual office/ university days and days off are quite different. While in a typical day I remain busy at office/ university, I mostly stay at home during my days off. The routines are quite different as well. During my longer holidays, my routine changes and they are quite different than other busy days.
• Tell me about your typical weekday and your typical weekend.
Well, on a typical weekday, I get up early in the morning, take a shower and eat my breakfast. Then I hurry for my office/ classes and the bad traffic kills some time on the roads. After I reach the office/ university, I need to concentrate on my work/ study & classes and I return home at around 6:30 pm. I eat my dinner at around 8:30 pm, read the daily newspapers or a book, watch the news channel and browse the internet. I study/ spend time with my family till 11:30 and then prepare to go to bed. I usually sleep at around 12:30 and always try to read something or listen to music before I sleep. If I have an exam/ office deadline, I study/ work till late night.
On the contrary, during my weekend, I wake up late in the morning, grab the newspaper and look at the headlines and in some interesting news sections. Then I take a shower and eat my breakfast. I watch some TV programmes and then go outside to meet my colleagues/ friends who live nearby. I spend some time outside and then return home before lunch. In the noon I take a nap and in the evening I either go to a shopping mall to buy necessary things or visit a theatre to enjoy a movie with friends/ family members or go to a park to walk. In the evening I either play video games or spend time reading books or browsing the internet. I usually take my dinner at around 10.30 pm during my days off and go to bed after 1.30 am.
• What is the balance of work/study and free time in your normal day?
Well, I think I can maintain a good balance between my work/study and free time in my daily routine.
When I am at home, I spend my time with my family members. I have some of my personal interests and hobbies that I have not quit. I can manage time to spend some quality times with my family members even during the weekends. I meet my friends regularly and spend time with them as well.
Overall I am happy with my daily routine as it let me maintain my work/ study life separate from my personal life.
• Do you have any hobbies or interests? What are they?
Well, I have numerous hobbies and interests including collecting coins, collecting stamps, reading books, watching movies in the theatre and updating a blog.
I like to update my blog and spend around 1-2 hours daily to write for this blog. This is a blog related to technology and I am very happy to notice the increase in daily visitors.
I have more than 300 coins from different countries and they include many old coins that are no longer in use. I love to collect new coins and stamps whenever possible. I love to read books, especially fictions and watch movies in theatres with friends and family members mostly in days off.
• How did you become interested in (the interest or hobbies you have mentioned)?
Well, I got interested in collecting coins mostly because one of my uncles had this hobby and in my childhood, I found it both fascinating and educative.
I started collecting stamps possibly because this is a common hobby when I was a teen. This is something I still feel passionate about. Reading books is a habit and hobby I possibly inherited from my grandmother who was a voracious reader and a wise woman. Watching movies in a cinema hall is something I myself found enjoyable and attractive.
Finally writing the blog was an academic requirement at first and then I realised the usefulness and possibility of it later on.
• What is there to do in your free time in your home town/ village?
In fact, there are a variety of activities someone can do in my hometown. Enjoying the sunset beside a river is a common interest of local people. They often enjoy boat riding, playing football, fishing and similar activities. Young people often play cricket, badminton and table tennis. There are also few large libraries where book lovers can enjoy their time.
Someone new in our hometown can visit the local photo gallery, museum and public library.
• How do you usually spend your holidays?
I mostly spend my holidays with my family members. Typical days are busy days and I scarcely get time to spend the whole day with my family. That’s why my first preference on my holidays is to spend some quality times with my family members. Apart from that, I often hang out with my friends in the evening or play outdoor games with them.
• Is there anywhere you would particularly like to visit? Why?
Well, I would love to visit Rome because of its historical significance and tourists attractions. It’s been quite a while since I have I planned to visit this city specifically to see Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Roman Forum, Piazza Navona, St. Peter's Basilica, Piazza del Campidoglio and Vatican Museum.
• What do you usually do in your spare time?
As I told you, I mostly spend time with my family members and friends in my spare time. I often watch movies with them, play football and chess, and go out for shopping. I also read story books and maintain my personal blog in my free time.
• What is your favourite colour? Why?
Blue is my favourite colour. This is probably because it is the colour of the sky and represents serenity, tranquility, nature and a decent personality.
• Do you like the same colours now as you did when you were younger? Why/ Why not? Yes, blue has always been my favourite colour. Apart from that, I had little interest in purple and green colour in my childhood that I started liking in my late teen ages.
• What can you learn about a person from the colours s/he likes?
Colour preference can represent the psychology and personality of a person. From the preference of colour of a person, we can learn about his background, personality, choices and many other psychological aspects.
• Do any colours have a special meaning in your culture?
Yes, white and red is the colour of our nationality and flag. White represents peace and serenity in our culture. Though red has a different meaning in our culture, it is perfectly okay to use red to show our respects to our country and freedom.
• Do you prefer relaxing at home or going out in the evening? Why?
That actually depends. If I stay home the whole day, I prefer going out in the evening. In case I stay outside the whole day and return home in the evening, I prefer staying at home rather than going out again.
• When you go out for an evening, what do you like to do?
I call my close friends to check out what they are doing and whether they are busy or not. If they are free, I either choose to visit a park and spend time there with my friends or arrange an outdoor game like cricket or badminton.
Sometimes I go out for shopping in the evening if this is necessary or enjoy a movie in a movie theatre.
• How popular is this with other people in your country?
I would say this is quite popular among the mass people in my country. Many of them like to visit parks or any recreational place in the evening. Young people prefer to play outdoor games while females mostly prefer to go out shopping. The number of people who enjoys movies in a theatre is also very large and I can feel it every time I go there.
• Is there any kind of entertainment you do not like? Why/ Why not?
Yes, there are certain types of activities that other people find entertaining and interesting but I do not enjoy at all. For instance: playing any games that might physically hurt others is something I never enjoy. Mocking others and making silly comments just to hurt others’ feeling is quite abominable in my opinion. I never understand how someone can enjoy such heinous activity!
Ahh, watching rubbish and boring soap opera which basically has no real plot or creativity is something I dislike a lot. Finally, listening music very loudly is something I never enjoy as it annoys others in most of the cases.
• What kinds of things make you laugh?
Watching funny and humorous TV serials like ‘Friends’, ‘The Big Bang Theory’ and ‘How I Met Your Mother’ often makes me laugh. I also enjoy and laugh when I see my 4 years old nephew doing something funny or serious. He seems like have got a sense of humour and a responsibility to make me laugh.
Apart from that, I laugh when I see any cute animal playing or doing something interesting. Another thing that makes me laugh is the stupidity of young and adult people, but often this is more of pity than pure laugh.
Hometown, Village, Living place, City, Tourism & Country:
• Where are you from?Well, I am from (…say the place's name you are from…) which is in (…city or district name…). It is a famous town which has a rich tradition and history. I am proud to be born there.
• Do you live in a village or in a town?
I live in a town which is (…say the town name…). It is, in fact, a very big town with more than 2 million populations. In recent years very rapid development took place in this town and it looks more like a large modern city these days, especially the northern part of the city.
• Who do you live with?
I live with my family. My family consists of my parents, my 3 siblings, my grandma and one of our younger uncles. We have a large number of house staffs who work for us and live in our house.
• What kind of place is it?
This is a large town with a very large number of people living there. The town has two main parts: old town and modern town. The old town reflects the traditional building, old ways of businesses and life and that will give you an impression of the history of this town. On the other hand, the new part, which is in the northern part of the town, has gone through numerous developments in the last few years and it is usually a busy part. People are amiable, educated and they live with peace and harmony, which is the most attractive part of our town, in my opinion. The city has a small area which is occupied by tea gardens and has a small river and many fountains. This is the most beautiful part of our town. Overall, my town is beautiful and it is a good place to live in.
• What kinds of people live there?
Well, the population of my town is around 2 million and most of them are educated. That is why a majority of them are either service holders or own their own businesses. The people are quite well behaved and amiable. If someone visits our town will get a good impression about the local people. Many people work in their shops and run restaurant businesses. The women are mostly housewives but some of them are in teaching and banking professions as well. The local history of people who originally migrated here 200 years ago is not that much known to us. However, we learned that our ancestors were mostly farmers and they picked this place because the farming land here was fertile.
• What kind of place do you live in (a house or an apartment)?
Well, I live in a house. This is basically the house my grandfather used to own. After his death my father inherited it and he improved the construction of the house in many aspects. This is a big house with over 2 acres of area. The main house has a three-storied building and the large garden in front of the house is the most attractive part of our house. I would say we have more people working for the maintenance of this big house than the number of family members we have.
• Do you think it’s better to live in a house or an apartment? Why?
I would say living in a house has far more advantages than living in an apartment. Big houses are spacious, have a garden and other places while an apartment has comparatively smaller rooms and no additional place. The houses give us an opportunity to live freely and there are very few privacy issues. On the contrary, an apartment has some rooms with no place for gardening and playing. The whole building is shared with many other families and that creates the privacy issues. You can reconstruct or build new facilities in a house which is quite impossible in an apartment. However maintaining a big house requires more effort than it is required for an apartment. Finally, I would say I always prefer living in a house than living in an apartment.
• How do people choose their place to live?
Well, if you mean the area where people choose to live, then I would say that depends on where they were born, where they inherited property and where they move for work, education and business.
If that was a question related choosing a living place between an apartment and a house, I would say this also depends on the type of property people inherit from their ancestors, the amount of money they earn and availability of space in the area they live in. For instance, if someone inherits a large house, it is less likely that he will buy an apartment to live in. On the contrary, an apartment might be affordable by many middle-class people but buying a house will cost a huge amount of money. So people also decide where to live based on their income. Finally, people need to move in different places for education business and work and they usually rent apartments there. So I would say personal preference, income range and needs are the three factors which are usually considered by people while choosing a place to live in.
• What’s the most interesting part of your town/village?
I think the people are the most interesting part of a village or town. Citizens of an area determine how the area would look like, how the roads and gardens would look like and many more aspects apart from the natural beauties of an area. My town is no exception and I find the people in my town are most intriguing. If I consider anything apart from people as interesting that would be the traditional buildings and way of life which are still available in the old part of my town.
• Can you tell me some history of your hometown?
Well, there are a lot of historical facts and events related to my hometown. First, it was a part of a large river during the 1800 and that area was converted to a farming land during the English colonial age in 1840. The English ruled this town for more than one thousand years and during this time the town went under the ruling of many prominent leaders of the history. Our ancestors were mostly farmers and they fought with the English soldiers and many of them died in this very land. The famous English courthouse was built here and that is a very ancient building created in this era. Our ancestors created a bridge at that ancient time and that’s still considered as one of the best handmade bridges ever built. Out hometown produces the finest quality of crops including rice, spice and many others which have a great demand in many foreign countries. This is a tradition and history which is more than 500 years old.
• How long have you been living there?
Well, I have been living there for my whole life. I am 28 and I have spent all these years in my hometown.
• What kind of jobs do the people in your town/village do?
Well, most of the people in my town work for the government, national and multinational organisations. About 10% of our total populations run their own businesses. Many people are farmers and while a small portion of people are involved in Information Technology related professions. The students work in many companies and shops as part-time employees. But the variety of jobs people do in my town is overwhelming which includes running their own boutique shops, fishing, driving trucks, selling artworks and many more.
• Does it have any historical building or site?
Yes, the museum we have in our town is considered as one of the most significant historical buildings in our area. This was in fact built in 1780 and it used to be the community hall for English rulers. In 1940 that was converted into a museum by the local government. Apart from that, the ‘Leaf Bridge’ which is more than 2 kilometres long is another beautiful and historic sight. It was built in 1978 and is very famous among the visiting tourists these days. The natural junction of 2 rivers is another famous spot as it was listed in the World Heritage Sites recently.
• Would you say it’s a good place to live? Why?
Yes, definitely. My hometown offers all the modern facilities, better job opportunities and then nice environment and communication systems someone can expect from a town. Apart from that, the people are nice and friendly. We have got some nice educational institutes, hospitals, community centres, better security and open spaces that make this town a better place to live in.
• How has it changed over the past few years?
Well, if I recall the way I had seen my home town a few years earlier, it had less population, fewer buildings, and a traditional way of life. But in the last few years, this town went through numerous developments. The frequent parks and open spaces have been replaced by the modern buildings and commercial establishments, more industries have been established and people seems like have a busy lifestyle these days. The professions of people have transformed to mostly industrial jobs while many of our ancestors were farmers. The roads have become wider and yet congested. The southern part of the town still has the old traditional lifestyle and buildings, but the other parts of the town are quite different than it was 10 years earlier.
• What would you recommend a visitor should see and do in your country?
Well, I would suggest a new visitor to visit our National museum first as it would give a pretty good idea about our history and tradition. The northern part of our country has one of the largest sea beaches in the world and this is quite an attraction no one should miss. We have some tribes living in the western part of the country and visiting this area and enjoying their works and lifestyle is also recommended. The hilly tracks, large tea gardens, one of the most beautiful natural fountains in the west part, and old historic buildings situated in our capital city are few other places I would recommend. Umm! Finally, the national theatre and science museum in the centre of our capital are two quite spectacular sites to visit and enjoy for a tourist.
• Are there any traditional arts or music you would recommend?
Well, the art centre and the University of Fine Arts in the Capital city are two places that I would recommend to any art and music lover. They usually have different art and musical shows around the year. But for that someone should contact before hand or find the schedule online. Thus a tourist would be able to pick an art show or music concerts s/he likes. Apart from traditional music concerts and art shows, we host many international programs that a new visitor would find quite attractive.
If a tourist can make his journey to any village in our country, he won’t need to go to a theatre or art gallery to enjoy the traditional arts or music. The working class people in our villages sing traditional songs and those are quite first-hand experience someone can get. The musical programs the village-people arrange during different seasons are something you won’t experience in a city show. The artworks are all around the villages: in the dresses they wear, the way they decorate their houses, the way they sew their clothes are all works of f
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