
- •1. Family
- •What is family for you?
- •Is family important in each person’s life? Why?
- •What will you ask your British friend about his family?
- •4. Friendship and relationship with friends
- •How important is friendship for you?
- •Can you rely on your best friend? Why (not)?
- •What questions do you usually ask when you want to get acquainted with someone?
- •What can you advise a teenager who has no friends?
- •They say: "a person has just only one true friend". What do you think about this?
- •5. Education
- •What can you tell me about the system of education in Belarus?
- •Schools differ from country to country. In what are British and Belarusian schools differ?
- •What questions would you ask your British friend about the system of education of England?
- •What can you advise a person who wants to become a scientist?
- •Today some young people think that having a good education is not very important. Do you agree with them?
- •6. Studying at school
- •What can you tell me about your school?
- •Some people think that school years are the happiest days in their lives. Can you say that you are happy in school? Why?
- •Ask me about my school
- •What kind of teacher would you like to have for your children in future?
- •Today some young people think that having a good education is very important. Do you agree with them?
- •7. School traditions
- •What can you tell me about the place where you study?
- •Does your school have any traditions?
- •Ask me about my school life
- •Which school club would you advise your classmates to join?
- •Tell me about your favourite school tradition
- •8. Choosing a career
- •What kind of job would you like to have in future?
- •Does a person need to possess special qualities to become a good specialist in this or that particular field? Why?
- •Your family is going to move. What questions will you ask your parents about your new flat/house?
- •Your friend doesn’t know what to choose: to live in a city or in the country. GIve him/her some advice
- •Describe the best place you would like to settle down when you leave school
- •10. Different types of houses
- •Tell me about the house/flat you live in
- •Do you find your city/town/village a comfortable place for living?
- •Scientists say that fast food is unhealthy but people go on eating it. What do you think about it?
- •13. Shopping
- •What do you know about the history of money?
- •Do you like shopping? Why (not)?
- •Is leisure time important in our life? Why (not)?
- •What questions can you ask your British friend about his/her free time?
- •Give me some advice on how to avoid boredom
- •Many parents think that children should spend less time playing computer games, that they should play outside or do some sport instead. What do you think about this?
- •Do you think it’s important to follow our grandparents’ traditions? Why?
- •16. Customs and traditions of an English-speaking country
- •What can you tell me about your favourite holiday in Britain?
- •Would you like to take part in a British holiday celebration? Why?
- •What questions can you ask a British teenager about good manners in their country?
- •What good manners will you recommend a British tourist to follow in Belarus?
- •Nowadays more and more people are getting interested in customs and traditions of different countries. What do you think about it?
- •17. Modern means of communication
- •Have modern means of communication really improved our life? Why?
- •Do you use many gadgets and devices at home? Why (not)?
- •What questions would you ask an outstanding scientist?
- •Do you agree that had habits, like smoking, can be dangerous? Why (not)?
- •What questions will you ask a dietitian?
- •Do you follow the latest fashion trends? Why (not)?
- •What means of transport do you prefer and why?
- •What questions would you ask a tour guide on a tour of London?
- •What would you like to show to your guests from England in Belarus?
- •Give me a piece of advice on what sight to see in London?
- •22. Environment
- •People say that our planet is in danger. Do you share this opinion?
- •What do you think people should do to protect the environment?
- •What questions will you ask a zoologist who works in the Belovezhskaya Pushcha?
- •There are different national parks and reserves in our republic to protect rare animals and plants. Which of them would you advise your British friend to visit?
- •What can you tell about the environmental situation in our republic?
- •23. Weather and climate
- •What is happening to weather and climate nowadays?
- •What weather do you like and why do you enjoy this kind of weather?
- •What questions would you ask a meteorologist?
- •What can you advise weather dependent people?
- •They say there’s no bad weather, there are bad clothes. What do you think about it?
- •24. Belarus
- •Let’s talk about Belarus. What do you know about our country?
- •Do you know any symbols of our country?
- •What questions will you ask a zoologist who works in the Belovezhskaya Puscha?
- •What would you like to show to your guests from England in Belarus?
- •What sights in our country belong to world heritage?
- •25. Great Britain
- •What do you know about this country?
- •What are the state symbols of Great Britain?
- •What would you ask your British friend about Britain?
- •Give me a piece of advice on what sight to see in London?
- •They say it’s important for a person to speak English nowadays because it’s popular all over the world. What is your opinion?
What can you tell me about the system of education in Belarus?
School year in Belarus starts on the first of September known as a Day of knowledge and runs through to late May. The school year is divided into four terms, called quarters. Each quarter is followed by holidays; autumn, winter, spring and the largest summer holidays.
Usually classes start at 8 a.m. and last till 2 p.m., so Belarusian school-children have 6-7 lessons a day. They study different subjects: Russian, Belarusian, English, Literature, History, Geography, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Maths, Computer Science and so on.
The typical Belarusian class contains 20 or 25 schoolchildren. Ninth grade is the last year of compulsory education. Tenth and eleventh grades offer optional paths either to vocational secondary school or to continue to study for university entrance exams. It’s required to wear uniforms, so schoolchildren every morning put on suit sets. Girls may choose between a shirt and trousers but a jacket is necessary. There is also a choice of colours.
Schools differ from country to country. In what are British and Belarusian schools differ?
In our country pupils start primary school at 6, and in England they go to school in 5. In Belarus pupils go to secondary school at 10, and in Britain - at 11. In Britain there are nursery, primary school and secondary school. At 16 you can either go to grammar school or to a college. The only thing that differs very much is a wide network of private schools in Britain.
What questions would you ask your British friend about the system of education of England?
At what age do children start school?
How many lessons do pupils have a day?
How long is your school year?
Do pupils take exams every year?
Do you use any modern gadgets at every lessons?
What can you advise a person who wants to become a scientist?
First, you should decide if science is for you or not. Just make sure that your temperament and personality fit this type of job and that you know what a typical day of being scientist is like. You should get good marks at school and have enough time to enter the university. Work hard at the university because only excellent students are able to become scientists.
Never miss your classes and try to get as much as possible from your teachers. To be a scientist you should get a bachelor’s degree in your chosen field. This is the minimum requirement for most jobs at research facilities. Try to work on your own or get some volunteer job to gain practical experience and contacts that may help you in your future job.
Never stop learning. You should study the latest developments in science by attending conferences, reading lots of magazines and books, surfing the Internet and gain experience from mature scientist.
Today some young people think that having a good education is not very important. Do you agree with them?
No, I don’t agree with them. Education plays an important role in the modern world. It is one of the valuable possessions a man can get in life. We get our knowledge about the world and life through education. Education develops all sides of human personality, reveals his abilities. Besides, it helps a person understand himself, to choose the right way in this world.
I think everyone should be educated. Educated people are always ready to find good job, they usually have a bright career. Besides, it is also much better to talk to educated and extraordinary person. Each pupil must do everything to become a useful member of our society. But the road to learning is not easy. The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet. It’s for you to decide to learn and make progress or not to learn and lose your time.