Ask your British friend about his school traditions

SCHOOL TRADITIONS.

1. Let’s talk about school traditions. What traditions does your school have?

I study at Mogilev Regional Lyceum No 1. Our lyceum has a lot of traditions. In my opinion, the most interesting tradition is going on a trip at the beginning of the first year at the lyceum. I also like the ‘Chair’ tradition. Anyone can stand on this chair and read a beautiful poem. There are many other traditions, such as celebrations of different holidays, ‘Kapustnics’, sports competitions, and so on. They are all very exciting.

2. Does your school differ from any other school you know?

Our lyceum certainly differs from other schools. I must say that you need to take exams to enter our lyceum. Students here can major in such subjects as Maths and Physics or Information Technology, Chemistry and Biology, languages, History and Social Studies.

Ask your British friend about his school traditions.

4. Which school club would you advise your classmate to join?

We have a very good tourist club at our lyceum and students enjoy going on trips. After the trips it is very enjoyable to sing tourist songs and to chatter about our impressions there. I would advise everybody to join this club.

5.Today some young people think that having good education is very important. Do you agree with them?

I agree that having good education is not very important. You can’t be a good specialist without higher education. Good education is a chance to have an interesting and well-paid job.

8. Let’s talk about choosing a career.

1) Let’s talk about choosing a career. What would you like to become?

Well, it goes without saying that it’s not easy for a school-leaver to decide on his future career. There are very few boys and girls who are certain of what they are going to be. Usually, their plans for the future change many times during the school years. New subjects appear on the curriculum or maybe a new teacher comes and makes the old subject more interesting. Anyhow, a teacher’s influence on pupils’ minds is always great.

To be a good teacher means to be a good actor. A teacher must be able to hold the attention of his audience. Unlike an actor who says the words which he has learnt by heart, a teacher cannot learn his part by heart, but must invent it all the time. His audience takes an active part in his play. A good teacher must be quick to adapt himself to any situation and be able to improvise, if necessary.

I believe teaching is my calling. I want to work with children and to have a job that will keep me interested. And though the profession of a teacher involves immense responsibility, it is no doubt a very interesting and important profession. It is my cherished desire to become a good teacher of English.

2) Does a person need to possess special qualities to become a good specialist in this or that particular field? Why?

Let’s take the profession of a teacher, for example. I think that a good teacher of English should possess the following qualities: a good command of English, a tactful way of dealing with pupils, an even temper and a cheerful manner, a good sense of humour and imagination. It’s common knowledge that an ignorant teacher teaches ignorance, a fearful teacher teaches fear, a bored teacher teaches boredom. But a good teacher has a great influence on his pupils’ lives. So it is an incredible responsibility to be a teacher.

3) What questions will you ask your future employer about your future job?

4) Give me some advice on what I need to think about when choosing a job.

When choosing a job you should ask yourself if you are suitable for it. It is necessary to consider all pros and contras so as not to regret your decision afterwards. Actually, it’s not a pleasant thing to stay all your life in the job which you don’t like. So the most important thing is to have interesting and creative work. And if it’s well-paid at the same time, then it looks even more attractive.

5) Some people think that it is necessary to have a good command of a foreign language to get a good job. Do you agree with this?

At present many professions, such as a pilot, a programmer, an engineer, a businessman and many others, require a working knowledge of at least one foreign language. English is the main language of communication in such areas as science, computer technology, mass entertainment and international tourism. Soif you have a good command of a foreign language, you will have many more job opportunities.

9. Let’s talk about life in the city and life in the country.

1) Let’s talk about life in the city and life in the country. Describe your place.

I live in Mogilev. It is a regional town which lies on the picturesque banks of the Dnieper. The population of Mogilev is about 4 hundred thousand people.

Mogilev is a very old town. It was founded in 1267, so it is more than seven centuries old. Some legends say that Mogilev was named after Masheka, a very strong and courageous man, whose burial place was called “The Grave of the Lion”, which sounds in Russian as “Mogila Lva” or Mogilev.

There are many industrial enterprises in Mogilev. They produce machines, lifts, chemical products, textiles and many other useful things. Unfortunately, some enterprises increase our ecological problems.

I suppose we can say that Mogilev is a big cultural centre. There are several universities, many technical and secondary schools, colleges, lyceums and gymnasiums. We have a good drama theatre and a puppet theatre. There is a picture gallery and several exhibition halls. The museum of Byalynitsky-Birulya has a rich collection of pictures.

There are some places of interest in Mogilev. One of them is a field in Buinichi with a monument to Konstantin Simonov. During the Great Patriotic War 39 tanks were destroyed there. The defence of Mogilev, which stood against the enemy for 23 days when the whole of Belarus had already been occupied, was described by Konstantin Simonov in his book “The Living and the Dead”. Simonov often visited our town, and after his death the ashes of his body were scattered over this field.

2) Do you find your city/town/village a comfortable place for living?

I think that Mogilev is quite a comfortable place for living. It is a beautiful town and I love it very much. But, of course, though the beauty of nature and good facilities for living are important, there are things which we value much more. Our place is dear to us because there are people who care for us and who are dear to us. “There is no place like home”, an English proverb says, and really our home is always the best place for us.

3) What questions will you ask a person who decided to move to the country?

4) Your friend doesn’t know what to choose: to live in a city or in the country. Give him some advice.

I think it’s a matter of preference. If you want to escape from the noise of a big city and enjoy the beauty of nature, if you are tired of traffic jams and crowds of people everywhere, then you may choose the country. But you must bear in mind that you may soon be bored there as there are no sports clubs, theatres or discotheques.

5) How do you see an ideal house/flat?

I haven’t made up my mind yet what house or flat would be ideal for me. As for my future house I want it to be a flat in the centre of a big city. I think three rooms will be enough for me. And besides I want to have a summer cottage somewhere at the seaside. I want it to be a big modern one-storeyed house.

10. Let’s talk about different types of houses.

1) Let’s talk about different types of houses. Tell me about the house/flat you live in.

There are many different types of houses: detached, semi-detached and terraced houses, cottages, bungalows, mansions, etc. But in our country people mostly live in blocks of flats. Our family is not an exception.

I live in Mogilev (in Krichev) in Dimitrov Avenue (in Pervomayskaya Street, in Nepokoryonnykh Boulevard). Our flat is on the ground floor (the second floor) of a five-storeyed (nine-storeyed) block of flats. It’s a three-room (two-room) flat with all modern conveniences, such as central heating, electricity, gas, hot and cold running water and a telephone.

Our living room is quite large. We have a suite [swi:t] of furniture with a carpet to match. In the centre of the room there is a big pull-out table used when guests come. Near the window there are two arm-chairs and a sofa facing the TV-set.

The bedroom isn’t large. The walls are light pink. There are two beds, a bedside table, some chairs and a wardrobe in it. There is a grey rug on the floor between the beds. Mother and father occupy the bedroom and I have a room to myself.

My room isn’t large either. As a matter of fact, my room is my haven. I have everything I need in it. I live by the motto ‘My room is my castle’. It is a place where I can relax. When I want to be on my own, I can just shut my door and tell everyone not to bother me.

2) Do you like the place where you are living now?

Our flat is quite an ordinary one, but I like it all the same. I think everyone loves his home. I think that it doesn’t really matter where we live. Our home is always the loveliest, the dearest and the best place for us, because we live with those who love us and who we love, and there is no place like home for us.

3) Ask me what my flat looks like.

4) Your friend wants to decorate his room. Give him some advice on how to furnish it.

I can give only general advice.I think everyone wants to have a cosy place to live in. So this is what my friend should bear in mind when furnishing his room. It is aplace where he can relax, so it is better not to make it too cluttered.

5) They say that living in the country is better than living in a city. What do you think about this?

Frankly speaking, I can’t decide for sure where it is better to live.Cities and towns offer better job and education opportunities, a wide choice of entertainments and various places of interest. On the other hand, those who live in big cities have to put up with crowds of people everywhere, constant noise and pollution and traffic jams. Life in the country has a number of advantages. First of all you can escape from the noise of big cities and enjoy the beauty of nature. Then there are no traffic jams and there is no pollution. Life is much safer and cheaper in the country. But on the other hand, life is sometimes quite boring there. There are no sports clubs, theatres, discotheques. There are no schools in some small villages and children have to travel a long way to schooland back. Well, in my opinion, both the city and the country can be attractive places to live in as soon as they are well-preserved by people who live in them. People living in clean and beautiful places are happy there.

11. Let’s talk about Belarusian national cuisine.

1) Let’s talk about Belarusian national cuisine. What can you tell me about eating habits in your family?

They say you are what you eat. I quite agree with it. Our health depends on our eating habits. In our family we try to eat healthy food, not junk food. The first meal of the day is breakfast. A traditional breakfast in our family, and I think in many Belarusian families as well, is a cooked meal which may contain porridge, mashed potatoes with meat or an omelette. The most common drinks are some juice or a cup of tea or coffee.

For lunch I usually buy a bun or smazhanka and some juice at the lyceum cafeteria.

Dinner is the most substantial meal of the day. We usually have dinner at the lyceum canteen. It consists of 3 courses. We have chicken or cabbage soup for the first course, meat and vegetables for the main course and some juice or stewed fruit for dessert.

Supper is the time when all our family gather at table. Mother makes some salad, some fish or pasta. We drink tea and talk about our day.

2) Do you know any recipes of our national dishes?

We have some national dishes which I like very much. First and foremost it is draniki. They are made from grated raw potato. I cook them in a very simple way. I peel some potatoes, grate them, add a little salt and fry them on vegetable oil. I never add flour. They are tasty as they are without any additives. If we put meat inside, we call them kolduny. If we put grated potato into a pot and put it into an oven to bake, we call it babka. We can use machanka as a traditional sauce for draniki or pancakes. There are different recipes for machanka. Most often it is made with pork, sausage, sliced onion, sour cream and flour. As a matter of fact, I like cooking, and I know many recipes. I learned them from my granny and mom.

3) What questions will you ask a friend about his favourite dish?

4) Which national dishes can you recommend a tourist to taste in Belarus?

I think I can recommend draniki and kolduny first and foremost. They are very tasty and I’m sure tourists from other countries will enjoy eating them. Then they can be treated to pancakes and machanka. I think they will like them too.

5)Scientists say that fast food is unhealthy but people go on eating it. What do you think about it?

Nowadays many people enjoy fast food, but I agree with the scientists that it is unhealthy. Fast food looks nice and tasty, but if you eat it very often, you will easily become overweight. Fast food is inexpensive because it is made with cheaper ingredients such as fat meat, refined grains, sugar and fats, instead of nutritious foods such as lean meat, fresh fruit and vegetables. It doesn’t provide any benefits to the body and the harm it causes is numerous.

12. Let’s talk about the national cuisine of an English-speaking country.

1) Let’s talk about British national cuisine. What can you tell me about eating habits in Britain?

I know that in Britain eating habits differ from our eating habits. At breakfast some people have toast with butter and jam and a cup of tea with milk. Others eat a bowl of cereals with milk or porridge. Or they may have bacon and eggs.

They have lunch in the middle of the day. Or if a meal is eaten in the late morning instead of breakfast and lunch, it is called brunch. They usually eat meat, cheese or other sandwiches, or soup and bread. Drinks at lunch time are very different: fruit juices, coca-cola, sprite , and others.

At lunchtime on Sunday a traditional meal is the Sunday roast, for example, roast beef with roast potatoes, peas, green beans, Yorkshire pudding and gravy.

They have dinner between 7 and 8.30. It is a cooked meal of meat or fish and two vegetables, one of which is often potato. It is common to eat dessert (also known as pudding) after the main dish. They don’t have supper, as a rule.

2) Do you know any traditional British dishes?

I know that traditionally the British make a wide variety of puddings and cakes. Some of them, like plum pudding, have beef fat as a base, others, like apple pies and fruit tart use pastry. Black Pudding , made from pig’s blood, is a specialty of North England.

3) What questions can you ask a British friend about their national cuisine?

4) Your British friend can’t stop eating fast food. Try to persuade him that is unhealthy.

You should stop eating fast food because it is unhealthy. Fast food looks nice and tasty, but if you eat it very often, you will easily become overweight. Fast food is inexpensive because it is made with cheaper ingredients such as fat meat, refined grains, sugar and fats, instead of nutritious foods such as lean meat, fresh fruit and vegetables. It doesn’t provide any benefits to the body and the harm it causes is numerous.

5) Does British cuisine differ from Belarusian cuisine?

I suppose that British cuisine doesn’t differ much from Belarusian cuisine. Both our cuisines differ much from oriental cuisines, for example, but not from each other. Our eating habits are different, but the food we eat and the way we cook it are often alike. In both cuisines meat, fish, potatoes, dairy products are widely used. Both the British and Belarusians fry, roast or boil meat, fish and vegetables.

13. Let’s talk about shopping.

1) Let’s talk about shopping. Who does the shopping in your family?

Well, it goes without saying that we can’t do without shopping. My mother usually does the shopping in our family because she does most of the cooking, so she knows what she needs to buy. But when it concerns everyday things like bread and milk it is usually me who buys them. There is a supermarket near our house, so it doesn’t take me much time to do the shopping. I usually drop in there on my way from school.

2) Do you like shopping? Why (not)?

I can’t say that I’m very fond of shopping, but it is a part of our daily life and it is a chore that needs to be done. As I have already said I usually drop in at the supermarket on my way from school and buy some foodstuffs there. What I really enjoy doing is calling at the confectionary department. I have a sweet toothandI nearly always manage to talk mother into buying me some sweets, a bar of chocolate, some biscuits or the like.

3) What questions will you ask your friend who has bought an expensive telephone?

4) What can you advise a person who wants to buy many things (clothes, foodstuffs, etc.) but has little time?

I’m sure that a supermarket is a good place for those who want to buy many foodstuffs but have little time. They can buy bread and buns at the baker’s counter; milk, cottage cheese or sour cream at the dairy department; pork or beef at the butcher’s; and potatoes, onions and cabbage at the greengrocery.

Those who want to buy clothes or other things can go to the Central Department Store. You can buy everything you need there. It is composed of many departments: ready-made clothes, fabrics, footwear, headgear, leather goods, hosiery, china and glass, household goods, electric appliances and so on. Thereisusually a widechoiceofgoodsthere.

5.Parents usually give pocket money to their children. How do you usually spend your pocket money?

Nearly all teenagers can afford to buy small things because parents give them pocket money. I think it is quite reasonable. We spend a lot of time at school and we need money to buy something to eat during the day. We can also buy some small things for ourselves, like exercise-books, toothpaste, or perfume. My parents are quite happy about the way I spend my pocket money because I don’t spend money on trifles, I try to be thrifty.

14. Let’s talk about leisure time.

1. Let’s talk about your hobbies. What do you like doing in your free time?

Sunday is my day off. On Sundays I don’t go to school but that doesn’t mean that I have a lot of free time. Just on the contrary, I often have more work than on my working days. And the teachers of our lyceum probably think that the best way of making good use of our free time is to give us as much homework as possible. But I sometimes manage to have some fun. I usually do some sport, read a book, play a computer game or go for a walk.

2. Do you find useful to go to the theatre or cinema? Why (not)?

I certainly find it useful to go there as visiting such places is not only a pastime but a means of education as well. As for me, I'm fond of going to the cinema. It's a pity, I don't always have time for it. If I manage to go there I usually prefer watching comedies.

3. What questions can you ask a British friend about his/her free time?

Have you got much free time? Do you often go to the theatre or to the cinema? Do you go in for sports?

4. Give me some advice on what to do in my free time?

There are a lot of things to do in your free time. Your plans may depend on several factors: time, your mood, money and may be weather. Sometimes it is very pleasant to go for a walk to the park, to eat out, to go to the cinema or to the museum.

5. Many parents complain that teenagers don’t want to spend their free time with them. What do you think about this?

I think that it is not very easy to spend free time with parents. You see, planning how to spend week-ends is a difficult question for our family because everyone has a hobby of their own. For example, mother is a home sort. She likes watching TV and knitting. Father is always ready to go fishing. My favourite pastime is listening to music (playing computer games), but unfortunately I’m too pressed for time now and I can’t indulge in my hobby.

15. Let’s talk about customs and traditions of Belarus.

1) Let’s talk about customs and traditions of Belarus. What can you tell me about your favourite holiday in Belarus?

We have a lot of very interesting customs and traditions in Belarus. But my favourite is the tradition of celebrating the New Year. I suppose it is the favourite holiday of most Belarusians. This holiday is so colourful and beautiful that everybody looks forward to it months beforehand. First of all, we decorate a real fir tree. Father is responsible for bringing home a nice New Year tree and I’m in charge of decorating it. We go on long shopping rounds trying to buy beautiful toys. Mother is busy with cooking tasty things for the New Year festivities. She is especially good at cakes. Traditionally, her special dish is cake “Napoleon”. It is very delicious.

I always look forward to this holiday because everybody is in a good mood, we do everything together. There is a lot of music, tasty food and very good company.

2) Are you proud of our national holidays and traditions?

There are a number of national holidays and traditions that I’m proud of. For example, Kupalle is a very spectacular holiday. Probably, the favourite Belarusian holiday is Christmas carols or ‘Kalyady’. Songs, fortune-telling and many other exciting events take place on this holiday. ‘Dozhinky’ is a harvest festival which takes place every year in a different place. There are many more interesting traditions and holidays in our republic that we all can be proud of.

3) What questions about our traditions do you expect to hear from a British teenager?

4) Which holiday celebration in Belarus will you recommend your British friend to see?

I would recommend my British friend to take part in celebrating ‘Kupalle’. I’m sure it will be exciting for him to jump over a fire, to watch girls throw wreaths into the river and do a lot of other interesting things.

5) Do you think it is important to follow our grandparents’ traditions? Why?

I think it is important to follow our grandparents’ traditions because traditions strengthen family relations, they are passed from generation to generation and they have a positive influence on people.

16. Let’s talk about customs and traditions of English-speaking countries.

1) Let’s talk about customs and traditions of Britain. What can you tell me about your favourite holiday in Britain?

There are many interesting holidays and festivals in Britain. Christmas is a really important festival for British people. At Christmas people put up lots of decorations and give presents to their friends and family. In the morning a lot of families go to church. They come back home and have a special Christmas dinner – roast turkey, roast potatoes and a traditional Christmas pudding. Sometimes people put a silver coin in the pudding. It brings you good luck.

2) Do you find some British holidays and celebrations special? Why (not)?

It’s true that some British celebrations are very special. One of them is Guy Fawkes’ Night which takes place on the fifth of November. Every year British people remember Guy Fawkes and his plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605. Every November British people burn a model of Guy Fawkes. There are lots of fireworks, too.

3) What questions can you ask a British teenager about his birthday celebration?

4) What British festivals would you advise your friend to visit?

I would advise my friend to visit a festival of ghosts and witches called Halloween. It takes place on the 31st of October. In the evening there are a lot of parties, people dress up as ghosts, witches, cats, bats – or anything scary. Houses are decorated with pumpkins. Some children go from home to home and ask “Trick or treat?” If people don’t give them sweets they may play a trick.

5) Nowadays more and more people are getting interested in customs and traditions of different countries. What do you think about it?

I think that it is only natural that nowadays more and more people are getting interested in customs and traditions of different countries. People travel all over the world and it’s better to learn a few things about the country they are going to visit. They should remember that every country has its customs and it’s necessary to respect its history and culture.

17. Let’s talk about modern means of communication.

1) Let’s talk about modern means of communication. What are they?

Modern means of communication are, first of all, mobile phones and the internet. People can communicate on the internet using Skype, and chat-rooms. E-mails are quicker to write and send. Mobile phones let us contact others wherever they are. It’s difficult to imagine that just a century ago people lived without all modern devices.

2) Is there any gadget you can’t live without? Why (not)?

Nowadays we use a lot of gadgets. As a matter of fact, they make our life easier. Personally, I can’t live without my mobile. It helps me get in touch with my friends and parents at any time. It also has the Internet, a camera and lots of games, so it is useful for me in many ways.

3) What questions will you ask people who live without a mobile phone or a computer?

Is it hard to live without a mobile phone?

How do you contact your friends or relatives?