Topics and vocabulary English.Specialist.

hu

Conversational topics
(general guide to an oral exam at intermediate level)

The following list is to give you ideas and some vocabulary which may be useful
at an oral language exam.

Personal introduction
personal particulars, ID (identity card), passport, driving licence
how you prove your identity (when do you need to prove it?)
permanent address, temporary address, marital status
personal code number (cp. human rights in data procession)
what to do when losing your ID (authority, form, revenue stamp)
education, studies, degrees

The family
relatives, relations; getting along with the members of the family; the ideal
family image; describe somebody from your family (look + character &
behaviour)

Look, appearance, character
figure, face, hair, eyes, (eye)brows, (eye)lashes, complexion, nose, mouth, etc.
behaviour, manner, temper

Picture description
in the middle/centre/foreground/background, on the left/right (hand side), to
the left/right of ... , at the top/bottom, in the top/bottom left/right hand side
corner, in front of, behind, beside, between,;

Special family occasions
birthdays, name days, anniversaries, funerals (?), Christmas, Easter
wedding, mother's day, family gathering, garden party, family festival;

Friends
"friends should be few and good" - do you agree?
"a friend in need is a friend indeed" - what's your opinion?
describe and characterize one of your friends
have you got your best friend? why is he/she different from others?
your favourite kinds of pastime with friends
can a close relative or member of the family be your friend?
friends at school/work and out of school/work - what's the difference?
friendship with your teacher(s)/boss(es)? - agree or disagree
friends in different periods of life
the question of loneliness

Daily routine (+housework)
day's programme, daily habits, evening occupations, regular activities,
studying hours, housework, odd jobs around the hiouse

Description of your home
describe the house/flat where you live - do you like it?
(dis)advantages of living in a flat or in a house
describe the people living there
facilities, comfort
+kinds of flats/houses, housing shortage

Home life (+housework)
family life at home - different members of the family sharing rooms or living
separately/on their own - life in a students' hostel, digs/lodgings, bedsitter;
house rule, common room, dormitory, landlady, landlord;
daily routine at home, housework, quarrels in a family
staying at home or going out?

The neighbourhood, your village or town
describe the area where you live - do you like it?
(dis)advantages of living in a village or in a large city
describe the people living there
facilities, comfort, entertainment, possibilities of going out, work, school,
making friends there - as opposed to other places

Traffic, public transport
giving directions, using a town map;
means of transport, kinds of tickets, fares; driving a car; the Highway Code
environmental pollution

Weather and seasons; climate
what's the weather like today? what's the forecast for tomorrow?
what's the outlook for the next few weeks?
compare weather in Britain and in your country; why the English always speak
about weather; give examples for different kinds of weather/climate all around
the Earth; the connection between weather and agriculture
weather/seasons and sports;
what's your favourite season? why? what do you do then?

Clothing
connection between weather and clothing;
everyday clothing (school/work/home) vs clothes for special occasions;
difference between men's and women's clothes;
describe a special set of clothes (worker/sportsman/infant/etc.);
what clothes do you like wearing? why?

Nature
what's the connection between man and nature?
the peace of nature vs life in a busy town;
quiet and pleasant places in nature;
the (wild) world of animals and plants;
describe your favourite plants and animals and their life;
different living creatures: mammals, birds, reptiles, insects;
beasts/birds of prey, apes, fish, trees, bushes, flowers;
describe an animal and a plant, tell about its environment;

Outings
do people need going out?
what do we look for in nature?
observing plants and animals (cp. 'Nature')
describe a place where you like to go
what do you take going on an excursion?

Environmental protection
the green movement, pollution, industry, chemicals, traffic, smog;
the role of trees and other plants in nature, the disappearing rain forest; why do
people cut down trees?
how green are you? how do you protect nature?

School life
the school you go to; why you chose this school; school atmosphere, friends,
teachers, headmaster (appearance, character, their influence on you), the image
of an ideal techer/student; school programmes, excursion, camps, parties;
helping one another vs n
not caring for other people, indifference; school life vs holidays

Class, subjects
describe the classroom and the school building and its environment; speak
about your classmates and teachers (characters and relations); subjects you
study + what you learn, like, dislike;
your way of learning as compared with others'

Studying, extra lessons
how much/when/where you study; your success in studying; schoolwork,
homework, extra work, evening classes, holiday courses; studying methods and
tricks; taking exams, writing essays;
is studying fun for you?

Education, school types
crche, nursery school, kindergarten, elementary/primary school, secondary
school,
university faculties, departments, degree, postgraduation;
connection between education and finding a job

Career, working
your plans for the future, career ideas; can work be one's hobby?
act out a job interview; write your CV (curriculum vitae);
describe a worker or employee and his/her work and life;
occupation, job, profession,
different kinds of jobs and places of work with their advantages/disadvantages;

Food & Meals
different meals, different habits; laying the table; table manners;
special/occasional meals; your favourite food & how you make it;
cuisine in different countries; give a recipe; kitchen devices; different ways of
cooking; shopping for food

Sports
indoor/outdoor sports & games
water sports, track and field events, technical sports
what's your favourite sport/game? why?
what sports do they do at the Olympic Games?
describe the rules of a game;
do sports, play games, training, coach, stadium, Olympic Games
indoor/outdoor sports, ball games, track and field events, water sports, winter
sports, technical sports

Illnesses, accidents
illnesses and their symptoms; hospital, doctor's surgery; dentist
act out a dialogue at the doctor's/chemist's;
National Health Service, social insurance, sick leave, first aid, G.P. (general
practitioner)

Healthy life
stress, tension, breathe fresh air, do exercises, sport, physical education, drug
addiction, alcoholism, smoking, AIDS, balance of work and rest, healthy food;
natural therapeutics, preventive medicine

Hobbies
favourite pastime; connection between character and hobby;
men's/women's typical hobbies; do-it-yourself movement; clubs;
individual vs group activities; funny or strange hobbies;
are there people without hobbies?; do hobbies cause any damage

Books, newspapers, magazines
your favourite writer and his works; different styles in literature;
going to libraries; subscription to papers;
the role of the press in people's lives;
fiction vs non-fiction:
newspaper headlines, popular daily papers and magazines in Britain, quality
papers

Films, videos, television, radio
going to the cinema; the usual cinema show in your country/Britain;
kinds of films; different TV and radio channels; cinema or TV??, (dis)advantages;
the influence of radio and TV on people's lives; borrowing videos;
buying or copying videos? - the question of copyright;
your favourite film star/actor/actress/director;

Music
is music art or just entertainment? what makes a piece of music good?
the relation between dance and music; music as a background activity;
different styles and branches; musicians, composers, orchestras;
musical instruments and the way you play/tune them; reading notes;
classical vs pop/rock music;

Theatre, concerts
theatre vs cinema, the atmosphere of the theatre, theatre/play description,
stage management,
different kinds of drama, playwrights, genres;
Shakespeare and the English theatre

Going out
staying at home or going out? - argue for and against;
where you or other people usually go in your/their free time;
different kinds of entertainment out of home;
museums, exhibitions, cinemas, theatres, concerts, ballet, variety shows, clubs,
zoo, leisure centre, amusement parks/centres, sports events, puppet shows,
children's programmes, parties;
argument between children and parents about staying out late

Weekends
the difference between weekend and weekday activities;
having a rest or going out? - housework or family programmes?
relaxation vs useful kinds of pastime; extra work at weekends;
a typical weekend in England and in your country

Shops and things to buy
different kinds of shops; home delivery; off-season sales; bargaining;
small shop or supermarket/department store? - argue for or against;
act out a situation in a shop

Eating out
argue for or against eating in a restaurant, pub, caf, snack bar;
takeaway food: comfort at reasonable price; the (dis)advantage of fast food
places and self-service; describe your favourite place to eat;
act out a situation in a restaurant; table manners; laying the table;

Various services (bank, post office, repair shop, etc)
act out situations in a bank, post office, laundrette, etc.
make a telephone call, post a letter; different kinds of mail;
the English Post Office;
the importance of having a bank account (if any)

Holidays
summer/winter holidays; frequented holiday places and activities;
preparation for a trip, cost estimate, decide on the route, decide what to take,
pack;
passport, visa, (foreign) currency, travel insurance;
your favourite places/preferences

Tourism
why do people visit places of interest? what are they interested in?
describe a typical place for tourism and a typical tourist;
arrange a tour at a tourist office (cp. 'Holidays' & 'Travelling')

Travelling
means of transport and their (dis)advantages in travelling;
where and how you last travelled;
accommodation, hotel, camp site, guest house;
passport, visa, insurance; customs control/declaration;
tourist office, travel agency, book a trip, package tours;
route, places of interest, holiday areas;
situations at the airport/railway station/port; rent a car
(cp. 'Holidays' & 'Tourism')

Hotel
arrange your accommodation in a hotel; the importance of facilities and
comfort;
hotel vs camp site or private accommodation; hotel categories, famous hotel
chains;
act out a situation with a hotel guest complaining to the manager

Visiting your country
geography and history;
guide a tourist in your country, speak about sights and places of interest;
customs and traditions, folk art, music

Culture and civilization
culture: (1) refined understanding of art, literature, etc.; (2) state of intellectual
development of a society; (3) particular form of intellectual expression e.g. in art
or literature; (4) customs, arts, social institutions, etc. of a particular group o
of people; civilization: (1) becoming or making sy civilized; (2) (esp) advanced
state of human development; culture and way of life of a people, nation or
period regarded as a stage in the development of organized society
your idea of culture and civilisation; the way you understand art and literature,
your favourite style(s); your understanding of history and society; being a
member of society: role and responsibility; social behaviour; human rights and
possibilities; cri
ime and punishment; stages in man's history and society; the future of mankind

Travelling in Britain or any English speaking country
the United Kingdom/USA: different countries/states and capital cities; parts of
England/USA;
British customs, English vs Scottish/American manners;
places of interest in London/New York or any other city

The English language
the importance of learning languages;
why you like/dislike learning languages;
why you chose the English language; your results and experiences so far;
how/when/where you study (speaking, reading, listening, writing); your idea of
the best way of studying a language and practising communication; other
languages that you have learned;
British vs American English;
differences between English and your language























QUESTIONS ANSWERS NOTES ABOUT
GRAMMAR, PHRASES,
VOCAB..
Do you like going to the
cinema?
Yes, I do No, I dont
because

once / twice / three times a
week / a month

Students book page 23, 22

On video/DVD/TV



in the twentieth century/ in this
century / in the 60s / on a
plane / on a ship

How often do you go to
the cinema?
I go to the cinema
What is the last film
youve seen?
.....
When did you see it? I saw it....
Where did you see it ? I saw it at
Who did you see it with? I saw it with.... Alone
Why did you choose this
film?
I chose it because...
What did you know
about it beforehand?
Somebody told me it was....
Do you know who Yes, I do... No, I dont...
directed the film?


Workbook page 13: love story,
westerns, cartoons.
Thrillers,
entertainment movies
Who are the actors?
/Whos in it?
The actors are...
What type of film is it? It is a (n)...
What is the main story? It is about....
What is the soundtrack
like?
It has songs by It is
rock/pop.
Are there any special
effects?

What did you think of
the especial effects?
I think
Does it have a happy
ending?
Yes, it did No, it didnt. At the
end the .
Did you enjoy the film
more or less than you
expected?
Yes, I did because.. No, I
didnt because...
Whats the best film you
have seen this year?
(I think) the best film Ive seen
this year is
Would you recommend
this film?
Yes, I would because.... No, I
wouldnt because....
Whos your favourite
actor / actress?
My favourite actor / actress
is
Do you prefer seeing
films at home or in the
cinema (or in the big
screen)?
It depends on the film I dont
mind
Both of them I prefer
watching
Do you prefer dubbed
films or with subtitles?
I prefer . Because .
What kind of films do
you prefer?
I love
Which films do you
prefer, Spanish or
American?

What do you usually do
after going to the
cinema?

QUESTIONS

ANSWERS NOTES ABOUT
GRAMMAR, PHRASES,
VOCAB..
Have you ever seen a
celebrity in person? What did
you do?
Yes I did \ no I didnt
I asked him \her for an
autograph
Expressions:
its got nothing to do with us
Its none of our business
Half of the stuff is rubbish
These people are role models
You can blame the
newspapers
What theyre up to
I dont go along with
Thats just too bad for them!
Know what!
Have you heard about?
Which celebrity would you
like to meet? What would you
do if you could spend a day
with this person?
Id like to meet.....
I would + inf...with him\
her
Do you think famous people
have the right to have a
private life?
Yes I think so \ I dont
think so
Do you think it's moral to sell
your private life to the media?
No I dont agree with it \
yes I agree

Do you approve of people
who become famous as a
consequence of appearing
again and again in the media
and not because of having an
artistic career?
Yes I do. No I dont
because
Theyve split up
Guess what!
Whats the matter?
Whats happened?
I bet its all a big con!
Whats more
Vocabulary:
Gossip
Honeymoon
Engagement ring
Grammar: should, must,
have to, be allowed to
Its important to .



What do you think of the
paparazzi?
I believe they are
Why do you think there is
such a high demand for
gossip magazines and gossip
TV programs?
Because
What are the pros and cons of
being a celebrity?
The pros are
I think that the cons
are
What do you think of fans
and fan-clubs?
In my opinion
Why do you think adolescents
need to have heroes?
I dont think teenagers
need to have heroes
because
Do you think being a
celebrity automatically means
the person is intelligent?
Its a chance Yes,
always