PART 1
Songs & singing
Did you enjoy singing when you were younger?
No, not really. I couldn’t sing. In fact, I still can’t. I have a good sense of rhythm, but I’m tone deaf. I can remember trying to sing when I was at school, but it was awful, and everybody told me how bad it was. I just couldn’t follow the melody right.How often do you sing now?
Honestly, never. I have no reason to and I don’t enjoy it, so I just don’t do it. I have friends who sing in the shower and stuff, but I don’t even do that. I might tap my foot or drum my fingers to the rhythm, but I never sing along.Do you have a favorite song you like listening to?
One particular song, not really. I like to listen to lots of different songs. I might have a favorite at any given time, but in general there isn’t just one song I would say was my all-time favorite. I’ve never had a favorite song.My tastes change a lot, sometimes I like to listen to English pop music and other times I prefer older blues songs, and recently I’ve started learning Spanish so I’m listening to more songs in Spanish now.
How important is singing in your culture?
I’m not sure what you mean, we don’t have a very strong ‘singing culture’ although there are some famous singers and musicians. But as a culture, generally, we’re not a country that is famous for producing international singers or anything like that.People generally sing at concerts and special occasions, or maybe when they’ve had too much to drink, just for fun but I wouldn’t say we have a particular singing culture, not that I’m aware of anyway.
Part 2
One of the most famous actors from [my country] is [name of actor] who is probably best known for their role as [a character in the film].
He (or she) usually stars in [genre: romantic, action, comedy, etc.] movies, although he had also made some movies in different genres too, although they were not as popular or successful at the box office.
Nowadays, his/her movies are super successful and loads of people love watching them. He/she’s one of the biggest box office draws and the movies he/she stars in are generally blockbuster movies which do really well internationally.
From what I can remember, he was born around [year/time] in [place] and first became popular as a child star in TV show [name of Tv show]. That was when people began to notice him/her, and he/she began to appear in various magazines and in interviews.
He/she became really popular because of the movie [name of movie] which was a huge success, and that really launched his/her career as a big movie star.
People like him/her because he/she has the ability to make the characters he/she plays seem real and relatable to the audience. He/she has a certain way of speaking, and mannerisms, which draw the audience in and become invested in the fortunes of the character in the movie.
He/she spends time between [home country] and LA when he/she is filming, and he/she is one of our biggest exports.
It’s strange to think that not long ago he/she was relatively unheard of here, but now he/she is a huge international movie star and recognized wherever he/she goes.
Describe a film/movie actor from your country who is very popular
You should say:and explain why this actor is so popular.
- who this actor is
- what kinds of films/movies he/she acts in
- what you know about this actor’s life
Sample Answer
*This is a generic answer in which you can insert details based on your own country, to give you some ideas of the things you can say.One of the most famous actors from [my country] is [name of actor] who is probably best known for their role as [a character in the film].
He (or she) usually stars in [genre: romantic, action, comedy, etc.] movies, although he had also made some movies in different genres too, although they were not as popular or successful at the box office.
Nowadays, his/her movies are super successful and loads of people love watching them. He/she’s one of the biggest box office draws and the movies he/she stars in are generally blockbuster movies which do really well internationally.
From what I can remember, he was born around [year/time] in [place] and first became popular as a child star in TV show [name of Tv show]. That was when people began to notice him/her, and he/she began to appear in various magazines and in interviews.
He/she became really popular because of the movie [name of movie] which was a huge success, and that really launched his/her career as a big movie star.
People like him/her because he/she has the ability to make the characters he/she plays seem real and relatable to the audience. He/she has a certain way of speaking, and mannerisms, which draw the audience in and become invested in the fortunes of the character in the movie.
He/she spends time between [home country] and LA when he/she is filming, and he/she is one of our biggest exports.
It’s strange to think that not long ago he/she was relatively unheard of here, but now he/she is a huge international movie star and recognized wherever he/she goes.
Part 3
Watching films/movies
Watching films/movies
What are the most popular types of films in your country?
Okay, so in the last few years, all the big box office hits have been popular here. Some of the most popular and the superhero movies from Marvel, etc. Superman, Batman, The Avengers, and so on. Kids love them and usually drive their parents crazy whenever one of these movies is released in the cinemas nationwide.Then there are the others, the dramas, the action movies, and the romantic comedies which almost everybody loves.
Because movie culture is so globalized nowadays, it’s usually the big Hollywood blockbusters and Oscar-winning movies which are most popular.
Although some people like watching independent films, and then, of course, there are the animated movies which are more targeted at kids.
All the Disney movies and similar ones are super big hits with the young kids, and usually their parents too.
What is the difference between watching a film in the cinema and watching a film at home?
It depends on how you watch it at home. But generally, the experience in the cinema is better because you have the huge screen and surround sound, and it feels more like a special event.But I guess if you have a home theater system then it can be just as good at home, maybe even better because you don’t have to go out and you don’t have to sit with other people, you can pause the movie if you want and watch it whenever you feel like it too.
If you’re watching it on a standard TV at home then the experience is probably not as good, in fact, it might make some movies seem a little boring.
Especially if the movie has a lot of sound effects or special effects which are designed to be best appreciated on the big screen in a cinema.
Do you think cinemas will close in the future?
Eventually, yes. When everyone has a home theater system with a large screen and surround sound, there will be no need for cinemas.Being honest, I generally prefer to watch a movie at home rather than in the cinema. It’s just so much more comfortable and convenient, and now you can stream movies when you want. It’s hard to how cinemas will compete.
But, then, you could also say that restaurants survive even though people can cook their own food or order in pizza or any other kind of food.
People still like going out to eat, so maybe cinemas won’t close in the future – maybe people will still go like they go to a restaurant, for something different to do.
Theater
How important is the theatre in your country’s history?
We have quite a strong history of drama, more than singing. It’s generally a thing intellectual people do, going to the cinema because most of the plays are adapted from original works which were written a very long time ago.It’s a bit like modern art and classical art or music, except our modern drama or theater productions are mostly retelling ancient stories but with a modern twist.
But there is very little new drama produced now, so it’s like seeing many different variations of the same old story but interpreted somewhat differently.
We don’t have a lot of theaters, and most of them are in the main cities and can be quite expensive to get tickets. It’s definitely not something most regular people do – going to the theater.
How strong a tradition is it today in your country to go to the theatre?
It’s still popular among the upper classes, the intellectuals, and elites, but most regular people don’t go to the theater, maybe just once or twice in their life.Most regular people prefer to go to the cinema or music concerts. So, I’d say it’s still a strong tradition but only among a certain social group; it’s not a popular or mainstream activity.
Do you think the theatre should be run as a business or as a public service?
Well, the theater is art, so it ideally should be supported by both the private and public sector. It’s important that the public sector protect the traditions we have and make art, such as theater. Accessible to people who might be interested in it, especially children.But from a commercial point of view, it’s the patrons of the theater that really need to fund theater groups who regularly put on productions.
There is national theater group patronized by the government, and I think that one is enough. Others that want to produce drama for the theater should find their funding from private sources, donors, sponsors, etc.
The theater is like sport, done by a few people for the enjoyment of many; if it’s good and popular it will be successful and funding will be available, but nobody wants to finance a soccer team which always loses, so why should the public finance theater groups which aren’t successful.