Idioms & Expressions:
laughter is the best medicine (an expression that means that laughing makes you feel better, physically and mentally)
laugh yourself silly / laugh your head off (verb; to laugh very hard)
We had a great time at the comedy show and laughed ourselves silly.
burst out laughing (verb; this means to suddenly begin laughing)
When my dad tripped and fell into the pool, we all burst out laughing.
the last laugh (noun; this is the final victory or ultimate triumph that someone can achieve)
We lost to that team during the regular season. However, we got the last laugh by defeating them in the championship game.
bright idea / brilliant idea (nouns; refer to intelligent ideas or suggestions)
Combining a phone with an iPod was a brilliant idea that created the iPhone.
flirt with the idea of _______ (verb; means to consider the pros and cons of a certain idea)
I’ve been flirting with the idea of taking a vacation to Spain this summer, but I might not go because it’s too expensive.
bounce an idea off of _______ (verb; means to tell someone an idea to hear their opinion of it)
We spent some time bouncing some ideas off each other and eventually came up with a song that sounded good.
Part I: Group Discussion
- What kinds of things make you laugh?
Funny friends who say ridiculous things. Also I like to watch standup comedians on YouTube. Bill Burr and Hannibal Buress are two of my favorite comedians.
- Do you like making other people laugh?
Yes, I think that’s one of my favorite feelings. Laughter is a pure, beautiful sound I think, and to inspire it in someone else feels pretty good.
- Do you think it’s important for people to laugh?
Of course. I think you should laugh as much as possible. I have some pretty funny friends and they are joyful to be around. The feeling of laughter is kind of addictive.
Part II: Individual Presentations
Describe an idea you had for improving something at your work or school. You should say:
what your idea was
when and where you had your idea
who you told about your idea
and explain why you thought your idea would make an improvement
I work part time at a video company that makes educational YouTube videos for Vietnamese people who want to learn English. I help make the videos, but I don’t edit them. I was reviewing several videos one day and noticed some errors with the audio quality, scene editing and the subtitles. I went to my boss and suggested that they set up a review process which would allow myself or one of the other consultants to check the videos before they were published to YouTube. They agreed that, while this might take a little more time, that it was necessary. So since then, I’ve been helping check the videos carefully before they’re published. I think that will make our work professional and help people learn more effectively.
Part III: Pair Interviews
- What is something you would change about the Vietnamese education system?
- What is a company you would like to lead? If you were in charge of this company what would you change about it?
