What will you ask your British friend about his/her family?

Is your family big or small?

Have you got a sister or a brother?

Do you get on well with your sister/brother?

What traditions have you got in your family?

What can you advise people who want to have a close and happy family?

If you want to have a happy family, I advise to be patient and understanding. Respect and support your family members. Talk over your problems together. Share your household duties. Keep your family traditions.

Nowadays an average family has one child. From your point of view, how many children should be there in a family?

It’s sad that families are getting smaller these days. To my mind there should be two or three children in a family. You will never feel lonely in a big family.

 

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Let’s talk about your family traditions. Are there any family traditions that you follow? What are they?

Yes, there are. We have our family traditions which make our life more exciting and interesting, help to understand one another better, to express our emotions and feelings. We observe such national holidays Christmas, the New Year Day, Women’s Day, Easter and some others. We also celebrate the birthdays of each member of the family, give presents to each other on the New Year day and on some other special occasions. It’s also our family tradition to spend summer vocation together. We usually celebrate family holidays together and it’s a tradition in our family to have dinner together and chat about the events of the day.

Are there any things that you do together with your parents?

There is a very good tradition in our family to have dinner together and chat about the events of the day. There is also a tradition in our family to spend summer at the seaside together.

What will you ask your British friend about his/her family traditions?

Do you have any family traditions?

What holidays do you celebrate with your family?

Do you celebrate Christmas with your parents or friends?

Give some advice on how to spend a weekend with your family to make it memorable?

First of all, don’t be lazy and don’t sit at home in front of a computer display. If the weather is fine, I would recommend go to the country. You can have a nice picnic with your dearest people there. If the weather is bad, I advise to invite friends to your place and to have a party.

Do you think is it easy to organize a good party? What mistakes do people sometimes make?

I think that to organize a good party is not so easy, because you need to consider all the details and be sure to make a list of guests, food and drinks and other things. I think people often make mistakes in entertaining. For this reason some guests can be bored at your party.

 

 

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Let’s talk about family relationship. Can you say that your family is a close-knit one?

My home is the best place in the world for me and my family is the dearest people for me. I’m happy to have a close and friendly family. In my family I can speak freely about my problems, share my joys and sorrows with my parents and with my sisters. I can say that my family is an emotional centre of my life. My family members never ignore me; I always get support and understanding from my family. I can’t live without my family’s help and respect. I understand that my family members also need my attention and support. So I, in my turn, love and respect my family and try to obey my parents.

Who in your family do you share your secrets with?

I usually share my secrets with my mother/father.

What will you ask a British teenager about family traditions in his/her country?

Do you have any family traditions?

What holidays do you celebrate?

Do you celebrate Christmas with your family or friends?

What can you advise people who want to have a close and friendly family?

I would advise to spend more time with their family, to show them love and respect, to obey their parents and grandparents.

They say that parents and children have difficulties understanding each other because of the generation gap. What do you think about this problem?

I think the talk about the generation gap is exaggerated. Of course, there is some misunderstanding between generations and always was. To my mind, this is because people don’t try to understand each other. They don’t talk over their problems together, hurt each others feelings and then find an excuse in a generation gap.

 

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Let’s talk about friendship. What role do friends play in your life?

Friendship is very important for every person because everyone needs communication and understanding. A friend is one with whom you spend your free time, share your thoughts and interests, who keeps your secrets, whom you trust and who is always ready to help. I’ve got a lot of friends. Some of them are close, some are not, but all of them make my life brighter and more interesting. I think friendship is a gift from God. I can’t imagine my life without friends. As a proverb says, “Life without a friend is like death without a witness”.

Can you rely on your best friend? Why (not)?

I think I can rely on my best friend. We have been friends for many years. We never quarrel, there’s mutual understanding between us. I am sure he/she will give me a helpful hand when I need it.

What questions do you usually ask when you want to get acquainted with someone?

What’s your name?

Where are you from?

Have you got a lot of friends?

Have you got a hobby?

What can you advise a teenager who want to make friends in a new school?

I would advise him/her to be polite, helpful, attentive and friendly with people. If you want to be a friend you should think carefully before you say something to people and think twice before you do anything. I’m sure, schoolmates will appreciate this.

They say: “A person has just one true friend”. What do you think about it?

I think it’s possible to have more than one true friend. It’s hard to find a person who will share your whole life. But you may find one who is faithful and sincere, helpful and devoted. A real friend will never let you down. These are the qualities that make a true friend.

 

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Let’s talk about education. Do you think that it gives a person a good start in life?

Children in Belarus start going to school at the age of 6. They spend 4 years at primary school and 7 years at secondary school. At the age of 16, when pupils finish the 9th form, they can either leave school or continue their education for another two years. Most schools in Belarus are secondary comprehensive but there are lyceums and gymnasiums, where pupils get more profound knowledge in various subjects. Marks in Belarusian schools are given out of 10. All schools have rules, such as to be neatly dressed, not to smoke or to avoid casual hair styles. In general, pupils are satisfied with their school as they get good knowledge in all subjects.

Do you agree that Belarusian secondary school provides a person with good knowledge? Why (not)?

I agree. I think that all children are provided with equal opportunities to get good knowledge. My idea is that good knowledge depends not only on school and teachers but on pupils themselves.

Ask me about my school life.

Did you like to go to school in your childhood?

What was your favourite subject?

Who was your favourite teacher?

Did you get bad marks?

What would you advise a British teenager to do to prepare for an exam well?

I would advise him/her to revise the most important material and to make notes, to sleep well and try to avoid talking to nervous people before an exam.

Today some people think that the level of education is higher abroad. What’s your opinion of it?

It has always been important to have a good education. Our system of education is based on theoretical preparation of students to their future career. At the same time studying abroad guarantees a good training of practical skills. I should saythat there are a lot of famous people and good specialists who received higher education in Belarus. And a lot of foreign students come to Belarus to study there.

 

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