Do you live in a house or an apartment? I live in a semi-detached house. What makes your home special? I think the garden is what makes it so inviting. It is lush and green, with beautiful flowers planted. Do you keep things from your childhood? I have more mementos than I should! I have stuffed animals, certain pieces of artwork and even some sports jerseys. I simply can't bear to part with them! Let's talk about lifestyle. Do you think people should spend their free time at home or outside? Given the amount of time most of us spend indoors for work I believe we should spend leisure time outside. Of course, someone who works outside would probably better appreciate time inside, perhaps reading, cooking or relaxing. It really depends on what a person's lifestyle is but in our free time we should do what we miss at work. Has technology changed the way people spend their leisure time? Most certainly it has. You no longer need to leave your home to spend time with friends; you just do a video call with them. Even the way we meet people has changed. Most of my current circle of friends are people that I met online. Let's talk about books. What type of books do you read? Well, I make every effort to read books written in English. I tend to prefer historical fiction books. I used to try to read classics but I find that language has changed so much in the past two hundred years or so that when I read something from that era, it's like reading a different language! So, now I prefer more contemporary fiction. Do you think you read more when you were younger compared to now? I was a total bookworm when I was younger. My parents had to scold me to put the books away to go to bed. I think after my university studies, when the purpose of reading was necessity and not pleasure, I reduced the amount I read for leisure. Have you ever watched a movie and then read the book it is based on? Not that I am aware of. I usually do the opposite. I like a book, the movie is released and then I compare my take on the story to the director's. I usually prefer mine!

Talk about someone you have recently met and liked. You should say -who the person is -when and where you met -what he/she does -and explain why you like him/her I recently met a colleague from another university and we really get along well. He is a professor at a university my institution collaborates with. We had been assigned to work on a project together so we had been communicating over email and video calls for several months. While our relationship was effective, it was definitely strictly professional and we knew little to nothing about each other personally. A few weeks ago, I had to visit his university for some follow up project work. This was the first time we had met in person. Well, we totally hit it off! We learned that we had many things in common, including growing up in the same hometown! If you think about it, it's amazing considering we both live over 500 kilometers from where we were raised. Even though we had, in a sense, known each other for many months, it was only when we actually met face-to-face that a friendship was forged. It just goes to show you the power of in person interactions I suppose.

Talk about someone you have recently met and liked. You should say -who the person is -when and where you met -what he/she does -and explain why you like him/her I recently met a colleague from another university and we really get along well. He is a professor at a university my institution collaborates with. We had been assigned to work on a project together so we had been communicating over email and video calls for several months. While our relationship was effective, it was definitely strictly professional and we knew little to nothing about each other personally. A few weeks ago, I had to visit his university for some follow up project work. This was the first time we had met in person. Well, we totally hit it off! We learned that we had many things in common, including growing up in the same hometown! If you think about it, it's amazing considering we both live over 500 kilometers from where we were raised. Even though we had, in a sense, known each other for many months, it was only when we actually met face-to-face that a friendship was forged. It just goes to show you the power of in person interactions I suppose.

What do you prefer to use to communicate, words or images? I would have to say they both serve a purpose depending on the situation. As someone who is rather artistic, I believe there are times when images – photos, a painting, a sculpture – can communicate feelings not possible with words. And yet when we want to communicate facts, questions or most information, words are very efficient for this job. I don't believe I would ever use images to make day-to-day requests, for example. However, when you think of journalistic photography, many times the power of the message is in the image so as I said before, there is a time and a place for both. What important things should people always remember? There are countless things a person should remember. They start with mundane facts like your ID number or phone number. Then there are important, more abstract things like your beliefs, your morals and your goals. These things all make up your character and integrity so if we forget those, we as people are lost. In between tangible, mundane things and abstract concepts there are other day-to-day items we need to remember, at least in the short term…so things such as facts, information, processes and dates that make us capable of carrying out the functions in our lives. How does forgetfulness affect a person's life? Well, it's very disorienting. When you realise that you have forgotten, you feel rather out of sorts and this can also be very stressful. It affects us in other ways, too. For example, people don't generally trust forgetful people and this can be a source of insecurity for a person. Everyone wants to feel worthwhile and trusted so when they are somewhat cast aside because they are deemed unreliable this can be upsetting. How can people improve their memory? Personally speaking, I use a couple of techniques. First off, I aim to be more present in my dealings. When my focus is completely where it needs to be this helps me to not forget. A backup I have is writing things down. I love a good list...so I write things that I fear I may forget. For me, the act of writing something down helps me remember and even if I don't remember, I have a written record of what I need to know. Thank you. This marks the end of the speaking exam.

What do you prefer to use to communicate, words or images? I would have to say they both serve a purpose depending on the situation. As someone who is rather artistic, I believe there are times when images – photos, a painting, a sculpture – can communicate feelings not possible with words. And yet when we want to communicate facts, questions or most information, words are very efficient for this job. I don't believe I would ever use images to make day-to-day requests, for example. However, when you think of journalistic photography, many times the power of the message is in the image so as I said before, there is a time and a place for both. What important things should people always remember? There are countless things a person should remember. They start with mundane facts like your ID number or phone number. Then there are important, more abstract things like your beliefs, your morals and your goals. These things all make up your character and integrity so if we forget those, we as people are lost. In between tangible, mundane things and abstract concepts there are other day-to-day items we need to remember, at least in the short term…so things such as facts, information, processes and dates that make us capable of carrying out the functions in our lives. How does forgetfulness affect a person's life? Well, it's very disorienting. When you realise that you have forgotten, you feel rather out of sorts and this can also be very stressful. It affects us in other ways, too. For example, people don't generally trust forgetful people and this can be a source of insecurity for a person. Everyone wants to feel worthwhile and trusted so when they are somewhat cast aside because they are deemed unreliable this can be upsetting. How can people improve their memory? Personally speaking, I use a couple of techniques. First off, I aim to be more present in my dealings. When my focus is completely where it needs to be this helps me to not forget. A backup I have is writing things down. I love a good list...so I write things that I fear I may forget. For me, the act of writing something down helps me remember and even if I don't remember, I have a written record of what I need to know. Thank you. This marks the end of the speaking exam.

Where is your hometown? My hometown is a little village in the mountains and overlooks the ocean. What is your hometown famous for? My hometown was the birthplace of a famous war hero. He was the General of the Army and led our country to many great victories. There is a statue of his likeness erected in our town square. So, history buffs know this, but I wouldn't say it makes my town particularly famous. Did you learn about the history of your hometown in school? Yes. If my memory serves me well, we covered local history in the early years of elementary school. That is when I believe we learned about the general. Have you ever found something that another person lost? Oh, my mother is very talented at this! She'll find any piece of lost jewellery or money within a 10 mile radius! But in all seriousness, I once found my sister's necklace in the sea – it was nothing short of a miracle. What kind of things do people usually lose? I believe it's common for people to lose their keys and their mobile phones. Plus, jewellery is frequently lost. So, usually we lose things that are small and can be easily misplaced. Why do they lose these things? Well, as far as keys and mobiles are concerned I think it's distraction that makes us lose them. We're always so preoccupied with our own thoughts that we do things rather mechanically and in the end leave things… wherever. Have you ever lost anything? Well, I wouldn't say that I lose things necessarily, but I definitely misplace them. My keys, my glasses, my wallet - I absentmindedly leave them somewhere and then spend hours looking for them. I wish I were more "present" but I too am guilty of being preoccupied with other thoughts.

Where is your hometown? My hometown is a little village in the mountains and overlooks the ocean. What is your hometown famous for? My hometown was the birthplace of a famous war hero. He was the General of the Army and led our country to many great victories. There is a statue of his likeness erected in our town square. So, history buffs know this, but I wouldn't say it makes my town particularly famous. Did you learn about the history of your hometown in school? Yes. If my memory serves me well, we covered local history in the early years of elementary school. That is when I believe we learned about the general. Have you ever found something that another person lost? Oh, my mother is very talented at this! She'll find any piece of lost jewellery or money within a 10 mile radius! But in all seriousness, I once found my sister's necklace in the sea – it was nothing short of a miracle. What kind of things do people usually lose? I believe it's common for people to lose their keys and their mobile phones. Plus, jewellery is frequently lost. So, usually we lose things that are small and can be easily misplaced. Why do they lose these things? Well, as far as keys and mobiles are concerned I think it's distraction that makes us lose them. We're always so preoccupied with our own thoughts that we do things rather mechanically and in the end leave things… wherever. Have you ever lost anything? Well, I wouldn't say that I lose things necessarily, but I definitely misplace them. My keys, my glasses, my wallet - I absentmindedly leave them somewhere and then spend hours looking for them. I wish I were more "present" but I too am guilty of being preoccupied with other thoughts.

Talk about a lesson that you remember well. You should say -when and where it was -who taught you the lesson -what you learned -and explain why you remember the lesson well As far as school is concerned, I can't in all honesty say I remember many lessons. However, I do remember a lesson I had with my English tutor. The lesson I remember very well was one that I had fairly recently in order to prepare for my IELTS exam. I was at my tutor's home around four months ago and she began explaining writing Task 1 to me. I was extremely nervous about Task 1 because all my friends who had taken IELTS told me how tricky it was. Fortunately, my tutor explained it to me very methodically and demystified it for me. She showed me how to organise my ideas and what kind of language to use. She taught me how to group information appropriately, what to edit out and what to include, and how to communicate these areas in an appropriate tone. It initially felt like a great deal of information to synthesise but with some practice, it became a piece of cake. I took the writing portion of the test earlier today and feel like I utilised every bit of information my tutor provided, so I believe this is a lesson that is not only memorable but will be a crucial component to my success in the exams.

We've been talking about a lesson that you remember well, and I would like to ask you a few more questions about this topic. What makes a lesson memorable? I think a few things help achieve this. Firstly, the teacher has a lot to do with it. Teachers that can make a subject interesting to the learner will always have memorable lessons. The learning environment can also enhance the experience. I used to study Arabic with a tutor while living in Dubai. We would meet in shopping malls and he would help me practise by watching me speak in Arabic to shop owners. Those were lessons I will never forget! Why do people hire private tutors? In many cases, it depends on the student's learning style. Some people prefer having designated one-on-one time with the teacher so that they can focus on their own weaknesses without having to concern themselves with the needs of other students. I enjoy both classroom instruction and private tuition, but when studying languages I prefer having a private tutor that can give me immediate and ongoing feedback. I feel this accelerates my progress. How are younger and older teachers different? They are different in many ways. Often older teachers have a much deeper understanding of the topic they are teaching, and this just comes from experience. However, younger teachers might have better understanding of technology and how the topic might be applied to contemporary times. In the advertising industry, for example, there may be statistical understanding that an older teacher explains better, whereas a younger teacher has a better grasp of the reach and demographics best hit by apps like Instagram. How have teaching styles changed compared to the past? Teaching these days makes much greater use of technology. I can't remember the last time I saw a classroom with chalk sticks and a blackboard. Since COVID, it is also common for teaching styles to blend distance with in-person learning. Certain skills are also considered central to the learning experience now. For example, a lot of learning these days demands students research a topic using a variety of media on the internet. Do you expect people to learn in the same way in the future? I feel learning styles will forever evolve, but for now I think learning will occur through a blend of virtual and in-person methods. I feel like humanity is still a bit shaky on how to use some of the technology that was introduced during the global lockdown, so I don't anticipate drastic changes in the foreseeable future. I imagine the next few years will involve solidifying our use of current technologies.

Where do you live at the moment? I live with my parents in their house, which is north of this city. Do you like snacks? Yes, I do. Because my family is Chinese, we mostly eat traditional snacks from our hometown such as a crispy rice called 'guoba' and roasted peanuts. I also like dried fish snacks, which are usually quite spicy so you have to couple them with a drink of some kind. What time of the day do you prefer to have snacks and why? Where I am from, people tend to snack all day and I guess I would say I follow suit. In the early morning, it is not uncommon for me to start my day by snacking on salted ginger. If I'm feeling peckish in the afternoon or evening, I might grab a handful of sunflower seeds. In my opinion, anytime is a great time to snack on something! Do you think snacking is a healthy habit? I guess it depends on what you're eating. I presume snacking on processed foods like potato chips or chocolate wouldn't be great for your health long term. Traditional snacks from my country tend to be quite natural, though. They're mostly fresh or dried foods with few --if any-- additives. I guess so long as you're careful to munch on unprocessed foods only, snacking can be considered healthy. What were your favourite snacks as a child? Well, my snacking choices as a child were much less healthy than they are today! I enjoyed sweets and other sugary snacks. I remember my classmates and I would often get frozen snacks after school that were sweet and very similar to ice cream. My snacking choices have obviously evolved quite a bit since I was young! If you had a child, what snacks would you give him or her? I would try to push them towards the healthier options that I mentioned earlier. People say eating habits are partially established in childhood, so I think it is important to set a good example early. This doesn't mean that a child can't have the occasional sweet snack, but what's important is to remember that moderation and mindfulness are key.