Vstep speaking

part 2 Lê Văn Bá
Vstep speaking format

2
Parts of Vstep speaking
Part 1: General question

- What kinds of music do you like?

- Which programs do you like?

- Do you prefer watching TV alone or with other people?

- …

3
 Parts of Vstep speaking
Part 2: Choose the best option based on the situation.

Your family decide to go to Hanoi city to travel next month.

Which of the mode of transportation will you choose?

- Car

- Plan

- Train

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 Parts of Vstep speaking
Part 3: Discuss the topic as guided in the outline below

Unfair

Your
Costly Examination own idea

Time
consuming
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Now…We firstly focus on PART TWO

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Vstep speaking part 2
Topic: If you won a lottery of 1 billion VND,
what would you do with the money?

• Start a business

• Buy a new house

• Deposit the money in the bank

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 Vstep speaking part 2
• Start a business => Option A (selected option)

• Buy a new house => Option B

• Deposit the money in the bank => Option C

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 Strategies to answer

Strategy 1 Strategy 2

Hook (optional)

Two-three reasons for option A Two-three reasons for option A

A good point of B and C A good point of B

and a reason against B
Reason against B and C A good point of C
and a reason against C

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 Strategies 1

Let’s see which “hook” could be used in this answer

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Step 1: Start with a hook

Well, buying a new house, starting a business and

depositing money in the bank are what many people
want to do in their life. However it is not easy to
implement these tasks and one of the most important
requirement we need to meet in order to carry out such
missions is having a lot of money…
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 Step 2: two-three reasons for option A
If I was lucky to win one billion in a lottery, I would use the money to start a business .
There are several reasons for this choice / option. To begin with, Since I entered University
and studied business-related subjects, I have always dreamt of saving a considerable
amount of money to start a small business to apply what I have studied. I may fail due to
the lack of experience and many other reasons but I will possibly learn good lessons a hard
way from the failure and I will be able to succeed in the next attempt and later. The failure
will give me a better insight into the importance of marketing, financing, Human Resources
and other issues.
I will also have the opportunity to develop soft skills, expand my networking and so on
Also, I will have the chance to make a fortune, supporting myself, my family, contributing to
the community. To be more specific, I will create a job for myself, my friends and other
people. This seems to be meaningful in the present context of a high rate of unemployment.

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Step 3: Positive adjectives and reasons against B and C

As for the other two options , they are sensible tasks many people find very
important and meaningful in their lives.

However one billion is not sufficient for me to buy a house and depositing
money will not bring me much interest because the interest rate is too low
and my investment will be affected by inflation.

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Step 4: Summary

In short, starting a business could be the best option , from my perspective

for the reasons mentioned above.

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Brainstorm more ideas

Let’s think one more reason against

option B and one more reason
against option C to answer the
question with the strategy 2

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 Answer without a Hook!! (the fasted way)

- Of the 3 options given, I think A seems to be the best one, why do I think
so?

- To begin with, + 2 reasons for A

- As for B and C, the other two option they are important and meaningful,
they + 1 reason against B, C

- For all the mentioned reasons, I believe A is the best option

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 Noticeable Structures:

Nói đến/ khi nói về/ đối với..:

1. As for,...
2. When to come to sth,...
3. As far as sth is concern,...
4. Regarding sth,....
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Try to choose another option

•Start a business

•Buy a new house

•Deposit the money in the bank

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 Try to choose another option
Option A: Buy a new Option B: Start a Option C: Deposit
house business money in the bank

+ Buy a house in the - Do not have - Low interest rate

countryside and wait until experience => fail -….
it’s more expensive => easily
like your money saved. - Don’t have time to
+ I have had a big house manage
in city centre - ….

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 Try to choose another option
Buy a new house: Since I entered university , I have always dreamt of
having a house of my own. I could live independently and comfortably and
do whatever I like.
The value of the house will increase over time and my investment will be
profitable and will not be affected by inflation...
Deposit money in the bank: Depositing money in a bank, We with not
worry about such issues as managing HR , finance and other problems
related to running a company.
Also, could earn a stable source of income , which could be very valuable
in the context of Pandemic 19
Besides, when we need money in unexpected situations , we could
withdraw money easily .
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 Try to choose another option
Strategy 2: B and C are different
A: Start a business
B: As for buying a house , it seems to be a long term investment which is
likely to enable us to make a fortune , but one billion is not sufficient for us
to buy a house in urban areas , especially in big cities like DN , Saigon…
C: As far as depositing money in a bank , it is also a sensible way to invest
and earn money, but the interest rate is too low and the value of invested
money will be badly affected by inflation.
In short,.,,,

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 Try to choose another option
Option A:Start a Option B: Buy a new Option C: Deposit
business house money in the bank

+ Apply the knowledge in - Can’t buy a good - Low interest rate

the university house in the city -….
+ Get back a lot of money
if I’m successful

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 For this part:
● There are many strategies to answer
● Option selected is the one with many ideas
=> Do not try to choose the most reasonable option in the real
life.
● Prior criteria:
Speed, efficiency, fluency
Idea and grammar

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Your Turn!!!
 Noticeable structure to introduce someone

● I received/earned a Bachelor of Arts /Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering /Business

English from Danang University in 2020
● OR: I have a Bachelor’s degree in Business English / I have a Master’s degree in Marketing . After university I
hope to work for several companies before studying for a Master’s degree in Marketing and Communications.
● He received a Master’s degree in Economics in 2012 and a Ph.D . in Business Administration in 2016 from New
York University
● He has a BA in Marketing. He has a BSc in Electrical Engineering from Danang University . He obtained an MA
in English/MSc in Civil Engineering from Danang University.
● I am a final year student majoring in Business English at / from University of Foreign Language Studies- the
University of Danang and after graduation from university I will study ( further) for a Master’s degree in
Marketing or Tourism Management at reputable university in an English- speaking country.
● At a reputable university/ at a prestigious university in such developed countries as the USA , England ..

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Situation 1: You have just received a sum of money
from your father as a birthday present. How would you
use the money?

- Saving up for the future

- Buying a laptop for the study

- Buying a fashionable smartphone

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 A: Buying a laptop for the study

- HOOK: Well, such valuable gifts as a considerable amount of money saved for unexpected
situations or problems arising in the future, possessing a laptop for academic and work- related
purposes and owning a cutting- edge mobile phone seem to be what most of us want to receive
on the occasion of our birthday. However , if I have to make a choice of the best option , I think
having a laptop for the study could be the best one .
- There are several reasons why I think so...

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A: Buying a laptop for the study

To start with , a modern laptop will enable us to attend online as well as offline courses to study effectively and
successfully and keep up with our peers as well as update information and knowledge every single day.

In fact,we could use the laptop to visit different websites and receive/ retrieve data which will serve our study and
research activities and meet other important requirements related to various courses any events .

On top of that , we could use the laptop to sharpen our IT skills . There is no doubt that the use of the computer every
day might offer us the chance to improve our typing skills , access a wide variety of software and IT apps to maximize
our learning.

As for saving money for the future . It may be an important factor worth considering/to be considered, but a state-of the
art laptop , in my view ,is likely to be helpful , helping us to enhance our hard and soft skills , knowledge and experience
,which involve coming up with great ways to earn good money later on.

As far as having a fashionable smart phone is concerned , this device may be many young people ‘s favorite material
possession, but it is considered to be a luxury for those students who need to use money for other useful and practical
purposes.

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 A: Saving up for the future

- …., there are several reasons for this option. To begin with, I am going to graduate from
university soon / in the next few months / at the end of this year / early next year and I will
need a lot of money for the plan to move to Saigon and settle down there . The money might
be spent on housing , transportation and other essential living costs during my search for a job
/ before I land a job and earn my own living .

- Besides, if I decide to stay in Danang , I may use the money to invest in a business . My close
friend owns a restaurant and her business is doing well / going smoothly and she needs more
capital to upgrade the restaurant and launch more marketing campaigns . Therefore , I could
help her to run the restaurant and become a shareholder of this private limited company

- …..

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 A: Buying a fashionable smartphone

- To start with , since I entered university, I have always dreamt of possessing a state-of-the-art
mobile phone, say the latest version of an IPhone. Don’t think that I try to keep up with the
Joneses

- You know, like many other young people in today’s age of ICT, I prefer having a modern
smartphone to take photos and do Vlog activities , which may be useful for the plan to earn
my living later on.

- Besides a good smartphone could help me to carry out various tasks related to learning, job-
related and leisure activities. A mobile phone could perform the same functions as a laptop
but is more convenient and portable.

- …..

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Situation 2: An optional subject will be added to the
curriculum for secondary students in your city. Which
do you think is the best option for secondary student?

- Photograph

- Swimming

- Dancing

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SPEAKING PART 2

Lê Văn Bá
 REVIEW
Strategy 1 Strategy 2

Hook (optional)

Two-three reasons for option A Two-three reasons for option A

A good point of B and C A good point of B

and a reason against B
Reason against B and C A good point of C
and a reason against C
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 Answer without a Hook!! (the fasted way)
❖ Of the 3 options given, I think A seems to be the best one, why do I think
so?

❖ To begin with, + 2 reasons for A

❖ As for B and C, the other two option they are important and meaningful,
they + 1 reason against B, C

❖ For all the mentioned reasons, I believe A is the best option

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 Situation 3:
Which plan below will you choose for your family this weekend?

● Going to the cinema

● Having meal in a restaurant

● Going to the beach

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Suggestion: Go to the restaurant

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Well, going to the beach , having a meal in a restaurants and going to the beach seem to be those
activities that many families want to do in their free time, especially at the weekend. However, if we
have to make a choice, I think my family could go to the restaurant to have dinner this weekend.
There are several reasons for this choice/ option. To start with, For over 3 months, all the members of
our family have not been to a restaurant to enjoy a delicious meal offered and prepared by
professional cooks and providers of cuisine as well as have fun in an exciting environment and see
other people talking , laughing with cheers for drinks.
Besides eating together in a restaurant with excellent facilities and dedicated staff members serving
customers and bringing them the the best possible service, all of us might feel relaxed, reduce stress
and most importantly we can enjoy delicious and tasty dishes which we rarely even never have the
chance to eat and recharge our batteries for a new working weekend
As for going to the cinema, this option may be an ideal option for young people , particularly for those
who are in love .
When it comes to going to the beach, we could enjoy fresh air swim in the cool sea water and play
some sorts of outdoor activities on the beach but many of our family members are unable to swim and
unwilling to play sports and do other activities.
In short, having a meal in a restaurant may be the best option, in my view for the reasons I mentioned
above.
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 Situation 4:
What will you advise your friend to do on his first date this weekend?

● Going to a restaurant

● Going to the cinema

● Going to a shopping mall

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 Situation 5:
You are giving a short talk on language learning. You will decide which

activities is the best way to learn a new language:

● Join a class

● Self-study

● Talk to native speakers

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If we want to learn and master a language you may have several ways to achieve your goals such as attending courses
organized by well- qualified and experienced teachers, teaching yourself and talking to native speakers. From my
perspective the best option is attending classes.
To begin with, we can receive practical and useful advice from the teachers as well as acquire knowledge and skills from
them .
In fact during the learning process we have the chance to practice speaking , writing , listening and reading in the language
we want to master. We can do a lot of activities and exercises to improve our grammar , vocabulary and more importantly
,we are taught to organize ideas and express them effectively , impressively in writing and speaking .
On top of that, we can learn from our classmates and compete with them to improve our language skills.
In fact, in the class we practice speaking with those classmates who may be much better than us in terms of vocabulary
and grammar and the way they express themselves..and thus we may have the motivation to study harder to keep up with
them .
Besides, we can save time when we don’t have to spend too much time looking up new words in the dictionary and trying to
understand grammatical rules and challenging language phenomenon .Besides the time we study under the supervision
and instruction of the teacher we can do exercises and assignments given by the teachers and in this way we can improve
the language without reading boring grammar books and visiting websites with complicated institutions.
As for self- study , it may be a good option because we don’t have to pay money but we are not patient and disciplined
enough to teach ourselves .
As far as speaking to native speakers is concerned , it is also a good idea because we can contact and practice speaking
the language naturally . However it is not easy to find a native speaker who can be knowledgeable , qualified , patient , open
and generous enough to spend time talking to us and providing feedback about our mistakes.
In short…..
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In today’s age of globalization and international integration, learning and mastering a new
language especially such popular languages as English have become an indispensable need
for many people particularly for those who want to work and succeed on a global
scale.However, the question of how to learn and master a new language seems to be left
without satisfactory answers . Anyway, if I have to make a choice of the 3 options namely
attending classes, learning by ourselves and communicating with native speakers , I believe
that teaching ourselves could be best way to achieve our goals.
In fact ,self study may have some advantages over the other 2 options.
To begin with,….,

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Self - study may have some advantages over the other 2 options .
To begin with. We don’t have to pay any money for what we want to learn . In fact . We can
choose suitable websites to study and improve the language .in today’s age of ICT the internet
may be an excellent teacher and we can find useful and apps to improve our writing reading
and listening .
We don’t have to worry about how to finish homework and assignments given by the teachers on
schedule, how to keep up with our classmates and how to deal with problems related to
attending classes.
Another benefit is that we can can save money when don’t have to pay money for the courses
transportation and other related costs,
Besides, we don’t have to stick to a fixed timetable . What I mean is that we can study any time
you like .

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Communicating with native speakers can help us to make sure whether we can
make ourselves understood. What’s more ,it’s a great chance for us to practice
pronunciation and sharpen our communication skills . Besides ,having talks to
foreigners we may have nurture our desire to study and work overseas and this
way we can have more opportunities to succeed in our future careers.

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Situation 6:
Your local council has been allocated money to add one new

entertainment facility to the community in your area. Decide which one

would you choose?

● A sport center

● A park with a lake

● A children’s playground
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Situation 7:
You are planning a holiday and you will be staying in a hotel. You will

decide which feature you consider to be the most important when

choosing a hotel to stay in.

● The location of the hotel

● The comfort of the hotel.

● Reasonable price.
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● Of the factors given, I think the reasonable price seems to be the most important
element in the choice of a suitable hotel to stay in during my vacation.
● To begin with, We are budget travelers who prefer seeking the cheapest possible
accommodation to stay in . We just need basic facilities to stay overnight ,so we don’t
mind whether the accommodation is a hostel or B&B. We want to use money to spend
on leisure activities, including sampling local cuisine , exploring beautiful sightseeing
places and so on
As for the location of the hotel, it is a very important factor for those tourists who
want to maximize their experiences. They expect the hotel to be located in
downtown areas or near well-known landmarks.However such hotels are often
expensive and thus they are unsuitable for our budget. Similarly , if we look for
comfortable hotels , they tend to be pricey. In short.,,,,,

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The location of the hotel may be the most important factor from my perspective.

To start with, whenever I travel to a certain destination , I always seek those hotels
located in the city center which is home to a wide variety of entertainment places such as
coffee shops , restaurants .karaoke bars , night markets . Staying in in such hotels , I can
maximize my traveling experiences . What I mean is that I can stay up late and enjoy the
nightlife and a good time both during the day and at night.

As for the price of the hotel , most budget tourists want to look for reasonably priced
accommodation but if the hotel is too far from the downtown areas or famous
landmarks, i can’t explore as many sights as I expect or enjoy exciting activities at night.

The comfort of the hotel could be major consideration for many tourists, but , i just need
basic amenities to stay overnight and use money to spend on leisure activities..,,,

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When having a holiday, your accommodation choice is very important because it
can make or break your holidays. In my opinion, the location of the hotel is not very
important because I will go by my private car so I can travel everywhere I want
without any worrying about the distance. Costs are another important consideration
here but I have affordability so I do not care about the price. I only want to make
sure to check whether the hotel prices are all-inclusive or not.

- I consider the convenience of the hotel the most important when choosing a hotel
to stay. Travelling, either by land or air, can be exhausting. So I would be looking
forward to a comfortable and convenient stay when I arrive in my destination.
Therefore, my hotel should have the amenities that would help me relax and
unwind. Things like a cozy room, a soft bed, or a pool spa are a big plus. I can check
these, as well as the type of service they give, by reading reviews or guest
testimonials on the Internet. Also, safety and security should not be overlooked
when selecting accommodation.
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Situation 8:
You are going to invite your friends to your birthday party, but you are

wondering where to hold your party:

● At your house

● At a restaurant

● At a karaoke

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Situation 9:
Your family is planning on a holiday. There are three options that are

reasonable to your family time and financial budget:

● Three – day trip to a foreign country

● Four-day trip to a mountainous area

● A two-day trip at a beach resort

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Situation 10:
Your friend wants to take up a new hobby. He is considering three

activities:

● doing yoga

● playing the piano

● joining a charity club.

Which do you think is the best choice for him?

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Dong yoga
(+) he may improve physical
and mental health
(+) he may have fresh and
peaceful mind
(-) he is not patient enough
to do yoga
Playing piano Joining a charity club
(+) he can play music by (+) he can be more
himself confident
(+) he can accompany my (+) he can help many
friends on their songs people
(+) he sympathizes for
(-) it takes much time to others
learn and practice
(-) he is a shy, silent person
and he wants quiet free time
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Situation 11:
A group of friends are hanging out in their free time. Three ideas are

suggested:

● go to eat something (food)

● go shopping

● go to the cinema.

Which is the best choice?

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54
 Situation 11:
Your friend is considering three ways to improve his/her English:

Watching films

● reading books

● talking with foreigners.

Which do you think is the best choice for him/her?

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watching film
(+) my friend may expand
his/her vocabulary
(+) he/she learns to
communicate effectively
(+) he/she may improve
his/her listening skill
(-) it is easy to distract from
learning
(-) it is difficult to understand
because he/she is not good
at
listening English
reading books taking with foreigner
(+) he/she learns new words (+)he/she may improve
(+)he/she improves reading speaking skill
skill (+) he/she may learn to
communicate well
(+) he/she can hear many
funny stories from different
(-) it needs concentration countries in the world.
(-) it takes a lot of time (+) it‘s easy to find
foreigners to talk with them
at coffee shops
(-) he/she may not be
confident enough to speak
with them
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