(ZIM) IELTS SPEAKING FORECAST From September to December, 2018

1 Tủ sách Band 8 tại Anh ngữ ZIM | https://zim.vn/tu-sach-ielts-band-8/

IELTS SPEAKING PART 1

TOPIC 1: NAME

1. Who gave you your name?

Traditionally, in Vietnam, the names of new-born children are given by one of their relatives,

usually their grandparents. However, in my case, an acquaintance of my parents came up with

my name, and mom and dad just instantly agreed, because neither of them had any idea what

to name me.

2. Does your name have any particular (or, special) meaning?

Most Vietnamese names do, I suppose, and mine is not an exception. My name can be

interpreted as a river in Autumn. In my country, anything related to Autumn is considered

beautiful and calm, since this season is the most comfortable one out of the four. So, I assume

my parents did have somewhat an expectation when they named me that.

3. Do you like your name?

In the past, no. I used to blame my parents for giving me such a boyish name. I even had a

deep, warm voice, just like a mature man, which is why all of my classmates made fun of me

back in primary and secondary school. However, as I’ve grown older, I just don’t take these

jokes so serious anymore, so I guess it’s fair to say yes.

4. In your country, do people feel that their names are very important?

There’s no doubt about it. In Vietnam, names are not only a means of identification. They also

deliver parents hopes and expectations when a new child is born. Besides, many Vietnamese

believe that names are blessings for newborns, so most people would consider their names a

lucky charm for them.

5. Would you like to change your name?

No, I wouldn’t do that, because there are tons of things I would have to do and all kinds of

forms to fill in to get a new name. Besides, this thing makes no sense to me. Unless

somebody’s a criminal and wants to change their whole identity, there’s no point getting a

whole new name.

2 Tủ sách Band 8 tại Anh ngữ ZIM | https://zim.vn/tu-sach-ielts-band-8/

6. Is it easy to change your name in your country?

I would say you can change it, but I’m not very sure if the procedures are easy because I’ve

never known anyone who tried to do such a thing. However, I do think the paperwork

required would be quite complicated and the whole process may cost you a lot of time.

7. Who usually names babies in your country?

As I’ve mentioned earlier, in most cases, grandparents would name their children’s babies.

Sometimes, a name is also given by a person who’s done a special favor for the baby’s family,

or a close relative.

8. Do you have any special traditions about naming children?

Well, I can’t come up with anything, honestly. Maybe there were some in my grandparents’

generation, but we millennials don’t seem to acknowledge any of these traditions.

9. What names are the most common in your hometown?

I’m definitely not an anthropologist, so I have no statistics on names. But I would say names

that start with an M are, for sure, very popular. It’s easy to explain. The first word a baby can

make is, in most cases, ‘momma’, so I bet the M sound is very easy to pronounce. That’s why

people tend to unintentionally name their babies like that.

10. Is your name common or unusual in your country?

If someone shouts my name on any crowded streets at any time of the day, I’m sure more

than 5 people will turn their heads back to find out who’s calling them. So, basically, my name

is very popular in Vietnam.