Part 2
Part 2 - Cue Card
Describe a time when you received money as a gift
You should say:
- Who gave it to you
- When you received it
- What you did with it
- And explain how you felt about it
Part 2 Sample Response
I'd like to talk about the time my grandmother gave me money for my graduation from university, which was about two years ago. She handed me this red envelope - you know, the traditional lucky money envelope we use during Tet - but it was much thicker than usual.
When I opened it later, there was 10 million dong inside, which is... well, it's quite a substantial amount for my family. She told me it was her way of congratulating me on finishing my degree and that I should use it for something that would help my future.
I was really torn about what to do with it, actually. Part of me wanted to give it back because I knew she doesn't have a lot of money - she's been retired for years and lives quite simply. But she insisted I keep it, saying she'd been saving it specifically for this moment.
In the end, I decided to use most of it to buy a laptop for work, since my old one was really struggling. I also put about 2 million dong into a savings account, which felt like the responsible thing to do. And I used a small portion to take her out for a nice dinner at her favorite restaurant.
I felt incredibly grateful, but also a bit overwhelmed by her generosity. It made me realize how much my education meant to her - she never had the opportunity to go to university herself, so seeing me graduate was probably like fulfilling a dream she'd had for decades. The money wasn't just money, you know? It represented her hopes and sacrifices for my future.
Essential Vocabulary
Types of monetary gifts
- cash present - money given as a gift
- graduation bonus - money for completing education
- red envelope money - traditional Asian monetary gift
- birthday allowance - money given on birthday
- wedding contribution - money given to newly married couple
- holiday cash - money given during festivals
- achievement reward - money for accomplishing something
- emergency fund - money for unexpected problems
- investment capital - money to start business or invest
- educational funding - money for school or learning
Who gives money as gifts
- generous relative - family member who gives freely
- proud grandparent - grandfather or grandmother showing love
- supportive parent - mother or father helping child
- affluent family friend - wealthy person close to family
- caring mentor - guide who invests in your future
- grateful employer - boss showing appreciation
- wedding guests - people attending marriage ceremony
- extended family - aunts, uncles, cousins
- family patriarch/matriarch - eldest family leader
- anonymous benefactor - unknown generous giver
Occasions for money gifts
- graduation milestone - finishing school or university
- coming of age - reaching adulthood
- wedding ceremony - marriage celebration
- birth of child - welcoming new baby
- festival celebration - traditional holiday like Tet
- religious ceremony - spiritual milestone event
- achievement recognition - celebrating success
- birthday milestone - important age like 18, 21
- job promotion - advancing in career
- overcoming hardship - support during difficult time
Emotional responses
- overwhelming gratitude - extremely thankful feeling
- mixed emotions - happy but also conflicted
- profound appreciation - deep thankfulness
- financial relief - less worry about money
- sense of responsibility - feeling duty to use wisely
- emotional burden - pressure from generous gift
- heartfelt appreciation - genuine love and thanks
- guilt and gratitude - feeling bad but also thankful
- empowerment feeling - sense of new possibilities
- validation of achievement - recognition of hard work
Cultural and family significance
- generational sacrifice - older person giving up for younger
- investment in future - money for long-term benefit
- cultural tradition - following customary practice
- family values - showing what matters to family
- symbolic gesture - meaning beyond just money
- unconditional support - love without conditions
- legacy continuation - passing on family success
- educational priority - valuing learning above all
- intergenerational bond - connection between age groups
- aspirational gift - money representing hopes and dreams
Natural Spoken Phrases
- "Looking back on it now..." reflecting on past events
- "What really struck me was..." highlighting significant aspects
- "I was really torn about..." expressing difficulty deciding
- "Part of me wanted to..." explaining internal conflict
- "The way I see it..." sharing personal perspective
- "It made me realize how much..." expressing deeper understanding
- "The thing is..." introducing important context
- "I have to admit..." acknowledging honest feelings
Part 3
Part 3 Discussion Questions
- Do you think it's a good thing that more and more people are using digital payment?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of using credit cards?
- Why do people rarely use cash now?
- When do children begin to comprehend the value of money?
- Should parents reward children with money?
- Is it good and necessary to teach children to save money?
Part 3 Sample Response
I think it really depends on the individual child, but from what I've observed, kids start to grasp basic money concepts around 5 or 6 years old. That's when they begin to understand that different coins and notes have different values, and that you need money to buy things. But truly understanding the value - like how much work goes into earning money, or the difference between needs and wants - that usually doesn't click until they're maybe 8 or 10. In Vietnam, I think kids learn about money quite early because many help in family businesses or see their parents working hard to make ends meet.
Essential Vocabulary
Digital payment adoption
- cashless society - community where people don't use physical money
- payment convenience - ease of paying without cash
- transaction efficiency - faster, smoother money transfers
- financial inclusion - giving everyone access to banking services
- digital literacy - skills needed for online financial services
- security concerns - worries about online money safety
- privacy issues - problems with personal financial information
- technological barriers - difficulties for some people using new systems
- contactless payments - paying without touching cards or cash
- mobile wallet adoption - using phone apps for payments
Credit card pros and cons
- purchasing power - ability to buy things beyond current cash
- credit building - establishing good financial history
- consumer protection - safeguards against fraud and problems
- reward programs - benefits like points or cash back
- emergency funding - money available for unexpected expenses
- debt accumulation - owing more money than you can pay
- interest charges - extra cost for borrowing money
- overspending temptation - urge to buy more than you can afford
- credit score impact - effect on your financial reputation
- fraud vulnerability - risk of someone stealing your information
Children's money comprehension
- cognitive development - mental growth and understanding
- value recognition - understanding different amounts of money
- cause and effect understanding - knowing work leads to money
- delayed gratification - waiting for something better later
- needs versus wants - distinguishing essential from optional
- earning concept - understanding that work produces money
- comparative value - knowing what costs more or less
- financial consequences - understanding results of spending choices
- money abstraction - understanding money represents value
- purchasing power - knowing what money can buy
Teaching financial responsibility
- financial responsibility - mature attitude toward money management
- future planning - thinking ahead about needs and goals
- impulse control - resisting urge to spend immediately
- emergency preparedness - having money for unexpected problems
- compound interest - money growing over time through savings
- spending discipline - self-control with money use
- goal achievement - reaching objectives through saving
- financial security - peace of mind about money matters
- life skill development - learning essential abilities for adulthood
- habit formation - creating positive long-term behaviors
Natural Spoken Phrases
- "I think it really depends on..." acknowledging individual differences
- "From what I've observed..." sharing personal insights
- "That's when they begin to..." explaining developmental stages
- "But truly understanding... that usually doesn't..." making distinctions
- "In Vietnam, I think..." providing local context
- "On the positive side..." presenting benefits
- "The downside is that..." acknowledging problems
- "The key is finding the balance between..." discussing moderation
- "From a practical standpoint..." considering realistic aspects
- "In the long run..." thinking about future consequences