Interviews

High-intermediate

What concerns do you have about your financial future, and what is your plan to deal with these? Possible situations could include:

• paying for your education
• covering your rent
• dealing with credit card debt
• spending money on a future vacation
• buying health or life insurance
• paying for groceries
• investing in retirement

Here are some words and expressions that appear in the video:

play a role (verb phrase): contribute to something, have a hand in
– My father has played an important role in my life growing up.

drive (verb): influence or make someone work hard
– What drives you to study so hard? 

hold that thought (verb phrase): used to tell someone to remember their ideas for later use
– Please hold that thought. I know you want to discuss getting a new car, but let me finish dinner before we talk about that.

Now, watch the interview and answer the comprehension questions. You can also turn on the automatically-generated captions for the video once you start it.

What are the five top expenses you incur every month? In what ways have your expenses changed over time? How do you think the cost of living will change during over the next year?

The following activities deal with related topics to give you additional language practice.

• Budget Planner
• Burn the Candle at Both Ends – Idioms
• Cost an Arm and a Leg – Idioms
• Economic Woes
• Foot the Bill – Idioms
• Health Insurance
• Student Loans
• Supermarket Shopping