IE0 - describe a famous musician in your country

Describe a famous person that you are interested in

You should say:

 Who this person is.
 How you know about this person.
 What this person is famous for.
 Why you are interested in this person.
SAMPLE 1:

A famous person who I am really interested in is definitely My Tam. She is the best pop
singer in Viet Nam who embarked on her singing career in 1999. The Da Nang-born
singer has recently become Vietnam’s first-ever artist to be listed on Billboard’s World
Albums chart, after releasing her ninth studio album ‘Tam 9’.
My Tam is my biggest idol because she is a great singer with beautiful voice. Some years
ago, I caught a glimpse of her on TV and was immediately hooked by
her outstanding performance. I have became her loyal fan since then. I really like the way
she sings and the way she expresses the feeling of the song. To my admiration, she has
always worked seriously to give high quality music products.
My Tam is beloved for her good personality too. She is known to all her fans for
her gregariousness and sense of humour. Besides, she has also devoted her time
to organizing free concerts for univeristy students nationwide. Together with her fans and
friends, she has been doing a lot of charity activities silently to help the poor, the sick and
the homeless people.
Vocabulary highlights:
 embark on: start
 hooked: enjoying very much
 outstanding: extremely good; excellent
 admiration: a feeling of respect and liking
 gregariousness: the quality of liking to be with other people
 devote to: to give an amount of time, attention, etc. to something
 charity: an organization for helping people in need
Sample

Today I would like to describe a person who does very well at work, and that is no other
than Ms. My Tam, a very famous singer in Vietnam. Of all the celebrities, My Tam has
always been beacon of light not just for her fame but also for her great passion for the
work that she has committed to. 
The first time got to know My Tam was, like, 10 years ago when I came across her
albums in a music store near my house. Her smoldering eye makeup and iconic hairstyle
instantly got into my heart, and you know what's better than that? her amazing mezzo-
soprano voice. I instantly got hooked on her voice upon hearing it played in the music
store. 
Besides her angelic voice, My Tam is also known for her dedication to her work. She once
told the press that she loves her job, and she said that she was willing to be a singer for the
rest of her life without getting married, which was quite a statement and made the
headline for weeks to come at that particular time. Well you know, I always look up to any
well-known public figures who were able to devote all aspects their lives to their line of
 work. My Tam struck at people's heartcore by delivering down-to-earth music that
inspired thousands of audiences regard- less of ages, genders or social status, she was also
known for her tireless charity work. She was such a busy-bee that sometimes she did not
care about herself. At one time, she dropped everything to sing live in the concert held by
the disadvantaged and donated a huge sum of money for them. She is, by all means, the
greatest woman that I have ever seen.
Vocab highlights:

 A beacon of light (n.p): ngọn hải đăng

 Come across: tình cờ thấy
 Smoldering (adj): chảy bỏng, nồ ng nàn
 Get hooked on: bị nghiện
 Mezzo-soprano (n): giọng nữ trung
 dedication (n) sự tận tụy
 Make the headline (idiom): trở thành tiêu đềnóng
 Public figure (n): người của công chúng
 Struck at people's heartcore: lay động con timmọi người
 Down -to -earth (adj): gần gũi
 Busy-bee (n): người bận rộn, chăm chỉ
Sample

Okay I'm gonna talk about Thái Vân Linh - also known as Shark Linh - a female leader
l'd love to see in person. I will refer to her as 'Shark Linh' in this small talk.
Although born in Vietnam, Shark Linh was brought to the US with her family when she was
very little. Therefore, whereas she has an impressive command of English, she's still
occasionally struggling in getting her ideas across in Vietnamese. However,
the language barrier does not hinder her from embarking on a new venture in
Vietnam. she rejected great offers from American corporations to become the CEO at
VietnamCapital, and later launched her own start-up - Rita Phil – a company that
sells tailor - made bridal gowns.
Shark Linh is most famous for her role as a Shark in Shark Tank Vietnam - the Vietnamese
version of the famous reality TV series. Though she's usually the calmer Shark among the
four who usually take a gentler approach when she makes coments on others, she's also
very sharp upon making decisions. From what l've observed throughout the series, Shark
Linh only invested in fields she had great knowledge of.
Shark Linh has been a great role model for Vietnamese young women. Her famous saying
"I see no discrepancy in agility and ability between men and women" and her appearance
in the show has inspired thousands of Vietnamese women, encouraging them to work in
the field of finance.

Vocab highlights:

 See in person: gặp ngoài đời

 Has an impressive command of: có năng lực xuất sắc vềlĩnh vực gì
 Get one's ideas across: truyền đạt thông tin/ý tường
 Language barrier: rào cản ngôn ngữ
 Hinder somebody from: cần trở ai làm gì
 Embark on: bắ t đầu
 venture: công việc kinh doanh (có yếu tốmạo hiểm) 
 Tailor - made: được may đo, điều chinh riêng cho từng đối tượng
 bridal gown: váy cưới
 Take a gentler approach: có cách tiếp cận nhẹ nhàng
 Role model: là hình mẫu
 Discrepancy: sự khác biệt

SAMPLE 2:
I have a number of favourite singers who always force me to evaluate and re-evaluate their
musical works because of their unique, and sometimes, extraordinary musical appeal, but
one particular singer, who has always puzzled me with his musical talent, is John Lennon
for many years.  

John Lennon, arguably one of the best singers of all time who changed the trajectory of
“rock and roll” music forever, is not only a singer but also a “reformist”. Lennon was
“rebellious” in nature, and almost all of his songs reflected that particular aspect of his
characteristics. He didn’t like war, political corruption along with many other
contemporary social “ills”, and his songs also just followed suit. Even though this great
singer was a “social reformer”, he didn’t forget to express love, friendship, intellectual
keenness and sense of humour in his songs in a rather unique manner. Anyway, all kinds of
people, including young or old, professionals or working-class people, regular persons or
intellectuals, male or female with a bit “rebel” in them, love to listen to his music. Having
said that, however, only “philanthropists” people actually appreciate his musical talents as
the way they should be.
John Lennon is my favourite singer mainly because makes me care for the people and
society around me. He is my favourite singer also because no other singer like Lennon has
ever been able to mix “acerbic” with intellectual humour before. Besides, I feel like each
and every song of John Lennon carries some kind of “secret” meanings. On top of that,
unlike many other singers, John Lennon used to write and compose many of his songs by
himself, and as a result, many of his songs have become real “masterpiece”. Finally, John
Lennon is my favourite singer also because of his different vocal techniques from song to
song.
SAMPLE 3:
I love listening to music from Celine Dion. In fact, I am in love with her songs. She is a
Canadian singer and her full name is Céline Marie Claudette Dion. She was born in 1968.
She had a struggling career and now she is one of the most famous singers in the world.
This is a nice candidate task card for me and I will explain about her here.  

Celine Dion is a pop singer and prefers melodious songs. But her songs are also influenced
by several genres like rock, classical, gospel etc. Nonetheless, she is famous all over the
world for her lucid voice and singing style. She is the singer who sings in several languages
including French, Chinese, English, Italian, Latin, Japanese, and Spanish. She is also
considered as the most influential and popular voice in the history of pop music. She is also
popular for her vocal performance in the theme track of Titanic movie - My Heart Will Go
On. Her popularity is skyrocketing and she won five Grammy Awards for her outstanding
performance. She turned in to the second best-selling female singer in the USA. She was
also honoured for selling over 50 million albums in Europe in 2003.

Celine Dion is popular among the people who have crossed their 20s. In fact, to realize the
meaning of her song lyrics, a listener needs to be of a certain age. Her songs are not
associated with musical noise only and they have some special inner meaning. Accordingly,
she has become a popular singer and I am also a fan of her for some reasons. The most
important thing about being her fan is her voice. It attracts me. Besides, her devotion to
her musical career also requires attention. All such reasons have made her favourite to me.

SAMPLE 4:
Well, music is very important for me because when I fell stressful and tired. So, that time I
prefer to listen to music to relax as well as, I have a huge collection of old and new songs.

But here I would like to talk about my favorite singer. Well, I most prefer to listen to
Punjabi music and, I also like Punjabi singer his name is Parmish Verma. He was born on 3
July 1990 in Patiala.

Interestingly, He is not the only a singer. He is also known as Director, producer, model,
and actor. Moreover, he is a very successful person as well as, famous in the last years.

The most important thing, singing is not his profession and he started the career as a
filmmaker. he also faced many troubles during teenage. He drops out the college in Punjab
and, went to Australia in search of better opportunities and a better life.

However, Parmish came back to Punjab after leading a struggling life there. He was
determined to build a career in the entertainment field. The first step he put in the industry
by the video “Zimmewari bukh te doori” in 2014 which is described his struggle in
Australia.

But, now every child knows his name. He has sung amazing songs like ja ve ja, sab fade
Jaan gye, chirri udd kaa udd, kache pakke yaar and so on. I always listen to his song
because I am also a student and, I face a new problem in daily life. When I listen to his
songs and that time think its suit on my situation.

That is the main reason I prefer to listen to his songs and watch movies. His songs and
movie always influence and motivate me.

At the last, not a least, In Parmish Verma every song and video give a good message to
everybody. In song kache pakke yaar he tells about international students life and they face
all troubles in very positive for the best future. According to me, he is the best person in the
world who achieve success after facing a lot of failures in his life.

 
Describe a famous person (still living), not from your country, who you would
like to meet.
You should say:  
where this person comes from
how you first learned about him or her
why / how this person is famous
and explain why you would like to meet this person  

Well, the person I would like to talk about is Leonardo DiCaprio /dɪˈkæpri.oʊ/, who is an
acclaimed American actor, film producer, and environmental activist.
 
I first knew him through the film “Titanic”, a movie of a tragic love story that helped
propel DiCaprio's career to a new level. I remembered when I watched the film for the first
time, I was only 12 or 13. Although I didn’t know anything about him, I was really
impressed with the role that he played in the film, a poor artist who falls in love with
beautiful Rose on board and finally he died to save her life when the ship struck an iceberg
and sank to the bottom of the ocean. Since then, I have watched some other films that he
starred and got better understanding about him. 
 
There are a wide variety of reasons why I am dying for meeting him in person.
 
The first reason I want to mention is that he has had a very successful career, being one of
the greatest actors in our generation. In the past four years, the films in which he has
starred such as The Great Gatsby, The Wolf of Wall Street and Revenant have made
collectively $1.2 billion at the box office. He has been nominated for an Oscar five times.
Obviously, his success is not a fortune, but the result of his unmatched talent, dedication,
commitment and his personality. As far as I know, he is kind of a perfectionist, who always
strives to reach the highest standards in his career and with each new role, he continues to
push the boundaries. In his recent film which is “Revenant”, In one scene his character is
so hungry that he eats raw liver and DiCaprio did eat raw liver in order to bring the real
emotions to the viewers. This is so stunning and admirable.
 
In addition, I really want to meet him to show him my respect and appreciation. It is
because he is a responsible person who cares so much about the environment, especially
global warming. As reflected by his Globe and Oscar speeches, DiCaprio has long
demonstrated his passion for environmental issues. He has participated in different
activities to bring awareness to environmental causes such as hosting environmental
events with other celebrities like President Bush and Obama, producing environmental
documentaries, serving in some environmental organizations and founding The Leonardo
DiCaprio Foundation - an environmental non-profit organization.
All in all, those are the reasons why when it comes to a foreign star I want to meet, Dicaprio
is the first person coming to my mind. I hope that my dream will come true in the near
future.
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A famous person I’d like to meet is Bryan Cranston. He’s an American

actor who is best-known for his role as Walter White in the famous TV
show, Breaking Bad. Actually, Bryan Cranston has appeared in many TV
shows and movies, including a really funny show that he did before Breaking
Bad called Malcolm in the Middle. However, I think for most people he’s always going to be
identified with the character of Walter White, the chemistry teacher who turned into a drug
dealer. His performance in that show was so iconic that he will forever be remembered not
just by fans but anyone who knows anything about American TV.

I want to meet him not just because he’s a great actor but also because I’ve heard him give
so many interviews and he seems like a really great guy. He has amazingly funny stories to
tell and he always gives so much of his time and energy to his fans. I don’t really know what
I’d do if I met Bryan Cranston because I’ve never actually met a famous person before.
However, I’d probably shake his hand and tell him I really admire his work on screen and
on stage. If he was willing to talk, I’d ask him about making Breaking Bad and I’m sure he’d
have some wonderful stories to tell me.
Model Answer 1:
My country, India, has been lucky to have become the home to many renowned
personalities, from word-class sportsmen to world-famous scientists, who have made
“India” great. Today, I would like to talk about one such famous person who is also known
as the “missile man” of India.

Yes, he is none other than Mr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. Being born in a Muslim family in Tamil
Nadu, India, in 1931, the great man studied physics and aerospace engineering in order to
become arguably the most prominent Indian nuclear scientist ever.

Holding many important roles and positions in the Indian government, this eminent
scientist, and also a politician at the same time, gave India one of its most major and
important breakthroughs in its "defense technology" by developing the ballistic missile and
nuclear weapons programmes.  Later on, this world-renowned scientist also became a
president of India.  

I want to mention this famous person specifically, primarily because he was a very simple
and easy-going person, even though he had such extraordinary achievements on his name.
Mr Kalam has been an inspiration to millions in the world, who had a great many virtues,
dedication, self-mastery, and exceptional scientific aptitude. Born in a rather humble
family, this gem of a great leader worked his way to great success. In fact, he was an
“epitome” of hard works and success.  

And as for the positive changes, he dedicated his whole life to his motherland.  Mr Kalam
didn’t only pioneer the Indian nuclear and missile defense programmes but also
encouraged Indian automobile makers to enhance vehicle technologies in order to “triple”
their productivity and efficiency. This great guy also was concerned for young people of his
country as he encouraged them to learn in a good way. His message for the youth of India
filled them with new confidence. In fact, many of his inspirational books and speeches
reverberate through Indian cities and villages, which constantly motivate both the youth
and adults, by saying “I can do it. We can do it. India can do it”. This great person, who is
still an inspiration for millions, died in 2015.

Model Answer 2:
Ooh, I thought at first the cue card meant someone I know personally or had actually met!
That would be really hard, I’m not very well connected. Erm, there are so many famous
people in my country – England, part of the United Kingdom. I could pick the Queen, I
think she is one of the most recognised people the world over, but I think that’s too easy
and predictable. I’m going to pick, instead, a famous person from English history, you may
never even have heard of her, but she is really important in terms of contributing to
political change in my country, and although perhaps not everyone knows her name, most
people would know about what she did.

I’ll tell you who the person is, why she is famous and what makes me choose her. Finally,
I’ll try and explain how she has contributed to positive change in the UK.
This person is Emily Wilding Davison, she was born in the 1870s and died, famously, in
June 1913. She is famous, or even infamous because she was a militant activist who fought
for women's suffrage – that is for women to have the same rights to vote as men - in
Britain. She was one of a number of women who protested in different ways about the
inequality that existed. At that time, only men were allowed to vote in elections, something
that seems incredible today. Some of the protestors took direct action, leading to them
being arrested and imprisoned for their views. Once imprisoned, some took it further and
went on hunger strike, leading to them being force-fed – Emily herself was jailed on
numerous occasion – nine I think, and force-fed nearly fifty times. The reason though, that
she is particularly remembered amongst the many women who campaigned so
vociferously, is that it was her who apparently died for the cause. On 4th June 1913, she
stepped out in front of the King’s own horse when it was racing as part of the famous race
the Epsom Derby (this horse race still takes place each year today). She suffered fatal
injuries and died a few days later. There was a huge public funeral, and thousands of
suffragettes accompanied the coffin and tens of thousands of people lined the streets of
London.

People have different opinions about whether she actually intended to kill herself, or just to
disrupt the race to bring attention to her cause. Personally, I think she would have wanted
to live on to continue her protests and contribute to the debate, but her life was cut short
aged only 40 years old, by accident. I have chosen her because I think she was a brave and
principled woman. I might not approve of all her actions, but without her efforts, and
people like her, women would not have ultimately gained the vote in this country, which I
consider to be a basic right. Women fought hard for that equality, so I think it’s very
important that all people (men and women) exercise their democratic right to vote. It was a
right that was hard-won but potentially easily lost. Democracy is an imperfect system, but
it the political one we have in the UK, and I believe women and men should have equal
influence in how it is executed. It takes courage sometimes, to stand up for what you
believe in, and her courage cannot be disputed.

It is hard to say that anyone action or person brought about the enfranchisement of
women, but certainly, her actions on that day brought the debate about women’s equality
to centre stage. It led to more men supporting the campaign, widening the voices of
arguing for equal rights and overtime. Some women got the vote in 1918, after the first
world war, but only those who were householders over the age of 30 (6 million women);
women over 21 did not get the vote until 1928, so perhaps it’s only then you can say there
was equality.  She, therefore, contributed to the positive change of bringing about equal
rights in voting for men and women in the UK.

Over time in this country, people have come to take the right to vote for granted, I think the
contribution of the suffragettes in general and Emily Wilding Davison, in particular, might
come to be forgotten over time. I was pleased therefore to hear that a new film is coming
out on exactly this period of history, it’s (unsurprisingly) called ‘Suffragette’! I haven’t seen
it yet – I wonder how close it will be to the truth of those times – perhaps we’ll never know!

[ Written by - Lucy Marris:  Careers Adviser (UK), TEFL teacher (Vietnam) ]

 
Sample Answer 3:
I am from Australia and Hugh Jackman is one of the most famous persons in my country.
His full name is Hugh Michael Jackman and he was born in 1968. He is a famous and
critically acclaimed actor, producer and revered superstar for his superb performance in
TV, film and musical theatre.

He is well known for the superhero character Wolverine in the X-Men series and his
leading roles in many well-known movies like Australia, Kate & Leopold, Les Misérables,
Van Helsing, The Prestige, Real Steel,  and Prisoners.

I mention specifically him because I’m a big fan of his acting and performance. I have seen
almost all of his movies and TV serials and consider him to one of the world’s most
prominent actors alive.  

He was born in Sydney, New South Wales, and graduated from University of Technology,
Sydney, in 1991 with a BA in Communications. He is a philanthropist and is an active
supporter of micro-credit. He is also one of the founders and the global advisor for the
Global Poverty Project. Besides, he is an ambassador of World Vision and participated in
the climate week NYC ceremony.  He is also an active supporter and donator to some
charity and social welfare programmes.

Through his acting, fame and donation he is trying to fight poverty and is trying to help the
people in need. That’s a great way of extending the helping hands for people in need and
can be exemplary for others.

He is a world-renowned actor and is revered by his countrymen. Through his acting, he has
increased the impression of an Australian-born actor and through his charity and
philanthropic activities, he is helping others.

ANSWER
Today I am going to talk about a famous person in my country who I have
admired since I was young. He is Professor Ngo Bao Chau.
I first heard about Ngo Bao Chau on the news 6 years ago when he received the Fields
Medal, which is often described as the mathematician’s Nobel Prize. However, earlier in
2005, he was granted the title of professor in Vietnam, becoming the country’s youngest
professor ever.
Professor Ngo Bao Chau has been awarded the highest academic honor due to his great
mathematical research. He is best known for proving the Fundamental Lemma. His work
has achieved such a distinction that it has been listed as one of the top ten scientific
discoveries of 2009 by Time magazine.
The story of Ngo Bao Chau has inspired me considerably. I remember in an interview after
receiving the Medal, Ngo Bao Chau said that he had been studying maths out of /due to /
because of/ owing to his passion but not out of /due to / because of/ owing to a desire to
achieve. This statement impressed me a lot. Besides, another characteristic I like regarding
this professor is his persistence. During the time studying the Fundamental Lemma,
became stuck and almost failed to solve this complex problem. Despite the difficulties, he
did not choose to give up so finally he got through them. His personality has been an
inspiration for me working harder towards my dream.
Describe a famous person in your country