Interviews

High-intermediate

Vacation Brainstorm: Have students brainstorm and list different types of vacations (beach, city, staycation, adventure) on the board. Then, in pairs, they discuss their preferences and share why they’d enjoy each type.

“Perfect Vacation” Poll: Conduct a class poll where students choose their ideal vacation from options like “relaxing at home,” “exploring a new city,” or “outdoor adventures.” Discuss the most popular choice and ask a few students to explain why they chose it.

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

perfect (adjective): ideal, exactly as desired, flawless
– This is the perfect spot to relax and enjoy the view.
– My sister planned the perfect vacation for her family.

vacation (noun): a break from work or school, holiday, time off
– I’m taking a vacation next month to visit my family.
– They spent their vacation exploring new cities.

plan (verb): to decide or arrange something in advance, to organize
– She plans to go hiking during her time off.
– We need to plan where we’ll stay on our trip.

guilt-free (adjective): without feeling responsible for doing something wrong, free from guilt
– She enjoyed a guilt-free day of relaxation at home.
– This snack is advertised as a guilt-free treat.

delivery (noun): bringing something to a person’s home, usually from a store or restaurant
– They ordered pizza for delivery because they didn’t want to cook.
– The store offers free delivery on all large items.

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.

Randall: In this video, Aubrey and I are talking about the perfect vacation. And Aubrey, we both realize people have different visions of what this might be. Some people might enjoy lounging at a beach or someone might enjoy going to a Broadway play in New York. But what about you? What are the your image of the perfect vacation? How to get there, what to do, what to eat, and so forth?

Aubrey: Yeah. So my perfect vacation. Staying home

Aubrey: Okay

Aubrey: and doing nothing. And that is and it’s not because I don’t have anything to do. Doing nothing is the plan.

Randall: Okay.

Aubrey: Right. So I am not answering work emails. I’m not answering work phone calls. I may or may not hang out with friends, but this is the time set aside for me to do nothing.

Randall: And so what would you do? You would stay at home and do nothing would include [inaudable]?

Aubrey: Sometimes it’s nothing like if I want to stare at the wall, that’s my vacation time, right? So it’s guilt-free stare at the wall time. Um, realistically, though, I probably, you know, because I work a lot, uh, I work long hours, so I’d probably be taking lots of naps. Um, I do like to play video games, so I’m probably playing video games. Maybe I’m cooking, um, depending on how I’m feeling. Otherwise, I’m gonna ordering like food for delivery because, you know, if I’m not in the mood for it, it’s my vacation. And I saved money by not going to Paris.

Randall: Really good points. And I’m sure some of that time would be spent with, with your pets going for walks and things like that.

Aubrey: Yep.

Randall: All right. All right. Thank you. Really insightful.

Intermediate

1. How does Aubrey’s idea of a “perfect vacation” differ from a traditional vacation, like traveling or sightseeing?
2. What benefits does Aubrey mention about staying home for her vacation, and how do these contribute to her relaxation?
3. What activities does Aubrey mention she might do at home during her vacation, and why do you think these are appealing to her?

Advanced

1. Why might taking a “do-nothing” vacation be important for someone with a busy work life? In what ways could it help them recharge?
2. How might Aubrey’s preference for a stay-at-home vacation reflect broader ideas about self-care and maintaining a work-life balance?
3. How might Aubrey’s approach to vacation challenge traditional views of what a “successful” vacation looks like? What does this suggest about personal definitions of relaxation?

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

• My Favorite Vacation Memory
• Vacation Plans