Culture, Cultural Events and Entertainment

Maturita topic 17, general part, at Cambridge B2 First level. The specific part of this topic is Festivals and Holidays in English-Speaking Countries.

What to talk about

• what culture means – arts, music, literature, film, theatre, architecture
• cultural life in your town and in Prague
• a cultural event you have been to – a concert, play, exhibition or festival
• reading, films and series – genres, reviews
• how technology has changed culture (streaming, social media, AI)

Model answer

Culture is a broad word. In a narrow sense it means the arts – music, literature, film, theatre, painting and architecture – but in a wider sense it includes the traditions, language and way of life of a nation. I think culture is important because it helps us understand ourselves and other people, and it brings people together.

There are many kinds of cultural events. In my town there is a small cinema, a cultural centre where local bands play, and an open-air festival every summer. For bigger events we go to Prague, which has a very rich cultural life – the National Theatre, concerts of classical music, musicals, galleries such as the National Gallery, and many clubs. Probably the biggest cultural event of the year in the Czech Republic is the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, where you can see films from all over the world and meet famous actors and directors.

The last cultural event I went to was a concert of my favourite band in Prague. The atmosphere was amazing – thousands of people singing together. Concert tickets have become very expensive, though, and they often sell out within minutes. I also enjoy the cinema, especially science fiction and thrillers, and I watch a lot of series on streaming platforms. As for books, I don’t read as much as I used to, but when I find a good novel, I can’t put it down.

Technology has changed culture enormously. Thanks to streaming services we can watch films and listen to any music in the world at any time, and anybody can publish their work online. On the other hand, people spend less time in cinemas and theatres, and some worry that algorithms only show us what we already like. Now artificial intelligence can even create pictures and music, which raises the question of what art really is. In my opinion, live culture – a concert, a play or an exhibition – can never be fully replaced, because the experience of sharing it with other people is unique.

Vocabulary

Grammar worth showing

• present tenses for plots: The film is set in the future. The main character discovers…
• adjectives in -ed / -ing: The film was boring – I was bored. I was impressed by the impressive set.
• relative clauses: It’s a film that everybody should see. The actor who plays the hero…

Useful phrases

• The last… I saw / went to was…
• It’s about… / It tells the story of…
• What I liked most was…, but…
• I’d give it eight out of ten.
• It’s definitely worth seeing / reading.

Speaking practice

Part 1 – about you

Part 3 / 4 – discussion