BULATS Speaking Part I: Sample Answers
Could you tell me your name?
Yes, my name is Ken Maruyama. "Ken" means "healthy" in English, while "Maruyama" means "circular mountain."
Could you spell that for me, please?
Sure. Ken is spelled "K-E-N" while Maruyama is spelled "M-A-R-U-Y-A-M-A."
Where do you live, Ken?
Right now I live in Omiya, which is about 25 minutes from Tokyo by express train. Omiya is famous for having a big shrine, which is visited by tens of thousands of people at new year. It also has the biggest Bonsai village in Japan. Did you know that?
I didn't actually. Now, who do you work for?
I work for Nissan Diesel, which has a factory in Ageo, quite close to Omiya. Nissan is one of the biggest car companies in the world, as you probably know. Our president is named Carlos Ghosn - perhaps you have heard of him? He is a great leader and he speaks five languages!
What do you do?
Right now, I am a quality control engineer. This means it is my job to spot defects in car parts, highlight them, and suggest ways for them to be improved. It is a tiring job, but I enjoy it as I sometimes have to go on business trips to Sweden, which is exciting for me.
What are some of your main responsibilities?
My main responsibilities include managing a team of six people, and setting their goals and targets every week. I also need to video conference a lot with Swedish engineers, and - as I said - sometimes have to visit Sweden in person to consult with them directly.
How many hours do you work in a particular day?
My core hours are from 0830-1730 but as you can probably guess, I often need to work longer. Overtime is very important in our company because we have so many jobs to do and we can't possibly finish everything by 5.30pm.
How long have you worked for your company?
It's ten years now, and I can't believe time has flown so quickly. I joined my company straight after graduating from university. I haven't actually worked for anyone else!
Do you enjoy travelling?
Yes I do, especially overseas. Domestic travel is ok, but I prefer seeing other cultures and other ways of life. Plus, going overseas is an excellent chance for me to practice my English.
What countries have you visited?
I've visited countries which are mainly close to Japan, for example Hawaii, Saipan and Guam. And of course I have to go to Sweden for business trips. But the most interesting place I have been has to be France. The architecture in Paris is amazing. And the cars aren't bad either!
What is the favorite place you have visited?
As I said just now, France was simply amazing. I was able to visit the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triumph, Galerie La Fayette and the Monet Museum all in one day! The food was also fantastic - both the fish and the meat. I really recommend that you go there, if you haven't been already.
What do you do in your free time?
In my free time, I like to go to karaoke. I'm not a fantastic singer, but I always do my best and my friends like it when I sing. In the summer time, I like to go walking in the rice fields and take pictures with my camera. It's very relaxing for me.
How often do you go to karaoke?
I must go there once every two weeks, I think. I want to go more, but my friends don't want to go so often. There are two or three good karaoke houses in Omiya. I recommend those to you aswell - if you like karaoke, that is!
Why do you like karaoke?
Karaoke is a form of stress relief for me. My job is very busy and I need to do something completely different at the end of the day to unwind. I'm a big fan of many styles of music, so singing brings much joy to me. I can pretend that I am really a music star, adored by the crowds!
When did you start studying English?
That was a long time ago, now! I guess I started in junior high school, but that was only studying grammar and reading from the textbooks. I only really started learning how to speak after I joined my company, and then entered an English school. So that was 10 years ago - and I'm still not very good!
How do you study English?
I study English in many ways. Firstly, I go to the English school every weekend for a one-hour lesson, one-to-one with an American instructor. That helps me a lot. Then there's cable television. I like to watch the American detective series like NCIS. And then there's music. I love to read American song lyrics and work out what they mean!
Is English important for your future?
Yes, it's very important for my future. I make a lot of business trips to Sweden already, and they will continue. Furthermore, I will be expected to take a bigger role in teleconferences in future and I have to be ready for that. Generally, in Nissan, the higher up you go, the more English you must speak.
What are your main career aspirations?
I don't really talk about that a lot, as company managers don't like to here thoughts like that! But I suppose I'd be very happy if I could use my English skill to get a higher-level job in the next five years and manage a team of 20 people, rather than six. After that... who knows?
Yes, my name is Ken Maruyama. "Ken" means "healthy" in English, while "Maruyama" means "circular mountain."
Could you spell that for me, please?
Sure. Ken is spelled "K-E-N" while Maruyama is spelled "M-A-R-U-Y-A-M-A."
Where do you live, Ken?
Right now I live in Omiya, which is about 25 minutes from Tokyo by express train. Omiya is famous for having a big shrine, which is visited by tens of thousands of people at new year. It also has the biggest Bonsai village in Japan. Did you know that?
I didn't actually. Now, who do you work for?
I work for Nissan Diesel, which has a factory in Ageo, quite close to Omiya. Nissan is one of the biggest car companies in the world, as you probably know. Our president is named Carlos Ghosn - perhaps you have heard of him? He is a great leader and he speaks five languages!
What do you do?
Right now, I am a quality control engineer. This means it is my job to spot defects in car parts, highlight them, and suggest ways for them to be improved. It is a tiring job, but I enjoy it as I sometimes have to go on business trips to Sweden, which is exciting for me.
What are some of your main responsibilities?
My main responsibilities include managing a team of six people, and setting their goals and targets every week. I also need to video conference a lot with Swedish engineers, and - as I said - sometimes have to visit Sweden in person to consult with them directly.
How many hours do you work in a particular day?
My core hours are from 0830-1730 but as you can probably guess, I often need to work longer. Overtime is very important in our company because we have so many jobs to do and we can't possibly finish everything by 5.30pm.
How long have you worked for your company?
It's ten years now, and I can't believe time has flown so quickly. I joined my company straight after graduating from university. I haven't actually worked for anyone else!
Do you enjoy travelling?
Yes I do, especially overseas. Domestic travel is ok, but I prefer seeing other cultures and other ways of life. Plus, going overseas is an excellent chance for me to practice my English.
What countries have you visited?
I've visited countries which are mainly close to Japan, for example Hawaii, Saipan and Guam. And of course I have to go to Sweden for business trips. But the most interesting place I have been has to be France. The architecture in Paris is amazing. And the cars aren't bad either!
What is the favorite place you have visited?
As I said just now, France was simply amazing. I was able to visit the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triumph, Galerie La Fayette and the Monet Museum all in one day! The food was also fantastic - both the fish and the meat. I really recommend that you go there, if you haven't been already.
What do you do in your free time?
In my free time, I like to go to karaoke. I'm not a fantastic singer, but I always do my best and my friends like it when I sing. In the summer time, I like to go walking in the rice fields and take pictures with my camera. It's very relaxing for me.
How often do you go to karaoke?
I must go there once every two weeks, I think. I want to go more, but my friends don't want to go so often. There are two or three good karaoke houses in Omiya. I recommend those to you aswell - if you like karaoke, that is!
Why do you like karaoke?
Karaoke is a form of stress relief for me. My job is very busy and I need to do something completely different at the end of the day to unwind. I'm a big fan of many styles of music, so singing brings much joy to me. I can pretend that I am really a music star, adored by the crowds!
When did you start studying English?
That was a long time ago, now! I guess I started in junior high school, but that was only studying grammar and reading from the textbooks. I only really started learning how to speak after I joined my company, and then entered an English school. So that was 10 years ago - and I'm still not very good!
How do you study English?
I study English in many ways. Firstly, I go to the English school every weekend for a one-hour lesson, one-to-one with an American instructor. That helps me a lot. Then there's cable television. I like to watch the American detective series like NCIS. And then there's music. I love to read American song lyrics and work out what they mean!
Is English important for your future?
Yes, it's very important for my future. I make a lot of business trips to Sweden already, and they will continue. Furthermore, I will be expected to take a bigger role in teleconferences in future and I have to be ready for that. Generally, in Nissan, the higher up you go, the more English you must speak.
What are your main career aspirations?
I don't really talk about that a lot, as company managers don't like to here thoughts like that! But I suppose I'd be very happy if I could use my English skill to get a higher-level job in the next five years and manage a team of 20 people, rather than six. After that... who knows?