Reading
1. Work in pairs. Answer the questions.
1. Where do the Thai people live?
2. What is their population?
Now read the text and check your answers.
The Thai have a population of about one and a half million people living in the provinces of Lai Chau, Son La, Yen Bai, Hoa Binh, Thanh Hoa, and Nghe An. The Thai language belongs to the Tay - Thai group.
The Thai are experienced farmers. They dig canals to bring water to their fields. Their main food is rice, especially sticky rice. The Thai also grow other crops on burnt-out land. They raise cattle and poultry for their own use. They also make bamboo items, and weave cloth. Thai cloth is well-known for being unique, colourful and strong.
Recently, Thai men prefer to wear the Kinh's style of dress, while Thai women keep their traditional costumes including short blouses, long skirts, scarves and ornaments. The Thai live in houses on stilts. Their villages comprise 40 to 50 houses, usually built side by side.
The Thai worship their ancestors. Every year they hold festivals and ceremonies with alternating songs between boys and girls, and many traditional games.
2. Complete each sentence, using a word from the text.
1. The Thai are good __________. They grow different crops.
2. They can make household items from the __________ tree.
3. The Thai live in __________ houses.
4. They have a rich culture including folk __________ and games.
5. Many festivals and __________ are held by the Thai people every year.
3. Answer the questions.
1. Do the Thai people have their own language?
2. What is the main food of the Thai people?
3. What is the Thai cloth well-known for?
4. Which still wear their traditional costumes, Thai men or Thai women?
5. Who do the Thai worship?
Speaking
4. Read some facts about the Bru-Van Kieu people and the Khmer people.
The Bru-Van Kieu people
- Population: about 74,500
- Regions: Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien - Hue
- Language: Mon-Khmer group
- Production activities: growing rice, terraced fields, raising cattle and poultry
- Festivals: ceremony held before sowing seeds
The Khmer people
- Population: about 1,260,600
- Regions: provinces of Mekong Delta
- Language: Mon-Khmer group, writing system
- Production activities: growing rice, raising cattle and poultry, making sugar
- Festivals: two main holidays: Chaul Chnam Thmey (New Year) and Greeting-the-Moon festival
Work in groups. Choose one of the two ethnic groups and talk about it.
5. Talk about YOUR own ethnic group.
