Conversation Topic: Summer Heat and Ice to Eat 🍧

July and August are the hottest months of the year in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan – in other words, many of the countries our students call home. What does this mean for our students?

Below you’ll find some questions you may want to ask as well as words and phrases (bolded) that you may want to teach when discussing this topic.

Summer in East Asia can be very uncomfortable. The hot, humid weather makes for a wet, sticky experience the moment you leave an air-conditioned space. In fact, when Tokyo hosted the Summer Olympics in 1964, the games did not take place in August as usual, but were moved to October to protect athletes from the heat and humidity.

What part of your country becomes the hottest in the summer? Which part becomes the most humid?
What’s your favorite season? Do you like the summer?
Do you prefer hot weather or cold weather? Why?
Do you prefer dry weather or humid weather? Why?

The fact that Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan are mountainous doesn’t help. Some cities, such as Taipei, Seoul, and Kyoto are surrounded by mountains, which trap the humidity, making it even more unbearable.

Does it become humid in your city?
Is your city surrounded by mountains?

Understandably, people will try to keep themselves cool, but not too cool. It’s traditionally believed that cooling yourself too much is bad for your health. For example, in South Korea, many people drink hot soups on the hottest days of the year.

A famous Korean chicken soup cooked with plenty of herbs

Older Taiwanese believe that it’s bad to drink cold water in the summer, and water dispensers in Taiwan often offer hot and warm water only (i.e. no cold water!). Further, many people across the region believe that it’s bad for the body to stay in an air conditioned room for too long.

Do you think it’s good for your health to drink hot soup in the summer? Do you think it’s good to eat ice cream in the winter then?
I heard that traditionally, drinking cold or ice water is considered bad for the body. Is this belief still common today? Do you agree with this belief?
Do you think staying in an air-conditioned room for a long period of time is bad for your body? Why or why not?

Regardless of these traditional beliefs, many people will still blast their air conditioning or fan. (Note: Air conditioning is also known as AC in the US and aircon in the UK.)

How do you keep cool during the summer? Do you use air conditioning, a fan, or both? Or neither?
Do you have pets at home? How do you keep them cool at home on hot days?

Traditional beliefs also haven’t stopped people from gobbling up desserts featuring lots of ice. In Japan, people eat shaved ice flavored with various kinds of syrup.

In South Korea, people eat shaved ice, with red bean shaved ice being the classic kind. And in Taiwan, summer is the season for all kinds of shaved ice topped with fruit, with mango shaved ice the most iconic.

Do you like eating shaved ice? Do you like it more or less than ice cream?
Where do you go to eat shaved ice? Are these stores open all year round?

What’s your favorite kind of shaved ice? What are your favorite toppings?
Have you tried shaved ice from other countries? If so, how do they differ from shaved ice in your country?

Students will also love to hear about the shaved ice available in your country as well. But enough about food! Let’s talk about exercise.

Do you exercise outdoors in the summer?
Do you jog? If so, how do you avoid the heat? (For example, do you wake up early in the summer to jog outdoors? Or do you jog at night?)
Have you ever gotten a heatstroke?
How do you stay hydrated outdoors?

Finally, don’t forget to ask about what clothing people wear. For example, ask your Japanese students if they wear suits to work in the summer or if their company has a "cool biz" dress code.

Do you wear clothing made from a certain material to keep cool?
Does your company relax its dress code during the summer?

And if you’re looking for more heat-related topics to talk about, check out these Daily News articles:

For articles specific to this summer, check out these articles:

Happy tutoring!