"The New American Heartthrob" Zac Efron

American actor and singer Zac Efron starred in the hit movies High school Musical, 17 Again, Hairspray, New Year’s Eve, and many more. Zac is quite famous and extremely loved as a celebrity. Rolling Stone Magazine, called him, "The New American Heartthrob".

Let’s find out a bit more about America's newest heartthrob Zac Efron!

Question 1: Are you a gamer? Do you play a lot of video games?

Zac Efron Answer: I play a lot of video games.

Question 2: Are you tech savvy?

Zac: Sorry?

Question: Are you tech savvy?

Zac: Not really. I mean I have an iphone.

Natural English

These common questions tend to come up in conversation. For ‘small talk’, these questions are good and can be asked to anyone. They are helpful for getting to know someone.

Question 1: Are you a gamer?

Question 1: Do you play a lot of video games?

The interviewer asks both of these questions at once because she has a short time. The interviewer doesn’t wait to hear the answer to the first question. Instead she asks 2 questions quickly in order to get more information from Zac Efron. In a casual conversation you can wait for the first answer or try this double question style yourself. It is a simple technique but an effective one. The second question is a good follow up question to find out more general information about Zac. The previous topic was video games so the interviewer asks:

Question 2: Are you tech savvy?

Her question links the ideas or builds on the theme of games and technology from the first question and answer. The ‘question flow’ is quite smooth.

Zac Efron’s answers are also quite common:

Answer 1: I play a lot of video games.

Answer 2: Not really. I mean I have an iphone.

The first answer tells the listener about his leisure time habits. The second answer is quite smooth or subtle.

Not really. I mean I have an iphone. =

(Subtle idea)

I am not really tech savvy. But I do/can use iphone technology. I am not great but I am not incompetent with technology.

I like this style because the answer is a bit humble but still tells the listener his skill level. I think this is a good example of why Zac Efron is a well-liked actor personality wise.

Vocabulary Building for Natural Conversations

1. a gamer = a person who plays games; especially: a person who regularly plays computer or video games.

2. to be Savvy = good at something/has practical knowledge of something / has practical ability at something

3. tech = technologically

4. iphone = a line of Internet- and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc.

Listening Building for Natural Conversations

Watch and Listen for the Questions and Answers from the Original Zac Efron interview:

Question 1 (0:20), Question 2 (0:39)