A Day at the Salon: Interview with Maya
You are a student journalist who has the chance to interview Maya, a young hairdresser who has just won a local competition. Your choices will shape the interview and reveal different sides of her story and passion for hair cutting.
A free Story Adventure for Teens at CEFR B1 level. Topic: an interview with a young hairdresser.
Story
- You arrive at 'Maya's Salon' on a sunny Tuesday afternoon. Maya, a 23-year-old hairdresser, has just won a hairdresser competition last month. She has agreed to talk with you for your school magazine. The salon smells like flowers and hair products. Maya is cutting a customer's hair with quick,…
- You watch carefully as Maya works. Her hands move in smooth, controlled motions. She uses short, precise cuts to shape the hair. The customer looks happy and relaxed. When Maya finishes, she shows the customer the back of their head with a mirror. The customer smiles widely. Maya says, 'I learned…
- You walk around and see many photos on the walls. Some show natural styles with long, wavy hair. Others show more complicated cuts with short, geometric shapes. There are also photos from the competition—Maya is in several of them, holding a trophy and smiling. You read a small poster that says,…
- Maya sits down across from you with a cup of tea. 'Winning the competition has changed everything,' she says. 'I have worked very hard for three years to perfect my cutting technique. The competition showed me that my original ideas about hair design are valuable. Before the competition, I was…
- Maya leans back in her chair. 'I started working in a salon when I was eighteen,' she says. 'My first job was washing hair and cleaning tools. I did not have a cutting technique at all! I watched other stylists for two years before I started learning to cut. Then I found a good teacher who helped…
- 'The competition was incredible,' Maya says with excitement in her eyes. 'I met other young hairdressers from different cities. We talked about our styles and our dreams. It was a real social experience because I had never been around so many people who understood my passion. I felt nervous before…
- Maya stands up and points to different photos on the wall. 'This one shows a natural style with long layers,' she says. 'This cutting technique is simple but takes time to do correctly. And this one,' she points to a more complicated cut, 'is from the competition. It has geometric shapes and sharp…
- Maya shakes her head. 'Actually, no. When I was young, I wanted to be a teacher. But in school, I discovered that I loved working with my hands and creating things. I started cutting my friends' hair for fun, and they loved it! That is when I realized I wanted to become a hairdresser. It was not a…
Vocabulary
- cutting technique
- natural style
- original
- social experience
Printable worksheet
This Story Adventure comes with a free printable worksheet: 2 parts for students to do after the game, and an answer key for the teacher. It prints at three levels (Support, Core and Challenge); this is the Challenge sheet. Sign in free to print the whole sheet.
What's on the worksheet
- Remember the story · Answer in a full sentence.
- A new ending · Write a new ending for the story. Use three story words.
Part 1: Remember the story
Answer in a full sentence.
- Why is the student visiting Maya at the salon?
- What does Maya say about her cutting technique?
- What does the poster on the wall say about Maya?