Speaking topics for ESL

Appearance What is the first thing you notice about a person? What the clothes someone wears say about that person? Is there a part of your appearance that you are very proud of? (i.e eyes, fashion sense, hair etc.) What is the most interesting haircut you have seen? Have you every gone through the entire day without noticing something was wrong with your appearance? (i.e missing button, food in your teeth) What kinds of things you to improve/maintain your appearance? Are there any fashion trends in the past you followed but think are silly looking now? How long does it take you to get ready in the morning? Have you ever been intimidated by someone’s appearance? Do people in your country talk a lot about other people’s appearance? Is it rude to tell the person that they need to improve their appearance? Animals What animal best represents you? Why? What creature scares you? Why? Except for food, humans need other animals? Why or why not? What is the most effective way to save endangered species? What are some examples of useful traits that help animals survive? (i.e a giraffe’s long neck) What is Darwin famous for? What traits have made humans a successful species? What is the cutest animal you can think of? How about the ugliest? Why humans have pets? Do you have a pet? Why or why not? Are there any animals that we should try to kill off completely? Advice What three pieces of advice will you give your children? Whose advice you follow more, your parents’ or your friends’ advice? If you could give the leader of your country some advice, what would it be? If you could go back in time and give yourself some advice, what would you tell your younger self? Who was the wisest person in your country’s history? What kind of advice did they give? Where you go to get good advice? Now it’s your turn to give some advice: What are some things students should to improve their English? What should I to make more money? How can I get more free time? What should people when first meeting their boyfriend/girlfriend’s parents? What should someone to be happy? Art How often you go to art museums? Do you consider yourself to be artistic? What you think about modern art paintings? How many forms of art can you name? What is your favorite form of art? Is graffiti art? Why or why not? What is the most famous statue in your country? Who is your favorite artist? Why you like them so much? Do you think that art is important to society? Why? Have you ever tried drawing, painting, sculpting, or something else artistic? What is the most famous painting in your country? What is traditional art like in your culture? What country you think is the most creative? Why is art so expensive? Do you think it should be more, or less, expensive? Do you have any artistic friends? What kinds of art they create? Beauty Do you think beauty is the same for every person? Do you think that different cultures think about beauty differently? What you think of plastic surgery? What is the most common plastic surgery in your country? What does “Beauty is only skin deep.” mean? What kind of beauty contests are popular in your country? Do they have beauty contests for men too? What celebrities you know of that have gotten plastic surgery? Who is the most beautiful/handsome celebrity in your country? What makes someone beautiful? Do you think science can measure beauty? Birthdays What was your most memorable birthday? What you usually to celebrate your birthday? Do you think that the person having the birthday should pay for the birthday party or should their friends and family pay for the party? Why? Where is the best place to have a birthday party? What gifts you like to receive on your birthday? What is the most heart warming birthday wish you can give someone? What is the best birthday party for someone else you’ve been to? How about the worst? What were your birthdays like when you were growing up? What birthday traditions are unique to your culture? At what ages people have a massive birthday party in your culture? What flavor cake or what type of food you like to eat on your birthday? How have birthdays changed from generation to generation in your culture? Books Do you read many books? How often you read books? Did your parents read to you when you were a child? What are some of the advantages of books vs movies? How about the disadvantages of books vs movies? What was the last book you read about? Do you prefer fiction or non-fiction books? Do you think people don’t read enough books these days? If you could only read one more book for your entire life, what would it be? Can a book change the world? Who is an author that you like? Why you like their books? What is one example of traditional literature in your country? Did you have to read it in school? Do you like reading the traditional literature of your country? Camping What is the best activity to while camping? How many times have you gone camping? Did you enjoy it? Where have you gone camping? What are the most important things to bring when you go camping? Is camping with lots of amenities (solar panels, fans, stove, etc.) still camping? How much luxury is too much? Where is the best place to go camping in your country? What is the longest time you have spent camping? Tell a story about a camping trip (it doesn’t have to be your story) What is the best thing about camping? How about the worst thing? What is the best food to bring on a camping trip? Cars and Driving If you were going to get a new car, what kind of car would you get? A luxurious car? A sports car? A hybrid or electric car? What kind of cars you think look the best? Can you drive? If yes, are you a good driver? When did you get your license? If no, you want to get a driver’s license? Why or why not? What is the fastest you have gone in a car? Do you think cars are safe? What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of driving versus public transportation? What you think cars will be like in the future? Do people drive well in your country? Would you like to drive an F-1 race car? Do you think the use of cars will increase or decrease in the future? Why? Challenges What is a challenge you faced? There are many amazing challenges to try: Visiting all continents Swimming in all of the oceans of the world Climbing Everest Can you think of some more interesting challenges that a person can do? What kind of challenge would you like to try? Do you have any heroes that have done something amazing? Challenges don’t have to be amazing What are some normal challenges people face? Some people think that facing challenges improves a person Do you agree or disagree? Think of some tragic events that happened Do you remember what you were you doing when you found out about them? Do you think someone is a better person after they have been through a challenge? What are some challenges you think the next generation will face? Should people make their children have easy lives with few challenges or make sure their children face challenges? Change Are you someone who likes change? In what ways have you changed since you were in junior high school? How you think you will change in the future? Which political party in your country is most likely to make big changes? Is that a good or bad thing? “The only thing constant is change.” Do you agree with this statement? Explain What are the biggest changes in the world you have seen since you were a child? What is the biggest change most people experience in their lives? Is change good or bad for a person’s mental health? What is the most positive change you have experienced in your life? “You are the same person you were years ago except for the books you have read, the people you have met, and the places you have traveled.” Do you think this quote is accurate? Childhood What was the best thing about your childhood? What you miss most about being a child? Do you think that children these days have a better or worse childhood than your generation? Why? What you think is most important for a happy childhood? What about your childhood you wish you could change? Where did you grow up? How did that affect your childhood? What were some of your favorite activities when you were a child? Who, besides your parents, had the biggest impact on your childhood? What you want to provide your children that you didn’t have when you were growing up? Who were you really jealous of when you were a child? Why were you jealous? What was your experience at school like? (elementary, junior high, or highschool) Choices Would you rather live in your home country or live abroad? Would you rather be smart or beautiful / handsome? Would you rather be poor and happy or rich and unhappy? Would you rather marry someone plain with a good personality or someone beautiful without much personality? If war broke out in your country would you rather flee the country or fight? Would you rather be rich or famous? If you had to lose one of your senses(sight, smell, hearing, touch, taste) which would you rather lose? Would you rather marry a rich celebrity or a rich CEO? Would you rather have a brand new Mac or PC? Would you rather take a trip to a new country or get a new TV? Cities Do you like cities or the country side? Which is better and why? You can make one change to your country’s capital city, what will you change? What are some of most famous cities in the world? What makes them famous? Why you think that humans started living in cities? Do you think that we will still live in cities 100 years from now? How you think cities will change in the future? What city would you like to visit? What city is best known for: fashion? technology? art? industry? travel? What makes a city great to live in? Are cities good for the environment or bad for the environment? Cleanliness How clean is too clean? How dirty is too dirty? Do you have a lot of decorations in your home or is it bare? Are you happy with the size of your home? What is your favorite appliance, electronic device, or piece of furniture in your home? If you had $3,000 to improve your home, what would you spend it on? Do you agree with the saying “Wherever I lay my head is home.”? How is your home different from your childhood home? What would you say the decoration style of your home is? What would your ideal house or apartment look like? What you to maintain your home? What household chores you hate doing? Jobs What are some of the worst jobs you can think of? What are some of the best jobs you can think of? How long you want to work? Is it better to be a boss or an employee? Why? What would be the most satisfying job for you? What is one of the most exciting jobs you can think of? How about one of the most boring jobs? What kind of job you want to get in the future? What kind of tasks will you have to do? Do you think what job someone has determines who they are? What is the most dangerous job? How difficult is it to get a job in your country? What company is the best to work for? Learning English Submitted by: Michael Shelby Why are you learning English? How will you use the English you learn? Which of these you do: attend English classes at school, learn English with a tutor (private teacher) or study English yourself (on your own)? What materials you use for learning English? Since when (how long) have you been learning English? Is it effective to practice English your own with ready-made materials and checking your own progress? Are there any vowels or consonants you have problems with? Do you grammar exercises based on real life situations? How you practice speaking English? What you use to improve your listening ability? In what ways you expand your English vocabulary? Do you try to use what you have learned already in what you are learning now? Do you also make up your own samples of conversation sentences and examples of vocabulary usage in sentences? Do you sometimes communicate in English with native English speakers? In what ways? Do you oral and written translation exercises from your native language into English? What is the most difficult thing about learning English? What typical mistakes you make? What area of English are you best at (pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, listening comprehension, speaking, reading or writing)? What you think your level is (beginning, intermediate, advanced)? Meeting New People If you don’t know your partners very well ask them some questions to get to know them Do you like meeting new people? Why or why not? What are some things that you usually talk about when you meet a new person? If you see a handsome boy/beautiful girl that you want to get to know, what is the best way to approach them? Why don’t strangers talk to each other as often as they used to? Have you ever had a stranger come up and start talking to you? How did you respond? Do you know any funny “pick up lines”? Do you think that some people are destined to meet? Where is the best place to meet new people? Have you ever met someone you hated right after meeting them? Memory What is the best memory you have? Who was your most memorable teacher? (Bad or good) Do you have any strong memories linked to a particular smell? How you want people to remember you? How good is your memory? What you wish you were better at remembering? Are computers making our ability to remember better or worse? Give some examples How much you think memories change over time? Why you think some people remember the same events differently? Is the ability to memorize lots of things important? Why or why not? Movies What is your favorite genre of movie? Who are some of your favorite actors? What kind of movie is best for a date? Do you cry during movies? What is the best movie you have ever seen? What was the scariest movie you have ever seen? How often you see movies? Do you usually watch movies at the theater or watch them at home? Do you buy DVDs or download movies? What is the best snack to eat during a movie? What people during movies that really annoys you? Which is more important, acting or special effects? If you could make a movie, what would it be about? If someone made a movie of your life, what kind of movie would it be? Music Who are your favorite bands or artists? How often you listen to music? When was the last time you bought a song or album? Do you usually buy albums online or CD’s from the store? Have you ever illegally downloaded music? Do you think it is okay or not okay to download music illegally? What kind of music you listen to when you want to dance? What kind of music you listen to when you are sad? Is there a certain song or type of music that makes you really energetic? Do you think music is getting better or worse? What kind of music will your kids listen to? What music did your parents listen to? How you feel about your country’s traditional music? Should people try to modernize traditional music? How is your country’s traditional music different from other countries’ traditional music? Neighbors What you think of your neighbors? Is there anything that your neighbors that annoys you? Did you play with kids who were your neighbors when you were a kid? Do you still keep in contact with them? Here is an idiom: “Good fences make good neighbors.” What you think it means? Do you agree? Do you think that neighbors were friendlier to each other in the past or are they friendlier now? Is this a good or bad thing? Have you ever asked to borrow something from your neighbor? Has your neighbor ever borrowed anything? What kind of person would be the perfect neighbor? Name at least three characteristics How are countries that border each other similar to neighbors? Do you trust your neighbors? Would you leave them a key to your house? Think back in your life, who was your most memorable neighbor? Past Ability What was something that you were really good at when you were a kid but aren’t good at now? What was something that you couldn’t at all when you were a kid but you can really well now? When you were younger could you play: soccer? cards? baseball? a musical instrument? basket ball? How good were you? What was something you wished you could when you were a child? What is something you wished you had learned when you were younger? Ask your partner or group about what they could or couldn’t in the past Personality Describe your personality What kinds of people you get along well with? What kinds of personality traits you hate? How important is personality when you are choosing a spouse? Do all of your friends have similar personalities? What kind of personality traits are best for running a business? What kind of personality should a doctor have? Is your personality more similar to your mother’s or father’s? Do you think we are born with our personalities, or we develop them because of what happens to us? What personality trait would you like to develop? Which of your personality traits would you like to lose? Restaurants What is your favorite restaurant near where you live? What is the best restaurant you have ever eaten at? What types of foreign food restaurants have you eaten at? Have you ever eaten at a restaurant abroad? What was it like? What (besides good food) makes a restaurant great? Do you prefer to eat at your parents’ house or a restaurant? What is the worst restaurant you have eaten at? What is the strangest restaurant you have heard of? How you feel about theme restaurants? Do you prefer darker or brighter interiors for restaurants? Why? Seasons What is your favorite season? What you think of when you think of winter? What are some things your family did when you were a child in spring? What is the worst season in your country? Does it snow in your hometown in the winter? Did you use to make snowmen? What is your favorite thing to in summer? What festivals or celebrations does your country have during the changing of the seasons? Do you ever go hiking when the leaves change in fall? Where is the best place to be in summer? How about winter? Does your country have a special food for any of the seasons? Shopping Where is your favorite place to shop for clothes? What products you prefer to shop online for? What products you prefer to shop in stores for? How you feel about sales people following you and helping you when you shop? What makes a pleasant shopping experience? How you feel about shopping at department stores or malls? What is your favorite ecommerce site? Why? Do you know anyone who is addicted to shopping? Are you addicted to shopping? Have you ever bought any counterfeit products like fake designer bags, clothing, or jewelry? Do you enjoy shopping for other people? Singing How good are you at singing? Where you sing most (e.g shower, car, while doing housework, etc.)? How often you karaoke? What song are you best at singing? What song you have to sing along with when you hear it? Whose singing you hate? Can you sing your country’s national anthem? Who is the best singer you personally know? How about the worst? Can singing be learned or are people born with the ability to sing? When was the last time you sang in front of someone? Sports What are some sports you like watching? Why? What are some sports you dislike watching? Why? Do you play any sports? If so, which ones? Would you like to learn how to play a sport or an activity? What would you like to learn? Why are sports so popular? Do you know of any interesting or strange sports or activities? What two sports would you like to mix? Do you prefer to watch sports or play them? Why What you think is the most dangerous sport? What you think of athletes making so much money? Is it a good thing or a bad thing? Success and Failure Success Describe a successful person Is your idea of success the same as your parents’ idea of success? Do you think people focus too much on appearing to be successful? Why is money the most common way of judging success? Can money buy happiness? How much pressure your parents put on you to be successful? How much pressure will you put on your children to be successful? Failure Have there been any failures that made your life better? Is there a right time to give up and stop trying? Or should you never give up? Can you think of any famous people who failed spectacularly at something? Talk about a time you failed at something you tried Don’t talk about anything that will make you uncomfortable or embarrassed Can you think of any famous quotes or idioms about success or failure? Television About how many hours of TV you watch every day? What are some of your favorite shows? Do you like any foreign TV shows? What is the funniest show on television? Do you think people watch too much television? Are TV shows getting better or worse? Would you like to be on TV? Do you have a favorite channel? Do you have cable, satellite television, or neither? Can you recommend a TV show to your classmates? What is the best drama on TV now? The Internet How much time you spend on the Internet? What are some of the benefits of the Internet? What are some of the dangers of the Internet? How much time should children spend on the Internet? How has the Internet changed the world? What will the Internet be like in 10 years? Are you part of any social networks like Facebook or Google+? When did you get your first email address? What is your favorite website? Should the Internet be regulated or censored? Tell your partner/group about one website you really like Tourism How important is tourism in your country? What is the biggest tourist destination in your country? What are the benefits of international tourism? Are there any drawbacks? Do you prefer tourism package tours or you prefer to plan your own vacations? Why? Is it better to go to popular tourist destinations or lesser known tourist destinations? Why? Should a government try to improve domestic tourism or try to attract international tourists instead? Why? What’s the best way to travel when you visit a country? Train, car, bicycle, bus, some other way? Why? If you could create a tourism slogan for your country, what would it be? What’s the best way for a country to bring in more tourists? How you feel about tourists who visit your country? Travel Where you like to go on vacation? Where would you like to go on vacation? Tell your partner about your best travel story What are some things you always take with you on a trip? Do you prefer package tours or making your own trip? Where did you spend your last vacation? What did you do? What are some of the benefits of traveling alone? What are some of the benefits of traveling with a group? What is the longest journey you have ever made? What’s the best way to travel? (By plane, ship, train, car, etc.) Where is the most amazing place you have been? Where are the best places for: Adventure vacations? Historical vacations? Shopping vacations? Party vacations? Relaxing vacations? What is the best and worst thing about traveling to a new country? Where you prefer to stay when you go on vacation? (Hotel, hostel, Airbnb house / room, etc.) What are your best travel tips? What is the strangest food you’ve seen or eaten while on vacation? What you like to while you are traveling? (i.e relax, shop, sight see, experience local culture…) How often you travel? What souvenirs have you brought back from traveling? Where are you going for your next trip? Where are the best places to go on vacation in your country? Who in your family travels the most? What popular travel destination you want to avoid? How adventurous are you when you travel? Do you try to learn some of the local language before you travel to a new country? What phrases you try to learn? What is the longest trip you’ve taken? How much vacation time you get a year? What you usually forget to bring when you go on vacation? What you miss most when you are traveling? What was the worst flight that you have taken? What is the ideal length for a vacation? What is the most interesting tourist attraction you’ve traveled to in your own country? Water How much water you drink every day? How many glasses of water should people drink every day? How long can a person live without drinking any water? How long have you gone without drinking anything? Can you swim? How often you go swimming? Where is a good place to go swimming near here? Try to name 10 water sports Not being able to get clean drinking water is a big problem in many places What are some ways we can help people get clean drinking water? Think of the biggest river in your country How polluted is it? Would you swim in it? Where does the biggest city in your country get its clean water from? The world’s population is increasing rapidly Getting clean water for everyone might become difficult in the future Think of three ways we can avoid this problem Wishes If you could have three wishes that would come true, what would they be? (No, you can’t wish for more wishes) What you wish you could change about the world? Many cultures throw things into water (like a fountain) and make a wish Why people that? What you wish you could after this class? What you wish you could eat right now? What you wish would happen today? When people make wishes in your culture? (for example, when you see a shooting star) Have any of your wishes ever come true? Do you ever wish you could travel back in time? What you wish you had right now? https://www.eslconversationquestions.com/english-conversation-questions/topics/ ... special food for any of the seasons? Shopping Where is your favorite place to shop for clothes? What products you prefer to shop online for? What products you prefer to shop in stores for? How you... family? Is it better for mothers to stay at home with kids or go to work to earn more money for the family? Many families send their children to private institutes or daycares for most of the day... apply for? How should a person dress when they go for a job interview? How should you act when you are in a job interview? Confident? Polite? Humble? What are resumes like in you country? What information