CanPacific Students Blog

THE DISCUSSION ON DREAMS
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to Student B.)

(1) Do you dream often?
(2) Do you remember your dreams?
(3) Do you dream in colour or in English?
(4) Do you like having dreams?
(5) Do you believe dreams have a special meaning?
(6) Do you have the same dreams again and again?
(7) Has something you’ve dreamt about ever come true?
(8) Have you ever been woken up by a nightmare?
(9) What kinds of people do you meet in your dreams?
(10) Do you tell other people about the dreams you have?

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to Student A.)

(1) Do you talk in your sleep when you dream?
(2) Have you ever woken up and believed you’re still in your dream?
(3) Do you think animals dream?
(4) Does having a dream affect the way you feel when you wake up?
(5) Do you think dreams can be explained scientifically?
(6) Would you like to stop having dreams or have more dreams?
(7) Do you have the same dreams you had when you were a child?
(8) Do you ever want to live in the world of your dreams?
(9) Do you daydream?
(10) Why do you think some people remember their dreams and others don’t?

A Part of Conversation Questions for the ESL Classroom.
What kinds of gifts do you like to give?
Have you ever re-gifted something?
If you don’t like a gift, how long should you keep it?
What gift will you give your home-stay family when you leave?
What was your last gift?
What gift will you give your boyfriend/girlfriend for their birthday?
Is there a special gift you like to get?
What kinds of gifts do you like to get?
Do you ever give or get a knick-knack as a gift?
How did you like your last gift?
Did you ever get a gift you didn’t like?
What gift do you recommend someone give in your culture?
For children?
For parents?
For spouses?
For boyfriend?
For Girlfriend?
What gift would you most like to get?
What was the best gift you ever received?
How do you thank someone who gave you a gift?
What kinds of gifts do you think the other people in the class need?
Who was the last person you gave a gift to?
Is it enough for a husband/boyfriend to give flowers to his wife/girlfriend on her birthday?
What are the times of the year that you give gifts?
What are some of the things that you do not give as gifts in your country?
What do you think of people who give gifts?

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to Student B.)

(1) How do you feel about climate change?
(2) Are you more worried about climate change or the war on terror?
(3) Has climate change affected the country in which you live?
(4) Do you believe everything scientists say about climate change?
(5) Do you believe everything politicians say about climate change?
(6) What do you think the world’s climate will be like 50 years from now?
(7) What do you do to try to limit the effects of climate change?
(8) What is your country doing to limit the effects of climate change?
(9) Do you think the USA and China are doing enough?
(10) How often do you think about climate change?

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to Student A.)

(1) How would you explain climate change to someone who knew nothing about it?
(2) What can the world do to reverse climate change?
(3) Are “eco-friendly” cars and electrical appliances really eco-friendly?
(4) What will our grandchildren think of us using so much carbon?
(5) What do you know about carbon footprints?
(6) Which industries need to become cleaner and greener?
(7) Do you think there’ll be climate change refugees in the future?
(8) What are you most worried about with climate change?
(9) Are there any positives to come from climate change?
(10) Is climate change the worst thing ever to happen to humankind?

THE DISCUSSION ON GOSSIP
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to Student B.)

(1) What is gossip?
(2) Have you ever been the victim of gossip?
(3) Are you a gossip?
(4) How often do you hear gossip?
(5) Are you interested in celebrity gossip?
(6) Do you like to know all the gossip about your friends and neighbours?
(7) Who is the biggest gossip you know?
(8) How quickly does gossip spread in your school / workplace?
(9) What are the most common subjects of gossip?
(10) Is there any gossip about your teacher?

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to Student A.)

(1) Why do people gossip or like gossip?
(2) Have you ever started any gossip?
(3) Do you read gossip columns in magazines? Why are these so popular
(4) Do you think it’s right that gossip columnists can make a lot of money writing bad things about people that may not be true?
(5) What is the most malicious piece of gossip you’ve ever heard?
(6) How do you feel if people gossip about you?
(7) What’s the difference between gossip and a rumour?
(8) Eleanor Roosevelt said: “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” Is this true?
(9) Why do you think gossip is sometimes ‘hot’ and sometimes ‘juicy’?
(10) Do you think people who gossip lead sad lives?

https://www.macleans.ca/culture/arts/inside-the-art-of-banksy-unauthorized-exhibit/

THE DISCUSSION ON FOOD
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to Student B.)

(1) What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘food’?
(2) How often do you think about food?
(3) Can you eat anything?
(4) Can you go without food for a whole day?
(5) Do you have to watch what you eat?
(6) What is your favourite breakfast, lunch and dinner?
(7) Do you think your country’s food is the best?
(8) Do you think “you are what you eat”?
(9) What do you think about canned, frozen and processed food?
(10) What kinds of international cuisine do you like?

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to Student A.)

(1) Are you fussy or particular about the food you eat?
(2) Have your favourite kinds of food changed over the years?
(3) Do you like fast food and slow food?
(4) What do you think about food additives?
(5) Do you care where the food you eat comes from?
(6) What national dishes from your country would you recommend to the world?
(7) Do you worry about the rising cost of food?
(8) Do you think the world’s food will ever run out?
(9) What do you think of genetically-modified (GM) food?
(10) Is your food bill big?

THE DISCUSSION ON BEER
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to Student B.)

(1) Do you know how beer is made?
(2) What beers are produced in your country?
(3) Do you like beer?
(4) How would you describe the taste of beer?
(5) What do you think of people who drink too much beer?
(6) Would you like to try making your own beer?
(7) What is a good name for a beer?
(8) Do you think there is a difference between beers from different countries?
(9) What do you think of beer bellies and ‘lager louts’?
(10) How many beers would you normally drink a week?

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to Student A.)

(1) Is beer a very popular drink in your country?
(2) Is there anything healthy about drinking beer?
(3) Is beer an important part of your country’s culture?
(4) From what age can people drink beer in your country?
(5) Why do you think beer is so popular around the world?
(6) Would you like to go to the Munich Beer Festival?
(7) Which country produces the best beer?
(8) Is beer a man’s drink or a woman’s drink?
(9) Do you mix anything with beer?
(10) What’s the best thing to eat with beer?

THE DISCUSSION ON THE FUTURE
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to Student B.)

(1) How often do you think about the future?
(2) What do you hope for your own future?
(3) What comes to mind when you think about your future?
(4) What fears do you have for the future?
(5) Where do you see yourself in ten, twenty and fifty years from now?
(6) What futuristic things from science fiction movies do you want to happen in real life?
(7) Barack Obama said “The best is yet to come”. Do you agree?
(8) What will the world’s biggest problem be in the future?
(9) Do you believe politicians who promise a great future? Why (not)?
(10) What does the past teach us about the future?

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to Student A.)

(1) How would you like to influence the future?
(2) Does the expression “the good old days” mean that the future will probably be worse?
(3) Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the future? Why?
(4) What do you think about the future of where where you live?
(5) What are your plans for the immediate, near and far future?
(6) What would you plan for your children’s future?
(7) When you were younger, what did you think about your future?
(8) What technology will we be using in the future?
(9) What are some major changes the world will see in the future?
(10) Would you like to live 100 years in the future or the past? Why?

THE DISCUSSION ON HOUSE AND HOME
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to Student B.)

(1) Are you a ‘house and home’ person?
(2) What’s your favourite thing about your home?
(3) What is your dream home?
(4) What home improvements would you like to make to your home?
(5) Are you happy with the colour scheme and furniture in your home?
(6) Would you rather live in a house or an apartment?
(7) Do you agree that ‘home is where the heart is’?
(8) Do you like being at home alone?
(9) What are the differences between a house and a home?
(10) Do you like the houses in other countries?

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to Student A.)

(1) What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘home’?
(2) Are you a stay-at-home person or a going-out person?
(3) Do you do homework and housework?
(4) Do you or would you like to own your own home?
(5) Are you house proud?
(6) Is there anything you hate about your home?
(7) Do you get jealous of other people’s homes?
(8) Would you like to work at home?
(9) Do you like the location of your home?
(10) Would you like to design your own home?

AMUSEMENT PARKS DISCUSSION
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1) What springs to mind when you hear the word ‘amusement park’?
2) What is your experience of amusement parks?
3) Why do people like amusement parks?
4) What are the differences between amusement parks and theme parks?
5) What’s the best amusement park in the world?
6) What do you think of Disneyland?
7) Is ‘amusement park’ the right word, or should it be ‘excitement park’?
8) What kind of rides are best?
9) Are amusement parks good value for money?
10) Do amusement parks have to be based on cartoon characters?
Hundreds more free handouts at www.eslDiscussions.com
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AMUSEMENT PARKS DISCUSSION
STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1) Would you be a good amusement park designer? Why?
2) What do you think of jet coasters?
3) Are there any bad things about amusement parks?
4) What kind of new amusement park would you like to see built?
5) How dangerous are the rides at amusement parks?
6) Who enjoys theme parks more, children or adults?
7) What is the best job at a theme park?
8) What do you think of the price of food and merchandise at amusement
parks?
9) What three adjectives best describe amusement parks and why?
10) What will amusement parks be like in the future?

THE DISCUSSION ON JOB INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to Student B.)

(1) Why would you be good at this job?
(2) What do you know about this job?
(3) What skills do you have for this job?
(4) What are your strengths and weaknesses?
(5) What qualifications do you have for this job?
(6) How well does your personality fit this job?
(7) Why are you applying for this job?
(8) What do you want to learn from this job?
(9) Are you a good team player?
(10) Do you get on well with other people?

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to Student A.)

(1) What do you do in stressful situations?
(2) What things about this job are difficult?
(3) Where do you see yourself in five years?
(4) Is there anything you want to ask me?
(5) Have you had problems working with a manager?
(6) What are your goals for the future?
(7) What do you know about this company?
(8) How much do you want this job?
(9) Why did you quit your last job?
(10) What can you contribute to this company?