I.

Personal matters, family

1. Personal data, CV (Curriculum Vitae)

What’s your name?
When and where were you born? How old are you?
What’s your mother’ and father’s name? What do they do?
Have you got any brothers and sisters? (names, ages, occupations)
Where do you live?
Where did you go to kindergarten? Where did you go to primary school?
When did you start this school? Why did you choose it?
What skills do you have? (computer, driving licence, languages, qualifications)
What do you plan to do after finishing this school? Do you want to study or to work?
What future career would you like to have?
How do you imagine your personal/ family life in the future?

2. Family life, family relationships

How big is your family?
Who are the members of your family? How often do you meet them?
When is your family usually together? (meals, evenings, weekends, holidays)
What do you look like? Who do you take after?
Have you got your father’s or mother’s (or other relative’s) personality?
How many distant relatives do you have? Do you keep in touch with them?
What kind of family would you like to have in the future?

3. Everyday duties, housework, household duties

What housework is there to be done in your home?
How do you share housework? (your duties especially)
What do you have to do daily/ weekly/ monthly?
Who do you think does the most in the household?
What can make these duties easier?
II. People and society

4. Describing people, similarities and differences, Friends, Teenagers: relationship with

each other & with adults

Describe a family member/ relative. Compare yourself and this person: how are you
similar/ different?
Describe a friend of yours/ a famous person. Say what you like/ dislike about him/ her?
What does your favourite type (man/woman) look like? What character does (s)he have?

Tell about your friends/ classmates (as a group). In what aspects are you similar and how
do you differ? What do you have in common?
What does friendship mean for you? What does a friend have to be like? (Do you think
you have a real friend(s)?) Can friendship exist between a boy and a girl?

Do you have adult friends? Is it different from having a friend of your own age?
What is your relationship with adults like in general? Do you argue a lot or do you get on
well with them? (parents, relatives, neighbours, teachers etc.)
Can adults understand young people’s thoughts, feelings, problems or is there a real
‘generation gap’ among them?

5. Family holidays, festivals

What family occasions do you celebrate?
Do the English celebrate name days?
How do you celebrate birthdays?
What is the greatest family festival for you?
What do we celebrate at Christmas? (Birth of Jesus)
How do you celebrate Christmas?
What do we celebrate at Easter?(Resurrection Of Jesus)
What customs and traditions do we celebrate Easter with?(sprinkling, painted eggs)
How do we celebrate New Year’s Eve?
What English and American holidays do you know? (Thanksgiving, Halloween, Guy
Fawkes Day, Independence Day, Valentine’s Day)
How many public holidays do we have and what do we celebrate? (15th March-
Remembering the Revolution and War of Independence of 1848-49, 20th August- Saint
Stephen’s Day, 23rd October- Commemorating the 1956 Revolution, Declaration of
Hungarian Republic)

6. Clothes, shopping
Where do you usually buy your clothes? What is your favourite clothes shop?
What clothes did you last buy? When/Where/ How much did you spend?
What kind of clothes do you normally wear when you go to school? Are the clothes worn
by boys and girl very much different?
What do you wear in different seasons?
Are your clothes different when you go out? Have you got a favourite outfit?
When do you put on smart (elegant) clothes? What would you wear if you were going to
the theatre?
What is fashionable today? What do you think of fashion? Do you try to follow it?
Do you wear any jewellery?
III. Our Environment

7. Home, Environment, animals and plants

Where do you live?
Where is it better to live, in a flat or in a house? What are the differences between living in
a flat and living in a house? (House: Separation, more room, more privacy, gardening, do-
it-yourself, far from noise, flowers, animals, too expensive, transport problems; flat.: small
rooms, no privacy, noisy neighbours, climb stairs, easy to reach, all modern conveniences,
lower rates)
What rooms have you got?
What can you find in these rooms?
Describe them.
How is your room furnished?
How would you like to change your room?
What does your dreamhouse look like?
What have you got in your garden? Is it good to have a garden?
Have you got a yard?
Do you keep pets?

8. Tolna, Life in a city and in the country

Where do you live?
What shopping/sporting/entertaining facilities are there?
What do you know about its history?
What kind of services does it offer?
Sights worth seeing
Important people
What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in a city and living in the country?
What is it like living in a town?
Would you prefer to live in a town or in a village? Why?

9. Environmental protection
Why is nature in danger?
What are the greatest problems?
How do you protect your neighbourhood?
How important do you think is environmental protection and what steps can be made?
What are some of the problems big industrial cities have?
How would you reduce pollution in your town?
What can you do yourself for the environment? (save water and energy(electricity/gas);sort
rubbish/collect waste selectively (paper, plastic, metal, glass, batteries);save plants (trees);
save animals(feed birds)
Why is recycling important?
How should children be taught to behave in an environmentally - friendly way?
Why is it important to preserve the environment and save rainforests/animals from
extinction?
10. Weather, seasons
What is the climate of Hungary like?(continental, in temperate zone)
Which are the 4 seasons?
What is spring like?(it begins to thaw, there are avalanches in the mountains, there are
floods in the fields, nature awakens from its sleep, bushes and trees are full in blossom,
spring flowers, trees come in buds and bloom)
What is summer like?(drought, clear skies, heat is unbearable, sunbathe, quick showers,
lightning)
What is autumn like? (Indian summer, rich season, harvest, school begins, chilly weather,
humid, wet, change for worse)
What is winter like? ( temperatures go below zero, freezing, cold, snow, snow heavily,
slippery roads, grey clouds, blizzard)
What can you do in different seasons?
What happens to nature in the different seasons?
Which is your favourite season? Why?
Why is it useful to watch the weather forecast?
What is the climate in England like?Why do English people like talking about the
weather?(maritime climate, wet and rainy, changeable, unpredictable, rarely snows)
IV. School

11. Our school: Subjects, lesson plan, personal interests

What school(s) did you attend before you came to this school?
What do you know about the history of the school?
Who is the school named after? What do you know about him?
When did you start this school?
What subjects have you learnt here? Which subjects did you like and which ones not?
Have you got a favourite subject (or favourite subjects)? What subjects are usually
difficult/ easy for students? What did you find difficult?
What special areas (school subjects or something else) are you interested in? How do you
get information/ learn about it?
What is your lesson plan like this year? Have you got many lessons? How many lessons
do you have a day/ a week?
Do you go to any extra classes, clubs, out of school activities? What are these and how
often do you go there? Why did you choose them?
In what subjects do you have to take the final exam? What are the compulsory subjects
and which subject did you choose?
Do you enjoy being a student? Why (not)?
What do you think of the teacher-student relationship in your school? Is discipline very
strict in your school? What is an ideal teacher like in your opinion? (strict, lenient, just,
impartial, (in)competent, organised, patient, etc.)
What is your class like? How do you get on with your classmates?
What do you plan to do after finishing this school? Would you like to study something or
to start working?

12. Learning languages

When did you first start learning a foreign language? What language was that? Did you
like it? Why did (not) you like it then?
What languages have you learnt in this school? Why did you choose English for the final
exam?
Have you ever learnt any other languages? Where and when?
Do you use any strategies when learning a language? How do you remember words for
example? Or grammar? What is the most difficult part of language learning (for you)?
Reading, writing, speaking, listening, pronunciation?
What other ways are there to acquire (=learn) a language besides learning it at school?
• Have you ever had a private language teacher? Have you studied in a language
school? If yes, what was it like? Was it very much different from your classes at
school?
• Do you watch English (or other) language speaking programmes on TV,
video/DVD?
• Do you listen to music (song lyrics) in English?
• Do you read anything in a foreign language?
• Can you use the Internet for language learning?
• Do/ Did you have an English/ German speaking penfriend?
• Would you like to go abroad to work or to study?
Do you think learning/ speaking a foreign language or some foreign languages is
important for you? Why?
Are you planning to learn some other foreign language(s) in the future?
13. Extracurricular activities, school festivals, traditions
What festivals do you celebrate in your school?
How do you celebrate public holidays in your school?
Dou you celebrate any events in/ with your class? (birthdays, Christmas, etc.) How do
you celebrate them?
What are the most popular celebrations and why do students love them?
What school traditions are there in your school? Do you think these are important part of
school life? (opening/ closing ceremony of the school year, freshers’ ball, school-leavers
ball, school leaving ceremony, etc.)
What are the most common extracurricular activities?
Why do students attend them? How can students learn from them? What are your
experiences?
V. The world of work

14. Working as a student

What jobs are available for students?
Why do students have part-time jobs?
What are the dis/advantages of working in the summer?
Have you ever worked as a student? Have any of your friends worked like this?
How did you find that job? How can you find a job in general?
What did you do? Was it a part time or full time job? Did you work fixed hours or
flexitime? Did you work shifts? When did you start and finish work every day? Did you
have any breaks? How long did it you work there? Did you get paid for it?
What skills did you need for the job?
Did you enjoy working there? How did you get on with your colleagues and your boss?

15. Choosing a career, further education, jobs

How can you classify jobs? Give examples and describe them.
What sort of jobs do your parents do? What is a normal working day like for your
parents?
What job(s) would you like to get in the future and why?
What skills and qualifications are needed for that job? What do you have to study?
What is the main reason for you to choose this job? (payment, responsibility, useful for
other people, enjoyable etc.)
VI. Lifestyle

16. Daily routine

What do you do every day? (How do you start your day? What do you do in the
morning? What do you do after school? How do you spend your evening?)
What would you change in your daily routine?
In what way is your daily routine different at the weekend?
How does it change in the summer?
What do Hungarians like doing at weekends?
What can you do in big cities and in small villages at the weekend?
Do you work at weekends?

17. Food: my eating habits, favourite dishes, ordinary and fast food restaurants, school
canteen, buffet
Can you cook? What can you cook? How often do you cook?why is it useful to know
how to cook at least some basic dishes? What is your opinion about the instant and pre-
packaged meals?
Have you got a favourite dish? Can you prepare it? What are the ingredients of it?
What are the differences between a fast food restaurant and an ordinary restaurant?
Describe these places.
What’s your opinion about fast food?
Do you dine out?
Do you order take –away? What do you think of home delivery services?
How many times do you eat a day?
Do you have elevenses at school? What?
Do you eat lunch at the school canteen? Do you like the food there? What do you usually
get for lunch?
What are Humgarian dishes like? What are the Hungarian specialities?
Can you name some typical British or American dishes?
Have you ever tried the food of a foreign country? Did you like it?
Who do you call a vegetarian?
Do you eat healthy food or unhealthy?
How do you keep healthy diet?

18. Common illnesses, injuries, accidents, at the doctor’s, in the hospital

When were you last ill? What was the matter with you?
Did you go to the doctor’s?
How did the doctor examine you?
What did he prescribe?
What do you do if you have a toothache?
What are the commonest diseases? What diseases did you suffer from when you were a
child?
What must you do to keep in good health? Can you prevent illnesses?
Why do people go to private surgeries?
Have you ever been to a hospital?When do people usually need an operation?
19. Healthy lifestyle, keeping fit, addictions
Why do teenagers smoke? Why is smoking harmful?
Is drinking alcoholic drinks common in Hungary?
Have you experienced any kind of addiction?
Which substances can cause addiction?Why do people become addicted? How can you
avoid having addictions? What yre the dangers and consequences of being addicted?
What do you need to live a healthy lifestyle?
How does doing sports help us to keep fit and healthy?
What do you think of a good diet? What is healthy and unhealthy?
VII. Entertainment

20. Free time activities, hobbies

How much free time do you have during the week?
What do you do in your free time? Who do you like going out with?
What do you do in summer/winter?
Have you got any hobbies? Did you use to have any hobbies when you were a child? Do
your family members/ friends have any interesting hobbies? What are these hobbies?
Describe them.
Do you think it’s important to have a hobby? Or is it a waste of time? Why?
Would you like to take up a hobby in the near future?

21. Sports
Classify sports.
What do you do to keep fit?
Do you do any sports or games regularly/ occasionally? Do you go to trainings? How
often?
What sport facilities does your school/ town/ village have?
What games do Hungarian students usually play at school? What games do you play at
your school?
How many P. E. lessons do you have weekly? What do you usually do in these lessons?
Do you like them? Do these lessons help you to keep fit?
What sports are you interested in? What sports do you like and why?
What sports do you like watching in real life/ on TV? Do you sometimes go to matches/
sports events? Where and how often?
Do you do any winter sports? Can you ski or skate? Where can you do these sports in
Hungary?
Playing sport when you are young is very good preparation for grown-up life. Do you
agree? What are the benefits (advantages)? Can you think of any disadvantages?
Is it better to actively participate in sports, play them virtually or watch them on Tv?
What sports do you like to participate in/ play on the computer/ watch on Tv?
What are the benefits of participating in sports/playing sports on the computer/ watching
sports on Tv? Which is the easiest/ hardest to do?

22. Theatre, cinema, concerts, exhibitions, cultural events

How often do you go to the cinema? Do you like going to the cinema or do you prefer
watching films at home on video or DVD? What are the advantages/ disadvantages of
each? Compare them.
When was the last time you went to the cinema? What did you do before watching the
film? What film did you see? Who did you go with?
What kinds of films do you like?
Which is your favourite film? What is it about? Who is the main actor? Who is your
favourite actor? Why do you like her/him?

Do you like going to the theatre? Do you sometimes go to the theatre? When were you
last at the theatre? What play did you see? Do you remember any of the actors/ actresses?
Why do you think people go to the theatre?
 What would you rather see a film or a play? Is acting in a play or acting in a film more
challenging and rewarding for an actor? Have you ever been disappointed by a film or
theatre adaptation of a book?

Are you a good artist? Do you enjoy painting? Do you enjoy art classes at school? Do
you like modern art?
Do you like visiting art galleries/museums?

What kind of music do you like/ listen to? Do you like going to concerts? When do you
usually listen to music?
Can you play a musical instrument? Can you sing? If you could play any instrument (or
sing) which one would you choose?

Do you take part/attend festivals/ cultural events? Are there any events near your home?

23. Reading, radio, TV

Do you like reading? What did you last read ? Did you enjoy it? Are you a bookworm?
What kind of books (newspapers, magazines etc.) do you like reading? Have you got a
favourite author? Do you subscribe to any papers or magazines?
What books have you got at home? Do you sometimes go to a library?
Do you think people (especially young people) read less nowadays? Why do you think
so? Do you think it is a problem?
Do you think reading is useful? How can it help you? What abilities can reading
improve?

How often do you listen to the radio? What radio stations do you listen to? Have you got
a favourite station or a favourite program? Why do you like it?

How much time do you spend watching TV? Favourite channels/ programs/ series/ TV
personalities?
What make is your Tv?
Do you use remote control? Does it make your life easier?
What do you think of talk shows and reality shows?
Do you have a video recorder or a DVD set?
How often do you watch DVD or video?

What is your opinion about TV adverts? Have you got a favourite one? Do they give you
real information? Do you sometimes buy things because you saw them on TV?
Has radio got any advantages over TV? What are they?
Does TV really kill social/ family life?
VIII. Travelling, tourism,holidays

24. Means of transport

What means of transport do you use to come to school? What others do you use regularly/
sometimes/ never?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using bicycles in city transport?
What kinds of vehicles are used in city transport? Compare them. (the fastest/ slowest/
most comfortable/ cheapest/ most expensive/ most environmentally friendly) Have you
ever used public transport in Budapest? Where can you buy tickets? Why is a season
ticket useful?
What are the problems of modern traffic in big towns?
How would you improve transport in your home town/ village/ in Hungary?

Have you got a car? What make is it? What is it like? Do you like it? What kind of car
would you buy if you could choose? Why?
Have you got a driving licence? How old do you have to be to get a driving licence in
Hungary? What do you need to get a licence? Is it difficult to pass the driving test?
What do you think are the commonest causes of accidents? How could accidents be
prevented?
What environmental problems does transport cause? How could the situation be
improved?

How do you like to travel? Why?

How often do you travel by train/ coach? Compare the two means of transport.
Have you ever travelled by air? If yes, did you enjoy it? If no, would you like to try it?
Describe the process at the airport until you get on board of your plane.
Have you ever travelled by ship?

25. My last holiday, planning a holiday, self organised and package tours
Where were you last on holiday? Where do you like spending your holiday? Where
would you like to go? Describe your dream holiday.
What would you take with you/ pack into your suitcase before going on holiday?
What do you have to organize before you travel somewhere on holiday?
Have you ever been on a package tour (organized by a travel agency)? What is the
difference between a package tour and independent travel? Compare them. Which one
would you prefer?
Compare different types of accommodation. (Hotel, camp site, bed and breakfast with a
family.)
Compare different holiday types. (seaside, mountains, famous towns, summer/ winter)
How can you relax there?
Can you mention some popular sights of your home town or village/ Szekszárd/
Budapest/ London?
IX. Science and technology

26. Technology in everyday life, modern devices, mobile phones

What are the latest technological inventions?
Name some devices, appliences that make your life easier, more pleasant. Choose 5 and
explain why they are important in your life.
(Washing machine, casette recorder, microwave oven, dishwasher, grill, sandwichmaker,
fridge, freezer, electric can opener, mixer, toaster, electric mincer, pressure cooker, hi-fi
set, credit cards, cars, motorbikes, planes, videogames, burglar alarm etc.)
How did people live without electrical devices and how has their life been changed by
them?
Which electronic device would you miss the most?

What do you think of the following inventions?

Dictionaries on CD, light bulb, digital camera, correction pen, chewing gum, laptop,
skyscrapers, alarm clock, battery, vacuum cleaner, scissors, cooker hood,
headphones,typewriter, swivel chair, calculator, sauna, shield, musical instruments

What is your mobile phone like? What make is it?

How long have you had it? are you thinking of getting another one soon?
What ringtone do you have?
Do you ever use it hands free?
When and where do you normally switch it off? How often do you text? Do you use
voice mail/speed dialling?
Have you ever lost your mobile/ sent a text to the wrong person/forgotten to turn your
phone off?
What kinds of functions does your mobile have? How did you choose your mobile
phone?
How have mobile phones changed our customs of making a phone call? What do you
think about the way some people use their mobiles in public?
Why is a mobile phone useful?
How have mobile phones changed our lives and our communication?

27. Using the computer and the Internet

Have you got a computer? Can you name some parts of a computer?
How often do you use it? What do you use it for?
Are you addicted to computers? (geeks/nerds) What are some dangers of using the
computer?
What do you think about E-mail? Is it better than regular mail? Do you use E-mail? For
what purposes?
Do you use the web? What for? What can people use the Internet for? Can you use the
computer for educational purposes?
Do computers have an important role in your life? How important do you think it is to
have good computer skills nowadays? For what jobs is it necessary to use a computer?
What can you use the Internet for? How does the Internet change people’s lives?
What websites do you visit?
Have you ever done shopping on the Internet? Are there advantages and disadvantages
of e-commerce?
Can you imagine life without computers?
X. Money matters, Economy

28. Family budget, money in daily life

How often do you go shopping? Is it something you enjoy?
Do you shop around and compare prices when you buy something?
How do you usually pay? Cash or credit card?
Are you good at finding bargains?
Have you ever made a bad or good purchase?
Do you ever buy things you don’t really need?
Have you ever asked for a refund?
Have you ever saved money for buying something?
Do you ever save money?
How do you save money?
Why do you go to the bank?
Do you have a bank account? What do you use it for?
Do you get pocket money from your parents?
How do you plan your expenses?
Who is the breadwinner in your family?
How many salaries do you live on?
Does your family have a monthly budget?
Do you take part in the budget planning?
Do you get pocket money?

29. Banking, at the post office, services, advertisements

How often do you go to the bank?
Do you have a bank account? What do you use it for?
How do you access your money? How often do you use the ATM?
What do we need money for in our daily lives?
In what forms can we pay for goods and services?

How often do you go to the post office?

What can you do there?
Is sending ordinary letters as popular as sending e-mails?

What other shops or services(catering facilities, banks, repair and maintenance

emergency services (ambulance, police, Automobile Association) do you know of? What
can you buy there? (baker’s, bookshop, butcher’s, chemist’s, dry cleaner’s florist’s
garage, greengrocer’s, hairdresser’s, laundry, newsagent’s, optician’s, pet shop,
photographer’s, post office, stationer’s, toy shop)
Where can you find more/better /cheaper services?
What do you use regularly? Where do you go most often?

Do you like advertisements? Do you think they are useful? Have you got a favourite
advert? Describe it and say why you like it.
How do commercials and ads influence you? Do you buy the brand new products when
you see them advertised? How can you save money when buying certain goods? Do you
check price reduction and sales leaflets? Do you ever use coupons or vouchers?
30. Shops and shopping
Do you like shopping? When do you usually go shopping?
How often do you do the daily shopping? Where do you usually do it? What do you
usually buy?
Where do you go if you want to buy many different things (e.g. for the weekend)?
Do you like little shops, supermarkets, department stores, hypermarkets? Compare
shopping in small shops to shopping in a hypermarket. Which one do you prefer? Do you
sometimes go to the market?
What do you especially like or dislike buying?
Do you make a shopping list? Why is it useful?
Do you buy more things than you need?
Do you like sales? Is it the price or quality that is more important for you?