Conversation Phase Questions
Conversation Phase Questions
1. Physical Appearance
o What is the first thing you notice about a person ?
o Is it important how people dress ?
o Is weight/physical well-being/fitness important ?
o Which is the most important : clothes, shoes, hair, hygiene, fitness, style
…?
o Does a person’s appearance reveal their personality ?
o Is it wrong to judge people by their appearance ?
o Could you be intimidated by someone’s appearance ?
o What can people do to maintain or improve their appearance?
o Is it acceptable to tell someone that they need to improve their
appearance?
o How should you dress for a job interview ?
o On what occasions is it acceptable to dress casually ?
o Can you think of expressions relating to clothes and/or appearance :
(e.g. 'off the peg' / 'down at heel' / 'dressed to kill' / 'not a hair out of
place' …)
3. Coronavirus
o What images come to mind when you hear the word ‘virus’?
o What do you know about the coronavirus?
o What does the word ‘outbreak’ make you think of?
o What is the difference between ‘outbreak’ and ‘pandemic’?
o What can governments do to stop a pandemic?
o Could or should governments have reacted differently at the beginning of
the outbreak?
o Do you think the whole world can or should be vaccinated against the
coronavirus?
o Do you think scientists will find a cure for the coronavirus?
o What questions would you like to ask a virologist?
o Do you agree with the Japanese authorities’ decision not to allow
spectators at the Tokyo Olympic games?
o Did that decision prevent or limit the spread of the virus?
o Are rich countries better protected than under-developed countries?
o What are the advantages and disadvantages of vaccine passports?
o Imagine life in the future. In what way will we live differently?
- Work
- Education
- Everyday life (shopping, sports, travel, etc.)
4. Electric cars
o What do know about electric cars?
o Have you ever driven an electric car?
o Are electric cars better for the environment?
o In what way are they better than petrol cars?
o What are the advantages and disadvantages of electric cars?
o Are they more expensive to buy/to run? Why?
o How long does it take to charge an electric car?
o Where can you charge an electric car?
o Can electric cars travel as far as petrol cars?
o What country is trying the hardest to encourage people to use electric
cars?
o Are electric cars popular in your country?
o What needs to be improved to make them more popular?
o Do you think the number of electric cars will increase in the future?
o Are car manufacturers really interested in preserving the environment?
6. Fake news
Fake news (fabricated news) is the deliberate spread of misinformation.
Sensationalist, dishonest or outright fabricated headlines are often used to
increase readership.
o Do you agree with the above definition?
o Where do we most often find fake news? (newspapers, social media ...)
o What sort of fake news can you think of? (politics, show business...)
o How can we tell if a news story is ‘fake’ or not? (checking sources,
dates, photos…)
o What is the purpose of the misinformation?
o Is fake news used in election campaigns?
o Have any countries recently been accused of spreading fake news?
o Can you think of ways to prevent the circulation of fake news?
9. Natural disasters
o What is a natural disaster? (fires, flooding, landslides, earthquakes ...)
o Has there ever been a natural disaster where you live?
o Have you ever been in a fire or witnessed one?
o If you had to leave your home quickly, what would you take with you?
o What are the worst consequences of a natural disaster?
o What would you do if you lost all your possessions?
o Can a person rebuild his/her life after losing everything?
11. Success-Failure
o How would you define success?
o Do you have the same idea of success as your parents?
o To what extent will your encourage your children to become successful?
o Do you think failures can contribute to a person's success?
o Can you think of any famous people who encountered failure before
success?
13. Diseases
o What dangerous diseases are people scared of nowadays?
o Should we be better-informed about the dangers of these diseases?
o What is the best way to stop diseases from spreading?
o Do diseases have an effect on travel?
o Which disease is it urgent to find a cure for?
14. Manners
o Are good manners important?
o Do people have better manners today than before?
o Can you give examples of what you think are good manners?
o What do you think are bad manners?
o Can good manners in one country be bad manners in another country?
o What about table manners? Can you give examples of some good table
manners?
o How about bad table manners?
o Can manners affect your success in life? How?
o What's the best way to teach manners to children?
o What advice about manners would you give a foreigner visiting your
country?
17. Environment
o What are some of the most serious environmental problems today?
o Can you find ten things that each of us can do to help preserve our
planet?
o What is your opinion on climate change?
o In what way will our children be affected by climate change?
o How can we make our homes more environmentally friendly?
o What can companies do to help preserve the environment?
o Which countries cause the most pollution?
o If we run out of oil, where will we get our energy from?
19. Risk
o What is your definition of risk?
o Do you know any risk takers?
o In your opinion why do people take risks? (pleasure, work, challenge ...)
o What risks do you come across in your work/life?
o Are some people obliged to take risks in their jobs?
o When is a risk stupid or unnecessary?
22. Technology
o What technology would it be difficult to live without today?
o Has technology changed our everyday lifestyle?
o What technology, if any, has made our homes more comfortable?
o Has technology changed education methods?
o Has technology changed the way we do business?
o Will online education one day replace the classroom?
23. Travelling has become easier and cheaper. What has it changed in people's
lives:
o speed, comfort, health, family relationships, etc.
o work/employment
o holiday habits
o way of life/standard of living in certain countries.
25. Work
o Do human beings need to work to be happy?
o What motivates people to work long hours?
o Can perks (or fringe benefits) compensate for a boring job?
o What are the advantages/disadvantages of working from home?
o How do people find a balance between work and personal life?
o What would make you leave your job?
o In your opinion, which jobs are most prestigious? Why?
o In your opinion, what is the worst job in the world?
o If you could start your own business, what would it be?
26. Is life today better than in the past? Think about the following:
o Education - employment - job satisfaction
o Health : prevention, treatment, new discoveries, social security, etc.
o Comfort : standard of living (housing/transport/leisure)
o Violence
o Social issues : single mothers, unmarried couples, homosexuality ...
27. Inventions
o What invention has had the greatest impact on our lives?
o Are there some things that never should have been invented?
o Do some countries encourage inventors more than others?
32. Recent physical achievements (crossing the Atlantic, mountain climbing, etc.).
o How many can you think of?
o Which achievement was the most impressive?
o Are the world's best athletes present at the Olympic Games?
o What do you think of 'extreme' sports (bungee jumping, tightrope
walking...)?
35. Politics
o What do you think is the most important political issue right now?
o Why do you think there are not more women in politics?
o What type of information - if any - should a government keep from its
citizens?