ADVICE

What three pieces of advice will you give your children?

Whose advice do 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 do you go to get good advice?
Now it’s your turn to give some advice:
What are some things students should do to improve their English?
What should I do to make more money?
How can I get more free time?
What should people do when first meeting their boyfriend/girlfriend’s parents?
What should someone do to be happy?

APPEARANCE
What is the first thing you notice about a person?
What do 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 ever 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 do you do 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?
FOR AND SINCE and HOW LONG Questions
How long…
have you been alive?
have you had a cell phone?
have you been studying English?
do you plan on working?
do you want to live?
have you lived in your current house or apartment?
have you had an email address?
have you had your current hairstyle?
do you want to study English for?
have you been awake today?

Create your own “how long” questions.

BIRTHDAYS
What was your most memorable birthday?
What do you usually do 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 do you like to receive on your birthday?
What is the most heartwarming birthday wish you can give someone?
What is the best birthday party for someone else you have 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 do people have a massive birthday party in your culture?
What flavor cake or what type of food do you like to eat on your birthday?
How have birthdays changed from generation to generation in your culture?
 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 do not 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?

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?
 PRESENT PERFECT
Ask your group if they have seen some of your favorite movies.
Have you ever drastically changed your hairstyle or clothing style in a short time?
Have you ever shot a gun?
Have you ever ridden an animal?
Where have you traveled?
What sports have you played?
Where is the best place you have ever been?
What’s the craziest thing you have ever done?
What interesting foods have you eaten?
What are some unique accomplishments you have done?
Have you ever screamed at someone in public?
Who is the greatest person you have ever met?
How long have you studied English?
What is the best and worst restaurant you have eaten at?
What have you done a lot this week?
What is the most exciting thing you have ever done?
What have you done too many times?
What is the longest you have been awake for?

PRESENT PERFECT
Ask your group two or three interesting “Have you ever…?” questions
Have you ever:
been on TV?
driven or rode in a sports car?
eaten anything really strange?
fallen down stairs?
fallen asleep and when you woke up you didn’t know where you were?
forgotten an important birthday?
walked into something when you were texting?
dialed your country’s emergency number?
given a public speech?
built a snowman?
fallen asleep while talking on the phone?
tried riding a skateboard?
started laughing when no one else is laughing because you thought of
something funny?
been swimming where you couldn’t touch the bottom?
woken up and not been able to move?
gone skiing?
gotten a horrible haircut?
received a gift you hated?
 PRESENT PERFECT
Ask your group two or three interesting “Have you ever…?” questions
Have you ever:
played a joke on a friend?
fallen in front of a large group of people?
had a déjà vu experience?
slept someplace strange?
worked a job you hated?
shop lifted something from a store?
injured yourself while trying to impress someone?
surfed?
dyed your hair?
been slapped?
hunted and killed an animal?
worked at in a customer service job?
Try to find something you have done that none of your group members has done.

CITIES
Do you like cities or the countryside? 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 do you think that humans started living in cities?
Do you think that we will still live in cities 100 years from now?
How do 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?
 CRIME
What do you think the most common crime in your country is?

Should police in your country be stricter or less strict?

Is your country a safe country?

Have you ever seen a crime? (Don’t talk about it if it’s too upsetting for you.)

Do you think criminals can change?

Is shoplifting common in your country?

What kind of people shoplift and what kinds of things do they steal?

Does your country have a big organized crime group like the mafia?

Have you ever met someone from a mafia?

What is the best way for police to keep neighborhoods safe?

Can you tell if a kid will grow up to be a criminal?

CUSTOMS
Have you ever traveled abroad?
If yes, where did you go and what was it like? What customs were different from
your country’s customs?
If no, would you like to go to abroad? Where would you like to go and what do you
think it will be like?
Do you think it is important to follow a country’s customs when you visit there?
What are some of the most important customs of your country? How about Japan
or China? How about America or Australia?
Do you follow all of your country’s traditional customs?
What are some strange foreign customs that you have heard of?
Are there any customs in your country visitors might find strange?
How do people greet each other in your country? Has it changed from the past?
Do you enjoy learning about other countries’ customs?
What are some customs in your country that people should follow when they are
eating? Do you think other countries have the same custom?
What are some strange wedding customs in your country?
 DATING
Where is the best place in your city to take a date?

What can you do if you want to save money and go on a date?

How common are blind dates in your country?

Do most blind dates go well? If not, why not?

What is the best way to meet boyfriends or girlfriends?

Describe your ideal date.

What was the worst/best date that you have ever been on?

When two people go on a date, who should pay?

How many people should you date before getting married?

What do you think of double dates?

EATING HABITS
Talk about what you have eaten today.
What is the most unhealthy food you can think of?
What do people need to eat more of?
Do you usually eat healthy food?
What are some different types of diets you have heard of?
Do you think your parents ate healthier food at your age than you do? How about
your grandparents?
Do you eat a lot of small portions or a few large portions of food each day?
Do you think people from your country usually eat healthy food?
What are some things about your eating habits you want to change?
Do you think that organic food is much better than normal food or are they about
the same?
Why is organic food so much more expensive?
What is traditional food in your country like? Is it healthy?
Do you think that a person’s eating habits affect how long they will live?
 FAMILY VALUES
What values will you pass on to your children?
Do you think society is losing its values?
How have values changed in society?
What is a value other people think is very important which you don’t think is
important?
What values did you parents pass on to you?
Are there any values that your parents tried to make you follow but you weren’t
good at doing?
How does a society’s values hold it together?
Some people say that poorer societies have stronger values than richer countries.
Do you agree?
What traditional values are not important or not necessary now?
How do you feel when you see someone not following the values you were brought
up with?

CHILDHOOD
What was the best thing about your childhood?
What do 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 do you think is most important for a happy childhood?
What about your childhood do 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 do 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)
 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 do you think look the best?
Can you drive?
If yes, are you a good driver? When did you get your license?
If no, do 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 do 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?

COMPUTERS
Do you know anything about the history of the computer?
Do you own a computer? What do you use it for?
Think about smart phones, like the iPhone. Do you consider them computers? Why
or why not?
Do you think the desktop computer is going to become less popular in the future?
If so, what will replace it?
Computers are starting to be built into new houses and apartments. Would you like
a computer to control your house for you?
Do you think the invention and rise of computers have been a good thing or a bad
thing? Why?
Talk about the first computer you ever used.
What will be the future of computers?
Do you think people rely too much on computers?
Do you think computers will ever be able to think for themselves or have “real”
intelligence?
What do you think will happen if computers become self-aware?

Talk about the differences between how you use a computer and children use a
computer.
 COOKING
How often do you cook?
How good are you at cooking?
What are some things that you can cook?
What dish or food are you best at cooking?
Do you think you can cook better than your mother?
Who is a better cook, your mother or your grandmother?
Are cooking shows popular in your country? Do you watch any cooking shows?
What is the hardest thing to cook?
What are some of the advantages of cooking your meals at home? How about the
disadvantages?
Is it important for husbands to know how to cook?
Does your father cook?
Who is the best cook you know?
Would you like to be a chef? Why?
If you had your own personal chef, what meal would you ask for most?
How hard is it to become a chef? What do you have to do to become a chef?

CORRUPTION
Is there a lot of corruption in your country?
What businesses have the most corruption in your country?
What are some problems with corruption in the political system of your country?
Do you think corruption will always be a part of business and politics?
What recent corruption scandal was in the news?
Who is the most corrupt politician or businessperson you know of?
What is the best way to fight corruption in business and politics?
Is corruption ever justified?
Can a corrupt organization ever be more efficient than a less corrupt organization if
they are about the same size and in the same industry?
If you were in a position of power, do you think you would be corrupt?
 DREAMING
How often do you dream?
Do you dream in color or black and white?
Have you ever had a flying dream?
Have you ever been falling in a dream and just when you are about to hit the
ground you wake up?
Do you think dreams have meanings?
Do you think dreams can tell the future?
Have you ever been dreaming and woken up and couldn’t move?
What was the best or worst dream you can remember? Don’t share your dream if
it’s too personal or too intense.
Why do we forget dreams so quickly?
Have you ever kept a dream journal?
Why do we dream? What is the purpose of them?
Do you think animals dream too? What kind of dreams do you think they have?
What does your country’s culture traditionally believe about dreams?
Have you ever had déjà vu?

ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
What are some of the most serious environmental problems?
What are ten things individuals can do to help the environment?
What are five things governments can do to help the environment?
What is your opinion on climate change?
Which countries cause the most pollution?
How will our children be affected by climate change?
What kinds of technologies do you know of that might help stop environmental
problems?
Are corporations responsible for helping the environment?
What are some things that corporations can do to help the environment?
What are some local environmental problems you have noticed?
Do you think houses will be more environmentally friendly in the future?
Where will we get our energy when we run out of oil?
How will India and China affect the environment in the future?
What will happen if we keep polluting the environment?
Will the climate keep changing or go back to normal?
 ETHICS
Do you consider yourself to be an ethical person?
Have you ever found a smart phone? What did you do? If you haven’t, what do you
think you would do?
Would you risk your life to save another person?
Would you jump into a deep river to save a drowning animal?
What should a person do if they find a wallet? What do people usually do? What
would you do?
What are some ethical dilemmas you have faced?
Is stealing ALWAYS wrong? When is it right to steal?
If you could save people by killing one person, would you?
How often do you lie? When is it okay to lie?
What makes a person act ethically or unethically?
If you saw a pickpocket stealing someone’s wallet what would you do?
Should poor people be punished for stealing if they are stealing to feed their
family?

FAMILY
How do members of a family support each other?
Who do you think has the most power in the family? Why?
Do you agree with the saying “Children should be seen and not heard”? Why do you agree or
disagree?
Are good family members or good friends more important? Why?
What problems do parents have to solve as their children grow up?
How close are you to your extended family? (cousins, aunts, great uncles etc.)
What is the perfect number of children a family should have?
What do you think of people who marry and decide not to have children?
How do you think western families and eastern families differ?
What do you think is the most important thing to make a happy 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. Is this good or
bad?
How do you define the word “home”? Is it where you live? Where your family lives or where you
grew up?
When married people talk about having children they talk about “starting a family”. Can two
married people be a family if they don’t have kids?
How do you think family life is changing in your country? (example: wife working, husband
cleaning, kids at institutes) Is this change good or bad?
What do you think of gay marriage?
Is spanking or hitting a good way to discipline children? Why or why not?
What age is too young to get married? | Why do people get married?
If you were offered an excellent job abroad could you leave your family and country for 5 years?
 FASHION
Would you like to be a fashion model? What are their lives like?

Could you date someone if they had a terrible sense of fashion?

Which country or city is the most fashionable in the world?

Is fashion important or not important? Why or why not?

Do you prefer functional or fashionable clothing?

What do you think of the fashion industry?

How does fashion affect people’s lives?

What is some of the silliest fashions you have seen?

Do you think fashions changed as quickly in the past as today? Why or why not?

If you were a fashion designer, what kind of clothes would you design?

FAST FOOD
What is your least favorite fast food restaurant and why?

Does fast food taste good or bad? Why?

Why is fast food so popular?

How often do you eat fast food? What do you usually eat? Where?

What is a food that people think is healthy but really isn’t?

Do you know anyone who has worked at a fast food restaurant? How did they like
it?

How has fast food changed in your country?

How is your country’s fast food different from other countries’ fast food?

Can you think of any healthy fast food?

How would you define “fast food”?

 FREE TIME
What are some things you like to do in your free time?

Do you have more free time now than when you were a kid?

What would you do if you had more free time?

Is there such a thing as too much free time?

How do free time activities differ now compared with the past?

Do you think people had more or less free time in the past?

What is the most worthwhile thing a person can do with their free time?

What does the idiom “Time is money.” mean? Do you agree with it?

Is there something you wish you could do with your free time but can’t?

Do you think a four day work week would be a good idea?

FRIENDSHIP
Do you prefer to have many friends or just a few that you are close to?
What are the benefits of having just a few close friends? How about the benefits of
having many friends?
Describe your best friend.
Are you close friends with anyone who you knew in elementary school?
Why do people need friends? What can happen if a person has no friends?
What is the biggest thing you have done to help a friend?
Do you have any friends who would risk their life to save you?
Would you risk your life to save a friend? How about a stranger?
What kind of qualities do you look for in a friend?
What is the best way to make new friends? Do you like making new friends?
Do you think sites like Facebook are good for friendships or do they stop people
from becoming close?
How did you meet your best friend?
 GAMES
How many genres of video games can you name?
How are some of these genres unique and different from the others?
What are some more examples of games?
Choose one or two examples of games or video games. What are their rules?
What kinds of games are popular now?
What were some games that were popular in the past?
What makes a good game?
Are games good for you or bad for you?
Are games in the present better or worse than games in the past?
Now it’s time to create a game, in your group think about:
What format will your game be in?
What genre will your game be?
What will be the theme of your game?
What will your game look like?
What will be the name of your game?
How will people play your game? What are the rules?
What kind of music/sound effects will it have?
How will the controls work?

GETTING A JOB
What is the best way to find a job?
What do you think are the five most common questions asked at a job interview?
What are some things you should do for a job interview? How about things you
shouldn’t do?
How is the job market in your country, is it easy or difficult to get a job?
How many jobs have you had? What were the interviews like to get those jobs?
If you were going to change jobs or try to get a job, what kind of job would you
want to 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 your country? What information do employers want to
know?
What are some good things to have on your resume?
 HABITS
What are some things you do every day?
What are some good habits you have?
Do you have any bad habits?
Can your group give you any advice for your bad habits?
What is something you should do every day but don’t?
What are some activities you like to do?
How much do you exercise every week?
What is a successful life? What habits should you have to have a successful life?
What three habits will improve your life?
What are some habits that can improve your English ability?
What is something you do about once a week, month or year?

HAVING CHILDREN
How does having children change someone’s life?
What kinds of things do people have to give up when they have children?
What are some of the benefits of having children?
Do you think it is better to have children when you are older or younger?
What is the best number of children to have? How many boys or girls?
Do you want to have children?
If not:
Why not?
Have you told your parents about your decision? What do they think about it?
If so:
When do you want to have children and how many do you want to have?
Do you want your first child to be a boy or a girl? Why?
Most families in wealthy countries are having less and less children. Is this a good
thing or a bad thing? Why?
How do children who have no brothers or sisters act?
What age did women start having children sixty years ago? How about now?
 HOLIDAYS
What is your favorite holiday? Has your favorite holiday changed since you were a
kid?
On what holiday do people in your country eat a lot of food?
Do you give gifts on any holidays?
What foreign holidays do you know about?
What is the strangest holiday or festival you have heard of?
Do you think that all countries have similar holidays?
Talk about your best memory from a holiday.
Are there any holidays that you really don’t like?
Do you think your country should have more, or less, holidays? Why?
Does your country have parades during holidays? Have you ever been to a parade?
What is the most important holiday?

HOMES
Is your home clean? Are you a very organized person?
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 do you do to maintain your home?
What household chores do you hate doing?
 HOTELS
Which do you prefer to stay in when you travel: hotels, hostels, or another type of
place? Why?
What are the best and worst things about staying in hotels?
Have you ever been to a really disgusting hotel? Did you stay or leave?
Couch surfing is staying for free at people’s homes in different countries. Is this a
good idea or bad idea? Why?
Do you feel comfortable when you are staying at a hotel?
Have you ever ordered room service?
Do you have any interesting stories about staying somewhere other than your
house, like a hotel or hostel?
Are hotels common in your country? If not, where do people stay when they travel?
What is the nicest hotel you have stayed at?
What would it be like to work in a hotel as a cleaning person or front desk staff?
Have you ever eaten anything out of the minibar (the refrigerator with snacks and
drinks)? Was it expensive?

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 do 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 do 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?
 LANGUAGES
Which languages are the most difficult to learn?

Which languages are the easiest to learn?

How many languages can you speak?

Does one of your family members or friends speak a lot of languages?

What is the angriest sounding language?

What do you think the oldest language is?

How many languages can you say “hello” in?

What do you know about the Esperanto language?

What is the most romantic sounding language?

Should languages be preserved? Why or why not? What is the best way to preserve

languages?

LOVE
Do you believe that love can be understood by looking at the brain and chemicals?
How is attraction different than love?
Why do you think some people fall out of love?
What is the most romantic movie you know?
In public, how much affection is too much?
How is showing love different now from in the past?
In all cultures, there are famous love stories (i.e. Romeo and Juliet). What is a
famous love story in your country?
When you see a couple, how do you know they are in love?
Do you believe in love at first sight?
What do you think of Valentine ’s Day?
Think of two different cultures, how do those cultures express love differently?
Why are most songs about love?
 LUXURY ITEMS
What is one luxury item you really want to have?
What is imported by your country?
Do developed countries focus too much on luxury items?
What is exported by your country?
What do you think is the most popular luxury item in your country? Who is it made by?
What is the craziest example of a luxury item you have heard of?
Have you ever been jealous that someone had something you didn’t?
Do you think that luxury goods make people happy? Why or why not?
What do you think expensive perfume is made from?
What is something that you can spend money on that will make you happy? How long will
it make you happy for?
Who are the best electronics made by?
Do brand name prices mean quality?
Which types of products must have brand names if you are going to buy them?
How often do you spend money on things you know you shouldn’t? What kind of things do
you buy?
Who are the most expensive cars made by?
Are rich people really happier?
Name five things a person can do to make themselves happier without spending money.

MANNERS
What are some examples of bad manners on the bus?
What are some examples of good manners on the subway?
What are some examples of bad manners that you HATE?
Do you think people are more polite or less polite now than in the past?
Do you know someone who is often rude?
Can you think of some examples of how manners have changed in your country?
How are manners different in other countries?
How important is it to be polite to older people even though they are often rude?
What is something that is not considered rude but should be?
When someone is rude in a public place, do you say something or try to ignore the
person?
 MARRIAGE
What makes a happy marriage?
How does the idea of getting married make you feel? Excited? Scared? Happy?
Nervous?
What do your parents tell you about getting married?
Some people say that marriage is outdated (too old-fashioned and not needed), do
you agree or disagree?
Describe your perfect spouse.
What do you think married life will be like?
When do you plan on getting married?
What do you want your wedding to be like?
What are some wedding traditions in your country?
What do you think of arranged marriages?

MASSAGE
How is massage viewed in your country? How common is it?
How are masseuses and masseurs viewed in your country? Are they well
respected?
Does your country have a long history of massages? Or is massage somewhat new
to your country?
What types of massage are popular in your country?
When was the last time you got a professional massage? How about a
nonprofessional massage?
Are massage chairs popular in your country?
Have you tried many different types of massage?
Have you ever used a massage chair or some other massage device? How was it?
Some massage chairs cost thousands of dollars. Do you think expensive massage
chairs are worth the price?
Can a massage chair ever be as good as a human masseuse or masseur? What are
the pros and cons of a massage chair vs. a human masseuse or masseur?
What do you think the future of massage will be?
 MEETING NEW PEOPLE
If you do not 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?

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 do 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 do people do 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 do 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 do you listen to when you want to dance?
What kind of music do 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 do 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?

NATURAL DISASTERS
How many types of natural disaster can you name? Which is the worst?
What natural disasters are common in your country?
Have you ever been through a natural disaster? Tell your group about your
experience if it isn’t too traumatic.
What is the best / worst natural disaster movie you have seen?
Think of three natural disasters. What can you do to stay safe during and after
those natural disasters?
Do you know that difference between a hurricane, a typhoon, and a cyclone?
Which country has the most natural disasters?
Would you ever volunteer to help after a natural disaster hit? If yes, What would
you like to volunteer to do? If no, why not?
How can technology lessen the damage caused by natural disasters?
Can natural disasters ever be a good thing?
What do you think about people who follow tornadoes around to get data, video
and photographs?
Can you think of any country that doesn’t have natural disasters?
 NEIGHBOURHOODS
Did you like the neighbourhood where you grew up?
Where is the best place to eat in your city?
Where is there a lot of crime in your city?
What is the worst thing a neighbourhood can have?
Where is the best place to shop in your city?
What did you think about your neighbours when you were growing up? Did you
have any weird or odd neighbours?
What did you like most about the neighbourhood you grew up in?
What kind of neighbourhood do you want to raise your children in?
Do you think it should be the government’s responsibility to clean up
neighbourhoods or are the people in the neighbourhood responsible for cleaning it
up?
Do you think neighbourhoods are more, or less, friendly these days?
What will neighbourhoods be like in the future?

NEIGHBOURS
What do you think of your neighbours?
Is there anything that your neighbours do that annoys you?
Did you play with kids who were your neighbours when you were a kid? Do you still
keep in contact with them?
Here is an idiom: “Good fences make good neighbours.” What do you think it
means? Do you agree?
Do you think that neighbours 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 neighbour? Has your
neighbour 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 neighbours?
Do you trust your neighbours? Would you leave them a key to your house?
Think back in your life, who was your most memorable neighbour?
 ONLINE DATING
Can two people fall in love over the internet without meeting each other first?
How acceptable is online dating in your country?
What are some of the good and bad things about online dating?
Do you know anyone who has met their husband or wife online?
What are some popular online dating sites in your country?
When getting to know someone is it better to talk with them or text them?
How do you think apps like Tinder have changed online dating?
What are some of the most interesting or unique dating apps you have heard of?
What dating apps are popular in your country?
Do you think that all the tech solutions to dating have made dating easier or more
complicated?

PERSONALITY
Describe your personality.
What kinds of people do you get along well with?
What kinds of personality traits do 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 do 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?
 RESPONSIBILITY
How involved should governments be in individuals’ lives?
Are criminals ever NOT responsible for the crimes they commit?
What responsibilities do university students have? How about children or adults?
Who is responsible for retired people’s welfare? Themselves? Their family? Their
government?
At what age do you think someone becomes responsible for his or her actions?
What should companies do to protect the environment?
How much responsibility should individuals have for protecting the environment?
Who has more responsibility for the environment, companies or individuals?
What are some of your responsibilities?
Who is responsible for taking care of the poor?

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 do you feel about theme restaurants?

Do you prefer darker or brighter interiors for restaurants? Why?

 SEASONS
What is your favorite season?
What do 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 do 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?

SECRETS
Do you like knowing and finding out secrets? Why?
Are you good at keeping secrets? Why or why not?
Should governments keep secrets from their people? Why or why not?
What kinds of secrets do you think your government has?
What is something that lots of people dislike but you secretly love?
Should husbands and wives keep secrets from each other?
Should parents keep secrets from their children? If yes, what kind of secrets?
What is a well-known secret?
Do you know any secrets about celebrities?
What kinds of secrets are dangerous?
Can you tell us any of your secrets?
 SHOPPING
Where is your favorite place to shop for clothes?
What products do you prefer to shop online for?
What products do you prefer to shop in stores for?
How do you feel about sales people following you and helping you when you shop?
What makes a pleasant shopping experience?
How do 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 do you sing most (e.g. shower, car, while doing housework, etc.)?

How often do you do karaoke?

What song are you best at singing?

What song do you have to sing along with when you hear it?

Whose singing do 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?

 SINGLE LIFE
What are some of the differences between married life and single life? Are the
differences the same for men and women?
What are the pros and cons of single life?
Are you single or in a relationship? Do you wish you had a different relationship
status?
Why do some people choose to remain single?
Who are some famous people who are single?
Are there more single people in the city or the countryside?
Are most of your friends married or single?
Do you ever try to set your single friends up on dates?
How do your habits change when you are single versus when you are in a
relationship?
Do you have any friends who love being single or who can’t stand being single?

SMOKING
Does smoking make you look cool? Why or why not?

How many friends do you have who smoke? Do you smoke?

Should people be allowed to smoke in public? If so, where?

Is raising the price on cigarettes a good way to get people to quit?

What do you think about electric cigarettes?

What are some bad things about smoking?

Are there any benefits of smoking?

Should smoking cigarettes be illegal?

How popular is smoking in your country?

Should smoking be banned in movies? Why or why not?

 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 do 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 do you think is the most dangerous sport?
What do you think of athletes making so much money? Is it a good thing or a bad
thing?

STORIES
What are the best kinds of stories? (i.e funny stories, ghost stories, amazing
stories)
Who told you stories when you were a child? What kind of stories did they tell?
What are some famous Korean stories? Do they teach the listener/reader
something?
There are many ways to experience a story. For example: book, movie, TV show,
spoken, radio, podcast, video game. What is your favorite way to experience a
story?
What is your favorite story?
Tell your group a scary story.
Tell your group a true story that happened to you.
Tell your group a funny story.
Tell your group a story that you heard when you were a child.
Tell your group an unbelievable story.
Tell your group a story with moral lesson in it.
Tell you group a story from history.
 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 do 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?

SUPER HEROES
Who is your favorite super hero? Why?
What super power would you like to have?
If you had super powers would you be a super hero or a super villain?
Do you prefer dark super heroes like Batman or purely good super heroes like
Superman? Why?
Does a person’s favorite super hero tell you anything about their personality? What
does your favorite super hero say about your personality?
Are there any real super heroes?
What is your favorite super hero movie?
Why have super hero movies become so popular?
Do you think comic books are good or bad for children?
How have super heroes changed over the years?
 TECHNOLOGY
Talk about how technology has changed in your lifetime.
What do you think has been the most important new invention in the last 100
years?
Are there any new gadgets that you really want to get?
What do you think will be the next biggest technological advance?
How can countries help to create more inventors?
What is your favorite piece of technology you own?
How will computers change in the future?
Do you think that there will be more or less new innovation in the future?
Is there a piece of technology that you really want that doesn’t exist? (i.e. flying
cars, teleportation, etc.)
Give some examples of technology that have made the world worse.
What do you think is the most important thing that humans have created?
Do you think that people will travel outside of our solar system? How will they get
there?
Do you like new gadgets or do you prefer to use technology you are comfortable
with?
What are the possibilities of technology in clothing?
What is the future of transportation?

TELEVISION
About how many hours of TV do 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 FIVE SENSES
What is your favorite sense? Give some examples why it is so good.
If you had to lose one sense, which would it be?
Do you think we have any other senses? (i.e. when you can feel that someone is
staring at you even if you can’t see them or ESP)
Which sense would you like to improve if possible?
What is the most beautiful thing to see?
What is the most wonderful smell?
What is the best taste?
What is the greatest sound?
What is the most wonderful thing to touch?
Which of your senses is the most sensitive?
Which of your senses is the least sensitive?

THE INTERNET
How much time do 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.
 THE MEDIA
Where do most people in your country get their news?
Does the media in your country report the whole truth, mostly truth, or mostly lies?
How has the internet changed the news in your country?
Who has the most control over the media in your country?
How does the media help create a healthy society?
Should the media just report the facts or should the media interpret the facts?
Can you think of a politician who used the media in a successful way? How about a
politician who was destroyed by the media?
Should the media show graphic violence? Why or why not?
How has the media changed in your country during the last 20 years?
What is the most fair and balanced media outlet in your country?

THE SUPERNATURAL
What supernatural things do you believe in (ghosts, ESP, fortune tellers, etc.)?

Do you think science will ever prove any supernatural beliefs?

What supernatural beliefs are unique to your culture?

What are some of the scariest supernatural movies?

What supernatural thing do you fear?

Why do so many people believe in supernatural things that can’t be proven?

What are some supernatural holiday beliefs in your country?

Where are supernatural occurrences most often reported?

Do you think some people have supernatural abilities?

 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 do 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 do you feel about tourists who visit your country?

TRAVEL
Where do 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 do 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 do you like to do while you are traveling? (i.e. relax, shop, sight see,
experience local culture…)
How often do you travel?
 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 do 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 do you try to learn?
What is the longest trip you’ve taken?
How much vacation time do you get a year?
What do you usually forget to bring when you go on vacation?
What do 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?

WISHES
If you could have three wishes that would come true, what would they be? (No, you
can’t wish for more wishes)
What do you wish you could change about the world?
Many cultures throw things into water (like a fountain) and make a wish. Why do
people do that?
What do you wish you could do after this class?
What do you wish you could eat right now?
What do you wish would happen today?
When do 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 do you wish you had right now?
 LEARNING ENGLISH
Why are you learning English? How will you use the English you learn?
Which of these do you do: attend English classes at school, learn English with a
tutor (private teacher) or study English yourself (on your own)?
What materials do 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 do grammar exercises based on real life situations?
How do you practice speaking English?
What do you use to improve your listening ability?
In what ways do 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 do oral and written translation exercises from your native language into
English?
What is the most difficult thing about learning English?
What typical mistakes do you make?

What area of English are you best at (pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, listening

WATER
How much water do 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 do 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.
 TRANSITIONS
What was your best memory from when you were a child?
What is your earliest memory?
Which was better for you: elementary school, junior high school or high
school? Why?
Did you study hard in high school?
How would you change your life if you could?
Starting university was a big transition. What are some of the good things about
starting university? What are some of the bad things?
One of the biggest transitions for people is marriage. What are some of the good
and bad things about marriage?
How will your life change after you have children?
What do you think are the biggest transitions in a person’s life? Which is the most
important?
What kinds of problems did you have when you went from elementary school to
junior high?
When does a child become an adult?

THE PAST
Who used to be your hero when you were young?
Did you use to have a pet?
Who were some of your favorite sports stars in the past?
What did they play?
Why were they your favorite?
Name some of your country’s famous sports stars of the past.
Why were they famous?
What was your best memory from when you were a child?
What is your earliest memory?
Which was better for you: elementary school, junior high school or high
school? Why?
What was your country like when you were a child?
Do you think the past was better than the present? Why or why not?
What were some of the benefits of living in the past?
Talk about your country’s past (100 years ago), how was the past different from the
present:
Food | Weddings | Clothing | School
Work | Recreation (free time activities) | Communication