esl topics for adults

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29 ESL Conversation Topics Adult Students Really Enjoy

One key goal almost every adult ESL student shares is gaining the ability to speak English with others.

What better way to learn to speak English than to speak about the very same things that you speak about on a daily basis ?

ESL speaking activities work even better when someone speaks about their own personal recollections, thoughts and ideas on these topics.

Use these topics and questions to get conversations started!

8. Television

11. first dates, 13. motivation, 19. restaurants, 20. cooking, 22. shopping, 26. learning, 28. computers, 29. problems.

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Everybody has hobbies, and everybody loves talking about them. Hobbies could be passions too, you know. Some simple questions to ask include:

What are your hobbies?
Why do you like your hobbies so much?
How often do you do these hobbies?
How long have you been doing these hobbies, and how did you get started?
What hobbies did you used to have, but now do not?
Is it important to have hobbies? Why/why not?

Lots of people work and have lots to say about it. I mean, if you’re spending about a third of your waking hours at work, you may have lots to say.

Some good questions are:

What work do/did you do?
Do/did like your job? Why or why not?
What is your dream job?
What work is common in your city/area/country?
What is your general view about work? Why?

Food is possibly the most universal topic of them all and everyone loves to discuss what they eat. Food-themed ESL activities are always a hit with students.

This is also an ideal topic for beginners because the vocabulary is usually pretty simple. You could use questions like:

What is your favorite food? Why?
What food do you eat a lot?
What food comes from your country?
How do you feel when you eat food?
What foods do you dislike? Why?
Where do you usually get food from?

This is a topic that many people get very excited about. If someone is passionate or emotional about a topic, they can be more motivated to speak and understand things related to it.

A few good example questions are:

Do you like sports? Why/why not?
How often do you exercise/play sports?
Did you play any sports as a child?
What sport/physical activity is popular in your country?
What is your opinion on professional sports?

As people get older, their perceived value of time increases, so it’s a practical topic that everyone has something to say about.

You could ask questions like:

How much free time do you usually have?
How important is time to you?
If you had more free time, what would you do?
“Time is money.” Do you agree or disagree? Why?
How do you feel about time that is wasted?

As people get older, they start to appreciate a good night’s sleep more and more. This topic is often a favorite.

Some example questions are:

How much sleep do you usually get?
Why do some people sleep well while other people do not sleep well?
What do you do when you have trouble sleeping?
What time do you usually go to sleep? What time do you usually get up?
Have you ever slept in a strange place that was not a bed?

Everybody loves music and most people feel very strong emotions toward it—especially when it comes to the music that they love (or hate) most. Some simple questions to ask could be:

What types of music do you like/dislike?
How do certain kinds of music make you feel?
What types of music come from your country?
What’s your favorite song/album/artist?
What music is popular in your country right now?

Listening to music with English lyrics can be fun and engaging activity that can also start conversations.

Watching music videos with subtitles will help students remember the vocabulary they hear in a song.

Television is one of those topics that everyone has an opinion about.

TV will enable you to showcase native English forms and provide some great context before diving into discussion questions. Good questions include:

How often do you watch TV?
Should everyone have a television in their home?
What is the best way to watch television: On a television set, computer, tablet or phone?
What television programs are popular in your country?
What do you think will be the future of television?
What is your opinion on television?
If you had your own TV show, what would it be like?

If your students enjoy learning from TV and other native content, you can try a media-focused resource like FluentU .

This website and app teaches English with authentic videos, including clips from TV shows, news segments and commercials.

The video dictionary also links to other videos that use the word for additional context. Students can also take quizzes based on the videos and their flashcard learning.

The pop-culture content on FluentU is more interesting to students than more traditional materials, and it increases the motivation to understand the dialogue.

Authentic media lets students hear English the way native speakers use it and helps them recall the meanings of words better by creating memorable associations with stories and characters.

The FluentU program is available both for schools and for individual learners .

Like television, movies are a popular conversation topic. I mean, who doesn’t watch movies? A few good questions to be asked could be:

What was the last movie you saw? How was it?
What is your favorite movie? Why?
How are the movies in your country? What are the best ones?
How often do you watch movies in English?
If there were a movie about your life, what kind of movie would it be? Why?

Travel can be a great discussion topic – it encourages storytelling in the past tense and inspires students to talk about culture and similar topics.

Here are some possible questions:

Where have you traveled?
What countries have you been to?
Where would you like to travel to in the future?
When you travel, what safety precautions do you take?
Do you like to prepare a lot before you travel, or just wing it?
What are some cultural issues that you have experienced while traveling? Do you have any funny or embarrassing stories?

Talking about first dates gets everybody interested. We’ve all been there.

How many first dates have you had?
How do you feel about first dates?
What is a common first date like in your country?
What is the best/worst first date experience you’ve ever had?
What makes a good first date in your opinion?

Everyone feels a certain way about risk. Some are risk-oriented, others are risk-averse. Talking about risks seems to generate some good conversation. You could ask questions like:

What is your definition of risk?
Are you a risk taker? Why/why not?
What are the advantages/disadvantages of taking risks?
What risks do you come across in your work/life?
What risks have you taken in your life?

Whether or not the students are a motivated bunch, motivation is a good topic to discuss in order to inspire your students.

How motivated are you in general?
What motivates you to do things?
What is the best motivator to succeed?
What do you do when you feel unmotivated?
What is a good way to motivate others?

Anyone can appreciate beauty in all its forms, and anyone can recognize the importance of the concept of beauty in our cultures, societies and behaviors.

This makes it a good topic to discuss to get some opinions and various views within a group.

What is “beauty”?
What/who do you consider beautiful?
What does “inner beauty” mean to you?
Do you consider artificial beauty (cosmetic surgery) to still be beauty? Why/why not?
How do you feel about the emphasis that people put on beauty these days?
What would you tell your children about beauty?

Crime may not be on the top of people’s lists of favorite topics but it’s something that’s talked about.

Depending on someone’s life experiences, it may be something that has affected their lives. Learning to discuss it could help in the long run.

Good discussion questions are:

Is crime a big problem in your city/country?
Have you ever been a victim of crime?
What crime is common in your city/country?
What would you do if you noticed a crime being committed?
How is the law enforcement in your city/country?

Most people have had some firsthand experience with love that they’d like to talk about. It’s another one of those universal topics that gets the conversation going.

Even if it’s not about romantic love and heartbreak, students can talk about familial love with their parents and children, as well as love between friends.

Questions like these are good:

What is love?
Who/what do you love?
What good/bad experiences have you had with love?
Can you be too young to be in love? Why/why not?
How do you feel about love?

We all have goals and talking about them actually gets us more encouraged to do something about them. Sharing goals is also a good way to help get them achieved.

A good set of questions is:

What are your current goals in life?
How do you plan to reach your goals?
How often do you set goals for yourself?
What goals have you set and achieved in the past?
How do you feel when you reach your goals?

We all have dreams, sometimes on a nightly basis, and they can make for a great discussion topic as it inspires students to be creative and even whimsical.

Great questions for this topic include:

What kinds of dreams do you have?
What do you think dreams mean?
How much of your dreams do you remember? Why?
What is your opinion on premonitions? Are they real?
What are examples of memorable dreams you have had?

Along with eating, people love talking about their favorite eateries and restaurants. Some students might even relate to each other with their choices and views.

Good questions include:

How often do you go to restaurants?
What is your favorite restaurant? Why?
What do you usually order at a restaurant?
What is the restaurant experience like in your country?
Have you ever worked in a restaurant?
If you owned a restaurant, what kinds of food would you serve?

Cooking is another topic that may allow for some good conversation. Most people in most countries do a good amount of cooking.

A few good questions could be:

In your home, who usually cooks?
How often do you cook?
How well do you cook? What can you cook well?
What are the advantages/disadvantages of cooking?
What food would you like to learn how to cook?

Recipes can be a fun way to introduce students to assorted cooking vocabulary and phrases. And in addition to written recipes, there are tons of recipe videos on the web if you want to work on listening comprehension as well.

FluentU has lots of videos about food and cuisine, as well as several captioned recipe videos.

If there is one topic that affects everyone, it has to be money. People love talking about money.

Well, they may not if they’re broke—but even then it’s a relatable topic that gets conversations going.

Great questions include:

How well do you manage your money?
Why do some people have money problems?
What are some good ways to make money?
What would you do if I gave you $20/$2,000/$2,000,000?
How often do you save money? Why?

This one is a personal favorite for many. Shopping just brings out the zest in some people.

Others feel strongly the other way—very few people are completely neutral on this topic.

A few good questions are:

Do you enjoy shopping? Why/why not?
What is your favorite shop? Why?
In your city, where is a good place to go shopping?
How do you feel about online shopping?
What do you think shopping will be like in the future?

Everybody makes plans and discussing them could even influence the class to start making plans of their own! A few example questions include:

How often do you plan things? Why?
What are your plans for (________)?
What are your plans for your English?
What do you think of this quote? “Having no plan is a plan to fail.”
Do you have any back-up plans?

Books make for a good conversation topic because most people enjoy a good book.

When you read, your mind is filled with new images, feelings, ideas and thoughts. It can be immensely satisfying for someone to share how they feel about reading.

Some questions to ask are:

Do you like books/reading? Why/why not?
What kind of books do/did you like?
What is your favorite book? Why?
What was the last book you read?
Do you believe reading books/literature is more important than reading stuff online? Why/why not?

Life discussions go on in all languages and English is no exception.

Life is a good topic since everyone has their own views and thoughts on this universal subject.

You could bring up questions like:

What is the meaning of life?
How is your life going up to this point?
What do you think happens after death?
What important life lessons have you learned?
If tomorrow was your last day to live, what would you do?

Learning is like nature—it’s all around us, even on a subconscious level. Our brains are built to absorb, filter and store information.

A conversation about learning could actually stimulate some English learning!

A few questions that are suitable are:

How important is learning? Why?
Besides English, what are you currently learning?
What things are you good/bad at learning? Why?
What would you most like to learn?
What is the most difficult part of learning? Why?

Games are fun and everybody enjoys fun, no?

But in all seriousness, talking about games tends to gear the conversation more toward past tense, which can bring students a fond sense of nostalgia.

Some simple questions could be:

What is your favorite game ever?
What games did you play as a kid?
What games are popular/came from your country?
How competitive are you when it comes to games?
What games do you still play now? Why?

It’s hard to go a day without talking about computers. This universal topic could have students discussing quite a few things, much of which could relate to real life too!

Great questions on this could be:

Describe your computer at home/work.
What do you usually use a computer for?
Do you like computers? Why/why not?
What was the first computer you ever had like?
What do you think will be the future of computers?

Even though nobody likes to talk about problems per se, everybody still talks about their problems to other people!

Problems are actually a good topic for discussion since they could help others relate to each other and even present solutions too.

A few fine examples of questions are:

How do you deal with your problems?
What problems do you come across in your work or life?
Do you feel that problems are opportunities? Why or why not?
What was the last problem you solved and how did you do it?
“Problems don’t matter. Solutions do.” Do you agree or disagree?

Discussion questions like the ones above—questions about everyday things—work well because they really get the brain thinking.

These topics relate directly to students on a familiar level and can even spark some fascinating discussions.

You could even mix up the example questions any way you’d like.

These topics may even inspire you to come up with some of your own, as you begin to understand what works and what doesn’t.

Happy discussing!

For more tips, check out this post next:

Wondering how to teach ESL to adults? While your lessons might be a bit less chaotic than with younger students, they don’t have to be dull or boring. Everyone enjoys…

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Making English Fun

50 ESL Conversation Topics for Adult Students.

For adult ESL learners, the ability to converse comfortably in English is not only a skill but a gateway to opportunities and connections.

In this article, we’re happy to share a carefully put together list of conversation topics and starters tailored for adults. You can also download this list this for your own use.

Perfect for teachers and learners alike, these starters promise to invigorate your English classes and practice sessions.

50 ESL Conversation Topics for Adult Students.

Conversation in Adult Language Learning

Conversation is the heartbeat of language learning, especially for adults. While grammar and vocabulary are the building blocks, it’s through conversation that these elements come alive.

For adult ESL learners, speaking and listening in real-world contexts is crucial. It’s not just about correctness; it’s about communication.

These learners often bring a wealth of life experience to their language journey, and conversational practice provides a platform to share these perspectives, making learning more relevant and engaging.

By focusing on conversation, we not only improve fluency but also bridge cultural gaps, build confidence and make friends.

How to Use Adult ESL Conversation Topics

Integrating conversation starters into your ESL curriculum can be both fun and effective.

Start by choosing prompts that resonate with the interests and experiences of your adult learners.
Whether it’s in a classroom, online setting, or a casual language meetup, these starters can kick off discussions, debates, and storytelling.
For beginners, you might opt for simpler, more direct questions , while advanced learners can tackle the more complex and open-ended ones.
Encourage students to ask follow-up questions, share personal experiences, and even challenge each other’s viewpoints.

The goal is to create a dynamic and interactive environment where every student feels comfortable to speak up and participate.

50 Conversation Topics for Adult Learners

Imagine starting your class with a question that sparks curiosity, debate, and personal reflection. That’s the power of a great conversation starter.

From discussing global issues to sharing personal achievements, these conversation starters are designed to cater to a wide range of interests and provoke thoughtful dialogue.

Be sure to download our full list to explore the variety of prompts we’ve put together for you.

Adult ESL Conversation Starters

What do you think are the most significant challenges facing the world today?
How do you balance work and personal life?
What’s your opinion on the impact of globalization?
Discuss a piece of advice that has been influential in your life.
What are the key qualities of a good leader in today’s world?
How has your perspective on life changed as you’ve gotten older?
What’s a book that profoundly affected your view of the world?
What do you think about the future of work and automation?
How do you stay informed about current events, and why is it important?
What role does culture play in shaping an individual’s identity?
Discuss a personal experience that shaped your beliefs.
What are your thoughts on the balance between security and privacy?
How do you define happiness, and what makes you happy?
What’s your stance on environmental sustainability?
Discuss a historical event that interests you and why.
How do you think technology impacts human relationships?
What are the essential factors in maintaining a healthy lifestyle?
What’s your opinion on the education system in your country?
Discuss an artist, musician, or writer who has influenced you.
What changes would you like to see in your community or society?
How do you view the role of government in people’s lives?
What’s a significant personal challenge you’ve faced and overcome?
How has travel or living in different places shaped your views?
Discuss a movie or TV show that you think has deep social commentary.
What are your thoughts on the evolution of social media?
How do you approach conflict resolution in personal or professional settings?
What’s your perspective on the importance of mental health?
What are your hobbies, and why are they important to you?
How do you view the role of arts and culture in society?
Discuss a scientific discovery or technological advancement that excites you.
What’s your opinion on the relationship between wealth and happiness?
How do you think the concept of family has evolved over time?
What’s your stance on the importance of work-life balance?
Discuss a policy issue that you feel strongly about.
What’s your approach to lifelong learning and self-improvement?
How do you think language shapes our understanding of the world?
What’s a life lesson you’ve learned that you would share with others?
Discuss your views on the role of religion in modern society.
What’s an underrated skill that you think more people should learn?
How do you stay motivated and focused on your goals?
Discuss an innovation you think will significantly impact the future.
What’s your opinion on the importance of cultural diversity?
How do you think aging populations will affect society?
What’s your perspective on alternative energy sources?
Discuss a personal success story and the lessons learned.
How do you approach making significant life decisions?
What’s your opinion on the current state of global politics?
Discuss a social movement that you find inspiring.
What do you think is the key to a successful relationship?
How do you think education will evolve in the next few decades?

Facilitating Engaging Discussions

As a teacher, your role is to guide the conversation, ensuring it remains respectful and inclusive.

Encourage students to build on each other’s responses and explore different viewpoints. It’s important to create a safe space where students feel comfortable expressing themselves without fear of judgment.

Use these conversations as opportunities to teach nuances of language, cultural references, and varied expressions.

Benefits of Regular Conversation Practice

Engaging regularly in conversation practice can transform the ESL learning experience.

For adult learners, this practice helps in breaking down language barriers, building confidence, and enhancing real-world communication skills.

It’s not just about fluency; it’s about the ability to express thoughts, opinions, and emotions effectively in a new language.

Regular practice also sharpens listening skills and improves pronunciation , making it an invaluable tool in learning English

Creating a Community of Learners

One of the most beautiful aspects of using conversation starters is the sense of community it builds among learners.

Facilitate group discussions, pair activities, and even social events where conversation is the main activity.

Creating a community atmosphere helps in reducing anxiety and makes language practice a more enjoyable and supportive experience.

Additional Resources

For more resources and inspiration, visit our website. Whether you’re looking for teaching materials, language games, or advanced learning strategies, we’ve got you covered.

Join our community to keep up with the latest in ESL education and to share your own experiences and insights with fellow language enthusiasts.

https://allesl.com/esl-conversation-topics/
https://www.verbling.com/discussion/28-esl-discussion-topics-for-adults-that-everyone-has-opinio
https://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator-english/esl-discussion-topics-for-adults/

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250+ Fun conversation topics

Conversation topics.

If you are looking for something to talk about or a specific discussion subject, then you are in the right place! Here are hundreds of conversation topics with thousands of questions on all manner of things. You are pretty much guaranteed to find a theme of discourse that you like.

Originally these conversation topics and their questions were designed for English learning activities but they have since evolved to become a comprehensive list that can be used by all English speakers. They can be used amongst friends, family, work colleagues, dating partners, and anybody who just wants something to chinwag about.

By clicking on one of the desired topics below you will be brought to a related page that has questions on the subject. Each page also has a free printable PDF of conversation questions along with some ideas to supplement the discussion with things like idioms.

This list and its contents have taken several years to assemble and is ever expanding. It is hoped that you will find the themed questions both useful and engaging in your quest for meaningful communication!

The discussion topics have been arranged in alphabetical order to make it easy and straightforward to find what you are looking for. The list of topics has also been broken down into 3 separate sections to make it even easier to navigate.

Conversation Topics A - E

Advertising

Artificial Intelligence

Body language

Books and reading

Bucket list

Communication

Comparatives

Construction and building

Consumerism

Daily Routines

Decisions and choices

Desert Island

Electricity

Entertainment

Environment

Extreme sports

Conversation Topics F - N

Fall and Autumn

Global warming

Health and sickness

Healthy living

Honesty and lies

How much how many

Motorcycles

Natural disasters

Natural wonders

Nuclear energy

Conversation Topics O - Z

Past continuous

Past simple

Personality

Photography

Phrasal verbs

Predictions

Present perfect

Restaurants

Social Media

South America

Superlatives

Superstition

Thanksgiving

Unemployment

Video games

Water Sports

Would you rather

Zero conditional

Notes on using the conversation topics

The sheer volume of discussion topics and related questions here means that you can find something that the person or people that you are talking to feel interested in and passionate about. This in itself gives you a head start in having a rich and enjoyable conversation.

Try to approach your chosen subject with some freedom. Not all the questions provided need to be asked, or debated. You should also try to add some more questions of your own and even put a twist on those provided to make them more appropriate for your audience.

The questions are not intended to be met with Yes/No responses or short simple answers. Try to ask follow-up questions and inquire more about the replies you are given to stimulate more discourse. The more language you exchange while you are speaking, the more successful and beneficial your conversation will be.

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150 ESL Conversation Starters and Questions (The Essential List)

Do you want your students to be excited to speak with you in English?

Do you want to make sure you always know where the conversation is going and what to say next?

You need engaging content, interesting conversation starters, and questions that really reel them in.

Join our mailing list to receive a free ESL teaching resource every week.

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This list of 150 ESL conversation starters will give you everything you need to make sure you always have something interesting to talk about and never run out of things to say!

150 ESL conversation starters essential list for lessons

Why Every Teacher Needs a List of Starters

Conversation topics for adults and teens, conversation topics for kids, conversation topics for beginners, weird and funny conversation starters, controversial conversations topics, additional tips for your conversation lessons, final thoughts.

If you want to improve your student’s speaking ability you need to master the art of conversation. You need to know how to get your students speaking , move the conversation forward, provide feedback and make it all feel natural. You also need engaging topics and that is where this guide comes in.

One of the problems that can face a teacher is knowing what to talk about. What do you do when you’ve finished talking about work, the weather and then realise that only 5 minutes have passed!

This guide has everything you need to make sure you never run out of topics and most importantly you always have something interesting to say.

It is a good idea to pick a particular topic for a class (or even have your student pick if you want more engagement from them). Once you have that topic then move through the questions, trying to get as much from each one as possible.

Browse our ESL teacher resources section for more tips and printable lesson materials.

Adults and teens usually know more about advanced topics than children (politics, religion, etc.) That being said, knowing more on these topics doesn’t necessarily translate to being able to speak about these things easily so don’t assume they can do everything. Be aware of your student’s level and be prepared to reframe a question if they are struggling to understand.

Where do you work?
Do you enjoy your job?
Do you use English for your job?
Tell me about your last job.
What do you think is the most difficult job in the world?
What do you think is the easiest job in the world?
Where would you work if you could pick any job?
Would you still work if you won the lottery?
Do you think robots will replace all of the jobs in the future?
Which kind of job should have the highest salary?

In this post, you’ll get 20 topics and activities for Business English lessons.

Do you listen to music?
When did you start listening to music?
Do you play a musical instrument?
What do you think the future of music will be like?
If you could meet any musician, who would it be?
Why do people like music?
If you could erase a musical genre, which would it be?
Do you think musical success comes from working hard or luck?
What was the first album you bought?
Have you ever downloaded music illegally?
What is a holiday?
Do you often go on holiday?
Where did you last go on holiday?
Where would you like to go on holiday next?
Do you prefer relaxing or having an adventure on your holiday?
Is it weird to go on holiday by yourself?
What is the best food you’ve eaten while on holiday?
Can you imagine what holidays 500 years ago were like?
Would you like to go on holiday to space?
What do you think the future of the holidays will be like?
What is technology?
What do you think of when you hear the word ‘technology’?
How has technology changed in the past?
How has technology changed your life?
Could you live without technology?
Find the full list of technology questions here

In order to engage a child in conversation, you have to enter their world. What is fun for them? What do they like to do? Using words/phrases like “wow”, “That sounds tasty”, “Awesome” can show you are listening to them and make things more fun which will get them saying more!

Do you have a pet?
What do you think pets do in the day?
What do pets eat?
Are cats better or dogs?
What is the best name for a pet?
Would you like a pet spider?
Would you like to be an animal? Which one?
Why do we have pets?
Do you prefer cute or fun pets?
What is the best present for a pet?
Do you like school?
What is your favourite subject?
What is your least favourite subject?
Who is your favourite teacher?
Why do people have to go to school?
Do you like homework?
What would you do if you were the headteacher?
How could schools be more fun?
How long are the summer holidays?
Can you learn and have fun at the same time?
What is your favourite movie?
Who is your favourite character?
Who is your least favourite character?
Do you like disney movies?
What was the last movie you saw at the cinema?
How often do you watch movies?
Do you wish you could live in a movie?
Why do you watch movies?
Do you prefer reading books or movies?
Do you watch any movies in English?

Keeping the topics simple for beginners is a must at the start. Talking about their hobbies and family can help as these are areas they may have already experience in talking about. If a student is really struggling then giving them phrases to use such as “I like …” can help get the ball rolling.

What do you like to do?
Do you do any sports?
What types of movie do you like?
Do you play video games?
What do you usually do with friends?
Is learning English a hobby or work?
Do you have any unusual hobbies?
Do you have enough time for your hobbies?
What is a common hobby?
What do you think is a boring hobby?
Do you live with your family?
How many people are in your family?
Are you close with your family?
How often do you see your family?
What do you do with your family when you see them?
Is your family important to you?
Which is more important, friends or family?
Who is the weirdest person in your family?
Are families less important nowadays than in the past?
What would happen if we didn’t have families?
Where do you live?
What is there to do in your city?
What is your place like?
What is your neighbourhood like?
Are there any parks near where you live?
Have you ever lived elsewhere?
How many rooms does your place have?
If you moved, where would you like to live?
Would you prefer to live in the city or country?
Would you like to live abroad?

Use information gap activities to help your students practice speaking: read our guide.

Nobody wants to speak about the same mundane topics, especially if they’re an advanced student. Being able to mix it up is a great attribute to have as a teacher. Not only will you have memorable lessons with these conversation starters but it will really test the ability of the students to think about topics they aren’t used to (instead of rolling off easy answers about familiar topics.)

Zombie Apocalypse Plan

What is your zombie apocalypse plan?
Who would you take with you?
What would be your weapon of choice?
What would you do if a friend got bitten by a zombie?
What would you do if you got bitten by a zombie?
What food would you take with you?
Do you think governments should have a zombie apocalypse plan?
Do you think everyone should have a zombie apocalypse plan?
Is a zombie outbreak a likely scenario?
Why do you think there are so many movies and TV series based on zombies?

Superpowers

If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
What do you think is the weirdest superpower in comic books?
Are some superpowers too powerful?
Would you like a superpower where you could turn things into gold by touching them?
What is the weakest superpower in a comic book?
Have we already seen every kind of superpower possible in a comic book?
Are there some people in the real world that have superpowers? (doctors etc)
Would you like a superpower where you could turn things into chocolate?
Would it be better to be super strong or super smart?
Would you like the power to travel through time?
If you were granted 3 wishes what would they be?
Is wishing for more wishes cheating?
Should there be any other rules for people granted wishes?
Have you seen any movies with a magic lamp?
Do you think there is a better object that could house a genie?
Why are we interested in stories of people having wishes?
Have any of your wishes come true in real life?
Do you make a wish when you blow out the candles on a cake?
Is it bad luck to tell someone what your wish is when blowing out the candles?
What other ways do people make wishes?

These are topics that you need to be careful with and use your judgement based on the student’s background. You need to wait until you know a student to find out what material is appropriate for them. That being said, If used correctly, then these can be really interesting and get the student thinking about “real issues”.

Death Penalty

What do you think about the death penalty?
Do you know which countries still use the death penalty?
Why do you think some countries use the death penalty?
Do you know of any famous executions?
Should the death penalty be outlawed?
If we removed the death penalty then what punishment should replace it?
What is the most humane form of execution?
What would your “last meal” be?
Does the fear of the death penalty reduce crime?
How has execution changed over the years?
What is abortion?
Should abortion be legal?
Why do you think some people are “pro choice”?
Why do you think some people are “pro life”?
What do you think of abortion in cases where the baby was conceived due to rape?
What do you think of abortion in cases where the Mother’s life is in danger (due to being pregnant)?
Should the father “get a say” in the matter of abortion?
What advice would you give to a family member who was thinking of getting an abortion?
Should people be allowed to protest against abortion?
What do you think the future laws on abortion will be?
What is corruption?
Is there corruption in your country?
Why does corruption exist?
Would you consider taking a bribe?
Would you consider offering a bribe?
Are some types of corruption better than others?
Which countries have the most corruption?
Which countries have the least corruption?
Are there any stories of corruption that you can remember?
Is it possible to get rid of corruption entirely?

Get a list of 110 “Would you rather” questions for your conversation lessons.

Here are some additional tips to make sure your students are getting the most out of their conversation lessons and will be excited about coming back for more. Some of these will take time to internalize and get right but be aware of them and experiment to get them just right.

Don’t feel like you have to stick rigidly to the list of conversation starters. If a question takes you down a different conversational thread then go with it. The important thing is that the student is talking, you can always return to “the script” later.

Correcting a student immediately can often be useful, but in conversation, it can really kill the flow as well as a student’s confidence if done too often. A good idea is to make notes of any major problems and then mention them after a particular section instead. On top of this, try not to interrupt a student once they are speaking. For each answer, try to milk everything out of them that you can before you have “your turn to speak”.

As well as the frequency of correction, consider the amount being corrected. Don’t feel like you have to correct EVERYTHING. Especially if a student is starting out and is a bit nervous. Pick a few problems areas and focus on that, if you mention too many things at once it can be overwhelming and can really lower a student’s confidence.

Be strict when a student gives you short answers. If a student gives you an answer like “yes” then force more out of them with “yes… because” or “no… but”. The idea is to get them using the language more.

Try to inject some personality when using these ESL conversation topics. It should feel more like a conversation rather than a robot giving an interview.

Some students will struggle with certain subjects as they just don’t know enough about the topic. If it’s a bit of a challenge then push through but if they can’t even talk about a topic in their native language then it may be an idea to move on to another subject.

Allowing a student to pick a topic can be a great way of engaging them more. This also has the added benefit of helping a younger student (such as a teenager) feel more empowered as they can make their own decisions.

Get 18 statesman tips on giving great conversation for teens and adults in this post.

There you have it!

All you need to make sure you never run out of things to say. Get these printed out as your go-to cheat sheets and bookmark this page so you can easily come back to them for future classes.

Hopefully, these ESL conversation starters and questions will spark your own ideas for topics you can use in class. If you are teaching one-to-one, you could even write niche topics especially for that student’s interests (e.g skateboarding, knitting or chess).

Remember, match the topics to the student’s level, keep it fun and once they start talking don’t get in the way!

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4 thoughts on “150 esl conversation starters and questions (the essential list)”.

Interesting amazing content Thanks heaps

Very interesting! Thank you.

This is very useful for our speaking club. Thank you.

Glad to hear, enjoy! :)

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101 ESL Conversation Topics to Break the Silence

ESL Conversation Starters

Looking for that missing element that will help your ESL conversation classes sparkle, shine and speak English?

Leading an engaging ESL conversation class isn’t something you can just pull off at the drop of a hat. But these tricks can help you go from zero to ESL hero. As a matter of fact, the one big secret is having…

Ready? Drumroll, please.

101 ESL conversation topics from a hat.

101 ESL Conversation Topics From a Hat

How many times have you been in an ESL conversation class and just couldn’t get your students to speak?

In the classroom and in everyday life, we need conversation starters or ice breakers to end the silence. Arguably, there’s nothing stranger than silence in a conversation class!

Here’s how you do it:

Before you start the school year, dedicate some time to preparing a list of free talking topics (see below).

First, print the conversation topics below. Second, cut each topic and put them in a hat. Finally, have them attached to your hip whenever you’re in need.

You can either open the whole classroom for discussion or have them speak in pairs. Furthermore, these ESL conversation topics are great for filling in any extra time at the end of the class or ice breakers at the start of a lesson.

And if you’d like more free ESL activities for your classroom, don’t forget to check out our other lists to engage your students in English. All are free and can be used for any purpose.

43 Free ESL Worksheets that Enable English Language Learners
13 Free ESL Lesson Plans to Master Your ESL Classes
67 Free ESL Games to Teach English Like an All-Star

Either way, the goal is to get them practicing in English.

Culture Differences for Kids

High schools (Do students wear special school attire like uniforms? Can students drive to their high school? Can students drink water in class?)
Country work ethic (How long are typical work hours? Do students work after graduating?)
School clubs (What unique school clubs are there? Which club are you in? Why did you choose that club?)
Holidays (What is your favorite holiday? What type of food do you eat on specific holidays?)
Jobs (What jobs exist? Is it easy to get a job after graduation? Is it easy to find a job now?)
Pop culture (Who are pop culture icons in your home country?)
Video games (Do you play video games? What types of video games are popular?)
Parenting and punishment (What kind of punishment have you received at school or home? Do you believe in physical punishment?)

Culture Differences for Adults

Restaurant tips (Are tips at restaurants common? How much is a reasonable tip?)
Work dinner parties (Do wives and husbands attend work parties?)
Gestures (What are some unique gestures (thumbs up, middle finger, etc) in your country?)
Gift exchange (When you travel, is it common to exchange gifts? How about Christmas or any other holidays?)
Living with parents (How old do kids live with their parents?)
Greetings (How do you greet in your country? Do you bow or do handshakes?)
Safety and crime (Do you think your neighborhood is safe? What kind of crimes happen in your area?)
Punctuality (How often are friends late? How about buses and trains? Is it rude being late?)
Food and health (What is a typical meal? How healthy is it? Are gyms becoming more popular?)
Sports (How do sports players show respect after a game? Are there any unique sports in your country?)
Multiculturalism (Is your country multicultural? Is multiculturalism a good thing?)
Gender discrimination (Do women and men make the same amount of money for doing the same job? Is there much gender discrimination in your home country?)

If you…

If you had one wish, what would it be?
If you were rich, what would you do?
If you could be a celebrity for a day, which celebrity would you be?
If you were the principal at school, what would you change?
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
If you were on a deserted island, what would you bring and why?
If you could be any animal for a day, what would it be and why?
If you could have any superpower, what would you pick and why?
If you could pack only 3 items for your next trip, what would they be?
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
If you could travel to the moon, would you like to go?
If you win the lottery, what is the first thing you would do?
If you owned an island to yourself, what rules would you implement?
If they could pick a Halloween costume to dress up as on Halloween, what would it be?
If you could be born at a different time period, when would it be?
If you could change the past, would you do it?
If you could make a movie, which celebrity would you pick as yourself?
If you found a large amount of money, what would you do?
If you could change anything about your country, what would you change?
If you could be born in another country, which one would you pick?
If you could do your dream job 10 years from now, which job would you choose?

Have you ever…

Have you ever traveled out of your home country?
Have you ever cried when watching a movie? If yes, which one?
Have you ever experienced culture shock?
Have you ever wanted to get a tattoo or piercing?
Have you ever laughed so much that it made you cry?
Have you ever been lost and couldn’t find directions?
Have you ever fallen in love? If no, do you want to find love?
Have you ever won a trophy? If yes, which competition did you win?
Have you ever read a book that changed your life?
Have you ever been to Disneyland or an amazing theme park?
Have you ever had a dream that felt like it was real?
Have you ever seen something supernatural or paranormal?
Have you ever ridden a horse?
Have you ever had imaginary friends when you were young?
Have you ever had to go to the hospital?
Have you ever been outside your home country?
Have you ever experienced a natural disaster?
Have you ever owned a pet?
Have you ever donated anything to the poor?
Have you ever seen a car accident?

Would you rather…

Would rather be very intelligent or very good-looking?
Would you rather have a pet dog or cat?
Would you rather grow up going to school in your home country or another one?
Would you rather be a professional athlete or a celebrity actor?
Would you rather live forever or until 100 years old?
Would you rather live in the mountains or on the beach?
Would you rather bungee jump or skydive?
Would you rather be rich or find true love?
Would you rather walk backward or talk backward for the rest of your life?
Would you rather explore the oceans or outer space?
Would you rather live in an apartment or a house?
Would you rather be invisible or super fast?
Would you rather live in a country that is always cold or hot?
Would you rather live in the city or a small town?
Would you rather be a jack-of-all-trades or master one?
Would you rather ride an elephant or swim with dolphins?
Would you rather be rich and depressed or broke and happy?
In the past or future, when would you rather travel?
Would you rather eat rice or bread with every meal?
Would you rather use the internet or books as your main source of information?

Controversial

How do you deal with stress?
What is the best advice you have ever received?
Do you think aliens exist?
Is climate change real?
What age is best to start dating?
What personality traits do you want in your boyfriend or girlfriend?
Have you ever had a problem with bullying?
Are girls smarter than boys?
In the future, how many children do you want to have?
What makes a good teacher?
Who was your hero when you were a child?
What is the worst purchase you have made?
Would you rather know how you die or when you die?
What was the best holiday you’ve been on?
Is there any strange food in your country?
What are some inventions you hope to see in the future?
What is the most embarrassing moment of your life?
Would you ever try online dating?
What is on your bucket list?
Do you believe in any religions?
When was the last time you cried?

With 5 Minutes Left, What Do You Do?

All things considered, 101 ESL conversation topics from a hat is a fantastic end of the class time filler.

When you run out of things to do, pull out the hat and pick a topic. Otherwise, your class would just be sitting there twiddling their thumbs.

Strangely enough, a lot of teachers don’t equip themselves with back-up activities.

Now, you don’t have to sweat it out and watch the clock tick until the bell rings.

30 Comments

That sounds interesting

Amazing and inspiring on how to have extra activities for backup.

Thank you so much for sharing the topics.

I am a senior citizen trying to revive my teaching skills. You did it for me.

I’m glad I found this. Thank you so much!

Very useful.

There are many valuable questions here, and some which are inappropriate for some students. I think it is part of the teachers job to know their students and choose topics appropriate to their age, gender, culture etc. On the whole there are many inspirational topics to choose from here as a springboard to develop your own, perhaps more relevant, questions while still appreciating the efforts and work of the original source.

On the whole, very useful. I have taught in Asia for 20+ years. On the whole, STFU about love and dating. You come across as a lech. Plus countries like China and Japan do not need any more Western cultural poison.

thank you… thank you… so much… it’s really very helpful…

Very hepful! Thank you!

Sorry but “Is climate change real” is NOT a topic for conversation! It’s like saying ‘Is COVID real’ !!!! I’d suggest instead, ‘How do we deal with climate change’

Very helpful thanks for taking the time.

Great material! Thanks a million!

Thanks for the ideas of the topics and questions. All of them can help me a lot in my conversation class.

Thank you very much, this is very useful for my classes 🙂

Great questions.

As for potentially inappropriate questions, I would hope that every teacher has enough sense to decide what is appropriate or not for their students depending on age, maturity level, cultural norms/taboos, class dynamic, etc.

I’ve had classes where I would never think of asking some of these questions, and I’ve had classes where we’ve probably discussed all of these topics along with issues that are way more controversial. And those were some of my best classes.

Consider your class and use your best judgement.

Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for your work, splendid to liven up conversation in class. Thanks for the kindness of your generosity to share this. I believe it is crucial to be thankful and to contribute, and not just criticize. Thanks again

While there are some useful questions here, I’d be wary about asking questions regarding love and dating, as well as outdated gender ideology that reflects one’s own personal biases. For example, the gender wage gap has been debunked by all credible economists. 5 minutes googling will reveal to you why some men and women earn more than other men and women, and it’s nothing to do with gender. So with that and similar questions you’re bound to come into conflict with students with traditional conservative feminist views on wage differences, or ruin the group dynamic of a class of mixed gender students.

Wow……Mind blowing questions…..My ESL classes are gonna be fun-filled hereafter

These are wonderful and diverse topics to break the ice in a ESL class. Thank you for great selection of topics.

This is so amazing thank you so much!

These questions were so helpful, I would love to read more topics if any. Thank you

I loved it! thank you so much, I’ve been learning English for 9 months and my skill at talking has been improving every day more thanks to these topics

I find most of these questions helpful and interesting, so I thank you for that, but there are questions that I think are inappropriate to ask your students, particularly the questions about love, dating, and crying. I also found multiple grammar errors in this article. For example:

“Have you ever had imaginary friends when you were young?” “In the past or future, when would you rather travel to the ?”

Depending on your class, age and level of maturity, I agree the questions about love and dating could be inappropriate. But of course, every situation is different.

I was talking with a 12 year old in KSA whose younger 8 year old brother had gone to a farm earlier in the day. It turns out he goes to this farm every day.

Kids Love animals.

ask if You had a farm,

what kind of animals would You have? describe the animals. describe their behavior. what color is each animal? size? what would You feed each animal?

This is a good place to start. just my idea.

Nice organized and interesting ideas. Thank you

I found these tips very useful and interesting. I will be using some of your suggestions. Thanks.

They are very useful questions. Thank you and I hope there are more

73 ESL Discussion Topics for Adults

Achieving fluency in English is a common goal for many adults taking ESL (English as a Second Language) classes. The best way to learn to converse in English is to talk about things that you are familiar with, and that you would normally discuss in your native language.

ESL speaking activities will be more fruitful if learners share their own personal experiences and opinions on the topics discussed.

Below are 73 conversational topics to look at and use:

Burnout – 6 ESL English Discussion Questions
Career Planning – 6 ESL English Conversation Questions
Communication – 11 English Discussion Questions
Entrepreneurship – 8 ESL English Discussion Questions
Innovation – 8 ESL English Conversation Questions
Job interviews – 9 ESL English Discussion Questions
Leadership – 10 English Discussion Questions
Managing People – 6 ESL English Discussion Questions
Marketing – 9 ESL English Discussion Questions
Productivity – 11 English Discussion Questions
Public speaking – 8 ESL English Discussion Questions
Startups – 6 ESL English Discussion Questions
Unemployment – 4 ESL English Discussion Questions
Work-Life Balance – 9 English Discussion Questions
Personal Branding – 10 ESL English Discussion Questions
Cryptocurrency – 10 ESL English Discussion Questions
Atomic Habits – 6 ESL English Discussion Questions
The 5 AM Club – 7 ESL English Discussion Questions
The 80/20 Principle — The Secret to Achieving More with Less
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
Ancient Egypt – 11 ESL English Discussion Questions
Dinosaurs – 9 ESL English Discussion Questions
Humankind and Sapiens – 4 ESL English Discussion Questions
Renaissance – 7 ESL English Discussion Questions
A Beautiful Mind (Movie) – 6 ESL English Discussion Questions
Cast Away (Movie) – 5 ESL English Discussion Questions
Catch Me If You Can (Movie) – 4 ESL English Discussion Questions
I Am Legend (Movie) – 9 ESL English Discussion Questions
The conjuring (Movie) – 4 ESL English Discussion Questions
The Exorcism of Emily Rose – 6 ESL English Discussion Questions
The Godfather – 4 ESL English Discussion Questions
The Others (Movie) – 4 ESL English Discussion Questions
The Revenant – 4 ESL English Discussion Questions
Unbroken (Movie) – 4 ESL English Discussion Questions

Psychology:

Anxiety – 5 ESL English Discussion Questions
Attitudes & Behavior – 8 ESL English Discussion Questions
Fear – 6 ESL English Discussion Questions

Science fiction:

Aliens & extraterrestrial lifeforms – 5 ESL English Discussion Questions
Apocalypse – 6 ESL English Discussion Questions
Time travel – 6 ESL English Discussion Questions
Adoption – 16 ESL English Discussion Questions
Aging – 9 English Discussion Questions
Annoying things – 17 English Discussion Questions
Artificial Intelligence – 9 English Discussion Questions
Change – 13 English Discussion Questions
Encouragement – 16 English Discussion Questions
Friendship – 7 English Discussion Questions
Love – 9 ESL English Discussion Questions
Happiness – 11 English Discussion Questions
Meaning of Life & Reasons for Living – 10 English Discussion Questions
Motivation – 33 ESL English Discussion Questions
Personality – 19 English Discussion Questions
Procrastination – 6 English Discussion Questions
Single Life – 6 ESL English Discussion Questions
Stereotypes – 13 ESL English Discussion Questions
Success and Failure – 10 English Discussion Questions
The supernatural – 6 ESL English Discussion Questions
Gambling – 15 ESL English Discussion Questions
Gaming – 12 ESL English Discussion Questions
Social Media – 19 ESL English Discussion Questions
Poverty – 11 ESL English Discussion Questions
Metaverse – 9 ESL English Discussion Questions
Football (Soccer) – 11 ESL English Discussion Questions
Gen Z – 12 ESL English Discussion Questions

Public figures:

Steve Jobs – 9 ESL English Discussion Questions
Jeff Bezos – 10 ESL English Discussion Questions
Bill Gates – 10 ESL English Discussion Questions
Mark Zuckerberg – 11 ESL English Discussion Questions
Donald Trump – 12 ESL English Discussion Questions
Elon Musk – 12 ESL English Discussion Questions
Cristiano Ronaldo – 14 ESL English Discussion Questions
Lionel Messi – 15 ESL English Discussion Questions

Intermediate

Esl conversation topics.

Discover thousands of questions on a variety of different conversation topics designed to encourage engaging discussions and help improve the speaking skills of English learners around the world.

two people sitting down having a conversation

Browse Conversation Topics By Level

Unlock the Power of Conversation

Discover a world of conversation possibilities with thousands of questions designed specifically for ESL teachers. With a wide range of topics, split into beginner , intermediate , and advanced levels , you're sure to find something that suits your needs.

Explore different ways to encourage discussion with your students while improving their overall ability including topics based on various subjects, grammar points , vocabulary , media and more. All our conversation topics and suitable for teens and adults.

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Engage Adults and Teens with Dynamic Discussions

If you're looking for something a little different to add to your conversation classes, or if you want to just add a little fun and unpredictability, then our random conversation generator is the perfect add-on to any class.

Debates topics are also a great way to add some variety to your classes. Explore our list of over 250 debate topics or use our random debate topic generator . Want to make it even more interesting? Set the parameters and tell them if they have to argue for or against each topic regardless of their own personal views.

Check Out The Latest ESL Conversation Topics

Comparing Holiday Destinations

Have you ever visited any one these places? If so, what were they like?
Why do you think these destinations a popular with tourists?
Which destination would you most like to visit?
Which destination would you least like to visit?
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StoryLearning

Learn A Language Through Stories

40 Amazing Conversational English Topics To Kick-Start Discussions In English

Would you like to have conversations in English but don’t know what to talk about?

Don’t panic.

In this post, I’ll share some of the best conversational English topics that you can discuss with native speakers, teachers, or other learners.

Asking and answering questions is key to having an enjoyable conversation in English. So you’ll find some example questions that you can use for each of these conversational English topics.

These will help you practise your conversational skills and connect with others, so you can improve your speaking and learn from other people too.

Let’s check out these 40 conversational English topics!

1. Travel And Tourism

Discussing travel experiences is a great way to practice English. You can describe places, activities, and cultures. You can talk about holidays, places that you’ve visited and would like to visit. And don’t forget to ask for travel recommendations for your next trip!

What's your favourite place that you've travelled to?
I’d like to go to___________. Have you ever been there?
What are your top 3 countries that you’d like to visit?

2. Food And Cuisine

We all love food, don’t we? Talking about food is a universal topic and can lead to discussions about cultures and traditions.

What’s your favourite restaurant?
What’s a typical dish from your country that I should I try?
In my country, we have a typical dish called________. Have you ever tried it?

There's music you hate, music you love and music you don’t care about. Talk about it. You can learn a lot about someone's personality and interests, and you might even discover some new artists that you’ll love.

Do you like Ed Sheeran?
What music do you not like?
Can you play a musical instrument?

4. Movies And TV Shows

Humans love stories because we think in stories. Movies and TV series tell stories so these make the perfect topic for conversation, especially if you’re a movie enthusiast. TV shows are also worth discussing.

Have you ever watched ________?
Can you recommend some great TV series?
Who’s your favorite movie star?

5. Education

Don’t tell me you’ve always liked going to school. This could be a great topic of discussion because you might have some great stories to tell about this topic.

Tell me about your first day in school.
How many hours of English do students have?
Did you / do you like going to school?

Everyone has a hobby. For example, I love learning languages, as you probably know!. I can talk to you about this for hours and I bet you love discussing your hobbies too.

What do you like to do in your free time?
What are your hobbies and passions?
Do you have any hobbies that are unique to your culture?

I love my family and I hope you love yours too. Let’s have a conversation about it.

Would you like to start a family one day?
How big is your family?
How do you spend time with your family members?

Maybe you’re a football fan or a tennis player. Or maybe you don’t do sport but you like watching it on TV. A friend of mine can talk about his favourite football team all night. Can you do that too?

Are you into sports at all?
What sports are people crazy about in your country?
Do you prefer watching sports or doing sports?

9. Technology

Technology is everywhere and we all have our own opinions about it. Some people hate it, some people are addicted to it. This is why technology is a topic that can make anyone talk.

What’s your relationship with technology?
Will the world be dominated by robots one day?
What are the disadvantages of technology?

We’ve all read at least one book in our life and you don’t need to be an avid reader to discuss books (although here at StoryLearning we're a bunch of book lovers!).

By the way, if you like reading, check out these book recommendations for English learners.

Please give me some book recommendations.
Do you ever read books in English?
What book changed your life?

11. Fashion

I have a friend who dislikes the world of fashion but when he buys a new pair of shoes, he’s always keen to talk about them. So, it doesn’t matter if you don’t follow fashion trends. You can always talk about the clothes you like wearing.

What’s the latest fashion item you bought?
Do you follow any fashion influencers?
Who’s your favourite fashion designer?

12. Environment

We should do more to protect our planet. So why not start talking about how we could pollute less?

Do you think you live in a “green” area?
What do you think of environmental activists like Greta Thunberg?
How “green” are you?

13. Culture And Customs

Traditions, celebrations, national events, religion, special days. You can talk about culture and customs for hours.

Have you ever experienced culture shock?
What’s your favourite national holiday?
How is your culture unique?

14. Career And Work

This is a topic that is relevant to most adult learners of English. You can talk about jobs you’ve done, jobs you wouldn’t like to do, and weird jobs that are unique to your country.

Have you ever had a mean boss?
Is there a job you wouldn’t like to do?
Is it easy to find a job where you live?

15. Health And Fitness

I bet you care about your health. I care about mine a lot! So let’s have a conversation about what we do to stay healthy. Be careful though. Asking about someone else’s health might not be polite in some cultures.

Do you think diets are useful or not?
What do you usually eat?
How much do you exercise?

16. Personal Growth And Development

Personal growth and development is a motivational and inspiring topic. Once I even discovered something new about myself simply by talking about this topic.

What are your life goals?
What do you do to develop as a person?
Do you think helping others makes us grow?

17. Teachers

I'm sure you disliked some of the teachers you had but you also have a teacher that has a special place in your heart. Discussing teachers can bring back lovely memories.

Who's the best/worst teacher you've ever had?
Would you rather learn from a young teacher or an older teacher?
Do you think we could learn without teachers?

18. Weekends

People spend their weekends in different ways and weekends are always good topics for conversation. This is especially true at the beginning and end of the working week!

What was the best and worst part of your weekend?
What's your ideal weekend like?
How do people spend weekends in your country?

19. News And Current Events

There’s always something newsworthy that you can talk about. I talk about current news events all the time and this is a conversation topic that will never die.

Questions:

What's an interesting news story you've recently heard?
What topics are often discussed in the news in your country?
Do you think it’s essential to watch the news every day?

20. Life Experiences

This is a great topic to practice the present perfect in English !

Questions :

Have you ever seen__________?
Have you ever eaten______________?
Have you ever played ______________?

21. Favourite People

This topic can include any people (celebrities, writers, athletes, singers, etc.).

Who’s your favourite writer?
Who’s your favourite footballer?
Who’s your favourite movie director?
Who’s your least favourite artist?
Who’s your least favourite chef?

A great topic to practise vocabulary for furniture and objects around the house.

Which room is the most important for you in your home?
What would your ideal house be like?
Do you prefer to live in a big or a small house?

23. English

Speak in English about English so you can improve your English. It sounds like a slogan, but it’s true!

What’s your favourite English word and why?
Do you have any English learning strategies?
What’s your favourite website to learn English?

Nobody knows what will happen in the future, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t talk about it. It’s also a great topic to practise future forms.

What life plans do you have for the future?
Do you think humans will still be around in 1000 years?
How do you see yourself in 5 years?

25. Would You Rather…?

This is a question that can get anyone to talk. You can make it fun or serious, up to you. Here are some possibilities.

Would you rather travel to the past or the future?
Would you rather have a dog or a cat?
Would you rather have more money or more free time?

25. If You Could…?

This is one of my favourite questions. It can be adapted to any topic and it’s especially useful if you want to practise the English conditional tense .

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
If you could travel back in time, what era would you visit?
If you could learn any new skill overnight, what would it be?

26. Friends

A light topic that's useful to practise vocabulary around personality, relationships and activities. You can use it to make new friends too!

Do you make friends easily?
What do you like doing with your friends?
What things should friends never do?

I have many apps and I can tell you my top three favourite apps that I like using and why. I’m sure you can do that too. By the way, if you want to learn English with apps, here are the 20 best apps to learn English.

What is your favourite app on your phone and why?
What is an app that you use frequently, but you feel like not many people know about?
Have you ever developed your own app? If yes, what was it and if not, what kind of app would you like to develop?

28. Social Media

I have a friend who’s on every social media platform that exists. He would be a great conversation partner for this topic!

How do you use social media in your daily life and which platforms do you use the most?
What do you think are the positive and negative effects of social media on our society?
How has social media impacted your personal relationships and connections with others?

29. Personality

We all know what we’re like so we naturally have something to say about our personality. This might be a little hard though because we don’t normally do it, but talking about your own personality can help you discover new things about yourself too.

And it’s the perfect topic to practise advanced English vocabulary to describe characters and personality traits.

How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
How do you think your personality has changed or evolved over time?
Are there any aspects of your personality that you would like to change?

30. Emotions

Simply asking “How do you feel today?” might be all you need to have a great conversion. But here are more questions that you could use to talk about emotions.

What is one thing that always makes you feel better when you're feeling sad or stressed?
How do you deal with difficult emotions like anger or frustration?
What makes you feel bored?

Once I talked with a friend about what loved about his city and he made me fall in love with it too. I think this is a good reason why we should talk about cities.

What’s your favourite city and why?
Is your city safe?
What do you love about your city?

This is a personal topic that can help you make a deeper connection with the person you’re discussing it with.

What is something that scares you, and why do you think you feel that way?
Have you ever faced a fear and overcome it? How did you do it?
How do you typically react when you're feeling afraid or anxious?

33. Weather

This is probably one of the most popular conversational English topics. Don’t talk about it for too long though. Some people don’t find it very interesting!

What's your favourite season and why?
What's your favorite type of weather, and why do you like it?
Do you prefer sunny or rainy weather, and why?

This is a controversial topic. A friend of mine always talks about aliens because he believes in them. I’m not sure, but I don’t mind talking about them.

Do you believe in aliens?
Have you ever seen a UFO?
What do you think aliens might look like?

Telling jokes is an art and you might know some jokes in your first language. Can you tell them in English?

Here’s one: I couldn’t repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder!

Do you have a joke that you always tell people?
Have you ever heard a joke that you didn't find funny, but others around you did?
What jokes do you not like?

36. Stereotypes

Stereotypes are often based on false assumptions about certain groups of people. If you talk about them, you might discover why these ideas are not correct. This is a topic that can really help you build an open mind.

What is a stereotype that you have heard about your country?
Have you ever been a victim of a stereotype?

37. Animals And Pets

This is a topic that anyone who has a pet would love talking about!

Do you have any pets? If not, would you like to have one?
What's your favorite type of pet?
Have you ever had a funny or interesting experience with a pet?

What do you think of when you think of “art”? A friend of mine can’t think of anything but paintings. But there are many forms of art that you can talk about: music, sculptures, literature, theaters, and many others. Oh, and you don’t need to be an artist to have a conversation about art.

What is your favourite type of art?
Have you ever created any art yourself?
What do you think makes art valuable or important in our society?

Not everyone is into cars, but if you meet someone who likes them, you might have a never-ending conversation with them!

What car do you own?
What’s your favourite type of car?
Do you like car racing?

40. Childhood

I could spend entire nights telling you about my childhood memories. Is it the same for you?

What is your earliest childhood memory?
Did you have any favorite childhood toys or games?
Did you have any childhood heroes?

Conversational English Topics To Kick-Start Discussions

What do you think of these conversational English topics? Do they make you feel like you want to go out there and have conversations?

Having conversations in English can open a whole new world of opportunities.

So, don't be afraid to put yourself out there and start talking.

The more you talk, the more you will learn, and the more doors will open up for you!

If you need a little bit more help to start speaking, check out these common English phrases to sound more natural when you speak.

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Spice Up Your Conversation: Creative ESL Topics for Adult Learners

The ability to keep the conversation going, especially with strangers, is an exciting skill. If you know how to engage your interlocutor and always find something interesting to discuss, hats off! If you still can't find an appropriate chat topic in English, don’t worry. We’ve prepared a list of exciting subjects and ESL questions for conversation. So, make yourself comfortable as we are about to start.

Tips for Mastering Any Conversation

English speaking is one of the most complex skills, requiring much practice. That is why many ESL learners are afraid of having casual conversations. It's commonly believed that your accent or lack of vocabulary shows your lack of skills (spoiler: they don’t).

Yet, many people still prefer to chat online or even avoid everyday conversations with English speakers. If you recognize yourself, don’t worry! We’re about to resolve this issue. Firstly, look at these simple tips to help you feel more confident in casual dialogue:

Prepare to make mistakes. We won't lie to you – you'll inevitably make mistakes in the early stages of studying English. But it’s not a bad thing at all - only those who do nothing can avoid mistakes entirely. Warn your interlocutor that English isn't your native language before starting the conversation, and we're sure they'll gladly help you find the right words in any situation.
Fake it till you make it. You need to become as confident as possible (even if you don’t feel like that at all). Consider it a way to practice for conversations and your life in general. Don't stop the conversation flow even if you get uncomfortable, use hand gestures and try to adopt confident body language.
Become a good listener. Don’t forget that a conversation usually includes at least two people. Pay attention to your interlocutor, ask questions to understand them better, make eye contact, and do everything to show your engagement in the dialog.
Practice beforehand. Practice makes perfect. Learn new words and prepare for ESL conversation topics to strengthen your speaking skills, read books out loud, and do your best to take your English to the next level.

These tips might look simple and obvious to some ESL learners, but they're pretty valuable. After implementing them in your daily speaking routine, you'll see the results much sooner than expected. And if you already feel confident about your speaking skills but still need help choosing the best conversation topic, keep reading. We have something for you.

Best Conversation Topics for Adults

In some cases, finding the best subject to discuss is challenging, especially when you need to talk to someone you don’t know well. That is why we’ve created a comprehensive guide to the best topics for adults to discuss. You can find them all below.

Hobbies and Interests

Let’s start simple. If you have a conversation with someone and want to know more about them, you can ask them about their interests. It is a great way to understand the person and see if there is any common ground. You can start by asking these ESL conversation questions:

Do you have any hobbies?

What is your favorite activity?

What do you like most about your hobby?

Do you have enough time for your hobbies?

Do you want to try something new?

How did you find out that you like this particular hobby?

What do you think about the importance of hobbies in general?

Also, to keep the conversation going, you should say something about your hobbies and interests. There's no standard structure for such conversations.

However, here are a few phrases that can be useful:

My hobby is…

I like doing…

I’ve been interested in … since …

Unfortunately, I don’t have time for my hobbies.

I don’t have any hobbies now, but I’m looking for something new to try.

I think hobbies are really important.

Work and Career

The following great discussion topics for adults are related to the work field. If you know about your interlocutor’s workplace, you can ask some conversation questions for ESL related to their job. And if not, you can try and find out more about it.

Here are some examples:

Are you currently working somewhere?

What is your dream job?

Do you like your job?

What is the best place to work in your city/country?

What careers are the most demanded nowadays?

Do you prefer remote or office work?

What is your work schedule?

And to maintain the conversation, you must provide some information related to this discussion. Here are some things you can say:

I really enjoy my job.

My dream job is…

I prefer remote work because…

I work from 9 to 5.

I think the best place to work in my country is…

In my opinion, the most demanded careers today are…

Food and Cooking

Talking about food is among the best and probably the simplest English topics. It requires simple vocabulary and no correct or incorrect opinions – you can just share what you like. It's one of the easiest topics for adults to discuss since there are a lot of things to explore – recipes, food shows, restaurants, national cuisine, and much more.

Here are some questions to start with:

What do you prefer to eat for breakfast?

What is your favorite meal?

What meals are popular in your country?

Do you prefer Indian or Italian cuisine?

Do you know the best Thanksgiving turkey recipe?

What do you think about Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant?

And the variety of answers is also impressive. As mentioned, you can share your own thoughts depending on the question being asked. Here's what you can say:

I like eating … for breakfast.

I prefer Italian cuisine.

The most popular national meal in my country is…

My favorite meal is…

I prefer take-out food instead of cooking.

My mom makes the best turkey sandwiches.

Pop Culture

This is one of the trendiest English topics for students. And just as the pop culture itself, it's very extensive. You can discuss movies, TV shows, music, actors, juicy rumors about celebrities (we don’t condone gossiping, but we won’t judge), and much more.

You can start by asking these questions:

Who is your favorite actor?

Have you seen the new Avatar movie? What do you think about it?

Do you like listening to this song?

Are you team Selena or team Hailey? (please, be careful with this one)

Have you heard about this celebrity drama?

Do you watch TV regularly?

What streaming services do you prefer to use?

And again, you need to respond according to the context and your thoughts about the question. We can provide only a few examples of appropriate answers:

My favorite actor is…

I think this movie is a masterpiece.

I like movies directed by David Fincher.

I don’t watch TV at all.

I prefer Netflix or HBO.

No, I haven’t heard about it. Can you spill the tea?

Weather and Nature

You might be surprised because it sounds boring to many people, but the weather is a perfect icebreaker for any conversation. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel – just look around and try to get something to discuss, like the current weather conditions.

Here are some things to ask:

It is cold outside, isn’t it?

Do you prefer summer or winter?

Have you heard that tornado warning?

What climate is typical for your home country?

The best thing about this topic is that you don’t always have to ask questions to start a conversation. Just state something simple, and that will be enough. For example:

Oh, it’s raining cats and dogs.

I prefer to stay in bed and watch TV on days like this.

I was born in a tropical climate, so Canadian winters are a real challenge for me.

I like spring more than summer.

Current Events

Almost all adults like to watch or read the news. Hence, discussing it is an excellent topic for any conversation. Just remember to stay polite and avoid subjects that can be controversial or offensive to your interlocutor.

If you don’t know how to start such a conversation, here are some examples:

Have you read today’s news?

Do you know anything about that car accident on 5th Ave?

What do you think about that article in Forbes?

Do you watch the news on TV or online?

Do you prefer online articles or newspapers?

You can discuss any events and express your own opinion about them. And if the subject is unfamiliar, you can ask your interlocutor to tell you more.

I heard it was a terrible accident, but luckily, everyone was okay.

No, I haven’t heard about it. Can you tell me more?

I don’t like reading newspapers, but I watch the BBC from time to time.

I think this article is really compromising.

One of the most exciting conversation topics for adults is traveling. It is a great way to encourage your interlocutor to tell something interesting and learn more about different countries.

Here are some questions to help get the conversation started:

Have you ever traveled abroad?

What was your favorite trip?

What is your dream travel destination?

What is the best place you’ve ever visited?

Do you prefer to travel alone or with a group?

Do you like adventure travel or relaxation?

What is the most unusual thing you’ve experienced while traveling?

To keep the conversation going, you can share your own travel experiences and opinions. Here are some phrases to help you with this:

I love traveling because…

My favorite travel destination is…

I prefer to travel alone because…

The most interesting thing I discovered while traveling is…

I prefer relaxation travel because…

Culture and Society

Another great way to gain insights into different perspectives and worldviews is to discuss countries and social issues. It can also help build empathy and understanding between people from different backgrounds.

Here are some questions to ask to start the conversation:

What is your favorite cultural tradition?

What do you think is the largest social issue facing your country?

What is the most significant cultural difference between your country and others?

Do you prefer living in a big city or a small town?

What is your opinion on the role of social media in society?

What do you think is the hardest challenge that young people face today?

And, of course, you can share your thoughts about the discussion topic. Here are some examples:

I think the biggest social issue facing our country is…

My favorite cultural tradition is…

I prefer living in a big city/small town because…

I think young people today face challenges such as…

I think the biggest cultural difference between my country and others is…

Dreams and Goals

This topic can be incredibly inspiring and thought-provoking. It can unite people, as everyone has unique aspirations and desires for their future. It's a powerful way to get to know someone deeper and learn a lot about their personality, values, and passions.

You can start with these questions:

What is your biggest dream?

What do you want to do in five years?

What is your main goal right now?

How do you motivate yourself to reach your goals?

What is your main inspiration?

What were your dreams as a child?

This topic can lead to a very in-depth conversation. And to maintain it, you also need to share your thoughts and feelings. Some of these answers might be helpful.

My biggest dream is…

My goal is…

I believe that my life in five years will be…

My main inspiration is…

The main things that motivate me are…

When I was younger, I dreamed about…

Love and Romance

The last topic on our list is pretty controversial, so you need to be careful when mentioning it in a conversation. Even though love is beautiful, you can’t be sure what other people think or experience about it right now. Therefore, avoiding personal discussions is important (unless your interlocutor wants to talk about it).

Instead, you can ask these questions:

What do you think love is?

Do you believe in love at first sight?

Is it possible to be too young/old to love, in your opinion?

What do you think about love languages?

What is your favorite love story?

Like the previous topic, this one is also great for engaging in long, meaningful conversations. You can learn more about a person after you know how they feel about love. And, of course, don’t forget to share your thoughts about it.

Here are some possible answers:

I think that love is…

I believe in love at first sight.

I believe that people of all ages can experience different forms of love.

I think it is essential to understand your partner’s love language.

My favorite love story is about Noah and Allie from The Notebook.

Inappropriate Conversation Topics to Avoid

Congratulations! Now you have enough subjects to discuss on different occasions. Yet, there are still some topics that may be considered off-limits. Some of them can cause conflict, while others might be offensive or even rude. Here are some topics to avoid in your next discussion.

Personal Finances. Talking about one’s money is often inappropriate, especially if the person didn’t bring up this topic. Don’t ask your interlocutor about their salaries, loans, the amount of money in their bank accounts, etc.
Politics . It is another controversial subject that can cause many conflicts. People have the right to different political views, which is alright. Yet, sometimes such discussions can become a little too heated. Therefore, we recommend avoiding this subject.
Religion. This is a delicate subject for many. People have different beliefs, and in some cases, it can cause many misunderstandings. It's better to avoid this topic when you’re not sure if the other person will respond positively to it.
Sexual preferences/experiences. It might be obvious, but some people (unfortunately) still forget about it. No matter what language you speak – don’t discuss your interlocutor’s sexual life. Unless, of course, they're comfortable with it or bring it up first.
Health issues. The final topic on our list is also very important. Avoid discussing illnesses or health problems of the person you are talking to. It might be a sensitive subject, and you can unintentionally offend your interlocutor.

You’ll avoid many unpleasant situations if you don't discuss these subjects in your ESL-related conversations. Just remember to always stay polite and do your best to make both you and your interlocutor feel comfortable.

Discuss All the ESL Conversation Topics in Promova Conversation Club

The best way to practice all the topics mentioned in this article is to discuss them with someone. It can be your family member, friend, or stranger. But if you don’t have the opportunity to communicate with English speakers, don’t worry! We're happy to invite you to the free Promova Conversation Club . You can discuss these and other topics with people from different countries and master your speaking skills in a friendly environment.

Promova also offers a lot of options for students with different needs. For example, you can learn grammar , vocabulary, and other essential skills in personal or group lessons with our professional tutors. Just pass a quick test to determine your fluency, and enjoy your study.

Finally, our convenient mobile application is available for iOS and Android devices. It is a perfect option for those who prefer studying alone. You can install it on your phone or tablet and enjoy hundreds of engaging and useful lessons. Find what works for you and become fluent on your terms!

To sum up, we can say that there are many things you can discuss with other people. Whether you are taking ESL conversation lessons for adults or just trying to learn something new, these topics should help you practice and improve. And don’t forget to share your favorite subjects for discussion with fellow learners in the community!

What should I do if I’m nervous or anxious about conversing with native speakers?

Feeling this way is completely normal, especially if you’re still learning the language. To overcome it, remember that everyone makes mistakes, and ‌a native speaker will likely be understanding and patient. Take a deep breath, stay calm, and focus on what you want to say. And if you know the subject beforehand, you can practice a bit at home to feel more confident.

How can I maintain the conversation if I'm not too savvy with the topic?

If you're not familiar with the subject, it's okay to admit it and ask questions. Showing interest and curiosity can make for a more engaging conversation. Ask the native speaker to explain concepts or terms you're unfamiliar with, or ask for their opinion on a particular topic. They'll appreciate your efforts to learn and understand.

How to overcome language barriers in group conversations?

If you are engaged in a group conversation with non-English speakers, try to be patient. Speak slowly and clearly, and avoid slang or idioms that your interlocutors might not know. Also, don’t forget to encourage others to speak up if they don't understand. It'll make them feel more comfortable and confident.

Is it normal to ask someone to repeat themselves if I don’t understand them?

Sure! It's much better to ask for clarification than to pretend you understand and risk miscommunication. Just politely ask them to repeat what they said or to speak more slowly. Don't be shy - ask for help if you're still having trouble! Remember that the goal is communicating effectively and understanding each other, so don't be too hard on yourself.

ESL Speaking

Games + Activities to Try Out Today!

in Activities for Adults

ESL Conversation Activities for Adults | ESOL Speaking Activities Adult

Are you trying to figure out what to actually do in your English class for adults? That’s a good question. The good news is that you’ve come to the right place if you’re looking for ESOL speaking activities for adults conversation! Here are some of my favourite ESL conversation activities for adults.

Because spoken English is different from written English , you will need unique and fun activities to help students improve their English speaking and conversation skills.

ESL conversation activities

Let’s get into the best ideas for adult conversation and ESOL speaking activities to try out with your students. We hope you love them!

ESL Conversation and Speaking Activities for Adults

If you want to make your English conversation class as interesting, engaging, and fun as possible for the students, you’ll need to check these out. They’re guaranteed to get your students speaking English in the most painless way possible! They range from warm-ups to fun games to anything else you might need.

Check out these activities below. Clicking on the title will take you to the article with all the information. How to set it up, resources needed, etc.

Speaking class for adults

#1: The Small Talk Game

Small talk is important in the English language, but it’s an often-overlooked skill. Part of the reason people think that others aren’t great at English when they really are quite capable is that they lack the ability to make small talk.

I’m not sure why we don’t teach it more in our classes. Perhaps it’s because the textbook doesn’t really focus on it? Maybe it’s hard to teach students to do it well?

Whatever the case, help out your students with one of my top ESL conversation games for adults.

You can get students practicing it while having fun with this game. I like it so much because there’s an element of competition to it that keeps things interesting. However, it’s best for intermediate to advanced students because it requires maintaining a conversation about a variety of topics for a set period of time.

The way it works is that each team tries to talk about a certain topic for a certain amount of time. If successful, they get to mark that square off on the board and it’s kind of like tic-tac-toe. It’s a nice way to start getting students to have longer conversations in English.

Learn more about it here: Small Talk Activity .

#2: The Cocktail Party for Adult ESL Learners

This is another small talk conversation activity for adults that gets student mingling and mixing in an ESL class for adults. It’s great at replicating real life. Students will be having conversations just like they would at a cocktail party. Give your students confidence that they can venture out into the real world and use English!

Find out more here: The Cocktail Party ESL Activity for Adults .

101 ESL Activities: Games, Activities, Practical ideas, & Teaching Tips For English Teachers of...

#3: The Hobby Unit-A Fun ESL Conversation Activity

I’m so, so weary of the hobby unit because I’ve taught it so many times. Here’s an interesting activity I do that gets my students engaged, asking follow-up questions, and talking together. Student-centered language teaching at its best!

I like this activity as well because you can use it with pairs, or groups of 3-5. It’s flexible and can be adapted to most levels, ages, and class sizes.

ESL Conversation Activities for Adults

Nee more ideas for teaching free time activities? Have a look here:

Hobbies ESL .

#4: Role Plays, an ESL Speaking Activity for Adults

If you teach beginner students, it can be a little bit difficult to do some of these conversation activities that are mentioned in the list. They simply don’t have the grammar and vocabulary skills necessary to engage in a conversation beyond the very basic facts. Many ESL conversational games are just beyond their reach.

Something you can do to help your beginners is to use role-plays in class. These will help them to have short conversations, build some confidence, and also get creative. The best ones have a number of possibles ways that students can answer.

They are also perfect for a huge variety of topics and they can really help your students improve their sentence building . Before speaking, students can get a bit of practice with writing essays .

A quick tip: if you anticipate using these role-plays from semester to semester with multiple classes, make some cards with the details of each role-play on them and laminate them.

They can make an excellent review before a final exam as students have to work in a group through a few of them together. It’s a simple activity that’s ideal for any age of student with a few guidelines.

#5: How to Plan a Conversation Class

A common question that newbie foreign ESL teachers have is how to plan a lesson. You may ask around at work and not get a single satisfying answer. Perhaps nobody really seems to know? It can seem overwhelming, but it’s actually not that difficult.

Teaching ESL is not easy, especially if you want to do it well. However, a good class starts with a good plan, and they can help you bring some order out of the chaos that’s possible if you don’t have this in place.

I often plan my own classes based around a topic that is in the news. Here are 6 samples to check out and see how I do it.

Or, consider using some of these ESL news articles . One of my favorite sources is Breaking News English, who regularly provide graded language articles of the most recent current events, along with activities and questions to discuss that go along with them. They also contain some nice questions and answers for vocab, grammar, etc.

#6: Find Someone Who Bingo

This ESL warm-up game is an excellent way to get students moving around the class and getting to know each other. You can use it as the beginning of the semester on the first-day of class, or later on for an energizer if the students are low energy.

Students walking around with their Bingo Card, having fun while speaking English with lots of different partners? This activity will help to create some buzz about your lesson and around your school. Students love to play this TEFL game. The main point is to have students find out more about each other.

Love it! I’m sure you will too. These are usually the best kind of ESL conversation activities.

More details here about this activity that helps with students getting to know each other: Find Someone Who Bingo .

#7: Just a Minute for Adult ESL Students

If you ask your students in your ESL classroom, many of them will mention speaking fluently in English as their top priority in your class. However, many of the exercises we do focus a lot on accuracy.

Just a Minute is a speaking activity that focuses exclusively on speaking. It’s a nice warm-up at the beginning of class that’s best for intermediate to advanced level students.

The way it works is that you write a bunch of words on the board. Then, students will have to talk about one of them (chosen randomly) for a full minute, or two minutes (depending on the level).

It’s easy to turn this into a conversation activity by requiring the people “listening” to ask 2-3 follow-up questions once the person is finished speaking. You can learn more about this English speaking activity here in this short video:

#8: Dialogue Substitution

Ask your adult students what they want to do in your class and they’re often say speaking or conversation. If they’re intermediate or advanced level, this is easy enough to make happen.

However, if students are lower level, it can be difficult to design activities and games to get them speaking that aren’t too difficult.

Basically, you take a dialogue as you might find in your textbook and then leave key elements out. Put students into a group or pair and they can work on it together.

Sounds right for your students? You can learn more about it here: Dialogue Substitution Activity . It’s one of my favorite English-speaking activities for adults who are lower-level language learners.

#9: Find Something in Common

Another one of my favorite ESL adult activities is this simple one where students have to find some things in common with someone else. It’s best as an icebreaker on the first day of class when students don’t know each other that well.

Do this at the end of the semester and it’ll likely be far too easy. Students could probably do it without even talking to each other. So, keep this ESL conversation idea for the first class or two.

ESL conversation activities for adults

#10: Partner Conversation Starters

This is another one of those activities ideal for adult beginners who want to get some practice with speaking or conversation. The way it works it that you give students the first few lines of a conversation and then they have to work with a partner to complete it.

Once they’re made their conversation, they have to memorize and present it to the rest of the class. It’s a fun way for students to get a little bit creative but has enough structure for beginners. Your students will be able to speak with confidence!

Check out these ESL Discussion Topics here: Partner Conversation Starter ESL Activity .

#11: The Expert, One of My Favourite ESL Activities for Adults

If you teach intermediate to advanced level students, then you’ll want to consider trying out “The Expert.” It’s an interesting conversation activity for adults that’s ideal for the first or second day of class to use as an icebreaker.

The way it works is that students think of a few topics that they’re experts in. Then, they narrow down the choices to things that they think other people might be interested in. After that, students have mini-conversations with a few different people in the class about those things.

You can find out more about this Icebreaker here: The Expert ESL Speaking Activity .

ESL speaking activities for adults

#12: ESL Interactive Activities

If you’re looking for some more ESL conversation activities for adults, then you’re seriously want to consider trying out some of these interactive activities. They’re designed specifically to get students talking to each other and with you.

You can learn more about them here: Interactive ESL Activities and Games .

Oh, and of course, you can use lots of videos and pictures for this style of activity, which students always love. Get creative because the sky’s the limit!

#13: Small Group Discussions

If you ask students what they want to do in speaking classes, they’ll often say “free-talking.” This isn’t ideal for lower-level students because they often don’t have the language skills to do this. For higher-level students, it’s not ideal either because it doesn’t really push them to use new grammar or vocabulary.

If you are going to have some free talking time in your class, it’s best to have a bit of structure. Here are a few tips for making sure this time goes smoothly: ESL Small Group Discussion Tips .

39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities: For English Teachers of Teenagers and Adults Who Want...

Amazon Kindle Edition
Bolen, Jackie (Author)
English (Publication Language)
138 Pages - 05/30/2015 (Publication Date)

#14: Would you Rather?

I’m sure you’ve done would you rather informally with friends. You can use it to choose between two positive things like ice cream or cake, or two bad things like how you might die. Try it out with your students too to create some fun, interesting discussions and conversations.

Find out more details here about one of the best ESL adult activities: ESL Would You Rather .

#15: Task-Based Learning Activities

For speaking classes, there are a ton of task-based learning projects you can do. The major advantage to them is that they give students some freedom to learn what they want to learn. This increases motivation and chances are, students will discover some new vocabulary that you would have never thought to teach them!

You can find out more about this style of teaching here: Task-Based Learning for ESL .

In particular, one grammar point that I like to use this style of activity is making predictions about the future. Students can select a general area like transportation, the economy, work, etc. and then make some predictions about what life will be like in those areas in 25 years from now.

#16: Making Predictions Conversation Activities

Who doesn’t like making some predictions about the future, right? They can lead to some super interesting discussions and there are also a ton of fun activities and games you can do with them. And these often turn out to be some of my favorite ESL conversation activities.

Here are some of our top recommendations for ESOL speaking activities related to predictions: Making Predictions Activities and Games.

ESL Conversation Games and Activities

#17: Talk about Social Issues English

If you’re looking for an idea for a class, then we certainly have a good one for you right here! Most students really enjoy talking about what’s happening in the world around them and this lesson has the potential to create lots of interesting discussions and conversations.

The better news is that it’s a complete plan that’s suitable for a 1-2 hour class so you can just print it off and take it to class. Yes, it really is that easy. Here it is: Social Issues ESL Conversation.

#18 ESL Conversation Activities: Present Perfect For and Since Activities

I love to teach the present perfect using for and since. There are just so many fun ESL conversation games for adults that you can do with this grammar point.

If you want to see some of the best recommendations, check out the following resource: Present Perfect For/Since Activities .

#19: What are you Cooking?

I LOVE 4-skills ESL activities and my guess is that you probably do as well. If you’re looking for a fun one that has the added bonus of requiring basically nothing in the way of prep time or materials, then check out What are you Cooking?

To get the full story, you’ll have to check out the article right here: What are you Cooking?

#20: English Phrases and Expressions

1001 English Expressions and Phrases: Common Sentences and Dialogues Used by Native English Speakers...

142 Pages - 11/22/2020 (Publication Date)

The conversation goes much more smoothly if you have a variety of relevant and useful phrases and expressions at your fingertips, no matter the language! That’s why it really can be useful to spend some time working on expanding our students’ knowledge of this in class. Here’s one example:

Common Phrases and Expressions to Ask for Permission .

#21: 120-90-60 Speaking Activity

#22: Talk about Technology

If you’re teaching adults, one of the things that they most often want to do is free-talking. I do enjoy this once in a while but I often find it far more beneficial to use a conversation lesson plan to assist with this. Something like one on technology is ideal. It contains:

A warm-up question
Vocabulary, idioms , and phrases
Conversation questions
Writing prompts that are ideal for homework

Have a look at this option for teaching English right here.

Technology for English Learners .

Also, be sure to have a look here: ESL Technology .

#23: Business English

If you teach English to businessmen or women, there are a ton of activities you can do with them that are engaging, relevant and will be super helpful for your students. They will likely appreciate the more targeted practice with business scenarios and vocabulary as opposed to general English conversation.

Here are some of the best recommendations: Business English Activities .

#24: First Lesson Ideas for TEFL Classes

#25: Describing Games

One of the best ways to get students talking is to have them describe a person, place or thing using adjectives or relative clauses. There are lots of great conversation and speaking activities to try out related to this.

Check out some of my top recommendations: Describing Words Games .

#26: Dialogues in American English

Advanced English Conversation Dialogues: Speak English Like a Native Speaker with Common Idioms and...

66 Pages - 11/06/2020 (Publication Date) - Independently published...

Maybe your students are kind of like mine and want to learn more vocabulary, including idioms and phrases to help with their conversational skills. If this is the case, consider picking up this book on Amazon: Advanced English Conversation Dialogues .

It’s ideal to use as a supplementary homework book, for use in class, or in private, 1-1 teaching.

#27: ESL Family Activities

Talking about family is one of those classic ESL conversation activities. However, the same old powering through the textbook for this unit can get a little bit boring because it’s likely that students have seen it before many times.

The good news is that there are lots of interesting ESL activities for adults related to family and family trees. Here are some of the best ones: ESL Family Activity Ideas .

#28: Breaking News English

If you’re looking for some ready-made things to take to class with you, then look no further than Breaking News English. They helpfully take current events and then grade them to make them appropriate for English learners in a variety of levels. Not only that but there are a lot of great conversation questions and other activities to go along with it.

If you don’t already know about it, then head over there now! It’s a great resource:

Breaking News English .

#29: ESL Movies and TV

I love to make activities for adult classes based on a movie clip or TV show. They’re fun, engaging, interactive and most people love to watch TV or movies. Plus, they lead into some nice ESOL speaking activities for students of all ages.

Find out some of the best ideas for this kind of lesson here:

ESL Movies .

#30: Short Stories for ESL Students

Sometimes I like to mix things up a bit in conversation and speaking classes and use a listening or reading-focused lesson. It’s a nice change of pace from the usual and I find that students really enjoy it.

One of these short stories, along with accompanying comprehension and discussion classes is perfect for intermediate learners. Have a look here:

ESL Stories for ESL .

#31: More Ideas for Teaching Speaking and Conversation

#32: scatter sheets for english learners.

If you’re looking for an easy solution for speaking classes, then you’ll want to consider these scatter sheets. They’re ideal for intermediate to advanced teenagers or adults. Find out more about it here:

TEFL Scatter Sheets .

#33: Information Gap Activities

#34: ESL Surveys

I love a good ESL Survey! Just ask my students-I use them at least once a month in every single one of my classes. They are one of my favourite activities for speaking classes for adults.

I love them for a lot of reasons, including the fact that they hit all four skills (reading, listening, speaking, writing) in a single activity and also that they get students up out of their seats and walking around talking to many different classmates. I love that stuff!

One quick word of caution about ESL Surveys—they aren’t for the total and absolute beginner. Although you can adapt ESL surveys to make them as easy or as difficult as you want them to be, students MUST be able to read and write simple 1-2 word answers, as well as say things like, “What’s your name?”

For more details, be sure to check out: ESL Surveys and How to Use Them in the ESL Classroom

Surveys can help students learn how to ask questions.

#35: Videos in the ESL Classroom

Everyone loves a good video! They are one of my favourite ESL speaking activities for adults.

The best part about using videos is that they work well for just about any topic. Of course, you should do some lead-in activities, as well as follow-up activities so your students get the most value from the lesson.

Have students answer some questions about what they say
Watch a snippet and then predict what’s going to happen
Give them the title and think of 5 questions the video will answer
Have a short discussion about what they saw (giving students a chance to respond to what they saw is always valuable)
Describing things. Ask students what the ____ looked like and have them describe it to you
Etc. (get creative!)
Write down 5 phrases that they heard
Focus on adverbs by describing how people are doing things (you could even look for some adverb examples )

It’s usually possible to do all of these things with an image as well.

For more information, including how to choose the best ones for your students, check out: How to Use Videos in the ESL Classroom.

#36: The Preposition Ghost

A fun way to teach prepositions to adults is to have a classroom ghost. Before class, you could move a few small, but key objects around the class.

For example, the clock could be leaning against the board instead of on the wall, the dictionaries could be under your chair, or the trash bin could be behind your desk.

Then, when you start class, you could tell the students that the ghost moved five things and they have to figure out what they are. But, to tell you they have to use a preposition. You can give each member of the class a chance by limiting one answer/student.

For example, the clock is usually on the wall, but now it’s in front of the board.

For even more ideas to use in your ESL classroom, you can check this out: Preposition Games ESL .

#37: ESL Board Games

Try out one of my favourite ESL adults speaking activities.

#38: Chain Spelling

A quick, fun review game to play with your students is chain spelling. It’s a nice activity to do to reinforce spelling for key vocabulary words. Basically, it’s a “last person standing” kind of activity. Find out all the details here:

ESL Chain Spelling Game .

#39: Typhoon ESL Game

If you’re looking for a fun speaking review game, try out this one! It’s interactive, engaging and the students love it. I generally use this as a review game before the midterm and final exams, and students keep asking if we can play it more! Check it out:

Typhoon TEFL Game .

#40: Use an ESL Speaking Lesson Plan

It’s easy to plan a lesson to cover just about anything. Here are some of the simple steps you can follow:

#41: Have a Debate

There are lots of things to debate about. Here are some great ideas:

Funny Debate Topics

Pointless Debate Topics

Hot Debate Topics

13 Tips for Teaching English Speaking to Adults

If you have a class for ESL speaking for adults, it can be a little bit challenging. However, there are a few keys to spice things up and make it educational, as well as interesting for your students. Here are some things to keep in mind.

#1: Reading is Very Important in a Conversation Class for Adults

Before you do almost anything else, ensure that students know how to read well. If they don’t, anything else you do in the way of ESL vocabulary or grammar will be a bit of a struggle. In general, this should come before speaking.

#2: Do Your Students Know Basic Vocabulary and Grammar?

Without a basic working knowledge of key grammar (past, present, future tense constructions), and some basic vocabulary (at least 500 words), it’ll be pretty difficult to have even a simple conversation. If students are not at this stage yet, forget the more advanced things and instead focus on this simple stuff.

#3: Teach a Few Things, a Lot

It’s better that students take away a few things with them from your class that they know really well, instead of a ton of things that they don’t really know at all. Keep this in mind and avoid the temptation to power through a textbook just for the sake of it.

Make sure you’re clear in your head about what the target language is for that lesson. Share this target with the students too!

#4: It’s All About Review in a Speaking Class for Adults

ESL for beginning adults is ALL about the review. I like to incorporate it a few ways into my classes. The first is at the end of class. Second, is at the beginning of a class for things previously studied. Finally, I dedicate a class or two to it before any sort of exam.

Here are some of my favourites ways to do this: ESL Review Activities.

#5: Consider Topics Carefully

Just because your students may be at a beginner level, it doesn’t mean that you should treat them like children. One key area related to this is topic selection. They usually don’t want to study about animals, colors, etc. as little kids would!

Keep this in mind during lesson planning and when choosing articles for them to read. You can most definitely find articles with simple grammar and vocabulary that aren’t written for little kids.

#6: Avoid Surprises in the ESL Classroom

Kids often don’t mind mixing things up in your classes. It actually helps to keep them interested.

However, adults often don’t like this kind of thing because it can put them on the spot. Use some different activities and games, but try to avoid ever putting anyone on the spot. Give thinking time, or have students compare with a partner before having to say something in front of the entire class.

This is especially important in Asia where it’s all about saving face.

However, each day should be a little bit different so things don’t get stale and boring. Adults like a nice mix of old and new, so add in a new activity or two to each lesson. There are a ton of ESL speaking activities for adults, so get creative

#7: Ask Students if They Want Homework in Conversation Classes for Adults

Adults usually have very different expectations about things like homework when they’re studying English. Some will expect it, while others won’t. Ask your students in your ESL classroom what they want and they’ll usually tell you!

There are a ton of resources out there, so take a look online as you really don’t have to reinvent the wheel!

#8: Ask for Feedback and Be Willing to Adapt

Your adult students will often have some excellent feedback for you, so please ask them. I generally do this on the midterm exam with this question. What’s your favourite thing we’ve done so far? What’s one thing you didn’t like about this class?

Of course, I read the answers carefully and if I see the same thing more than once, I’ll know it’s something I need to consider changing.

#9: Think Student-Centred Teaching for ESL Adult Activities

Do you rock the chalk? You probably shouldn’t. Your students should be doing most of the hard work, not you. So, whatever you do, try to get your students thinking, writing and speaking in English as much as possible! If you do this, your class will likely be successful.

#10: Offer Lots of Encouragement and Praise

Yes, adults love positive words of encouragement during their learning process. Be positive and upbeat, as well as kind and gentle in correcting errors.

#11: Remember that Students are Good at Other Things

Just because a student isn’t that good at English, doesn’t mean that they’re not a pro at something else or a number of other things. Maybe you can even learn something from them?

#12: Mix the Groups and Partners Up

It can get pretty boring for students to talk to the same person every single day. That’s why I like to mix things up a bit and change partners or groups. And, when you play games, mix the teams up.

There are a ton of ways to do this, but I like to keep things simple. I just number the students like this:

Then the number ones go together, number twos together, etc.

#13: Use a Variety of ESL Speaking Games

The key to a more exciting ESL classroom is a variety of ESL games. Don’t be afraid to mix things up a bit and get away from the same old thing. This list of ESL games is an excellent place to start. There are also plenty of resources online.

Like these ESL activities for adults?

If you found these conversation games useful, then you’ll need to check out this book: 39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities: For Teens and Adults .

Speaking games for adults? There are a ton of them and unlike many other ones you’ll find around the Internet, each ESL game is fun! Make conversation for adults fun again. Your students will love you for it.

There are almost 40 ESL activities that require very little in the way of preparation when teaching English. Planning your speaking classes is easy, with a wide array of fun and interesting activities.

The book is available in both digital and print formats. The (very cheap!) digital one can be read on any device. You just have to download the free Kindle reading app. Top-quality ESL activities to have at your fingertips anywhere you go? Love it!

Check out the book on Amazon today. Click the button below to learn more about this popular book of ESL activities for adults.

ESL Conversation Activities FAQs

There are a number of common questions that people have about teaching conversation and speaking classes. Here are the answers to some of the most popular ones.

How do you make an English conversation class interesting?

If you want your English conversation class to be interesting and not boring, here are a few tips:

Change partners often
Introduce a variety of topics
Encourage free-flowing discussion
Use lots of different activities and games
Get beyond the textbook
Consider getting outside the classroom
Have a class party
Use current events

ESL conversation tips and activities

What are the activities to develop speaking skills?

There are a number of activities you can use to help your students develop speaking skills.

Discussions
Information gap activities
Brainstorming
Telling stories
Complete the story

What is a communicative activity ESL?

A communicative ESL activity is one that encourages English learners to speak and listen to another learner(s) and actually requires this in order to complete the activity. The purpose of them is to find out information, break down barriers, talk about oneself, and also learn about what other people think.

What are the advantages of a communicative approach?

There are many advantages to the communicative approach when it comes to language teaching. However, an increase in fluency in the target language is the most important one. This approach will help language learners feel more confident when interesting in another language. Learn more about it here: language teaching methods .

How do you make ESL students talk in an ESL conversation class?

Remember that you can’t make an ESL student talk if they absolutely don’t want to. However, you can design activities and games well so that it’s easier to participate than not. Something like surveys or information gap activities are ideal for encouraging communication.

What role does cultural understanding play in teaching conversational English?

It’s crucial; understanding cultural nuances and context helps students communicate effectively and avoid misunderstandings in real-life situations.

How can teachers tailor conversational English lessons to suit different proficiency levels?

By adjusting the complexity of vocabulary, sentence structures, and topics to match the proficiency level of the students.

What are some effective icebreakers for starting a conversational English class?

Simple questions about interests, travel experiences, or current events to ease students into the flow of conversation.

How can teachers provide constructive feedback on conversational skills?

Focus on specific aspects like pronunciation, vocabulary usage, and sentence structure, offering guidance for improvement.

How can teachers maintain a balance between teacher-led and student-led conversations in class?

Incorporate both teacher-guided discussions to introduce topics and student-led discussions to encourage active participation and self-expression.

How can technology be integrated into teaching conversational English?

Use language learning apps, video calls, online forums, and interactive websites to engage students and provide additional speaking practice.

More Resources for TEFL Conversation Games and Activities

If you’re a teacher, then you already know how much time it can save to use what others have created! This certainly applies to classes for adults. Check out some of the best options here:

Tim’s English

One Stop English

What Do you Think about these ESL Conversation Activities for Adults?

Do you have one or two favourite conversation games and activities for when you’re teaching ESL students? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think. We’re open to new ideas for teaching English!

Also, be sure to contact me with any questions that you might have about ESL activities for adults.

And don’t forget to share the word about this ESL teaching awesome on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest. It’ll help busy teachers, like yourself, find this useful resource.

Last update on 2024-04-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

About Jackie

Jackie Bolen has been teaching English for more than 15 years to students in South Korea and Canada. She's taught all ages, levels and kinds of TEFL classes. She holds an MA degree, along with the Celta and Delta English teaching certifications.

Jackie is the author of more than 100 books for English teachers and English learners, including 101 ESL Activities for Teenagers and Adults and 1001 English Expressions and Phrases . She loves to share her ESL games, activities, teaching tips, and more with other teachers throughout the world.

You can find her on social media at: YouTube Facebook TikTok Pinterest Instagram

Jackie, thank you for all the effort you put into this blog. The content is gold!

You’re welcome.

Love your ideas for conversation activities for adults. Thanks so much! I’ll be using them in my classes this week.

All tips are amazing to help students communicate in a good way. Thank you!

I was feeling a little stale with my topics for my intermediate/advanced conversation classes. Thanks for some good ideas!

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63 ESL conversation questions that will get everyone talking

by Andrea Byaruhanga

Published on October 11, 2022 / Updated on January 5, 2024

If you’re learning English and you want to improve your skills, one of the best things you can do is have conversations in English. Whether you chat with other English learners or are part of a language exchange with native speakers , just talking as often as possible will help your pronunciation and listening skills. You’ll also pick up all kinds of words that will make you sound like a natural .

But sometimes it can be hard to think of interesting topics as an ESL learner . That’s why we’ve put together a list of ESL conversation topics for adults that go beyond small talk . Not only will you get a chance to practice your English, but you’ll have some pretty interesting chats in the process.

Take a look at some fantastic ESL conversation questions below.

Hypotheticals

Learn languages at your pace.

What are your favorite hobbies?
What activity would you do if you had unlimited money?
How much time do you spend on your hobbies daily/weekly?
Have you ever tried to take up a new hobby but then quit?
Are there any hobbies you plan to take up in the future?
What is the most interesting or unusual hobby you’ve ever heard of?
Do you have any hobbies that others might think are strange?
What hobbies did you have as a child?
What is the one food you wouldn’t want to live without?
Do you think you’re a good cook? If so, what are your specialties?
What foods do you hate?
What types of foods did you eat in your family growing up?
What are some popular foods from your culture or country?
What is your ultimate comfort food ?
Do you eat healthy foods?
What’s more important: flavor or health? Why?
Do you like traveling ? Why or why not?
What’s the best place you’ve been to? What did you like about it?
Do you enjoy air travel? Why or why not?
What travel destinations are on your bucket list ?
Why do you think people like to travel?
Is there anywhere you wouldn’t like to visit? If so, why?
How do you think travel will change in the next 20 years? 50 years?
What is better: backpacking or staying in a resort?
Do you prefer hot or cold destinations? Why?
How would you describe your culture?
Is your culture known for anything, like food or music?
What kinds of celebrations do you have in your culture? Which is your favorite?
Do you think a person’s culture is important? Why or why not?
Are there any stereotypes about your culture?
What does “culture” mean to you?
What would you do if you won $50 million tomorrow?
If your house were on fire, what one item would you save from the house?
If you had to choose between love and money, what would you choose and why?
Would you be able to pack up and move to a new country where you didn’t know anyone?
If you could change any laws in your country, what would you change?
Do you have any siblings? How would you describe them?
What was it like growing up in your family?
Does your family have any traditions?
Who are you closest to in your family?
Do you see or talk to your family regularly?
Do you have a large extended family (aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.)?
What do you like best about your family?
Is there anything you don’t like about your family?
Has anyone in your family ever done anything that really embarrassed you?
What are you most afraid of?
What were you afraid of as a child?
Do you have any phobias ?
Why do you think we have fears?
Is fear a useful feeling? Why or why not?
What one movie do you absolutely love?
What’s the worst movie you’ve ever seen?
Have you ever walked out of a movie theater?
What is your favorite movie genre (type of movie)?
What was the first movie you ever saw?
Do you ever watch movies in English or with English subtitles?
Who is your favorite actor? Why?
Do you work? What kind of job do you have?
Do you like your job? Why or why not?
What is your dream job?
How well do you get along with your co-workers?
What do you think of working remotely (from home)?
What’s more important: job enjoyment or a high salary?

Get talking with these ESL conversation questions

Ready to be an English conversation starter? Pick some of your favorite ESL discussion questions above and have them ready to go next time you want to practice your English speaking. It’s time to improve your language skills in a fun and interesting way!

Andrea Byaruhanga

Andrea is a Canadian freelance writer and editor specializing in English, e-learning, EdTech, and SaaS. She has a background as an ESL teacher in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia. In her free time, Andrea loves hanging out with her husband and children, creating recipes in the kitchen, and reading fiction. She also loves camping and jumping into lakes whenever possible. Learn more about Andrea on LinkedIn or check out her website .

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24 Excellent ESL Conversation Questions for Adults

When you’re having a conversation with a fellow ESL student, it can sometimes be challenging to get started. Even if you and your classmate are great conversationalists in your native language, you may have trouble coming up with questions to ask each other that will lead to more than just a one-sentence response in English. The next time you’re stuck coming up with a good conversation starter while practicing your English, try picking something from this list of 24 ESL conversation questions for adults (update: here are another 84 conversation questions ). You can even print the questions out so you can easily reference them. Each one is designed to spark a discussion between you and your speaking partner that will go well beyond a simple “yes” or “no” answer. Check out the 24 conversation questions below:

Daily life questions

What’s one thing in your home you couldn’t live without? Why?

If you had $5,000 that you had to spend today, how would you use it? (You can always raise or lower the dollar amount in the question.)

What are you going to do after class today? (If your conversation partner gives a short answer like “Watch TV” or “Study,” ask a follow-up question like “What are you going to watch?” to get him or her to elaborate.)

How do you cope with stress? (Or “How do you relax after a busy week?”)

What is the most challenging part of your job or your studies? What is the most rewarding part?

If you could live anywhere in the world for one year, where would you live and why?

Can you think of a time when a failure actually worked out well? Tell me about it.

Hobby/interest questions

What was the last movie you saw at the theater? Tell me about it (without spoiling the ending).

What is one thing you’ve never done but would like to do?

If you had to give up your cellphone, your computer, or your TV, which one item would you choose to give up and why?

If you could only eat one type of food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

If you were going on a twelve-hour flight and the only entertainment you could bring was a book, what book would you choose? (Ask your conversation partner to tell you a little about this book and why it would keep him or her entertained.)

If you could meet one musician, living or dead, who would it be? (If your partner is not particularly interested in music, choose another category, like authors or scientists. The idea is to get your partner to talk about someone he or she admires without asking a question quite as broad as “If you could meet anyone, who would it be?”)

Opinion questions

A note on opinion questions: Asking your conversation partner how they feel about certain current events may be a good way to start a lively discussion, but make sure you are respecting one another’s ideas and not attacking each other’s ways of thinking, even if you disagree.

Do you think marriage as an institution is outdated? Why or why not?

How do you think technology, such as smartphones and social media, has changed the way we interact with people?

What is your opinion about legalizing marijuana?

Do you think US colleges are effective (or even necessary) in preparing students for professional careers? (If your conversation partner did not go to school in the US, ask them what they think about their home country’s education system.)

What do you think would happen if the drinking age in the US was lowered to eighteen? (This might lead your conversation partner to talk about the drinking culture in their own country, especially if they grew up somewhere with a lower drinking age.)

Do you think it’s possible to have a happy family and a successful career at the same time? (Your conversation partner may be able to talk about their personal experiences.)

What is your opinion about violence in TV, movies, and video games?

Miscellaneous questions

What’s the worst job you’ve ever had? (If your conversation partner is still in school and has never had a full-time job, they may still be able to talk about a summer or weekend job.)

If you could open up your own amusement park, what would it be like? (Encourage your conversation partner to get creative and pretend they have as much money as they need.)

Do you enjoy spending time on your own? (If your partner answers yes, talk to them about what they like to do on their own. If they say no, ask what they do to keep from spending too much time alone.)

If you were making a movie about your life, which actor/actress would play the part of you? Why did you choose this person?

Keep in mind that this is just a small sampling of questions. For even more conversation fun, check out these 84 additional questions . You can always elaborate on each question as needed or come up with your own questions in order to keep your conversation flowing.

If you’ve found these questions helpful, please share this guide with a friend.

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Comments on this post (13 comments)

Joana avelar says....

Thanks a lot for sharing. I’de like to have more ideas for speaking topics for adults.

On April 01, 2019

Rob says...

I love you guys

Lisa says...

Thank you for such great ideas,they were a great help.

Marcia Lagoa says...

Thank you for sharing. I really liked them.

Maral says...

Thanks for sharing your colourful ideas! Best

On December 18, 2016

Wasiela Kenny says...

Thanks very much for all these ideas, it’s going to be a great help.

On November 01, 2016

jolie says...

Thank you, it’s very helpful.

On October 03, 2016

Jennifer says...

Thank you for putting these up for our use, but I think it would be more helpful if these were arranged by topic or by grammar point and less random, thereby eliciting the grammar or vocabulary we’d spent the hour teaching.

On September 26, 2016

Saimon ishak says...

Thanks a lot for your some ideas.

On September 24, 2016

Niyitegeka Marie Agnes says...

it is helpful ,thanks

On April 27, 2016

Leopoldo Ibarra says...

Thanks a lot for giving such wonderful ideas. Blessings to all of you for your generosity.

On March 11, 2016

Sheila says...

Thanks for posting this. Great to incite my students, young and old, to talk. Sometimes we can spend 10 minutes on one question. Speaking about theses subjects makes them more at ease and increases their confidence!

On October 21, 2015

Nilceia Cruz souza says...

Thanks for all the hints you have sent me. These 24 questions

will help me with conversation classes, for sure. Have a great

and blessed career. I really enjoy reading the texts you send

and also getting your hints about any subjects related to the

English language and to teaching English. Have a great life!

On October 19, 2014

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Posted in in ESL Conversation Questions

1500+ ESL conversation questions for your classroom

Posted by by Cameron Smith
April 17, 2023
Updated June 1, 2023

ESL conversation questions are one of the best tools at an ESL teacher’s disposal. Giving your students the opportunity to share their thoughts via interesting discussions in English will help them fast track their English speaking skills. After all, one of the best ways to learn English is to speak it as much as possible.

In this guide, we’ll share how to use ESL conversation questions in the classroom to get the best results. And you’ll find links to over 1500 ESL conversation questions—printable guides that you can use to get everyone in your classroom talking.

What are esl conversation questions.

ESL conversation questions are English learning tools that help students practice their speaking skills, learn new vocabulary, and correct common mistakes. Using the right ESL conversation questions can create fun, lively discussions in the ESL classroom.

How do you use ESL conversation questions?

You can use ESL conversations to facilitate English speaking practice with your students. Here are some ways to use ESL conversation questions in the classroom and one-on-one sessions:

Group Speaking Exercises. You (the teacher) ask the class a question in English. Multiple students can respond in English at random. This method is a good ice breaker. It can also help ESL students witness and learn from each student’s mistakes.
Warm Up Speaking Exercises. Ask You may choose to do this before arranging your students in pairs. You can also have students focus on these simple warm-up exercises before you
Partner Speaking Exercises. Ask your students to get into pairs. Have them take turns asking each other questions and responding in English.
Individual Speaking Exercises. If you’d like to assign speaking practice as homework, you can also ask students to use ESL conversation questions at home. If you are remote teacher, students can also record themselves responding to these questions and submit them to you for remote-based assessment.

List of ESL conversation questions

ESL Conversation Questions about Animals
ESL Conversation Questions about Appearance
ESL Conversation Questions about Birthdays
ESL Conversation Questions about Business
ESL Conversation Questions about Childhood
ESL Conversation Questions about Community and Neighborhood
ESL Conversation Questions about Colors
ESL Conversation Questions about Cooking
ESL Conversation Questions about Countries
ESL Conversation Questions about Daily Routine
ESL Conversation Questions about Dating, Relationships, and Marriage
ESL Conversation Questions about Education, School, and University
ESL Conversation Questions about Employment and Work
ESL Conversation Questions about Environment
ESL Conversation Questions about Ethics
ESL Conversation Questions about Family
ESL Conversation Questions about Fashion and Clothes
ESL Conversation Questions about Food and Eating Out
ESL Conversation Questions about Football and Soccer
ESL Conversation Questions about Friends and Friendship
ESL Conversation Questions about Intelligence
ESL Conversation Questions about Games and Gaming
ESL Conversation Questions about Gender and Gender Roles
ESL Conversation Questions about Money
ESL Conversation Questions about Movies
ESL Conversation Questions about Music
ESL Conversation Questions about Religion
ESL Conversation Questions about the Olympics
ESL Conversation Questions about Travel
ESL Conversation Questions about Small Business
ESL Conversation Questions about Social Media
ESL Conversation Questions that use Simple Future Tense

ESL conversation questions books

ESL conversation question books can help you save time in the classroom and with lesson planning. These books are typically full of list of ESL conversation questions that you can print and use as exercise sheets with your students.

The best ESL conversation question books are:

500 Grammar Based Conversation Questions
67 ESL Conversation Topics with Questions, Vocabulary, Writing Prompts & More
1000+ ESL Discussion Questions for Teenagers: Interesting Conversation Topics for Teens
ESL Conversation Questions for Kids: 50+ Topics for English Conversation Class
1005 ESL Conversation Questions: For English Teachers of Teenagers and Adults Who Want to Have Better TEFL Speaking and Conversation Classes
1001 Canadian Conversation Questions for the ESL Classroom

What are the best ESL conversation questions for beginners?

The best English discussion questions for beginners are those that focus on simple discussion topics with simple tense structures. For example, “What is your favorite song?” and “What is your favorite movie?” are perfect for beginner English learners.

Use these ESL conversation questions for beginners:

Movie Conversation Questions
Appearance Conversation Questions
Music Conversation Questions

What are the best ESL conversation questions for intermediate speakers?

The best English discussion questions for intermediate speakers focus on topics that require answers with complex sentence structures and reasoning. “What is your favorite food, and why do you like it so much?” and “What is your dream job, and why would you pick this as your career?” are two great examples of a simple question that requires additional reasoning and descriptive language.

Use these ESL conversation questions for intermediate English learners:

Money Conversation Questions
Career Conversation Questions
Personal Appearance Conversation Questions

What are the best ESL conversation questions for advanced speakers?

The best English discussion questions for intermediate speakers focus on topics that require in-depth answers with complex sentence structures, various tense structures, descriptive language, and reasoning. At this level, you may also benefit from introducing some controversial discussion topics; advanced English learners have the language skills required to participate in life discussions that go beyond the basics.

Use these ESL conversation questions for advanced English learners:

Artificial Intelligence and AI Conversation Questions
Ethics Conversation Questions
Business Conversation Questions

How are you using ESL conversation questions in your classroom?

As you know, students at every level can engage in any topic of discussion to practice their speaking skills. But some some English discussion topics are better suited to each learning level. Choose wisely based on the English level, likes, and needs of your students, and your classroom will be full of fascinating discussions in no time.

Share your best tips and tell us how you use ESL conversation questions in the classroom. And be sure to add your requests for future discussion topics in the comments below.

Cameron Smith

I'm an English Communication Coach based in Vancouver, Canada. I'm on a mission to help millions of people speak English with confidence. Thanks for visiting this site! If you want longer video content, please follow me on YouTube for fun English lessons and helpful learning resources!

Business Conversation Questions represented by a businessman holding a light bulb.

30 small business conversation questions

April 10, 2023

100+ ESL discussion topics for every English level

Welcome to esl DiscussionTopics

Welcome to esl discussion topics.

Quality questions you can use in the ESL classroom to get your students talking

Discussion questions on general topics suitable for the ESL classroom.

Business English discussion questions for those studying English for specific purposes.

Discussion questions designed to practice grammar in the ESL classroom.

PDF Formats

All handouts available for download in a variety of PDF formats.

General Topics

Business topics, grammar topics, how to use this site.

This site contains more than a thousand ESL discussion questions on a range of topics including general, grammar and business English discussion topics. These discussion questions are suitable for teachers to use in the ESL classroom with students at intermediate level or above. The ESL discussion questions are designed to be accessible to a general audience, but are open enough to allow advanced speakers to develop more complex responses.

Select a category above from either the general , grammar or business sections and click on the link. This will take you to a page where you can view the ESL discussion questions and download them in a variety of PDF formats perfect for the classroom. All the materials on this site are provided free of charge.

For further information about the site and its author, see the about page.

24 ESL Grammar Lessons for Adults with Topics and Exercises

Learning English as a second language can be challenging, especially for adults navigating the complexities of grammar. This article will explore the significance of ESL grammar lessons for adults and provide a comprehensive guide on topics and exercises tailored to enhance their language proficiency.

Why ESL Grammar Lessons for Adults Matters

Mastering grammar is essential for effective communication. For ESL Grammar Lessons for Adults, grappling with grammar rules might seem daunting, but it’s a crucial step toward fluency. Clear communication, whether in business or personal interactions, hinges on a solid understanding of grammar.

Tailoring ESL Grammar Lessons for Adults

Adults approach learning differently than children. ESL Grammar Lessons for Adults need to be crafted with adult learners in mind, acknowledging their life experiences and catering to their unique needs. Real-life scenarios can be integrated into lessons, making grammar more relatable and applicable. Let’s take a look at the lessons:

Parts of Speech
Pronouns and Its Types
Kinds of Nouns
Noun: Gender
Nouns: Number
Comparison Adjectives
Verbs and Its Types
Prepositions
Active Passive Voice
Direct and Indirect Speech
Clause and Its Types
Joining of Sentences
Transformation of Sentences
Interchange of Parts of Speech

Do as Directed

Phrasal Verbs/ Basic Idioms
Subject Verb Agreement
Common Errors and Corrections

Engaging Topics for ESL Grammar Lessons for Adults

Explore the following ESL Grammar Lessons for Adults that will make the learning experience more enjoyable and practical. This will integrate real-world topics that resonate with adult learners’ interests and daily lives and can promote active participation and foster a more effective grasp of grammar concepts.

1. Parts of Speech

Parts of speech are the English words that are used in sentences with different functions and uses.

These parts of Speech are the different kinds of words that are used in a sentence according to their function. Words used in sentences are divided into Eight Categories .

1. Noun (Naming word): Tiger is a fierce animal.

2. Pronoun (words used in place of Nouns): I am your best friend

3. Adjective (words describing noun or Pronoun): Many men are poor.

4. Verb (Action word or doing word): We won the match.

5. Adverb (Words modifying Verb, Adjective, Adverb): He is quite strong.

6. Preposition (Relating words): He came of a rich family.

7. Conjunction (Connecting word): He is poor but honest

8. Interjection (Words expressing emotions): Alas! He is no more.

A word used for naming anything is called Nouns. such as “ship”, “fox”, house”, or “man”. Hence a noun is a naming word . – J.C Nesfield.

A noun is a word used as the name of a person, place, or thing; as

Kolkata is on the Hoogly.

The rose smells sweet.

Akbar was a great king.

The sun shines bright.

– Wren & Martin

A noun is a word used to name or identify any of a class of things, people, places, or ideas, or a particular one of these. – OALD, A.S. Hornby

A Noun is a word that indicates the name of a person, animal, place, thing, or quality. The use of Nouns in English is very important as almost every sentence contains nouns used either as the subject or the object of a sentence.

Person: Shakespeare, Vidyasagar, Swami Vibwkakanada, R. N. Tagore, Einestine. etc

Animals: Lion, deer, tiger, Fox, Elephant, etc.

Places: Newyork, London, India, Kolkata, Mumbai, etc

Things: Book, table, tree, Glass, Pen, etc

Quality: Kindness, honesty, Knowledge, Childhood, Beauty, etc.

3. Pronouns and Its Types

Pronouns in English Grammar are perhaps the second part of speech in the English Language. Pronouns in English Grammar:

A pronoun is a word used instead of a noun or noun equivalent.

Ranit likes to play.
He likes to play football.

Here the pronoun he is used instead of the noun Ranit and saves it from being mentioned twice. Hence a pronoun is a substitute word and its chief use is to save the repetition of a noun.

4. Kinds of Nouns

Nouns are mainly categorized into the following –

A proper noun is the name of one particular person, place, thing, event, or group of persons or places as distinct from every other.

The Indian Ocean, Australia, The River Nile, Egypt, India, Jupiter, Hyderabad, The Himalayas, Aladdin, Tom and Jerry, Holi, Wednesday, May, The Victoria Memorial, The Nilgiri Hills, Mount Everest, The Arabian Sea, The river Bhagirathi, etc.

A common noun denotes no one person or thing in particular but is common to any and every person or thing of the same kind or class. Here Common means are shared by all.

Boy, Girl, Man, Woman, Friend

A collective noun is the name of a group or collection of persons or things taken together and spoken of as one complete whole.

Crowd, army, fleet, jury, Atlas, dynasty

A Material Noun denotes the matter or substance of which things are made. It is also called Mass Noun.

Thus, “river” is a common noun but “water” of which it is made is a Material Noun. “Sheep” common noun but “mutton” (the flesh of a sheep) is a Material Noun.

An Abstract noun is usually the name of a quality, action, or state considered apart from the object to which it belongs.

Goodness, kindness, darkness, hardness, brightness

5. Noun: Gender

Gender in English Grammar roughly corresponds to the two sexes and sexlessness. Gender comes from the Latin genus, kind or sort.

There are 4( four) types of Gender in English Grammar for Nouns and Pronouns. They are

(a) Masculine

(b) Feminine

(d) Neuter.

6. Nouns: Number

Singular and Plural Number Rules refer to the numbers of Nouns, Pronouns, and Adjectives in English Grammar. “One” denotes a Singular Number and “more than one” refers to Plural numbers. When we change Nouns and Pronouns from Singular Numbers to Plural Number, their form changes.

One boy is playing football.

Many boys are playing football.

One horse is running.

Many horses are running.

“One” denotes a Singular Number. So, ‘One boy‘ and ‘One horse‘ refer to Singular Numbers.

“Many” refers to “more than one” i.e. Plural Number. Both “Boy” and “Horse” are Common Nouns in Example 1 and Example 2. So, ‘Many boys ‘ and ‘Many horses‘ refer to Plural Numbers.

7. Pronoun: Case(Possessive Pronoun)

The pronouns that show possession or that something belongs to someone are called Possessive Pronouns. As, mine, thine, hers, ours, theirs, and yours.

(1) This book is mine.

(2) That house is theirs.

(3) My horse and yours are both tired.

(4) This pen is hers.

8. Adjective

Adjectives are the spice of language, enriching our communication with vivid descriptions.

Adjectives are words that add something to the meaning of a noun or pronoun.

1. He is a good boy.

2. This is a dark room.

3. Give a little milk.

4. Many men were present.

An Adjective also modifies a pronoun. – A B C of English Usage (Oxford)

1. He seems angry.

2. Ah, miserable!

9. Comparison Adjectives

Learn about positive, comparative, and superlative forms, as well as the proper use of comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs in sentences.

Get a thorough understanding of when to use “more,” “most,” “er,” and “est” to form comparisons. and how to construct meaningful and accurate comparative and superlative sentences.

Degrees of Comparison are the comparisons between two or more persons or things according to their Quantity, and Number or Quality. Those are also called the Degrees of Comparison of Adjectives.

There are three degrees in English.

For example

Positive: Two persons or things are said to be equal in respect of some quality.

Comparative: When two persons or things are said to be unequal in respect of some quality.

Superlative: The superlative degree is used when the comparison is intended between more than two things or persons.

10. Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs can be identified whether the verbs have Objects or not. If the verb has an Object, it is generally considered a Transitive Verb. If the Verb does not have an Object, it is generally considered an Intransitive Verb.

“A verb is Transitive if the action does not stop with the agent but passes from the agent to something else.” – J.C Nesfield.

Transitive Verbs are those verbs that require an object to make the sense clear.

(1) He eats rice.

(2) They play football.

(a) In the above two sentences, eats, and play, are called verbs as they are doing words.

(b) In sentence (1) ‘eats’ and in sentence (2) ‘play’ require an object to make sense clear. So, they are called Transitive Verbs.

11. English Conjugation of Verbs

English Conjugation of verbs refers to the systematic arrangement of the forms of a verb to indicate the various grammatical features of tense, mood, aspect, person, number, and voice in English.

12. Adverbs

Adverbs are words that tell us more about verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.

She walks fast.

Shelly sat quietly. (qualifying the verbs walk and sat)

Sania is very hungry.

Aslam is rather naughty. (qualifying the adjectives hungry and naughty)

This week has passed incredibly slowly.

Esha cleans her desk quite often. (qualifying the adverbs slowly and often)

Adverb of Manner
Adverb of place
Adverb of time
Adverb of frequency
Adverb of degree

13. Prepositions

These words tell us where someone or something is in relation to something else.

A preposition is a word that shows the position of things and people in relation to someone, something or some place.

There are different kinds of prepositions.

Prepositions of place.
Prepositions of time.
Prepositions of movement

Tense is the change of form in a Verb to express the time of an action. Verb and Tense are interrelated because it is the Verb of which Tense is determined. For Example,

They are playing football.
They were playing football.
They will be playing football.

In each of the above sentences, the main verb is, “Play”. But the action of the Verb is being completed at a different time. So, when and in which time the action of a Verb was completed or is completed or will be completed, depends on Time. From here, we get the concept of Tense in English Grammar. Let’s consider the examples in the following.

15. Active Passive Voice

Voice is the form of the verb that shows whether the subject (person or thing) of the sentence is active (does something) or passive (something is done to him or her or it) at the action.

(1) The teacher rebuked me.

(2) I was rebuked by the teacher.

The form of the verb of the first sentence shows that the subject (the teacher) is active i.e. he/ she does something (rebuked).

When the subject is the doer of an action, it is the active subject. And the form of the verb is in Active Voice.

The form of the verb in the second sentence shows that the subject (I) is passive i.e. something is done to him/her (was rebuked).

When the subject inactively receives an action (was rebuked), it is in the passive voice. And the verb form is in Passive voice.

16. Direct and Indirect Speech

Narration in English grammar refers to the style or way of expressing a story or speech. It includes direct speech and indirect speech conveying spoken words or thoughts within a narrative context.

When someone quotes the Narrator’s actual words, it is called Direct Narration or Direct Speech. When the Narrator’s actual words are spoken indirectly by someone keeping the meaning the same without quotation, it is called Indirect Narration or Indirect Speech.

Direct Speech: Rehana says, “I shall dance.”
Indirect Speech: Rehana says that she will dance.

The learning of Narration Class 10 will be completed to grasp the change of narration from direct to indirect speech or vice versa.

Narration change involves altering direct speech to indirect or vice versa.

Changing “She said, ‘I love this place‘” to indirect: “She said that she loved that place.“

Altering direct speech to indirect or vice versa, it is extremely important to know the Narration Change Rules.

So, explore the Narration Change Rules that have been discussed below with Examples and Exercises.

Direct Speech: Ram says, “I am ill.”
Indirect Speech: Ram says that he is ill.

Connective ‘that’ is added before the reported speech in Indirect Narration.

Direct Speech: He said, “I write a letter.”
Indirect Speech: He said that he wrote a letter.

If reporting Verb is in the past Tense, the reported speech verb is also changed into the past tense. If reporting Verb is in the Present Tense or Future tense, the tense of the reported speech verb will remain as it is.

17. Clause and Its Types

“A clause is a group of words that includes a subject and a verb forming a sentence or part of a sentence.

Example: He often visits Spain because he likes the climate.

”He often visits Spain” is a Main Clause and “because he likes the climate” is a subordinate clause.” – A.L.D.

(i) I know the boy who did it.

(ii) Tell me the place where he lives.

(iii) Tell me the time when he will come.

(iv) I know the reason why he said so.

(v) I know the way how he did it.

18. Joining of Sentences

Join the following sentences can be done with –

(a) Participle, Infinitive, Adverbials, absolute phrase, a noun or a phrase in apposition, and preposition with a noun or a gerund, to make a Simple sentence. – for Simple Sentence.
(b) Corelatives, such as, ‘Too … to’, ‘So … that, ‘No sooner… than’, ‘As soon as’, ‘Either… or’, ‘Neither nor, ‘Not only ….. but also’, ‘Both … and’, ‘else’, ‘self forms’, ‘nominal compound’, ‘As well as’, to make a compound sentence. – for Compound Sentences
(c) a noun clause, An adjective clause, or an adverbial clause to make complex sentences. – for Complex Sentence.
Single Sentence = Simple / Complex / Compound sentence.

19. Transformation of Sentences

Transformation of a Sentence involves altering the form, structure, or type of a sentence while maintaining its original meaning, a fundamental aspect of grammar. For instance, an interrogative sentence may be transformed into an assertive one without changing its meaning Follow the example:

Interrogative: Who does not know Rabindranath?

Assertive: Everybody knows Rabindranath,

In this case, it is a correct transformation of sentences examples from one form into another.

20. Interchange of Parts of Speech

Parts of Speech Interchange in English Grammar implies changing one part of speech to another in a sentence with the same meaning. Example of Interchange of Parts of Speech under the ‘do as directed‘ section covering the techniques of changing Nouns into Adjectives, Adjectives into Adverbs, Verbs into Nouns, and vice versa.

The Following examples are about the Interchange of Parts of Speech from Noun to Adjective.

Rewrite the sentences with the Adjective form of the underlined words.

(1) He showed generosity even to his enemies. (Noun) Ans: He was generous even to his enemies. (Adj)

(2) There is a slight difference between the two pictures. (Noun) Ans: The two pictures are slightly different. (Adj)

(3) He has sufficient intelligence to do the job. (Noun) Ans: He is sufficiently intelligent to do the job. (Adj)

(4) I am fully sure of its necessity. (Noun) Ans: I am fully sure that it is necessary. (Adj)

21. Interchange of Degrees of Comparison

The following rules and exceptions of the Interchange of Degrees of Comparison will enhance communication skills and make the writing style a perfect one

Degree change positive to comparative

Positive Degree

(i) No suffix ( such as -er, -est ) will be added to the adjective in the positive degree.

(ii) Basically, if there is “ as ….. as”, “ so ……. as”, or “ as …..” in the sentence, we use the positive degree which is the simplest form of the adjective.[ there is nothing like “than” or “ the ….. of ”]

Comparative Degree

(i) In Comparative Degree generally [ -er ] is added to the adjectives. As taller = tall + er; sweeter = sweet + er; cleverer = clever + er, if the adjective is of one syllable [ mono-syllabic word].

(ii) If the adjective is of more than one syllable, [ more ] is added before the adjective in the Comparative Degree. As Iron is more useful than any other metal. [ Here ‘use – ful’ is a di-syllabic word]

Superlative Degree

(i) In Superlative Degree generally [ -est ] is added to the adjectives. As tallest = tall + est; sweetest = sweet + est; laziest= lazy + est, if the adjective is of one syllable [ mono-syllabic word].

(ii) If the adjective is of more than one syllable, [ most ] is added before the adjective in the Superlative Degree. As Ram is the most intelligent boy in the class. [ Here in-te-lli-gent is a quadri-syllabic (4) word]

(iii) Basically, if there are “ the …….. of ”, “ the …….”, and “…….. of ” in a sentence, we use Superlative Degree.

Positive: He is as cunning as a fox.

Comparative: A fox is not more cunning than he.

22. Do as Directed: Grammar

Below are the topics with examples and answers for each of the types of English grammar given in the Do as Directed heading of the English Question paper of all classes.

1. Do or die. [Turn it into a simple sentence]

Ans: In case of not doing it, you will die.

2. My friend has given me oranges. [Change the voice]

Ans: I have been given oranges by my friend.

3. You helped me. I should have been in trouble otherwise. [Join into a single sentence]

Ans: You helped me lest I should have been in trouble.

4. How he behaved shocked me. [Turn into a simple sentence]

Ans: His behaviour shocked me.

5. Sucheta said to me, ‘Let us go for a picnic’ [Change mode of narration]

Ans: Sucheta proposed that they should go for a picnic.

6. I was numb with shock. I got into the car. [ Join into a simple sentence]

Ans: Being numb with shock, I got into the car.

23. Subject Verb Agreement

Subject-verb agreement exercises are practice activities or exercises designed to help reinforce and test a person’s understanding of the rules governing the agreement between subjects and verbs in sentences.

Subject verb agreement refers to the grammatical rule that dictates the necessity for a subject and verb to be in agreement concerning their number and person.

When the subject is singular, the verb must also be singular, and when the subject is plural, the verb should be plural as well.

Hints 1: When two subjects of a sentence are joined by ‘Either … or’, ‘Neither … nor’, and ‘or’ ‘not only …. but also’, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it.

Hints 2: When ‘Each’, ‘Every’ or ‘No’ is placed before the subject (noun) joined by ‘and’, the pronoun and the verb should be Singular.

(a) Neither the cat nor the dogs (like) __________ water.

(b) Not only the flowers but also the vase (require) __________ careful handling.

(d) Not only the birds but also the squirrel (be) __________ in the tree.

(e) Either the dog or the cats (be) __________ in the garden.

Exercise 6:

(a) The news (be) __________ often sensationalized by the media.

(b) Both the mother and her children (enjoy) __________ the family vacation.

(d) The collection of rare coins (be) __________ displayed in the museum.

(e) Many of the staff members at the company (be) __________ going on vacation.

23. Phrasal Verbs/ Basic Idioms

Phrasal Verbs are the combinations of Verbs and adverbs or prepositions or both with completely new meanings and they consist of more than one word.

ost phrasal verbs consist of two words; the first word is a simple monosyllabic Verb, and the second word is a particle i.e., a preposition or an adverb. For example,

Put (simple monosyllabic Verb) + on (preposition) = Put on

It is nowadays called Phrasal because it represents the appearance of a two-word phrase rather than a single item. There are also some three-word phrasal verbs i.e.,

to put up with,
to look down upon, and
to leave up to.

24. Common Error and Correction

1. Incorrect: The cost the bananas were very high.

1. Correct: The cost of bananas was very high.

2. Incorrect: Honour and glory are his rewards.

2. Correct: Honour and glory is his reward.

3. Incorrect: Justice as well as mercy allow it.

3. Correct: Justice as well as mercy allows it.

In wrapping up our exploration of ESL grammar lessons for adults, it’s crucial to understand that the journey is unique for each learner. By embracing engaging topics, practical exercises, and a positive mindset, adults can navigate the intricacies of ESL Grammar Lessons for Adults with confidence and proficiency.

FAQs ESL Grammar Lessons for Adults

How long does it take for an adult to become fluent in english through esl grammar lessons.

Fluency varies, but consistent practice and dedication can lead to significant improvement within a year.

Are there specific grammar topics that adults find more challenging?

Common challenges include complex tenses, prepositions, and idiomatic expressions.

Can self-study with online resources replace formal ESL grammar lessons?

While self-study is valuable, a combination of formal lessons and independent practice yields the best results.

Are there age-specific strategies for teaching grammar to adults compared to children?

Yes, adults benefit from real-life applications and discussions that relate to their experiences.

How can adult ESL learners stay motivated during the learning journey?

Setting achievable goals, celebrating milestones, and finding joy in the learning process can help maintain motivation.

26 Engaging ESL Conversation Topics for Adults 2024

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Would you rather (Questions For Students) Fun Speaking Activity

Subject: English

Age range: 7-11

Resource type: Game/puzzle/quiz

Last updated

11 May 2024

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**This ESL lesson focuses on the use of the conditional form “would you rather” to express preferences and make choices in hypothetical situations. The lesson includes a variety of questions that will help students learn how to construct and use this form correctly in a spoken context. By the end of the lesson, students should be able to confidently ask and answer “would you rather” questions, and explain their reasoning behind their choices. **

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The English Learner Family Toolkit

The English Learner Family Toolkit was created to help families choose education services that meet their child’s needs, as well as support U.S. educators, elementary and secondary school teachers, principals, and other school staff, who can also share the toolkit as a resource for English learners and their families.

The English Learner Family Toolkit was created to help families choose education services that meet their child’s needs. U.S. educators, elementary and secondary school teachers, principals, and other school staff can also share the toolkit as a resource for English learners and their families. The English Learner Family Toolkit consists of 6 chapters, and each chapter contains 5 sections - an overview, family and student rights, questions to ask schools, tips, and resources.

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Applying For a Master’s Degree in Germany

Master’s programs in Germany offer a diverse range of options, with many taught in English. They are known for their affordability, top-notch curricula, hands-on learning, and excellent career prospects. So, it’s no wonder that master’s degrees are the go-to choice for international students in Germany. During the 2021/2022 period, 42.6% of them (148,901 students) were enrolled in master’s programs.

But don’t let the application process hold you back – we’re here to guide you through the steps and set you on the path to success in Deutschland!

Here are the main steps to apply for a master’s degree in Germany:

Research and Choose a Master’s Program

Check admission requirements.

Gather Documents and Meet All Requirements

Secure Funding

Submit your application, wait for the admission letter, get health insurance, apply for the german student visa.

When it comes to pursuing a master’s degree in Germany, the initial step is all about research and making an informed choice. Start by assessing your career goals and pinpoint the field of study that aligns with your aspirations. Look into the curriculum to ensure it covers the subjects that pique your interest.

Language matters too — many programs are available in English, but if you’re proficient in German, it opens up more options. When it comes to costs, most programs are quite affordable or even tuition-free, but be sure to check tuition fees just in case.

To aid your search, German study program databases and university websites offer detailed program information and application guidelines. Take your time to explore and find the program that’s the perfect fit for your educational journey.

Study at GISMA University of Applied Sciences

Be one step ahead with a globally recognised college in Germany!

> Check out our list of over 9,000 master’s study programs in Germany.

Once you’ve picked a couple of programs that pique your interest and align with your study goals, it’s time to check if you meet their admission requirements or can meet them by the application deadline.

While each program may have its unique requirements, let’s explore some of the most common admission criteria for master’s programs in Germany:

Bachelor’s degree. You have graduated or will graduate from a program equivalent to a German bachelor’s degree, often in a related field to the master’s program you’re applying for.
Transcripts and diplomas . Submit transcripts and copies of your academic diplomas from previous educational institutions.
Subject-specific knowledge . Some programs may require you to have gained specific subject knowledge or credits during your prior education. Business schools and MBA programs may require a particular score from recognized tests, like GMAT or GRE.
Language proficiency. Demonstrate proficiency in the language of instruction, which is typically English or German. Proof of language proficiency is often required through standardized tests like IELTS, TOEFL, TestDaF, or DSH.
Curriculum vitae (CV) or resume . Provide a comprehensive CV or resume detailing your academic and professional background.
Statement of purpose & letters of recommendation. Some universities may request a Statement of Purpose (SOP), which details your motivations and goals, along with one to two letters of recommendation from professors or professionals.

> Visit our full guide of admission requirements for master’s programs in Germany for more details.

Gather Documents and Ensure You Meet All Requirements

After reviewing admission requirements and selecting your program(s), it’s time to start gathering what you need for your application, including transcripts, motivation letter, etc.

This is also an ideal time to confirm that you meet your university’s language proficiency requirements. Depending on your program’s language (English or German), you may take a standardized language test or provide alternative proof. Consider language courses if improvement is needed.

According to the German government’s regulations, international students planning to study in Germany must demonstrate financial resources of at least €11,208 per year (equivalent to €934 per month) to qualify for a student visa and pursue a master’s degree in the country.

This financial requirement may seem daunting for many students, so it’s crucial to address this well in advance of the official application period at your preferred German university. You can meet this requirement in various ways:

Having €11,208 deposited in a German blocked account .
Your parents can provide documentation of their income and financial resources.
Someone with permanent residence in Germany can guarantee to the Alien Registration Office that they will financially support you.
Present a scholarship awarding certificate specifying the financial amount or coverage granted to you.

Important Tip: To Maximize Your Chances of Getting Your German Student Visa You Should Use a Blocked Account as Proof of Financial Resources.

A blocked account is a special type of bank account , to prove you have enough funds to live in Germany for one year.

As of 2022, as a foreigner in Germany you need a minimum of €934 euros per month for living expenses. So, you are required to have a total of €11,208 in your bank account before you apply for a German internship visa.

Click here to learn more about the German Blocked Account

Planning ahead is important before your preferred German university’s application deadline, as this amount may be substantial for most students. Usually, four to six months prior should provide enough time to save money and explore scholarship and loan options.

Now is the exciting time to send in your application! Most universities have their own application portals where you’ll need to create an account, or they might use uni-assist for handling applications.

Make sure to read and follow all the instructions on the master’s program website, and be sure to submit all the required documents. It’s crucial to respect the application deadlines; your application won’t be processed if you miss the deadline.

Once your application is submitted, the next step is simply waiting for the university’s decision. While you wait, you might want to brush up on your language skills or start looking into the specific visa and travel requirements for Germany. It’s also a good time to explore accommodation options.

The university will notify you via email about the status of your application, and if you’re accepted, they’ll include the next steps you should follow.

Health insurance is a must for all international students in Germany. You can kickstart this process after receiving your admission letter or once you arrive in Germany.

If your home country has an agreement with Germany, you can often use your current health insurance, typically with a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). In some cases, private health insurance from other countries may also be accepted.

Alternatively, you can choose to obtain insurance through a provider in Germany, with student packages usually priced around €120 per month, depending on your age and the provider.

Most international students in Germany prefer to get health insured with DR-WALTER .

EDUCARE24 by DR-WALTER is suitable for the following groups of people:

Foreign exchange students, language students and students participating in university preparatory courses (Studienkolleg)
University students
Participants in exchange programmes (e.g. ERASMUS, DAAD, SOKRATES)
Accompanying family members

Still have questions about health insurance? Learn more about health insurance in Germany from experts.

Get DR-WALTER insurance online within a few minutes

With a few exceptions, the majority of international students planning to study in Germany require a student visa. Our German student visa guide covers everything you need to know about this process, from requirements to the application process, fees, and more.

To kickstart the process, set up a visa interview at the German Embassy or Consulate in your home country, ideally about three months before your planned start of studies.

During the interview, provide all the required documents like proof of admission, language proficiency, financial means, and health insurance. Be ready for potential requests for more documents during the interview, and make sure your passport stays valid for your entire stay.

Arrive in Germany and Attend Orientation

Once your German student visa is sorted, it’s time to get on that plane and arrive in Germany. After settling in, make use of the pre-semester orientation sessions at German universities. Some things addressed through the orientation or to over on your own include:

You’ll complete the enrollment process , which involves registering for your courses, receiving your class schedule, and learning about academic requirements.
Getting your student ID . You’ll be issued a student identification card, often referred to as a “Studierendenausweis” in German.
Residence registration. Once you’re in Germany, you will have to register your residence. This is a mandatory process that involves obtaining a “Meldebescheinigung” from the Resident’s Registration Office (Einwohnermeldeamt).
Opening a local bank account. Orientation often provides guidance on opening a bank account in Germany.
Campus tour. You’ll explore the campus to discover its facilities, libraries, and labs.
Language courses. Some universities offer language courses or resources to help international students improve their German language skills if necessary.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Additional Information

Below, you’ll find answers to common questions and additional information to support you on your path to pursuing a master’s degree in Germany:

Which Universities Offer Master’s Degree Programs in Germany?

The higher education system in Germany includes public universities, funded and regulated by the state, and private universities established by independent entities.

While private universities may have higher fees, they are valuable for specialized courses not available at public institutions. Public universities in Germany have their own degree programs, assessments, and entry requirements, with state oversight to ensure the quality and accreditation of courses.

Germany has four main types of higher education institutions that offer master’s degree programs:

Research Universities. These publicly administered institutions offer Master’s and PhD programs, focusing on various academic disciplines.
Technical Universities. A subgroup of research universities, they specialize in science, technology, and engineering fields.
Universities of Applied Sciences. These institutions concentrate on engineering, business, and social sciences, often partnering with professional organizations.
Colleges of Art, Film, and Music. These institutions provide instruction in creative fields and can be part of research universities or universities of applied sciences.

What Are the Types of Master’s Degrees in Germany?

In Germany, you can pursue various types of Master’s degrees. Some of the most common include:

Master of Arts (MA). Awarded in humanities, social sciences, and arts-related fields.
Master of Science (MSc) . Awarded in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.
Master of Business Administration (MBA). Focuses on management and business administration topics.
Master of Education (M.Ed.). For degrees for high school teacher positions.

What Are Consecutive and Non-consecutive Master’s Degrees?

Consecutive master’s Degrees in Germany follow a logical progression from a related bachelor’s degree and build upon the same academic field. They provide in-depth knowledge and specialization within the same subject area.

Non-consecutive master’s Degrees, on the other hand, don’t necessarily need a bachelor’s degree in the same field. Students with diverse academic backgrounds can go for non-consecutive master’s programs, which often focus on broader skills and interdisciplinary knowledge. These programs may include extra coursework to bridge any knowledge gaps.

How Long Is a Master’s Degree in Germany?

A master’s degree in Germany typically lasts for one to two years, depending on the specific program and the number of semesters required. Each academic year consists of two semesters, and the program may also include a final project or dissertation conducted in collaboration with a mentor.

How Many ECTS Credits Is a German Master’s Degree Worth?

Master’s programs in Germany typically consist of 120 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) credits. However, the exact number of credits may vary depending on the university and the specific program.

What is Numerus Clausus?

Numerus Clausus (NC) in German master’s programs is a restricted admission system where limited spots are available, and selection is based on factors like academic performance and qualifications. It controls program capacity to prevent overcrowding. Applicants compete for admission based on their qualifications, and requirements vary by program.

When Are Application Deadlines for Master’s Degrees in Germany?

There are two semesters in German universities; the winter semester and the summer semester. Application deadlines for master’s programs vary depending on the university, however, the most common dates are:

For courses starting on the winter semester: July 15th
For courses starting on the summer semester: January 15th

Can I Apply for a Master’s in Germany Before I Get My Undergraduate Degree?

Yes, it’s common for students to apply during the final year of their bachelor’s degree. However, you must provide proof of your current academic progress and an expected graduation date as part of your application.

What Are the Language Requirements for Master’s Degrees in Germany?

If your courses are in German, you’ll need to prove your proficiency through tests like TestDaf or DSH. A lower level of proficiency may be accepted if you continue taking language courses upon arriving in Germany or during the early stages of your Master’s program. However, language requirements for master’s programs in Germany can vary depending on the university and program

If you choose English-taught programs, no German language tests are required. Non-native English speakers may need to take English language tests like TOEFL, IELTS, and PTE. If you’ve completed your undergraduate studies in English, you typically won’t need English language tests.

To discover programs in your preferred language, explore our tool and select the program language from the options on the left.

How Much Does a Master’s Degree Cost in Germany?

In most public universities in Germany, semester fees for master’s programs typically range from €100 to €350 per semester, with some exceptions. Some specialized graduate programs may have tuition fees, and the federal states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria may charge tuition fees for non-EU international students.

Private universities set their own tuition fees, and the cost of master’s degrees can vary significantly, especially for programs like MBAs. At private universities in Germany, tuition fees can range from approximately €5,000 to €20,000 per year or more, depending on the institution and program.

To find out more about the costs of studying in Germany, visit our extensive guide .

Can I Work While Studying for a Master’s Degree in Germany?

Yes, students of all nationalities can work while studying for a master’s degree in Germany.

EU, EEA, Swiss, and Norwegian students can work up to 20 hours per week. They can exceed this number, however they will have to pay social security contributions.
Non-EU students can work up to 120 full days or 240 half days per year, but they face restrictions on self-employment and freelancing.
Academic assistants have no limitations on workdays but are required to inform the foreigners’ office.

> Read more about working while studying in Germany .

What Is the Master’s Thesis Process Like in Germany?

In your final year of a master’s program in Germany, you’ll work on your thesis project, guided by a professor. The goal is to showcase your ability to tackle a subject-related issue independently using research methods.

You can usually write your thesis in German or English and may even complete it externally, like at a company or another research institute. Universities often set page limits, usually between 50 to 100 pages, and impose deadlines, typically around six months from the project start.

The thesis defense involves submitting your work and presenting your research methods and findings.

Study Visa Requirements for a Master’s Degree in Germany

Make sure you collect on time all the documents you typically need in order to apply for a German Student Visa .

For detailed information about Germany Visa requirements, go to www.germany-visa.org/student-visa/

What Are the Career Prospects With a German Master’s Degree?

With a German master’s degree, you’ll have excellent career prospects, especially in STEM fields . EU/EEA graduates can work immediately after graduation, while non-EU/EEA graduates can extend their residence permits for up to 18 months to find field-related jobs.

You can also pursue academic careers, and highly skilled non-EU graduates can apply for an EU Blue Card to work and stay in Germany. Plus, your German degree is globally recognized, offering international career opportunities in multinational companies and organizations.

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Mick Clifford: Question marks over Chinese students' claims of 'racism' at UCC

Some students from China have complained to UCC after failing post-graduate exams. Among their complaints, including one about the Taiwanese flag, they claim not being able to avail of 'second chance' oral exams was discriminatory. Picture: Dan Linehan

At a time when racism is on the increase in this country, a bizarre allegation has emerged from University College Cork .

A group of Chinese students, who failed a post-graduate exam in the university’s business school, are claiming their failure is attributable to racism and discrimination .

That, in itself, would be highly controversial at a time when third-level institutions rely heavily on income from foreign students.

What provides the bizarre turn is a body of evidence that suggests the racism card is being played to mask the real reason for a high failure rate in a particular subject.

The result is that a lecturer has been accused of racism and had their name blackened.

No allegation exists that this or any lecturer addressed or communicated with any student in any manner that might give rise to racism.

The only issue that arose was the use, in a classroom, of the former Chinese flag — currently the flag of Taiwan — rather than what is now the national flag of China.

Displaying the former flag of the People's Republic of China — which is still the flag of Taiwan — was deemed by the UCC students as 'disrespectful to China'. Picture: Chiang Ying-ying/AP

According to sources, this was done in a historical context (China officially changed its flag in 1971).

“To call it racist in any way is ludicrous,” one source says. “And it is very damaging to that lecturer.”

Apart from the “racism” issue, there is also an allegation of discrimination in the exam in question. Emails making allegations against the lecturer — for which there is no evidence — were circulated in UCC.

An inquiry is now underway to examine how exactly the lecturer was treated by the university authorities in dealing with the matter.

Issue arose in UCC business school

The issue arose in one of the Masters classes in UCC’s business school. The class has more than 40 Chinese students, making up over a third of the class.

Income from foreign students is now a staple of university and college budgets in Ireland.

The failure of successive governments to properly address the whole area of third-level funding has left many institutions effectively fending for themselves in this manner.

Huge emphasis has been placed on attracting foreign students, who can pay up to €20,000 a year.

UCC, and particularly its business school, is no different from other Irish universities in assiduously courting this market.

Most of the students failed the written exam

In the only written exam on this masters course, conducted under full exam conditions, most of the Chinese students failed.

Other elements of the course were conducted on projects and group work.

The written exam results caused consternation among the Chinese students.

They returned to China mainly, it appears, because none of them got a placement in industry, a routine outcome for most students.

One of the big advantages for foreign students who come to Ireland is the offer of a two-year stay to work upon completing their studies.

From China, the students lodged a complaint about the high failure rate among their contingent.

Twenty-three students signed a letter sent to the university president and various senior “college managers”.

'Second chance' oral exam

They claimed that, in other years, the resits didn’t include a written element, but there is dispute over the details of this claim.

The second ground of the complaint was that the college had decided that any student who didn’t attain the 40% pass mark in the written exam, but did achieve over 25%, could have a “second chance” through sitting oral exams.

The students claimed this was discriminatory to those who didn’t get 25% on the paper.

“Students who scored below 25 were not offered the opportunity to take an oral exam at all, as well as additional support,” the students wrote.

“What are the criteria for grading such a subjective group of people or even being treated differently based on the merit of their performance?”

They suggest that all those who don’t get the 40% pass mark should be treated equally, rather than giving an oral option to those who got at least 25%.

Difficulty of the exam for non-native English-speakers

The third ground was ‘Difficulty of the Course Exam’.

“Most non-native English-speaking students did not pass the exam,” the students wrote. “We kindly request that the school assess the reasonableness of the exam’s difficulty level. Otherwise, the exam results were not published for the entire class.

“We need to ascertain the percentage of non-native English-speaking students who failed the exam.”

The Irish Examiner understands that the “non-native” cohort is largely the Chinese students themselves.

The fourth ground of complaint was that the coursework “lacked academic rigour”. The only issue referenced was that of the flag, which was “incorrectly displayed” and was “disrespectful to China”.

Foreign students pay UCC up to €20k per year

Within UCC, there is sympathy for the students.

Culturally, the failure of an exam is regarded in some Asian countries as a source of shame. There is also the money involved.

Students pay up to €20,000 for various courses per year. There would also be travel and accommodation costs. For some Chinese families, this could involve a huge sacrifice.

English language proficiency

The issue, however, appears to be that the students may not have been properly tested as to the standard of their English before being accepted for the course.

That reflects, sources say, the policy to bring in as many foreign students as possible for the financial benefit they bring to the college.

A spokesperson for UCC said the college could not comment on any complaints from staff or students due to the requirement of confidentiality.

The spokesperson also said that UCC upholds “robust academic standards”.

The college did not answer directly a question as to whether this proficiency in the English language was a factor in the whole issue that has arisen in relation to the high failure rate among Chinese students.

The spokesperson did say that international students are “only accepted at UCC if they have been awarded the required scores in international standardised tests of English language proficiency”.

Questions remain unanswered

Yet questions remain. If proficiency in English was not an issue, why did so many Chinese students fail?

That, in turn, gives rise to whether the college is robust enough in testing the proficiency in the English skills of foreign students at a time when it desperately requires the financial boon that comes from such students attending the college.

The lecturer who was accused of racism, and that lecturer’s colleagues, deserve full answers to these questions.

So also do the Chinese students who failed in such high numbers.

Other students, who may question whether the course is operating at maximum efficiency as a result of these matters, also deserve to be fully briefed on what exactly is going on.

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