1. A Part of Conversation Questions for the ESL Classroom. <br />Related: Home, House Renovation <br />What is the most dangerous thing in your home? How can your home be made less dangerous? <br />What is the most dangerous thing in your home for a child? How can it be made less dangerous? <br />What is the most dangerous thing in your home for an elderly person? How can it be made less dangerous? <br />What dangers can be found in the kitchen that can cause accidents? <br />What can be done to prevent kitchen accidents? <br />What can a parent do to childproof a kitchen? <br />What dangers can be found in bathrooms that can cause accidents? <br />What can be done to prevent bathroom accidents? <br />What can a parent do to childproof a bathroom? <br />What dangers can be found outside the home in the yard that can cause accidents? <br />What can be done to prevent yard accidents? <br />What can a parent do to childproof the yard? <br />What other dangers can be found in a home in bedrooms, laundry rooms, garages, and living areas? <br />What can be done throughout the house to prevent accidents? <br />What can a parent do to childproof the different rooms of the home? <br />Where at home would you put your first aid kit?<br />What would you have in it?<br />Where are these items found in a house, why could they be dangerous, to whom could they be dangerous, and what could someone do to lessen the danger they present? <br />hot pan/pot <br />hot curling iron <br />knife <br />window <br />iron <br />medicines <br />gasoline <br />pool <br />insecticides <br />natural gas <br />balcony <br />toilets <br />staircase <br />stove/oven <br />stool/ladder <br />yard tools <br />fireplace <br />cellar /attic <br />bathtub <br />bad dog <br />tall pieces of furniture <br />swing set / playground <br />very clean glass sliding door <br />electronic equipment <br />cleaning supplies <br />lake/retention pond <br />loose carpet on slippery tile floor <br />glass table or sharp edged table <br />hairdryer <br />bric-a-brac<br />What do you need to do if...<br />you cut your finger preparing food? <br />you fall down and can not move a limb? <br />your child drinks a poisonous liquid? (discuss syrup of ipecac) <br />the toilet is flooding the bathroom? <br />a pan on the stove is on fire? <br />a neighbor's dog is growling at you? <br />our child falls off a chair and is bleeding?<br />What is the phone number for the police? <br />How do you call an ambulance? <br />What is the phone number for poison control? <br />Conversation QuestionsAdoption <br />A Part of Conversation Questions for the ESL Classroom. <br />What is adoption? <br />Do you know anyone who was adopted as a child? <br />Do you know anyone who has adopted a child? <br />What are some of the reasons people choose to adopt? <br />What is the difference between domestic and international adoption? <br />What are the views of adoption in your country? <br />How would someone interested in adopting a child go about doing so? <br />Where do children available for adoption come from? <br />What happens to children that are not adopted? <br />How do you go about adopting a child? <br />Would you want to adopt a boy or a girl? Why? <br />Do you think brothers and sisters should be separated in adoptions? <br />Are adoptions common in your country? <br />What are some organizations that help with adoptions? <br />Should you tell the child that he or she was adopted? If so at what age? Or when? <br />Should adopted children have the right to know their biological parents? <br />Should families with birth children also adopt? <br />Is the real parent the birth parent or the adoptive parent? <br />Should adoptions be between children and families of the same race and or culture? <br />How or should the adoptive parents maintain the adopted child's cultural identify? <br />In your country are the legal rights of an adoptive child different from that of a birth child? <br />What are the legal consequences of adopting a child from a different race or country? <br />Why don't more people adopt children? <br />What makes a family, genetics or environment? <br />Do you support an open adoption policy where the birth parents can choose to be involved in the child's life? <br />Do you believe there is discrimination within the adoption organizations? <br />Do you think a person should be able to adopt a child of a different race? <br />Should a gay or lesbian couple be allowed to adopt a child? <br />Should there be an age restriction for the adoptive parents? <br />Should a single man or woman be able to adopt a child? <br />If you were to find out that you were adopted and not really from the country where you are a citizen, which nationality would you hope would be your true mother country? Why? <br />When is the right time for a child to be told that he/she was adopted? <br />Do you think it is preferable to adopt or to use artificial reproduction technology? <br />Would you agree to an open adoption or closed adoption? Why? <br />What is an open adoption? <br />Would you want to find your birth family? Why or why not? <br />Should prospective parents in adoption cases be required to do a parenting course? <br />Are there any risks when adopting a child? <br />Do you think biological parents should always have a right to keep their identity secret from the children they give up for adoption? Why or why not? <br />Do you think people who have been adopted should always have the right to find out who their birth-parents are? <br />How would you feel if a child you had adopted wanted to search for his or her birth parents? <br />Do you think that adopted children should feel especially loved and wanted? <br />Should people be allowed to adopt children of a different race and/or culture? <br />What are some good points and bad points of this kind of adoption?<br />How would you feel if you found out you were adopted? <br />What would you do?<br />Do you it is preferable to adopt or to use artificial reproduction technology? <br />If you had a choice, would you want to be adopted? <br />Should people be allowed to adopt children of a different race and/or culture? What are some good points and bad points of this kind of adoption? <br />How would you feel if you found out you were adopted? What would you do? <br />Advertising <br />A Part of Conversation Questions for the ESL Classroom. <br />What is the most shocking advertisement you have seen? <br />What is the funniest advertisement you have seen? Describe it. <br />What makes an ad memorable? <br />What are the different types of advertising? (Eg. TV) <br />What types of companies choose each type? <br />Do you buy products because of advertising? <br />Do you find advertising persuasive? <br />Why do you buy one product over another? <br />Should advertisers be allowed to advertise to children? <br />Should alcohol or tobacco companies be allowed to advertise? Why or why not? <br />What do you think of celebrity endorsements? <br />Which celebrities advertise which products? <br />Do favorite or annoying celebrities make you want or not want to buy a product? <br />Should there be advertisement-free zones? <br />Is there truth in advertising? <br />What kind of advertisements attract your attention? <br />Why is it necessary to advertise? <br />Do you think advertising should be allowed to interrupt TV or radio programs? What are the alternatives? <br />What is the best way to advertise to children? Adults? Seniors? etc.. <br />Do you think advertising is too expensive? <br />What are some effective adverts you have seen lately (on TV, newspaper, etc)? <br />What are some ineffective adverts you have seen lately? <br />Can you remember an advertising campaign that caught your attention? <br />What are the different methods of advertising? <br />What is the most popular way of advertising? <br />Do you think that the Internet and cable/satellite TV have become more important than national TV for advertising products? <br />What do you think is the best way of discovering the tastes and interests of teenage consumers? <br />Can TV advertising be a force for good? <br />How easy do you think it is to influence children with advertising? <br />Do you agree with anti-consumerism organizations that the child will have watched 350,000 commercials by the time she graduates from high school? <br />Do you think the government has he right to ban advertising for junk food and soda during children's TV programs. What do you think about this? Why do you think they made this decision? <br />Do political parties in (country) use TV advertising? If so, should they? <br />When out walking or shopping in the city, do you accept advertising fliers or free samples that are offered to you? <br />What forms of advertising are there? <br />What would make an advertisement more interesting? <br />Can you buy something and get something for free in your country? <br />Do people use coupons where you live? <br />What is the most advertised product in your country? <br />What is the best form of advertising? <br />What gets you interested in an advertisement? <br />Describe an advertisement that you have seen or heard on the TV or radio. What was it about? How long did the commercial last? Did it make you want to buy the product? <br />What is the funniest commercial that you have seen? Describe it. <br />What differences can you notice between commercials from 10 or 15 years ago and commercials today? <br />Do you think ads influence the choices you make when you buy clothes? <br />Do you often buy a particular brand when you buy clothes? <br />Why do you buy this brand? <br />Does it give status to wear particular brands like Nike or Lacoste? <br />Do you sometimes want very expensive things which you or your parents can't afford? <br />Do you think ads influence the choices you make when you or your parents buy food? <br />What brand is the ketchup you or your parents buy? <br />Is it always the same brand? Why do you prefer this brand? <br />What brand is the toothpaste you or your parents buy? <br />Can you name three different ways of advertising? (For example, different media) <br />Do you think there are too many ads in television? Why/why not? <br />Do you know why some channels have ads and others not? If you do know explain. <br />Do you think there are too many ads in magazines? Why/why not? <br />Do you think there are too many ads in newspapers? Why/why not? <br />Think of an ad you think is good or funny and tell about it. <br />What kinds of ads do you like and why? What makes a good ad? <br />Do you think children or young people are easier to influence through ads compared to adults? <br />Do you think it's ok to show ads aimed at children on television? Why/ why not? <br />When you watch TV, how much attention do you pay to the advertisements? <br />Which advertisements do you like most and which least? Why? <br />How would you advertise something you wanted to sell? <br />What are the harmful and the beneficial effects of advertising? <br />Do you think that ads create a desire for more and more material possessions? <br />Do you think that commercials on TV are annoying because they interrupt programs or do you think that many ads are more amusing that the programs on TV? <br />Do you think advertising is too expensive? What are the different methods of advertising? <br />Advice<br />A Part of Conversation Questions for the ESL Classroom. <br />I want to quit smoking. What should I do? <br />I won 100,000 dollars and I don't know how to spend it. What should I do? <br />I gained a lot of weight in last few years. I want to lose at least 10kg. What should I do? <br />I have just lost my job. I haven't told my husband/wife yet. How should I tell him/her? <br />I found a wallet which had 2,000 dollars in it. How should I spend it? <br />My son doesn't want to go to school. He says that his teacher and all other students hate him. What should I do? <br />My child wakes up very often in the middle of the night. He sleeps usually during the day. I haven't had any good sleep for weeks. What should I do? <br />I have a headache. What should I do? <br />I hate working. What should I do? <br />I feel sad. What should I do? <br />I want to protect the environment but I don't know how. What should I do? <br />I am always late. What should I do? <br />I keep losing my credit card. What should I do? <br />I have a red nose. What should I do? <br />I am new in this city. I would love to meet some people. What should I do? <br />I want to get rich quickly. What should I do? <br />I need a car but I don't have enough money. What should I do? <br />I want to be a cool man. What should I do? <br />My girlfriend left me. I feel depressed. What should I do? <br />My husband doesn't help me with house chores. What should I do? <br />Have you ever self-published something? What are some good ways to publish your writing independently? <br />If you have a lot of things to get done in one week, how do you manage? What advice would you give someone who is very busy? <br />My girlfriend/boyfriend is seeing another man/woman. I saw a message in his/her mobile phone. What should I do? <br />Age: Youth & Old Age <br />A Part of Conversation Questions for the ESL Classroom. <br />Related: Nursing Homes and Retirement Communities, Retirement, Disabilities and Handicaps <br />Are young people generally more selfish than their parents and grandparents? <br />Does age make you more aware of and caring for others?<br />Should adults try to teach young people lessons, such as the dangers of drinking too much, taking drugs or catch the AIDS virus, or should they leave them alone to find out about these things themselves? <br />What are the advantages and disadvantages of both approaches?<br />What do you think is the best age to be? <br />Explain your opinion.<br />Most countries give young people rights as they reach a certain age. For example, British people can legally make love or fight for their country at the age of 16; they can drink, vote and drive a car when they are 18. <br />Do you think that any of the age limits need changing?<br />Some people think you should give something to society before you have the right to join it. <br />Should young people have to do some form of military or community service by law?<br />Should people of between 50 and 55 be forced to retire from their jobs in order to make way for younger workers? <br />If people are still able to (and want to) work, should they have to retire when the reach a certain age? <br />Explain your opinion.<br />In most countries the legal retirement age for men is five years older than for women, even though women live longer than men on average. <br />Why do you think this is?<br />Is this fair, or should it be changed?<br />Are there many things that the old can teach the young or are they hopelessly out of touch by the time they reach a certain age? <br />What things were you taught by your older family members? <br />How have they been useful to you in your life?<br />In most countries, compulsory education is targeted at five to sixteen year olds. <br />Would it be better to offer it to pensioners who want to learn rather than young people who prefer not to be in school? Explain your opinion.<br />In Russia, China and many other countries, there is a tradition of choosing leaders who are quite advanced in years. <br />Do you think that older people make better leaders? Explain your opinion.<br />One of Britain's best-ever leaders was William Pitt, who became Prime Minister when he was 24 and remained in power for 18 years. <br />Could this ever happen in your country? Why/why not?<br />Many elderly people have disabilities which limit their mobility. <br />Do buses, shops and public buildings in your country provide easy access for the disabled or are your towns and cities designed mainly for the young and able-bodied? Why is this?<br />Should the elderly be expected to pay for residential care out of their own savings or should appropriate accommodation and nursing be provided by the tax payer? Explain your opinion. <br />Some people say that men age better than women, and remain attractive longer. Do you agree? Explain your opinion. <br />Some people say that men never grow up, they just get bigger. Do you agree? Explain your opinion. <br />Some people say that young women are usually two to three years more mature than young men. Do you agree? Explain your opinion. <br />In most countries women live an average of five to six years longer than men. Why do you think this is? <br />In some countries having children is considered a way of quot;
investing in the futurequot;
, and young people are expected to give money to their parents when they get a job, and then to care for them when they retire.<br />What are the good points and what are the bad points about this system?<br />Many countries are facing the problem of an quot;
aging populationquot;
, i.e. there will soon be more old people than young people. <br />What problems will this cause? <br />What can be done to prepare for them?<br />What do you think is the ideal age for each of these stages of your life: (Explain your opinion.) <br />What age do you want to live to? <br />How do you feel about your parents growing older? <br />If your parents could no longer care for themselves, would you let them live with you or put them in a nursing home? <br />Are you afraid of getting old? <br />What is your ideal old age to live to? <br />Do you prefer to live in the retirement home or live with young people? <br />Should parents continue to finance their children after the children are 18? <br />Where do you wish to live when you are old? <br />Where do you see yourself when you are 70 years old? <br />Should older people spend their money on themselves, or save it for their children to have after they die? <br />Where do you wish to live when you are old? <br />What advice would you give to an older person who wants to feel young? <br />Some people say that youth is a state of mind, do you agree? <br />Conversation QuestionsAirplanes <br />A Part of Conversation Questions for the ESL Classroom. <br />How old were you when you went on your first flight?<br />Where did you go?<br />Do you like to travel by airplane? <br />What was the longest flight you have ever taken? <br />What seat do you prefer: window, center or aisle? <br />What are three things you're supposed to do before the flight takes off? <br />What do you like to do during the flight? <br />Does the plane provide anything to do to pass the time?<br />What are some movies you remember seeing on the plane? <br />What do you do when you experience turbulence? <br />Have you ever met anyone or established any relationships during a flight? <br />What should be done with obese people who practically take up two seats? <br />Can you sleep during the flight? <br />Have you ever seen a female pilot? <br />Why do you think that most pilots are men?<br />Would you like to be a flight attendant? <br />What are the benefits and /or downfalls?<br />Are most flight attendants female? <br />Is being a flight attendant considered a good job in your country? <br />What do you think are the qualifications? <br />Are planes really safer than cars? ( A British study shows that flying is 176 times safer than walking, 15 times safer than driving and 300 times safer than a motorbike.) <br />Would you rather have a younger, more beautiful/handsome flight attendant or an older, more experienced one? <br />What are the advantages of traveling by airplane? <br />What are the disadvantages?<br />Do you know someone who is afraid of flying in an airplane? <br />What questions should you ask when buying airplane tickets? <br />What is a group rate? <br />What is a charter flight? <br />What arrangements should you make for pick-up at the airport? <br />What things can you see in an airport? <br />What questions do they ask you when you check-in at the airport? <br />What questions do they ask you when going through immigration and customs at the airport? <br />Have you ever seen an airplane crash? <br />Have you ever seen terrorists on the plane? <br />Have you ever met an annoying person during a flight? <br />Have you ever had an accident during a flight? <br />Have you ever work as a flight attendant? <br />Do you only fly one airline? <br />Do you think budget airlines are safe? <br />Do you like to fly? Why or why not? <br />What is the smallest airplane you have ever been on? How small was it? <br />Do you prefer to fly in big planes or small planes? Why? <br />Would you like to learn how to fly? Why or why not? <br />Do you think being a pilot is a good job? Why or why not? <br />Have you ever gone sky-diving? Why or why not? <br />Have you or someone you know ever been in a plane crash? <br />What would you do if you were on a plane that was crashing? <br />Do you like to watch movies or TV about airplane crashes? Why or why not? <br />Do you enjoy the foods on airplane? <br />What arrangements should you make for pick-up at the airport? <br />What things do you see in an airport? <br />What questions do they ask when you check-in at the airport? <br />What questions do they ask when going through immigration/customs at the airport? <br />How much baggage do you take with you? <br />What items should not be included in your hand baggage? <br />What documents do you need for international travel? <br />What airline do you prefer using? <br />How was the service on your last flight? <br />Do you like airline food? <br />Would you pay money for airline food? <br />Do you enjoy talking with strangers on an airplane? <br />Do you enjoy takeoff / landing? <br />What are some airplane disaster movies?<br />Why do you think they are popular? <br />How do the pilot and the co-pilot navigate their planes? <br />What is a boarding pass? <br />When do you pay for airport tax? <br />Where can you hang your coats after boarding an airplane? 5. What do you do when you get blocked ears during take off / landing? <br />What do you do before take off / landing? <br />Where can you smoke while traveling by plane? <br />What do you do when you need a flight attendant's assistance? <br />How can passengers reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis? <br />Amusement Parks<br />A Part of Conversation Questions for the ESL Classroom. <br />Have you ever visited an amusement park? <br />If so, what was it called? <br />Where was it?<br />What has been the best amusement park you have ever visited? Why? <br />What was your favorite ride or activity? Why? <br />What was your worst ride or activity? Why?<br />Was it expensive?<br />If you were to recommend an amusement park, which one would you recommend and why? <br />What rides or activities would you recommend? <br />How regularly do you visit amusement parks? <br />Can you think of an amusement park ride or activity that would be both enjoyable and popular? <br />Are you afraid of going on scary amusement park rides? <br />Do you know of anybody who hurt themselves or died at an amusement park? <br />Even though you may have been terrified by a particular ride, would you go on it again? <br />What are some famous amusement parks near where you live? <br />Have you been to them? <br />How much does it cost to enter? <br />What rides is this amusement park famous for?<br />Do you have any plans to go to an amusement park in the near future? <br />Anger<br />A Part of Conversation Questions for the ESL Classroom. <br />What causes anger? <br />Are there different types of anger? <br />What are various ways people respond to anger? <br />Is anger ever justified? If so, how can we determine whether it is? <br />Is anger ever a good thing? If so, when? Why? <br />Is anger ever a bad thing? If so, when? Why? <br />Are there better and worse ways to respond to one's own anger? <br />How do you decide what to do when you get angry? <br />Do you think men and women show their angry differently? <br />What makes you angry? <br />When was the last time you got angry? <br />Tell us about it.<br />What do you usually do when you get angry? <br />What are the situations that make you angry? <br />What are the physical effects of getting angry? (e.g blood pressure...) <br />Is getting angry an effective way of dealing with problems? <br />