Speaking and listening – Pre-intermediate to Upper-intermediate
Let’s talk about COUNTRIES
What is the biggest country in
the world?
What do you know about it?
Do many people visit your
country?
What can tourists see and do
there?
How many countries are there in
the world?
Guess.
What are the most popular
tourist countries?
Guess.
Which countries have you
visited?
Which countries would you like
to visit?
Would you like to live, study or
work in another country?
If so, which country?
If not, why not?
Conversation cards
What is the country with the
most people?
What do you know about it?
Name some landmarks in the city
or country where you live.
(= important sight or feature in the
city or the landscape)
How many currencies do you
know?
Make a list.
What countries would you visit if
you were on a world trip?
Get a map and plan your world
trip.
What countries would you not
want to visit and why?
Plan a 3-week tour around your
country. Make a list of places to
visit, to stay and how to get there.
Give a price estimate (low budget).
How many continents are there?
Can you name them?
Name three countries in three
different continents where it is
always hot and never snows or
freezes.
Name three countries in three
different continents where it
always snows and freezes in
winter.
How many countries can you
name starting with the letter J?
On which continent(s) are they
located?
How many countries can you
name starting with the letter K?
On which continent(s) are they
located?
How many countries can you
name starting with the letter B?
On which continent(s) are they
located?
 Speaking and listening – Pre-intermediate to Upper-intermediate

Russia, capital Moscow, Russian China, capital Beijing, Chinese (most books mention) 7 continents:
PM Putin/President Medvedev Olympics 2008, Three Gorges Dam Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia
St Petersburg; snow, cold, Siberia Shanghai, Shenzen, Tibet (sometimes Oceania), Europe,
vodka, borsch; bears, wolves pandas; rice, Peking duck North America, South America

e.g. Big Ben in London, Eiffel tropical countries, e.g. Brazil,

Tower in Paris, the Great Wall in Thailand, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia,
China, the Empire State Building in DR Congo and many more
NY

Most websites claim there are 195 e.g. pound (UK, Egypt), euro (very) cold countries include
countries (including Taiwan as an (France, Germany, Spain etc., Canada, Russia, Norway, USA
independent country). dollar (US, Canada, Singapore (Alaska)
etc.), peso, yen, yuan, baht, etc.

see table bottom left Japan, Jamaica, Jordan

Kazakstan, Kenya, Kiribati

Korea, North, Korea, South
Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan

Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh,

Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize
Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei,
Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi

International tourist arrivals (2007)

1  France 81.9 million
Match
2  Spain 59.2 million
3  United States 56.0 million Australia – millions of sheep farmed there  9
4  China 54.7 million Brazil – home of the rainforest  2
5  Italy 43.7 million China – where pandas live  12
6  United Kingdom 30.7 million
England – Big Ben and the London Eye  5
7  Germany 24.4 million
India – typical woman  11
8  Ukraine 23.1 million
9  Turkey 22.2 million
Italy - pizza  3
10  Malaysia 22.1 million New Zealand - kiwi  7
11  Mexico 21.0 million Russia – matrioshka dolls  1
12  Greece 21.0 million Thailand – boat, beach and islands  6
13  Austria 20.8 million
Turkey - mosque  8
14  Russia 20.2 million
15  Canada 17.9 million
USA – Statue of Libertt, New York  10
16  Hong Kong 17.2 million Vietnam – traditional conical hat  4
17  Poland 15.0 million
18  Thailand 14.5 million
19  Macau 12.9 million
20  Portugal 12.3 million