CONVERSATION TOPICS - Advanced level

CONVERSATION TOPICS - ADVANCED LEVEL

1. Rich world, poor world

o What kind of aid should the governments of rich countries give to
poor countries? (money - food - medicine - machinery/equipent -
hospitals - schools - training ...)
o Do you think all citizens should be encouraged to do voluntary service
overseas so as to understand the problems of poorer countries?
o Are the poor poor because they lack opportunities or because they are
lazy? What reasons can you think of?
o Is it right for rich countries to have strict immigration controls?

2. Fake news
Fake news (fabricated news) is the deliberate spread of misinformation.
Sensationalist, dishonest or outright fabricated headlines are often used to
increase readership.
o Do you agree with the above definition?
o Where do we most often find fake news? (newspapers, social
media ...)
o What sort of fake news can you think of? (politics, show business...)
o How can we tell if a news story is ‘fake’ or not? (checking sources,
dates, photos…)
o What is the purpose of the misinformation?
o Is fake news used in election campaigns?
o Have any countries recently been accused of spreading fake news?
o Can you think of ways to prevent the circulation of fake news?

3. Violence in the world today

o When you hear the word "violence", what do you think of?
o Is the world more violent today?
o Are there different sorts of violence? (physical / mental
/psychological/domestic …)
o What forms of violence have you noticed?
o Do people tend to be more violent when they group together? (gangs /
mobs / crowds…)
o In what areas is there an increase in the level of violence? (football,
politics, religion, environment …)
o What are the causes of violence? (jealousy, frustration,
unemployment, poverty, conspiracy theories, fake news …)
o What violent conflicts are going on around the world?
o Does the repetition of violent images in TV news reports have a
positive or negative effect?
o Does violence ever achieve anything?
o Is the increase in violence a worldwide phenomenon?
o What could be done to reduce violence?

4. What would you do if ...?

 o If you were given the opportunity to be born again, what would you
change in your life?
o If you could have dinner with someone, dead or alive, who would you
choose and why?
o If you always had to tell the truth, what kind of problems would you
encounter?
o If you could live without sleeping, how would you spend your nights?
o If you were given a choice between great wisdom or great wealth,
which would you choose?
o If you could live forever on earth, as it is now, would you? Why or
why not?

5. Natural disasters
o What is a natural disaster? (fires, flooding, landslides, earthquakes ...)
o Has there ever been a natural disaster where you live?
o Have you ever been in a fire or witnessed one?
o If you had to leave your home quickly, what would you take with you?
o What are the worst consequences of a natural disaster?
o What would you do if you lost all your possessions?
o Can a person rebuild his/her life after losing everything?

6. Annoying things
o Do people have habits that annoy you?
o Do you annoy people with some of your habits?
o What does 'pet peeve' mean?
o Do you have a pet peeve?
o What annoys you when you are driving a car?
o What are some things that car drivers do that annoy you?
o Does it annoy you if someone cuts in front of you when you are
waiting in line?
o Does smoking bother you?
o Does something that your parents or friends do annoy you?
o Do some people in your office/company do annoying things?
o Can you think of any celebrities that are annoying? Why?
o What do people do on public transport or on the street that annoys
you?

7. Success-Failure
o How would you define success?
o Do you have the same idea of success as your parents?
o To what extent will your encourage your children to become
successful?
o Do you think failures can contribute to a person's success?
o Can you think of any famous people who encountered failure before
success?

8. Social Networking
o What is social networking?
 o Can social networking sites be dangerous?
o What precautions would you advise people to take?
o Should the use of social networking sites be banned at work?
o Are social networking sites changing our daily behaviour?
o Is it possible to become a social networking addict?

9. Diseases
o What dangerous diseases are people scared of nowadays?
o Should we be better-informed about the dangers of these diseases?
o What is the best way to stop diseases from spreading?
o Do diseases have an effect on travel?
o Which disease is it urgent to find a cure for?

10. Manners
o Are good manners important?
o Do people have better manners today than before?
o Can you give examples of what you think are good manners?
o What do you think are bad manners?
o Can good manners in one country be bad manners in another country?
o What about table manners? Can you give examples of some good table
manners?
o How about bad table manners?
o Can manners affect your success in life? How?
o What's the best way to teach manners to children?
o What advice about manners would you give a foreigner visiting your
country?

11. News coverage in the media today.

o Do you think news coverage today correctly describes what is going
on in the world?
o Do you trust everything you hear or see on the news?
o What improvements would you make?
o What is the most important current news story?
o Do certain types of events get too much/too little coverage?
o Do you trust the media? Are you sure the information given is always
true?
o Is it important to keep up with current events?

12. Job interviews

o Is it necessary to prepare for a job interview?
o How can a person make a good first impression?
o Is there a recommended dress code for an interview?
o Can you think of any difficult questions one should be prepared for?
o Is there anything a candidate should avoid mentioning?
o Is it ok to make negative comments about your present employer?
o Is it ok for interviewers to ask questions about age, marital status, etc.?
o What information should a candidate have about the company?
13. Environment
o What are some of the most serious environmental problems today?
o Can you find ten things that each of us can do to help preserve our
planet?
o What is your opinion on climate change?
o In what way will our children be affected by climate change?
o How can we make our homes more environmentally friendly?
o What can companies do to help preserve the environment?
o Which countries cause the most pollution?
o If we run out of oil, where will we get our energy from?

14. Shopping on the internet

o Do you often do your shopping online?
o What do you buy online? :
- food
- clothes
- furniture
- services : airline tickets, theatre reservations, flowers, greeting
cards ...
- other
o Are the prices the same as in the shops/agencies or less expensive?
o Have you ever had any disappointments or bad surprises?
o What are the advantages of shopping online?
o What are the dangers?
o What advice would you give future online shoppers?

15. Risk
o What is your definition of risk?
o Do you know any risk takers?
o In your opinion why do people take risks? (pleasure, work,
challenge ...)
o What risks do you come across in your work/life?
o Are some people obliged to take risks in their jobs?
o When is a risk stupid or unnecessary?

16. Politicians' personal lives.

o Does a politician's personal life have an effect on their ability to do
their job?
o Do you think the media pays too much attention to politicians'
personal lives?
o Why do certain types of media give excessive coverage to minor
offences?
o Information concerning personal lives circulates quickly on social
networks.
Is this good or bad?

17. History for future generations.

 o You are asked to select a number of objects to represent life at the
beginning of the 21st century.
The idea is to help future generations better understand how we lived
and what major events affected us.
What objects would your choose and why?

18. Technology
o What technology would it be difficult to live without today?
o Has technology changed our everyday lifestyle?
o What technology, if any, has made our homes more comfortable?
o Has technology changed education methods?
o Has technology changed the way we do business?
o Will online education one day replace the classroom?

19. Travelling has become easier and cheaper.  What has it changed in
people's lives:
o speed, comfort, health, family relationships, etc.
o work/employment
o holiday habits
o way of life/standard of living in certain countries.

20. Describe the best or worst trip you ever took:

o Where did you go?
o Did you travel alone or with a group?
o What did you do / what had you intended to do?
o What made it your best (or worst) trip?
o What advice would you give someone planning the same sort of trip?

21. Work
o Do human beings need to work to be happy?
o What motivates people to work long hours?
o Can perks (or fringe benefits) compensate for a boring job?
o What are the advantages/disadvantages of working from home?
o How do people find a balance between work and personal life?
o What would make you leave your job?
o In your opinion, which jobs are most prestigious? Why?
o In your opinion, what is the worst job in the world?
o If you could start your own business, what would it be?

22. Is life today better than in the past? Think about the following:
o Education - employment - job satisfaction
o Health : prevention, treatment, new discoveries, social security, etc.
o Comfort : standard of living (housing/transport/leisure)
o Violence
o Social issues : single mothers, unmarried couples, homosexuality ...

23. Inventions
o What invention has had the greatest impact on our lives?
o Are there some things that never should have been invented?
 o Do some countries encourage inventors more than others?

24. What are the 5 most important decisions in a person's life?

After making suggestions and defending their ideas, the group retains five of
them and decides on the order of importance.

25. It is impossible to have a successful career and a happy family life.

You have to choose one or the other. Do you agree?

26. Careers today: how to advise young people

o How important is it to have a good (well-paid/secure) job?
o What advice would you give a young person today?
o Would you encourage your children to accept a job in another
country?
o Would you be disappointed if your children
left school early?
chose a manual job?

27. The internet is an essential communication tool in today's world.

o The first and most popular use is the email. What others can you think
of?
o Has fraud increased since the arrival of the internet? How?
o Is the internet sometimes used for other dishonest purposes?
o What steps would you advise to protect data and privacy?
o What do you think the internet will be used for in the future?

28. Recent physical achievements (crossing the Atlantic, mountain

climbing, etc.).
o How many can you think of?
o Which achievement was the most impressive?
o Are the world's best athletes present at the Olympic Games?
o What do you think of 'extreme' sports (bungee jumping, tightrope
walking...)?

29. The effects of medical and scientific progress:

o health (prevention, treatment, organ transplants, rare diseases, etc.)
o beauty (plastic surgery, dental care, etc.)
o comfort in the home
o transport

30. Honesty - Truthfulness

o Is there a difference between honesty and truthfulness?
o Can you think of occasions when people are sometimes dishonest?
o What professions are sometimes accused of giving misleading
information or half-truths?
o Is dishonesty ever justifiable?
o Are there times when it might be better to give partial truth to
someone

31. Politics
 o What do you think is the most important political issue right now?
o Why do you think there are not more women in politics?
o What type of information - if any - should a government keep from its
citizens?

5. First Dates

Unless you’re teaching in a place where arranged marriages are the thing to do, talking
about first dates gets everybody interested. We’ve all been there. You could ask
questions like:

 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?
6. Work

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?

 How do/did you like the work?
 What is your dream job?
 What work is common in your city/area/country?
 What is your general view about work? Why?
7. Risk

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?
8. Food
Food is possibly the most universal topic of them all and everyone loves to discuss what
they eat. 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 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?
9. Motivation

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

 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 demotivated?
 What is a good way to motivate others?
10. Beauty

Beauty is one of those topics that’s conventionally more geared toward women than it is
to men. However, 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. Plus, men might surprise you by caring to chime in on beauty, looks and
grooming.

This makes it a good topic to discuss to get some opinions and various views within a
group of students. You could ask questions like:

 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?
11. Crime

Crime may not be on the top of people’s lists of favorite topics but it’s something that’s
talked about. Depending on your adult students’ life experiences, it may be something
that has affected their lives. Learning to discuss it could help your students out 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?
12. Love

Everybody loves love and most people have had some firsthand experience 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?
13. Goals

We all have goals and talking about them actually gets us more encouraged to do
something about them. Sharing goals is also a good thing to help get them done. 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?
14. Dreams

We all have dreams, sometimes on a nightly basis, and talking about them is a great
discussion topic for classes as they inspire 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?
15. Restaurants

Along with eating, everybody loves talking about their favorite eateries and restaurants.
Some students could 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?
16. Cooking
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?
17. Money

If there is a topic that everyone loves deep down, it has to be money. People love
talking about money. Well, may not if they’re broke—but even if they are, it’s a good,
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?
18. Shopping

This one is a personal favorite for many. Shopping is becoming more and more
prevalent and brings out some zest in some people. They just love shopping! 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?
 How do you think shopping will be like in the future?
19. Plans

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?
20. Books

Books make for a good discussion topic because most people enjoy a good book.
When you read, your mind is filled with new images, feelings, ideas and thoughts.
Books also empower and educate people, so your adult students may believe in the
value of books. It can be immensely satisfying for adult students 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?
21. Sports

Now comes a topic that more men may favor, but it’s still good for classes since female
spectators are on the rise. Some students may also have children that enjoy sports! A
few good examples 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?
22. Life

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

Practicing discussions on life is a good topic to cover since everyone has their own
views and thoughts on the ubiquitous 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 life?
 What important life lessons have you learned?
  If tomorrow was your last day to live, what would you do?
23. Television

Television is one of those topics that everyone has an opinion about. The irony of it is
that even though more and more programming is viewed on computers and tablets,
television is still a hot topic classes love to discuss. 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?
24. Learning

Learning is like nature—it’s all around us, even on a subconscious level. Our brains are
built to absorb, filter and store information. Discussion about learning could actually
stimulate some English learning amongst the students! 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?
25. Movies

Like television, talking about movies is a topic that has something to be said by
everybody. 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?
26. Games

Games are fun and everybody enjoys fun, no?

But in all seriousness, talking about games gets discussion more geared towards past
tense, which gives the 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?
27. Computers

The year is 2019 and you can’t go a day without talking about computers. A greatly
universal topic that could have students discussing quite a few things, which could all
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?
28. Problems

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?

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 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 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 backwards or talk backwards 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?