SPEAKING

Politics
 Do you enjoy talking about politics with your family or friends?
 Is voting an important responsibility of a citizen? Do you think it should be made
compulsory?
 Which is better in today’s world – democracy or autocracy?
 Some people say that autocracy is making a comeback. Do you agree?
 Do you think the idea of sortition, used in the democracy of ancient Greece, could work
today?

Success and failure

 How would you define success?
 What would you consider to be your greatest achievement?
 Is money an essential part of success nowadays? Can money buy happiness?
 Can massive failures ever contribute towards a person´s success?
 Is your idea of success the same as your parents’ idea of success?

Communication
 How has the internet changed the way we communicate?
 What negative/positive effects has the internet had on our social lives?
 Which sources do you refer to in order to get the news?
 How do you decide what news sources to trust? Is fake news a problem? Why?
 Which forms of communication may become obsolete?

Health
 How much interest do you take in the issue of health?
 How important is our diet in living a healthy life?
 What do you know about the cost of healthcare in your country?
 What do you think of alternative medicine?
 How do you deal with stress?

Crime
 Do you know anyone who has been a victim of crime?
 Do you think a person’s upbringing and environment lead them to commit crimes?
 In your opinion, what is the most serious crime one can commit?
 What can we do to ensure that youngsters don´t get involved in criminal behaviour?
 What is the most common crime in your region?

People and their lives

 Is privacy a right?
 If you could make one thing illegal, what would it be?
 Is poverty in society inevitable?
 Is humanity headed in the right or the wrong direction?
 What is the difference between living and being alive?
The environment
 Would you say that young people concern themselves with environmental issues?
 Are there any types of natural disaster that occur in your country?
 What can be done to prevent global warming?
  Are governments doing enough to stop the effects of climate change?
 Do you think it should be obligatory to recycle and not doing so should be punishable with a
fine?
Time
 If time travel were possible, which period of history would you like to return to?
 Which five objects would you take to show people what life is like in the 2020s?
 Are you good at getting things done on time or do you procrastinate?
 Which time of the day do you feel you are most productive?
 Are you a ‘night owl’ or an ‘early bird’?
Shopping and buying things
 What´s your view of online shopping?
 Do you think shopping on the internet will ever overtake the conventional way of shopping?
 What possible drawbacks could shopping online have?
 Do you reckon that people spend money on things that they do not need nowadays?
 Have you ever spent an arm and a leg on something?

Education and our own development

 Is it essential to get a degree in today´s society?
 ‘Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty.’ Do you agree?
 Some people say education in school damages originality and creativity. What do you think?
 How do you feel about tests and examinations? Are they necessary?
 Who has taught you a lot in your life?

Travel and tourism

 Are you keen on travelling alone or with others?
 What are the possible difficulties faced when travelling abroad?
 Is spending time in a different country the best way to learn a language?
 Have you ever had a nightmare trip? Why?
 What country would you most like to visit? Why?

Technology
 Would you say that technology has improved our lives?
 What are the possible risks of using the internet?
 What can be done about addiction to technology?
 How much private information are you prepared to share about yourself on the Internet?
 How have technological advances affected education?

Friends, family and relationships

 Would you say you value the opinion of your friends or family more?
 How do you define the world ‘home’?
 What problems do parents have to deal with as their children grow up?
 Is it difficult to balance a family life with a career?
 Who should take of care elderly people?

Globalisation
 What images spring to mind when you hear the word ‘globalisation’?
 In your opinion, what are the positive and negative aspects of globalisation?
 Do you think globalisation will make us all the same in the future?
 Could globalisation have happened without the internet?
 What do you think of the concept of a global village?