1.

Hobbie
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
2. Tim
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
3. Slee
As people get older, they start to appreciate a good night’s sleep
more and more. This topic is often a favorite for all. 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
4. Musi
Everybody loves music and most people feel very strong emotions
towards 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
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 • 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
5. First Date
Unless you’re teaching in a place where arranged marriages are the
thing to do, talking about rst dates gets everybody interested.
We’ve all been there. You could ask questions like
• How many rst dates have you had
• How do you feel about rst dates
• What is a common rst date like in your country
• What is the best/worst rst date experience you’ve ever had
• What makes a good rst date in your opinion
6. Wor
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. Ris
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 de nition 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. Foo
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
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 • 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. Motivatio
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. Beaut
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 arti cial 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. Crim
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
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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. Lov
Everybody loves love and most people have had some rsthand
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. Goal
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. Dream
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
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 • What is your opinion on premonitions? Are they real

• What are examples of memorable dreams you have had
15. Restaurant
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. Cookin
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. Mone
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. Shoppin
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
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 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. Plan
Everybody makes plans and discussing them could even in uence
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. Book
Books make for a good discussion topic because most people enjoy
a good book
When you read, your mind is lled 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. Sport
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
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 • 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. Lif
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

Culture Di erences 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 nger, 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?)
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• 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 rst 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?
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• If you could be born at a di erent 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 nd directions?
• Have you ever fallen in love? If no, do you want to nd
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?
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• 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 nd 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?
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Daily life questions
1. What’s one thing in your home you couldn’t live without? Why?
2. 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.)
3. 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.)
4. How do you cope with stress? (Or “How do you relax after a busy
week?”)
5. What is the most challenging part of your job or your studies? What is
the most rewarding part?
6. If you could live anywhere in the world for one year, where would you
live and why?
7. Can you think of a time when a failure actually worked out well? Tell me
about it.

Hobby/interest questions
8. What was the last movie you saw at the theater? Tell me about it
(without spoiling the ending).
9. What is one thing you’ve never done but would like to do?
10. If you had to give up your cellphone, your computer, or your TV, which
one item would you choose to give up and why?
11. If you could only eat one type of food for the rest of your life, what
would it be?
12. If you were going on a twelve-hour ight 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.)
13. 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.
14. Do you think marriage as an institution is outdated? Why or why not?
15. How do you think technology, such as smartphones and social media,
has changed the way we interact with people?
16. What is your opinion about legalizing marijuana?
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 17. Do you think US colleges are e ective (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.)
18. 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.)
19. 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.)
20. What is your opinion about violence in TV, movies, and video games?

Miscellaneous questions
21. 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.)
22. 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.)
23. 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.)
24. If you were making a movie about your life, which actor/actress would
play the part of you? Why did you choose this person?

For each of the following topics, we will include an overview, as well

as a few questions to get you started
Staying Healthy
As we get older, we must all face the reality of our aging bodies.
When you were young, you probably weren’t very concerned about
diet, exercise, cholesterol, or annual check-ups. However, changing
health is now a daily reality. As a result, this is a topic that most
adults will nd relevant
Here are a few good questions for your next discussion on health
• What do you do to stay healthy
• Have your health habits changed since you were younger? If
so, how
• What kind of remedies do you use for common ailments
• Have you ever gone on a diet
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 Parenting
Even if you don’t have children (and don’t plan to have any in the
future), you probably have an opinion about parenting. Parenting
styles can vary greatly between different families, and this is a great
opportunity to discuss issues related to having and raising children
Any of the following questions will help get you started

• In your opinion, what did your parent(s) do best? What could

they have done better
• Do you think there is a “right” way to raise children
Change
Change is a natural part of life. While some people embrace
change, other people fear it. Though this is a very general topic, it
can be applied to many different aspects of adult life, from
relationships to education
Here are a few sample questions on change
• How has fashion changed over the course of your life
• Can people change over time, or do you think our personalities
and behavior are pretty much set in stone
• What social changes would you like to see in your country
• If you could change one thing about your life, what would it
be
Cultural Differences
When you meet someone from a different country, cultural
differences are almost bound to come up. This is because many
people enjoy talking about the unique aspects of their home
country. While you should always be careful and show respect for
other cultures, you shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions and learn
more about different places
Here are some useful conversation starters
• Have you traveled outside of your home country
• What role does family play in your home country
• Do you celebrate any unique holidays in your culture
• What aspects of your culture do you like? What aspects do
you dislike
Work
Whether you’ve only been in the workforce for a short time or you’re
nearing retirement, you’ve probably got a few interesting stories to
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 tell. For better or worse, work takes up the vast majority of your
adult life. As part of this topic, you can delve into related topics like
getting promotions, career aspirations, and work culture
The following questions are just the tip of the iceberg
• What was your rst job
• Do you prefer to work alone or as part of a team
• Do you enjoy your work
• Have you ever had a mentor at work? If so, what did you learn
from them
Budgeting
Even if you have a very high-income job, you probably need to
budget your money to one degree or another. With bills, taxes, and
day-to-day expenses, budgeting is a necessary consequence of
being an adult. While it’s considered impolite to ask personal
questions about income, this doesn’t mean you can’t discuss
certain habits or behaviors related to money
Here are some good ways to talk about budgeting
• Do you like to splurge on things or do you prefer to stay frugal
• Do you make a list of items you need to buy before you leave
the house
• Have you ever experienced “buyer’s remorse”
• Is there a high-quality product or service that you don’t mind
paying a little extra for
Sports
Sports like soccer, baseball, and basketball are some of the most
popular hobbies and pastimes in the world. However, not every
adult is a huge sports fanatic. Nonetheless, most people have had
some experience playing or watching sports, even if they are not
passionate about the subject
So, here are a few questions to help you talk about sports in
English
• Do you have a favorite sport? Favorite team? Favorite player
• Did you ever play sports as a child? If so, which ones
• What is the most popular sport in your home country
• Do you prefer to watch sports or play sports
Technology
Ever-changing technology is an aspect of the modern world that
affects everyone. From AI replacing human workers to medical
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 inventions saving millions of lives, the possibilities with technology

are practically limitless. This also makes technology a fun and
interesting topic of conversation for adult English students
Here are a few sample questions on technology
• Is technology an important part of your daily life
• Which technological inventions or breakthroughs have had the
biggest impact on your life
• Do you think people spend too much time on their
smartphones
• Do you think robots will ever become “too” advanced
Stress
While stress is not fun to experience, it can be a very interesting
topic of conversation. Discussing stress is also a great way to
address issues that cause it, so your conversation can be highly
therapeutic. Stress is something that every adult experiences,
which also makes it a great topic for your next English conversation
Here are a few stress-related questions
• What are some common causes of stress for people
• Do you feel more stressed as an adult than you did as a child
• How do you personally deal with stress
• Do you think there are any bene ts of stress
Crime and Punishment
Crime is something that almost everyone has an opinion about.
Your views on crime and punishment are likely in uenced by where
you were born, your upbringing, and your political views, among
other things
Crime can also be a great segue into related issues like class
differences and the role of government in society. Be prepared
though, as you might encounter some strong opinions on these
topics
Here are a few relevant questions
• Do you think that there is such a thing as a “victimless” crime
• Have you ever witnessed a crime? If so, what happened
• Do you believe in capital punishment
• Do you think punishments for crime in your country are too
severe or not severe enough
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We hope you found these conversation topics for adults learning

English useful. Now you have plenty to talk about in your next
English conversation