classroom questions 23

Conversation Questions
Earthquakes
A Part of Conversation Questions for the ESL Classroom.
• Have you ever experienced an earthquake?
• When was the last earthquake that you remember?
• Has your house been damaged by an earthquake?
• What preparations should you make before the earthquake hits?
• What happens during an earthquake?
• Were you frightened the first time you experience an earthquake?
• What areas of the world have many earthquakes?
• What preparations should you make before the earthquake hits?
• What kind of injuries are caused by earthquakes?
o How do you treat these injuries?
• What frightens people most after an earthquake?
• How can you prepare for a possible earthquake?
• How can you deal with post traumatic stress resulting from an earthquake?
• Where is the best place to go during an earthquake?
• Is it possible to know in advance that an earthquake is coming?
• What kind of strange phenomenon occurred just prior to the Great Hanshin earthquake in
Kobe, Japan?
• Is an earthquake always followed by a tsunami?
• What causes a tsunami after an earthquake?
• How do you measure earthquakes?
• Is your home built to withstand earthquakes?
o Where in your house would you hide if there were an earthquake?
• What causes aftershocks?
• Do you live in an area that has earthquakes?
o Are you afraid to be living in an earthquake prone place?
o Have you thought about moving?
Conversation Questions
Education

A Part of Conversation Questions for the ESL Classroom.
• Are college tuitions reasonable?
• Are foreign languages part of the curriculum? If so, which languages?
• Are most schools coeducational in your country?
• Are there any subjects/classes you wanted to study but they weren't available at your
school/college?
• Are there good colleges in your country?
• Are women encouraged to pursue education?
• Do you have difficulty with school work?
• Do you know anyone who does not know how to read or write?
• Do you think teachers are paid enough?
• Do you think your school is a good one? Why/why not?
• Do you think your teachers give too much homework?
• Do you think it is easier to learn as a child or as an adult?
• Do you think public speaking can improve your english?
• How can we improve our classroom?
• Why English is hard to learn at university level?
• How do you travel to school?
• How long must you go to college to get a degree?
• How much is too much homework? How should the homework load be managed?
• If you have not attended college, do you plan on doing so?
• Is it difficult for people without a college education to get good jobs where you live?
• What are some good ways to learn English?
• What are some important factors in determining which college to attend?
• What are the qualities of a good student?
• What are the qualities of a good teacher?
• What classes would you take?
• What do you study? What's your major?
• What is the average age of a high school graduate?
• What is your favorite class?

• What was (or is) your favorite subject? Why do you like it?
• Who selects the college you will attend -- you or your parents?
• Why are you studying a foreign language?
• Why do you think people become teachers?
• Why is it helpful to learn a Second language ?
• Why is it sometimes very difficult to speak another language?
• Would you consider studying abroad?
• How much free time does a high school student in your country have?
• Do parents home-school their children in your country?
o What do you think of home-schooling?
o Do you know anyone who was home-schooled?
• Do you think that most parents influence what university their child will attend?
• Once you graduate from a university should you stop learning?
o What are some ways a person can continue to learn?
• Does education guarantee a good job?
• Which is more important, the essential skills in life you've learned to develop on your own
or the artificial structure in college about the "real" life?
• Which high schools and colleges are the best in your country?
• Which high schools and colleges are not so good in your country?
• We should not just prepare for life, but live it. Do you agree?
• What kind of world do you think this would be if people never went to school?
• Should education be free?
• Do the elite in your country attend only one or two universities?
• Do elite universities help or harm your country?
• Does your country provide a good public school system?
• Do your children attend US schools? If so, how do their schools differ from those your
children attended back home?
• Does your country have good public universities? If not, why do you think there is a lack of
funding for education in your country?
• What realistic changes would you make to your country's attitude toward education?

• What role do you think human capital plays in the development of countries?
• Why do students cheat during tests and exams?
• How do they cheat?
• What is your attitude towards cheating?
• What are the dangers of cheating?
• How should parents react?
• How should teachers react?
• What is the role of school and decision makers?
• Where do we learn the skills necessary to become a good student - in elementary, middle or
high school?
• What skills separate good students from bad students?
• What do you think about a gap year, is this something you would consider?
• Should people go straight from school to university, or do something different?
• What do you wish your teachers understood about you?
• What is a "genius"?
• Do you think a person can become a genius, or are they just born that way?
• What do you consider to be a "smart" or "slow" person?
• Are things that your school teaches you that you think are not important?
• Are there things your school does not teach that you think it should?
• Are school uniforms good to have? Why/why not?
• Do prefer school uniforms or casuals clothes better?
• Would you ever want to learn a third language? [To be "trilingual"]
• What do you consider "hardworking" or 'lazy"?
Conversation Questions
English Literature & Books
A Part of Conversation Questions for the ESL Classroom.
• How many English authors can you name?
• How many of Shakespeare's plays can you name?
• Have you read a translation of any English books in your language?
• Have you ever read an English translation of a book originally written in your language?

• What sort of books do you enjoy reading?
• Do you prefer fiction or non-fiction?
• What is your favorite book?
• Who is your favorite writer?
• Have you ever read a book and then seen a film of that book?
• Did you read books when you were a child?
• Do you like science-fiction books?
• Do you like love stories?
• Do you like historical stories?
• Has seeing a film ever made you read the book it was based on?
• Do you know any American writers?
• How many books by Charles Dickens can you name?
• Who are the most famous writers in your country?
• How many books do you read per year?
• What makes a 'classic' book?
• How do you believe literature can help you to get familiar with a culture?
• Do you think that books are a thing of the past?
• What are some of the main differences between a novel and a short story?
• How many books do you read per week?
• About how many books do you have in your house?
• Do you have a library card?
o Are you a member of any public library?
• Do you prefer reading books or short stories?
• Who is your favorite character from literature?
• Do you like to write your own short stories?
o Do you keep a journal?
• What sort of books do you enjoy reading?
• Which book have you read recently?
• Do you give books to your friends as a present?
o If so, what was the last book you gave?

o Why did you choose that book?
• Some people say that "books are best friends". Is that true for you?
• Do you have your own library? If so, does that mean you like books?
• Some people don't read books or read very rarely, Why?
• Are book prices too high to buy in your hometown?
• What about authors? Are you selective about authors?
• Who is your favorite author?
• What is your favorite "quote"?
• What literature course did you like best in college?
• Why is literature important in our lives?
• What kinds of literature do you enjoy?
• Do you like literature from other countries as well? If so, what kind?
• Do you like authors from other countries as well? If so, who?
• Do you like titles from other countries as well? If so, which ones?
• What kinds of books or which authors don't you like?
• Tell us a little about a book you have read recently?
o Did you enjoy it?
o How long did it take to read?
o Briefly, what was the story about?
Conversation Questions
English Study
A Part of Conversation Questions for the ESL Classroom.
• Do you think English is a difficult language to learn?
• Have you ever spoken English on the phone?
• How often do you practice your English?
• What is your favorite way to practice your English? (UK spelling = favourite)
• What is the most difficult thing about English?
• Why are you learning English?
• What do you think you will be able to do in English in the future?
Conversation Questions

Entertainment
A Part of Conversation Questions for the ESL Classroom.
• What is the most popular drama/comedy/game show in your country, and what is the story-
line (drama) or format (game show)?
• Do you like to watch cartoons?
• What did you watch on TV yesterday?
• What is one of your favorite TV shows?
o Why do you like it?
o When is it on?
o Does you father like it, too?
• Do you listen to classical music? Why or why not?
• Have you ever been to a play? If so, when was the last time?
• Have you ever been to Disneyland?
• Have you ever been to the theater?
• Have you ever hosted a party?
• Have you ever tried water skiing?
• Have you ever used a slot machine?
• How far in advance do you begin planning a vacation?
• How often do you go to parties?
• How often do you read comic books?
• How often do you visit museums? When was the last time?
• Is gambling legal where you live?
• Should books be censored?
• Do you often go drinking? Where? Who with? How often?
• Should movies be rated? Explain.
• What are some forms of gambling people do in your country?
• What are some games that you don't like to play? Why?
• What are some good books that you have read?
o What is the best book you have ever read?
• What are some of the good movies you have seen?

• What are some of the most popular amusement parks in your country?
• What are some things you can do without spending a cent?
• What computer games have you played?
Which are your favorites?
o Which do you think are not so interesting?
• What do you do in your spare time?
• What do you like to do on a night out?
• What do you think of soccer? (baseball, hang gliding, ...)
• What games are popular in your country? Why are they popular?
• What is your favorite game? Why?
• What is your favorite holiday? Why?
• What kind of music do you like?
• What kind of things do you like to read?
• What singer would you most like to meet?
• What was the last book you read?
• What's the most popular holiday in your country?
o When is it?