presentation esl discussion

Creative Resources for ESL/EFL Teachers

ESL Presentation Topics: 12 Mini Presentations

ESL presentation topics for intermediate and upper intermediate students. Great as a warm-up or a speaking lesson.

You can use the slideshow and share your screen on Zoom or other app when teaching online. Just click on the full screen option in the top right corner of the slideshow.

I used it with my students during our online lesson and we didn’t even have time to discuss all the topics, because they couldn’t stop talking. I was quite impressed how much they knew and also how well they could express their opinions.

One of the reasons why I love conversation activities is that I learn so much about my students. I think that we often underestimate our students and see them as the stereotypical lazy teenagers. Activities like these can show us that they are much more than that.

You can also download the PDF for easy printing below.

Other picture-based resources:

ESL Exam Speaking Picture Description and Questions

No-Prep ESL Picture Description Speaking Activity

Picture Based Speaking Activity For ESL/EFL Classes

Picture Prompts for Speaking and Writing: An ESL Activity

ESL Picture Description: Exam Skills Practice

Food and Travel ESL Lesson: Interactive Online Lesson

Conversation resources:

Popular Conversation Topics for (not only) Adults and Teenagers: 50 Questions

Conversation Starters: 30 Interesting Conversation Questions Not Only For ESL Students

Conversation Questions Gerunds and Infinitives: ESL Speaking Activity

30 Hypothetical Conversation Questions for ESL Students

ESL Conversation Topics

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ESL Conversation Lesson: Game Of Thrones And Traveling

A fun ESL conversation lesson based on a short video on real life Game of Thrones locations. Discussion questions and a vocabulary matching exercise.

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Passive Voice Conversation Questions Form: a form of the verb ‘to be'(used to change the tense) + past participle Tense Active Passive Present simple I make dinner. Dinner is made (by me). Present continuous I am making dinner. Dinner is being made (by me). Past simple I made dinner. Dinner…

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Amazing! Thanks a lot

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ESL Speaking

Games + Activities to Try Out Today!

in Activities for Adults

Presentation Projects for Students | ESL Presentation Ideas

If you do presentation with your language classes , then you’ll need to check out some of these presentation project ideas. Get beyond the boring old PowerPoint presentation and use some of these creative ideas to bring a bit of excitement and life back into your classes.

Presentation Projects and Ideas for ESL students

Your students will love it, and it’ll also keep things fresh for you if you’ve seen the same old projects year after year.

Presentation Projects for ESL/EFL Students

Over the years teaching in a Korean university , I’ve had students do plenty of presentation projects, with varying degrees of success . I hope that you can learn from my mistakes and make your ESL speaking classes as awesome as possible.

Presentation projects, if set up well are an excellent way to add a bit of variety to the ESL classroom. After all, students get tired of hearing the teacher talk all the time! And you probably get tired of talking. I know that I always did! Plus, it’s fun to hear what students have to say.

Here are my top presentation projects for ESL/EFL students.

• Basic speech (not recommended!)
• Presentation, then discussion time
• Poster presentation
• Making a movie
• PowerPoint presentation
• Impromptu presentation
• Teaching the class how to do something

If you teach business English, then the sky is kind of the limit in terms of what topics you choose. You could focus on just about anything that students may expect to present on when they start working in a company.

#1: A Basic Speech

Each student has to choose from a variety of topics such as family , food, dreams or hobby. They have to speak for between 1.5 and 2 minutes. I did this only once, with low-level students and it was ridiculously boring such that I never did it again.

The main problem is all the presentations are basically the same and go a little something like this: “I have a mom. She is 49 years old. She has brown hair and black eyes. I have a dad. He is 57 years old. My dad has brown hair and black eyes. He is short.” Word for word, almost the same!

Trust me, they were some of the most tedious and excruciating hours of my entire life. It was from this point on that I vowed to never set up a presentation like this again. I got a lot more creative and made students talk about things that were more varied and interesting.

Of course, the bad results from this experiment were totally my fault. I should have chosen more interesting topics for the students, or given them better guidelines. Seriously, better ESL presentations topics would have made a big difference here and I really have nobody to blame but myself!

Maybe Not Terrible if…

This style of presentation could have been far less bad if I had done a better job setting it up. I should have set the topic to something like, “Current events.” That way, students would have been forced to choose something in the news and the presentation topics would have been quite varied.

Or, I could have required some visual aids to make it a bit more interesting for the students.

#2: Presentation, and then Discussion Time

Each group has to give a presentation about a topic of their choosing and think of at least 5 interesting questions/surveys/activities that groups could discuss or do for about 20 minutes after their presentation. This often works best if the presentation is based on 2-3 articles that the students have to send you in advance.

This presentation project ideas had varying results, since some groups chose a topic that led to a lot of “yes/no” answers and discussions that lasted about 5 minutes, at most.

However, this could have been avoided by personally approving the topics in advance and requiring groups to submit their assignment for feedback a week or two before the actual presentation. I blame nobody but myself for the failure on this one!

This ideas for presentation projects isn’t a bad one, if you set it up well. It can work well for English majors or advanced level students who want a class filled with conversation and discussion.

#3: Poster Presentation

A poster is one of my favourite presentation projects. Each group has to choose a current controversial issue (like environmental pollution, suicide, North Korea) and make a poster that had English writing and some interesting pictures on it. Set a (low) max number of words or your posters will be terrible and filled with wordy death!

Then, the students have to do a presentation based on the poster where each group member speaks for 1-2 minutes, without a paper.

For this one, it’s very important that you require no paper script, or you’ll just have students reading off their notes. Also, don’t allow students to put too many words on the poster, or you’ll have students reading off of this.

If I ever did this again, I would do something where the audience was more involved, such as peer grading. Or, I would require each group watching the presentation to think of at least 1 question to ask and they’d get a point for doing so. Basically, it’d give the rest of the students in the class a reason to listen.

It’s potentially an excellent group presentation project!

ESL presentation ideas

#4 Presentation Projects: Making a Movie

Another ESL presentation idea is to have students make a movie. It’s easier than ever these days because almost everybody has a smartphone, and it’s free to upload the video to YouTube. This works particularly well if you teach film, art or fashion students and you’ll get some amazing results. It’s actually one of my favourite ESL projects these days.

You can have a fun “viewing day” in class and encourage everyone to bring a snack! It’s a nice change from the regular old textbook thing.

Here’s how I’ve done movie projects.

• I put students into groups of 4-5. One person can “film” the project and then you can have 2-3 actors. Finally, one person might be designated the write the script or edit. However, I leave it up to the group how they want to divide the roles and not everyone has to appear on camera.
• I set a minimum and maximum time for the movie (usually 3-5 minutes), as well as a certain number of English sentences that must be spoken during that time. It must be a story of some kind that makes sense.
• I’ll usually give a topic or theme of some kind, but may leave it open.

I evaluate it based on the following things:

• Quality of English
• Interesting story
• Quality of production (I don’t expect a lot, but just basic stuff like making sure it’s bright enough, we can hear the people talking, etc.)

The quality of English usually gets around 10 marks, while the other two categorie s are each worth five.

#5: PowerPoint Presentation

This has the potential to be very interesting, or PPT death. It all depends on how you set the presentation project up.

If you do go with this method, you should set a maximum number of slides and also a maximum numbers of words per slide (5-10?). Emphasize to students that you want to see pictures, charts, etc. and not a wall of text.

I generally allow each group to have 1 intro and 1 conclusion slide, and then 1 slide per group member. So if there are 6 students in the group, it’ll be 8 slides. I usually say that each student has to talk about their slide for 30 seconds to 2 minutes, depending on the level.

Teach students how to make good PowerPoints and then penalize heavily for not following your recommendations. You should also coach students on how to stand to the side and keep their body pointed towards the audience. Eye contact is key!

This is an excellent idea for presentation projects, if some key expectations are set out in advance. Eye contact/don’t look at screen, pictures instead of words on the PowerPoint, etc.

#6: Just a Minute Impromptu Presentation

If you want to give your students some practice with making impromptu, or off the cuff style of speeches, then Just a Minute may be exactly what you need. It’s a toastmasters style activity and makes the perfect warm-up activity for intermediate or advanced level students.

You can also turn this into a listening activity, instead of just an ESL presentation by requiring the other students in the group to ask follow-up questions. Try this one with your classes and I think your students will really enjoy the challenge.

Find out more about it here:

Just a Minute ESL Speaking Activity

Impromptu presentation skills are never a bad thing for students (or anyone) to practice!

#7: Teaching Others How to Do Something

One of the best presentation ideas for students is to get them to teach the class how to do something. I’ve done this a few times now and they are some of my most memorable classes.

The way it works is that students choose something they know how to do well. Students in the past having chosen things like:

• How to fry an egg
• Heading a soccer ball
• Playing the guitar
• Getting dates
• Making sure their parents give them enough spending money
• Eating out cheaply around the university
• Getting the best class schedule

I allow students to bring in props, material or make a simple powerpoint presentation with pictures (no text) to explain.

#8: What are you Cooking?

If you want to have your students do some fun presentations in a more informal kind of way, then consider trying out “What are you Cooking?” Students have to plan a 3-course meal based on ingredients from their classmates and then make a presentation to the class who votes on the best menu.

Sounds interesting? I think you’ll love it so give it a try today. More information here: What are you Cooking?

#9: An Informative Speech

ESL Presentations FAQs

There are a number of common questions that people have about making presentation in English. Here are the answers to some of the most popular ones.

Why are Presentations Important for Students?

Having students give presentations is important for delivering a positive learning environment. They can also help teach communication skills and assist with students feeling comfortable talking in front of a group of people. Finally, they are an engaging way to share ideas and help students build confidence.

What Makes a Great Presentation?

A great presentation is very memorable. This can be done in various ways, but graphics, images, relevant facts, story telling and humour play an important role. Finally, a memorable presentation motivates the audience to action.

What are the Advantages of a Presentation?

Businesses and people in general use presentations for various reasons. The advantage of them is that they can educate, motivate, and persuade in a more interesting way than the written word alone can.

Should Students Memorize Speeches?

Should you make students memorize their presentation, or not? It’s an interesting question and I certainly see points for both sides. However, I generally lead towards the memorization thing because…

• It results in presentations that are far more interesting for the audience
• I only require 30 seconds-2 minutes of speaking. It’s not a big task to memorize this amount
• It helps students remember vocabulary and key phrases

That said, I do know that students get nervous and that this can be a big ask. It’s for this reason that I tell students to bring their notes up to the front with this, but to leave them in their pocket.

If they have an emergency (forget what to say!), they can take it out and use it. But, only once if they don’t want to get a penalty. After that, put it aside and continue on.

I’m usually kind and if a student has to do this twice, I don’t mind. My main point is that I don’t want students reading exclusively off of a paper.

What are some Things to Consider for Presentations in English?

If you’re going to have your students do an ESL presentation, there are a number of factors that you’ll want to consider.

• How to explain the task in a simple way that students can understand what they need to do. How will you evaluate it?
• When will students prepare (outside, or inside of class. A combination of both often works well).
• What kind of equipment can students use (Projector, or not).
• How students will deliver the presentation. Will you expect things like gestures and eye contact?
• What kind of language will the students use? Will you teach them about the introduction (I would like to start by…) and conclusion (In conclusion, you can see that…), as well as transition sentences (Moving on to…). The style of the speech (persuasive, informative, etc.) is important for this.
• What will the rest of the class be doing while the presentations are happening? Is there a listening task you can assign to make this activity even more valuable?

The biggest tip I can give you is to be clear about the terms of the assignment. And, also how you will evaluate it. If expectations are clear, results will be far better and your life will be easier as well because you won’t have to answer the same questions over and over again.

What are the Top 20 ESL Presentation Topics?

Here are some of the most common topics that you may consider assigning to your students:

• Family (can be sensitive for some though)
• Current events
• If I had a million dollars…
• Vacation (past or future dream)
• Ideal first date
• TV and movies
• Favourite book
• Time, and how do you spend it
• An ideal first date
• Jobs and work
• Some future goals
• A favourite restaurant
• Money (saver or spender)
• Future plans
• Controversial topics
• Teaching someone how to do something
• If you were the president…

These interesting topics means that you presentation projects will be better than ever! No more boring, okay? Okay.

Do you Like these Ideas for Presentation Projects?

• Amazon Kindle Edition
• Bolen, Jackie (Author)
• English (Publication Language)
• 148 Pages - 03/09/2016 (Publication Date)

Then you’re going to love this book, 101 ESL Activities: For Teenagers and Adults . It’s an extremely practical, well-organized teaching guide that will help you plan your lessons in no time. The best part about it is that your students will be having fun, while learning English.

The book is available in both digital and print formats. The (cheaper!) digital one can be read on any device-Kindle, Mac, Pc, Smartphone, or tablet by downloading the free Kindle reading app from Amazon. It’s super-easy to have some top-quality ESL activities and games at your fingertips at all times.

Keep a copy on the bookshelf in your office and use it as a handy reference guide. Or, bring a copy with your on your phone or tablet to your favourite coffee shop for lesson planning on the go. It really is that easy to make your English classes even better.

Check out the book on Amazon by clicking the link below:

Have your Say about ESL Presentation Ideas

What’s your top ESL presentation project ideas? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think. We’d love to hear from you.

Also be sure to give this a share on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest. It’ll help other teachers, like yourself find this useful teaching resource.

Last update on 2024-04-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

About Jackie

Jackie Bolen has been teaching English for more than 15 years to students in South Korea and Canada. She's taught all ages, levels and kinds of TEFL classes. She holds an MA degree, along with the Celta and Delta English teaching certifications.

Jackie is the author of more than 100 books for English teachers and English learners, including 101 ESL Activities for Teenagers and Adults and 1001 English Expressions and Phrases . She loves to share her ESL games, activities, teaching tips, and more with other teachers throughout the world.

You can find her on social media at: YouTube Facebook TikTok Pinterest Instagram

Great ideas! Thank you so much for such inspiring ideas for presentations.

I’ve been looking for some presentation ideas for my students here in South Korea and ran across your list. Thank you! Lots of good ones but I think I’m going to give the current events one a try. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Great info! Thanks for sharing your ideas for presentations. I love to do them but it was getting a bit stale for me so appreciate the new ideas.

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Free PowerPoint Lessons To Teach English

Download FREE ESL PowerPoint lessons and use them in class today. These PowerPoint lessons are great to use in lessons teaching English to English language learners. You’ll find vocabulary PowerPoints, grammar PowerPoints, seasonal grammar points, phonics PowerPoints, and more presentations covering the topics that ESL students typically study.

ESL PowerPoint Lessons

Browse through all our ESL PowerPoint lessons below.

• Action Verbs
• Big And Small
• Comparative
• CVCE Words With A
• CVCE Words With E
• CVCE Words With I
• CVCE Words With O
• CVCE Words With U
• Daily Routine
• Describing Appearance
• Fall/Autumn
• Family Members
• Farm Animals
• Feelings And Emotions
• First Conditional
• Five Senses
• How Much Is It?
• Jobs And Occupations
• Natural Disasters
• Onomatopoeia
• Opposite Words
• Ordinal Numbers
• Past Tense Irregular Verbs
• Pet Animals
• Phonics A to Z
• Places Around Town
• Prepositions Of Place
• Prepositions Of Time
• Present Progressive
• Present Simple
• Quantifiers A Few and A Little
• Quantifiers Much and Many
• Random Name Generator
• Rooms Of The House
• School Subjects
• Sea Animals
• Second Conditional
• Sickness and Health
• Spring Vocabulary
• Superlative Adjectives
• Telling The Time
• There Is There Are
• Tongue Twisters
• Transportation
• Wh Questions
• Winter Clothes
• Winter Sports
• Would You Rather
• Zero Conditional

More Resources

You can find many more free ESL resources on Games4esl. Check out our free PowerPoint Games , Activity Videos , Online Quizzes , Worksheets , and ESL Printables .

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• Speaking exams
• Typical speaking tasks

Oral presentation

Giving an oral presentation as part of a speaking exam can be quite scary, but we're here to help you. Watch two students giving presentations and then read the tips carefully. Which tips do they follow? Which ones don’t they follow?

Instructions

Watch the video of two students doing an oral presentation as part of a speaking exam. Then read the tips below.

Melissa: Hi, everyone! Today I would like to talk about how to become the most popular teen in school.

Firstly, I think getting good academic results is the first factor to make you become popular since, having a good academic result, your teacher will award you in front of your schoolmates. Then, your schoolmates will know who you are and maybe they would like to get to know you because they want to learn something good from you.

Secondly, I think participating in school clubs and student unions can help to make you become popular, since after participating in these school clubs or student union, people will know who you are and it can help you to make friends all around the school, no matter senior forms or junior forms.

In conclusion, I think to become the most popular teen in school we need to have good academic results and also participate in school clubs and student union. Thank you!

Kelvin: Good evening, everyone! So, today I want to talk about whether the sale of cigarettes should be made illegal.

As we all know, cigarettes are not good for our health, not only oneself but also other people around. Moreover, many people die of lung cancer every year because of smoking cigarettes.

But, should the government make it illegal? I don’t think so, because Hong Kong is a place where people can enjoy lots of freedom and if the government banned the sale of cigarettes, many people would disagree with this and stand up to fight for their freedom.

Moreover, Hong Kong is a free market. If there's such a huge government intervention, I think it’s not good for Hong Kong’s economy.

So, if the government wants people to stop smoking cigarettes, what should it do? I think the government can use other administrative ways to do so, for example education and increasing the tax on cigarettes. Also, the government can ban the smokers smoking in public areas. So, this is the end of my presentation. Thank you.

It’s not easy to give a good oral presentation but these tips will help you. Here are our top tips for oral presentations.

• Use the planning time to prepare what you’re going to say. 
• If you are allowed to have a note card, write short notes in point form.
• Use more formal language.
• Use short, simple sentences to express your ideas clearly.
• Pause from time to time and don’t speak too quickly. This allows the listener to understand your ideas. Include a short pause after each idea.
• Speak clearly and at the right volume.
• Have your notes ready in case you forget anything.
• Practise your presentation. If possible record yourself and listen to your presentation. If you can’t record yourself, ask a friend to listen to you. Does your friend understand you?
• Make your opinions very clear. Use expressions to give your opinion .
• Look at the people who are listening to you.
• Write out the whole presentation and learn every word by heart. 
• Write out the whole presentation and read it aloud.
• Use very informal language.
• Only look at your note card. It’s important to look up at your listeners when you are speaking.

Useful language for presentations

Explain what your presentation is about at the beginning:

I’m going to talk about ... I’d like to talk about ... The main focus of this presentation is ...

Use these expressions to order your ideas:

First of all, ... Firstly, ... Then, ... Secondly, ... Next, ... Finally, ... Lastly, ... To sum up, ... In conclusion, ...

Use these expressions to add more ideas from the same point of view:

In addition, ... What’s more, ... Also, ... Added to this, ...

To introduce the opposite point of view you can use these words and expressions:

However, ... On the other hand, ... Then again, ...

Example presentation topics

• Violent computer games should be banned.
• The sale of cigarettes should be made illegal.
• Homework should be limited to just two nights a week.
• Should school students be required to wear a school uniform?
• How to become the most popular teen in school.
• Dogs should be banned from cities.

Check your language: ordering - parts of a presentation

Check your understanding: grouping - useful phrases, worksheets and downloads.

Do you think these tips will help you in your next speaking exam? Remember to tell us how well you do in future speaking exams!  

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Topic: Presentation Skills

As you can see in the slide (giving presentations)

Step into the world of presentations with this handy lesson! Students explore vocabulary for structuring presentations, read the text of a presentation and watch a video on how to communicate ideas clearly.

Presentation: putting skills into action

With this lesson plan, students practise giving a presentation in English by doing a lot of different speaking activities. The lesson is the third of the three-part series of lessons about delivering presentations. 

Moving through your presentation

With this lesson plan, students learn plenty of useful phrases for presentations in English. They also prepare presentation excerpts, and learn how to start a presentation. The lesson is the second of the three-part series of lessons about delivering presentations. 

How to nail that presentation

In this lesson about business presentations in English, students discuss presentation structures in depth, watch a video with tips on giving presentations, and learn useful words and phrases related to the topic. The lesson is the first of the three-part series of lessons about delivering presentations. 

The city of the future is here

With this lesson plan based on a video about Toyota’s city of the future students learn some useful language for presentations and then practise their presentation skills.

The chair that conquered the world

This lesson plan about the chair that conquered the world includes a variety of tasks for students to learn new vocabulary related to describing furniture design and practise their presentation skills. 

How do you like your milk?

In this lesson, students will learn advanced cooking verbs, discuss different types of milk and do an English class project.

Apple’s legendary keynotes

The objective of this lesson plan is to teach students some adjectives for describing products and show them a video analysing Apple’s legendary keynotes.

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Conversation Class Lesson Plan: A Step-by-Step Guide for Lively English Classes

Conversation is one of the most important ESL skills you can equip your students with.

In fact, it’s the ESL tool that will take your students’ noses out of textbooks and notebooks, letting them build English language confidence in a more natural way.

Let your students take on the “Chatty Cathy” persona with this outline for a wonderful ESL Conversation lesson plan.

I’ll show you a lesson structure that you can apply to any ESL conversation class, with specific examples and fun activities that your students will enjoy. 

What You Need for an Amazing ESL Conversation Lesson

How to structure esl conversation lesson plans, your guide to making esl conversation lesson plans, 1. esl conversation lesson warm-ups, 2. esl conversation presentation activity, 3. esl conversation practice activity, 4. esl conversation production activity.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

First things first, get to know your students. It’s important to understand who they are, what they’re interested in and what they want to accomplish by learning English.

ESL students all have their unique reasons for learning English. They might want to get more work opportunities, travel around the world after retirement or even get into a master’s program abroad. 

When preparing your ESL conversation lesson plan, make sure the topic of the conversation is relevant to your student . A young adult will most likely want to discuss their favorite sports team or travel, not the latest business trends or political news. 

Another concept to consider is what ESL sub-skills will come up . You may find a few relevant idioms or phrasal verbs that you can add in as you go. You’ll also be observing how your student delivers their thoughts while keeping track of their pronunciation and grammar.

Checklist for ESL Conversation Lessons:

• Is the discussion relevant to my student’s interests and goals?
• Is the discussion moving along or is it beginning to stall?
• Are my student’s pronunciation and enunciation correct and clear?
• Is my student fumbling with vocabulary?
• Is my student using correct grammar?
• Is my student staying on topic and answering my questions correctly?

Without a good structure, your ESL conversation can stall and deteriorate quickly. To structure your lesson well, you can use the Presentation, Practice and Production (PPP) method:

• Presentation is the stage in the lesson where you show new material to your students in an exciting and informative way. This lays the foundation for the rest of the lesson.
• Practice is when you let your students practice the new material with guidance. This can involve collaborative exercises in pairs, in small groups or as a class.
• The Production stage is when you’ll take a step back and let students speak. You’ll float around and keep a close eye or ear, maybe answer a few questions here or there. This is satisfying because you’ll get to see your hard work take form in your students’ abilities.

You can start with a warm-up before moving on to these stages, then wrap up with a Q&A and feedback sharing from students. 

Let’s look more closely at how to implement the PPP structure in your ESL conversation class:

Before you dive into the meat of the lesson, make sure to do warm-ups first . Students spend the majority of their days speaking in their native language, so it takes a little time to get the English juices flowing . 

Make warm-ups as simple as possible—they’re meant to be easy and fun with little brainpower expended! Here are a few great ESL conversation warm-up activities:

The presentation stage is where your lesson really begins.

Visual aids are the best form of mental stimulation for most students. Putting together a presentation based on a few pictures is excellent and will be our example here.

Your presentation should follow the theme you’ll use for the lesson. Our theme for this sample ESL conversation lesson plan will be “National Parks.”

Animals are perfect for opening topics and then you can move into well-known geographical features or get deeper into the relationship between animals from each visual aid. There are a lot of national parks in the United States, so it’s best to choose only one to quell any confusion. 

Example Presentation Outline: 

• Visual #1:   A bear relaxing in Yellowstone . You’ll discuss what types of bears are in Yellowstone, what they eat and the importance of the bear to the ecosystem.
• Visual #2: A wolf in Yellowstone . You’ll discuss what wolves eat, how they group together and why they’re important to the ecosystem.
• Visual #3 : A wolf and a bear together. You can discuss the struggle between two of the top predators in Yellowstone and how they interact.

The presentation outline above is visually stimulating while encouraging your students to think and ask questions about what they’re seeing.

You can even show English videos to your students during the presentation. For instance, FluentU’s library has hundreds of diverse English videos for all levels, like movie clips, inspiring talks and popular vlogs. These are all learner-friendly because they come with interactive subtitles and vocabulary lists. 

For this stage, prepare a worksheet with each photo and a short description of what you presented. One side of the worksheet would be information and the other side would have a few questions that your students will use. 

After fielding a few questions about your presentation, you can pair your students up.  Remember, the practice stage of the PPP format is the collaboration stage. That means you’ll want to step back a little from your teaching power stance to let students have thoughtful discussions.

Sample Worksheet Questions: 

1. What do bears eat and how do they interact with each other as a bear population? What’s the bears’ relationship with the wolves?

2. How do wolves travel around Yellowstone (individually or in packs) and what do they eat? What’s the wolves’ relationship with the bears?

3. Student A Script: How can you defend bears when they bully wolves and take their food? Why are bears eating other things beside fish? Shouldn’t bears be hibernating during the winter months?

4. Student B Script: How can you say bears are the bullies when wolves attack bears in packs? Why can’t wolves share their food with bears? Why do wolves get to be in charge during the winter?

These questions cover all the key discussion points from your starting presentation.

The debate about which animal is better lets your students form their own opinions while using supporting information from your presentation. The first two questions also promote collaboration before they realize they’ll be debating.

Of course, these scripts are just an example—you can follow this format of questions for any topic! 

The production stage is your students’ time to shine and show all that they’ve learned without any help from their teacher. Just remember to keep an eye out for students that are overly shy and possibly not fully engaging.

In ESL conversation lessons, your students will still work with their classmates for the production stage. Depending on the size of your class, split the class into two groups and have them develop a theatrical performance based on what they now know about bears and wolves at Yellowstone.

A great way to structure the play is to  assign characters to students. Student A will be a park ranger, Student B a Yellowstone hiker or maybe journalist. Make sure some students also roleplay as (talking) bears and wolves so they can join the debate.

This production exercise is fun, and each student can construct statements freely, which builds their confidence.

With the versatile structure above, you can whip up all sorts of ESL conversation lesson plans and progressively train your students’ English skills. Try it out and watch your students blossom into free-speaking English language enthusiasts!

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Welcome to esl DiscussionTopics

Welcome to esl discussion topics.

Quality questions you can use in the ESL classroom to get your students talking

Discussion questions on general topics suitable for the ESL classroom.

Business English discussion questions for those studying English for specific purposes.

Discussion questions designed to practice grammar in the ESL classroom.

PDF Formats

All handouts available for download in a variety of PDF formats.

General Topics

Business topics, grammar topics, how to use this site.

This site contains more than a thousand ESL discussion questions on a range of topics including general, grammar and business English discussion topics. These discussion questions are suitable for teachers to use in the ESL classroom with students at intermediate level or above. The ESL discussion questions are designed to be accessible to a general audience, but are open enough to allow advanced speakers to develop more complex responses.

Select a category above from either the general , grammar or business sections and click on the link. This will take you to a page where you can view the ESL discussion questions and download them in a variety of PDF formats perfect for the classroom. All the materials on this site are provided free of charge.

For further information about the site and its author, see the about page.

Improve your English. Speak with confidence!

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• Posted in in ESL Conversation Questions

100+ ESL discussion topics for every English level

• Posted by by Cameron Smith
• April 17, 2023
• Updated June 1, 2023

Struggling to come up with the right ESL discussion topics for your lesson plans? In this guide, we’ve included a list of 100+ ESL discussion topics along with our best tips and tricks for choosing the right topic for every English level.

You’ll also find links to printable lists of ESL conversation questions for each of the conversation topics below. If you use these lists to save time and choose the right conversation starter for each class, you’ll find that the conversation possibilities are endless.

List of ESL discussion topics

• AI and Artificial Intelligence
• Daily Routine
• Environment
• Football & Soccer
• Friends & Friendship
• Intelligence
• Games & Gaming
• Gender & Gender Roles
• Small Business
• Social Media
• The Olympic Games

What are ESL discussion topics?

ESL discussion topics are teaching tools that help English learners practice their speaking skills. It’s important to select suitable-but-interesting discussion topic for your students if you’d like to facilitate engaging conversation in your classroom.

ESL discussion topics vs ESL conversation questions: what’s the difference?

ESL discussion topics are discussion categories whereas ESL conversation questions are lists of questions that focus on a particular discussion topic. Discussion topics and conversation questions go hand in hand ; you will need to choose a discussion topic and to formulate conversation questions based on that topic for your students.

How to choose the right ESL discussion topics for your classroom

Choosing the right ESL discussion topics for your lessons is an art unto itself. You’ll need to consider consider the following criteria before creating your speaking lesson plans.

• English Level. Basic discussion topics for beginners. Advanced discussion topics for experienced English students.
• Age. Some topics are better suited to younger English students, while other topics are better suited to Adult learners.
• Culture. Cultural norms may rule out . For example, if it is culturally unacceptable to discuss relationships or money in public, then these discussion topics should be avoided.
• Conflict and Controversy. Some discussion topics may . For example, politics and religion. Of course, healthy debate is possible! But if you wish to avoid conflict and controversy in the classroom, then it may be better to avoid these discussion topics altogether.

What is a good topic for ESL students to discuss?

The best topic for ESL students to discuss will depend on each student’s English level and other factors that we listed above. Here are some discussion topic suggestions with links to printable conversation questions for each topic.

ESL discussion topics for beginner students

• Countries  

ESL discussion topics for intermediate students

• Fashion and Clothes
• The Olympics

ESL discussion topics for advanced students

• Dating, Relationships, and Marriage
• AI & Artificial Intelligence

ESL discussion topics for children and teenage students

Esl discussion topics for adult learners, what are some controversial esl discussion topics.

• Football and Soccer
• Gender and Gender Roles

List of ESL discussion topics books

Want to save yourself some time? ESL discussion topics books can reduce the amount of planning you need to do before class. These books contain lists of printable ESL discussion topics and conversation questions that can be used to facilitate English speaking practice with your students.

The best ESL discussion topics books are:

• 500 Grammar Based Conversation Questions
• 67 ESL Conversation Topics with Questions, Vocabulary, Writing Prompts & More
• 1005 ESL Conversation Questions: For English Teachers of Teenagers and Adults Who Want to Have Better TEFL Speaking and Conversation Classes

What are your students’ favorite ESL discussion topics?

Every English learning group is different. And some classes tend to prefer certain English discussion topics over others.

Whether you’re asking students to practice English with another conversation partner or engaging entire classrooms in speaking practice exercises, yow are you choosing ESL conversation topics for each of the groups that you teach? And what topics are they responding to the most?

Share your experiences in the comments below. And tell us how you’re using ESL discussion topics in the classroom.

Cameron Smith

I'm an English Communication Coach based in Vancouver, Canada. I'm on a mission to help millions of people speak English with confidence. Thanks for visiting this site! If you want longer video content, please follow me on YouTube for fun English lessons and helpful learning resources!

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• Presentations and me

English Conversation Questions on Presentations and me

• How do you typically feel when you have to give a presentation?
• What are some strategies you use to overcome nervousness before a presentation?
• What do you consider to be your strengths as a presenter?
• Are there any specific areas you would like to improve in your presentation skills?
• How do you prepare yourself mentally and emotionally before delivering a presentation?
• What is the most challenging presentation you have given so far, and how did you handle it?
• Do you prefer delivering presentations to a small group or a large audience? Why?
• What role does body language play in making a successful presentation?
• How do you engage with your audience during a presentation?
• What are some effective techniques for managing time during a presentation?
• Can you share a memorable presentation experience where everything went exceptionally well?

More English Conversation Topics on Presentations

• Effective slide design
• Engaging the audience
• Body language tips
• Storytelling techniques
• Dealing with nerves
• Handling questions
• Using visual aids
• Speech structure
• Virtual presentations

101 ESL Conversation Topics to Break the Silence

ESL Conversation Starters

Looking for that missing element that will help your ESL conversation classes sparkle, shine and speak English?

Leading an engaging ESL conversation class isn’t something you can just pull off at the drop of a hat. But these tricks can help you go from zero to ESL hero. As a matter of fact, the one big secret is having…

Ready? Drumroll, please.

101 ESL conversation topics from a hat.

101 ESL Conversation Topics From a Hat

How many times have you been in an ESL conversation class and just couldn’t get your students to speak?

In the classroom and in everyday life, we need conversation starters or ice breakers to end the silence. Arguably, there’s nothing stranger than silence in a conversation class!

Here’s how you do it:

Before you start the school year, dedicate some time to preparing a list of free talking topics (see below).

First, print the conversation topics below. Second, cut each topic and put them in a hat. Finally, have them attached to your hip whenever you’re in need.

You can either open the whole classroom for discussion or have them speak in pairs. Furthermore, these ESL conversation topics are great for filling in any extra time at the end of the class or ice breakers at the start of a lesson.

And if you’d like more free ESL activities for your classroom, don’t forget to check out our other lists to engage your students in English. All are free and can be used for any purpose.

• 43 Free ESL Worksheets that Enable English Language Learners
• 13 Free ESL Lesson Plans to Master Your ESL Classes
• 67 Free ESL Games to Teach English Like an All-Star

Either way, the goal is to get them practicing in English.

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 to 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 a 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 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?

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?

With 5 Minutes Left, What Do You Do?

All things considered, 101 ESL conversation topics from a hat is a fantastic end of the class time filler.

When you run out of things to do, pull out the hat and pick a topic. Otherwise, your class would just be sitting there twiddling their thumbs.

Strangely enough, a lot of teachers don’t equip themselves with back-up activities.

Now, you don’t have to sweat it out and watch the clock tick until the bell rings.

30 Comments

That sounds interesting

Amazing and inspiring on how to have extra activities for backup.

Thank you so much for sharing the topics.

I am a senior citizen trying to revive my teaching skills. You did it for me.

I’m glad I found this. Thank you so much!

Very useful.

There are many valuable questions here, and some which are inappropriate for some students. I think it is part of the teachers job to know their students and choose topics appropriate to their age, gender, culture etc. On the whole there are many inspirational topics to choose from here as a springboard to develop your own, perhaps more relevant, questions while still appreciating the efforts and work of the original source.

On the whole, very useful. I have taught in Asia for 20+ years. On the whole, STFU about love and dating. You come across as a lech. Plus countries like China and Japan do not need any more Western cultural poison.

thank you… thank you… so much… it’s really very helpful…

Very hepful! Thank you!

Sorry but “Is climate change real” is NOT a topic for conversation! It’s like saying ‘Is COVID real’ !!!! I’d suggest instead, ‘How do we deal with climate change’

Very helpful thanks for taking the time.

Great material! Thanks a million!

Thanks for the ideas of the topics and questions. All of them can help me a lot in my conversation class.

Thank you very much, this is very useful for my classes 🙂

Great questions.

As for potentially inappropriate questions, I would hope that every teacher has enough sense to decide what is appropriate or not for their students depending on age, maturity level, cultural norms/taboos, class dynamic, etc.

I’ve had classes where I would never think of asking some of these questions, and I’ve had classes where we’ve probably discussed all of these topics along with issues that are way more controversial. And those were some of my best classes.

Consider your class and use your best judgement.

Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for your work, splendid to liven up conversation in class. Thanks for the kindness of your generosity to share this. I believe it is crucial to be thankful and to contribute, and not just criticize. Thanks again

While there are some useful questions here, I’d be wary about asking questions regarding love and dating, as well as outdated gender ideology that reflects one’s own personal biases. For example, the gender wage gap has been debunked by all credible economists. 5 minutes googling will reveal to you why some men and women earn more than other men and women, and it’s nothing to do with gender. So with that and similar questions you’re bound to come into conflict with students with traditional conservative feminist views on wage differences, or ruin the group dynamic of a class of mixed gender students.

Wow……Mind blowing questions…..My ESL classes are gonna be fun-filled hereafter

These are wonderful and diverse topics to break the ice in a ESL class. Thank you for great selection of topics.

This is so amazing thank you so much!

These questions were so helpful, I would love to read more topics if any. Thank you

I loved it! thank you so much, I’ve been learning English for 9 months and my skill at talking has been improving every day more thanks to these topics

I find most of these questions helpful and interesting, so I thank you for that, but there are questions that I think are inappropriate to ask your students, particularly the questions about love, dating, and crying. I also found multiple grammar errors in this article. For example:

“Have you ever had imaginary friends when you were young?” “In the past or future, when would you rather travel to the ?”

Depending on your class, age and level of maturity, I agree the questions about love and dating could be inappropriate. But of course, every situation is different.

I was talking with a 12 year old in KSA whose younger 8 year old brother had gone to a farm earlier in the day. It turns out he goes to this farm every day.

Kids Love animals.

ask if You had a farm,

what kind of animals would You have? describe the animals. describe their behavior. what color is each animal? size? what would You feed each animal?

This is a good place to start. just my idea.

Nice organized and interesting ideas. Thank you

I found these tips very useful and interesting. I will be using some of your suggestions. Thanks.

They are very useful questions. Thank you and I hope there are more

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Asking Questions

Free Talking Topics

Group Charades

Have You Ever?

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What’s in the Box ?

Public speaking – 8 ESL English Discussion Questions

Here are 8 Conversation Questions about the topic of “ Public speaking ”:

1- What do you love about public speaking ?

2- Can introverted people be good public speakers ?

3- What do you hate about public speaking ?

4- What is the impression you want your audience to take away from your speech?

5- What do you fear most about giving a presentation?

6- Who are the speakers that inspire you , that give you goosebumps?

7- In your opinion, what are the ingredients and tactics you should have and adopt to be a good communicator and public speaker?

8- Why do you feel impelled to speak?

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ESL Presentation Rubric

• Resources for Teachers
• Pronunciation & Conversation
• Writing Skills
• Reading Comprehension
• Business English
• TESOL Diploma, Trinity College London
• M.A., Music Performance, Cologne University of Music
• B.A., Vocal Performance, Eastman School of Music

In-class presentations are a great way to encourage a number of English communicative skills in a realistic task that provides students not only help with their English skills but prepares them in a broader way for future education and work situations. Grading these presentations can be tricky, as there are many elements such as key presentation phrases beyond simple grammar and structure, pronunciation and so on that make a good presentation. This ESL presentation rubric can help you provide valuable feedback to your students and has been created with English learners in mind. Skills included in this rubric include  stress and intonation , appropriate linking language, body language , fluency, as well as standard grammar structures.

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Discussion Topics for Agreeing & Disagreeing (ESL)

These are conversation topics I have used to create discussion in my ESL class. They could also be used as speaking topics for speeches . These speaking topics go well with activities to practice giving opinions (agreeing, disagreeing, interrupting, and changing the topic). For a few activities for agreeing and disagreeing, visit here .

If you are looking for discussion questions, I have created a   longer list   (containing similar ideas) on the conversation questions page .

General Topics for Discussion or Speeches

• English is easy to learn.
• Money is more important than love.
• Students should be required to study English in elementary school.
• Violence is sometimes necessary.
• Personality is more important than beauty.
• People who live in apartments shouldn't own pets.
• No job is perfect.
• Everyone is good at something.
• We are not alone in the universe.
• Life was better 20 years ago.
• The most important thing about a job is the salary.
• You can know a lot about a person from the clothes he or she wears.
• Teachers should be able to use physical punishment.
• Global warming isn't real.
• There are actions we can take to stop global warming.
• There are no such things as ghosts.
• Everyone has the right to have an opinion even if the opinion is false according to well-known facts.
• People get offended too easily nowadays.
• What goes around comes around. (If you do good, good will come to you / If you do bad, bad things will happen to you.)
• Parents should never hit their children.
• Table manners and etiquette have become less important in the 21st century.

Crime Discussion/Speech Topics

• Smoking marijuana should be legal.
• Police officers should not carry guns.
• Criminals who take a life (kill someone) should spend their entire life behind bars.
• Graffiti is art, not crime.
• Prisoners are sent to jail to be reeducated.

Gender Issues Discussion/Speech Topics

• Men should open doors for women.
• Men and women can never really be equal.
• Women are better at teaching children than men are.
• Men are smarter than women.
• Companies should have quotas on their executive boards to make them 50% female.
• At a bar, men should initiate conversation with women (and not the other way around).

Health Discussion/Speech Topics

• People who get plastic surgery usually look worse later in life.
• Nowadays, people are too dependent on medicine.
• This country's healthcare system needs a lot of improvement.
• If you feel unwell, you should go to the doctor.
• Western medicine is more effective than Eastern medicine.
• People who use acupuncture are crazy.
• People should be more concerned about their health.
• Beauty products, vitamins, and mineral supplements generally provide the benefits they promise.
• Home remedies can be just as useful as medicine from a pharmacy.
• Obesity is a disease.
• Humans shouldn't drink the milk of other animals such as cows.
• There should be an extra tax on unhealthy food.
• Worrying about cancer can give you cancer.

Politics Discussion/Speech Topics

• Life would be better without government or rules.
• People should be able to criticize the government.
• The government has the right to monitor phone calls and e-mails.
• The government should increase environmental regulations on businesses.
• Women should be allowed to wear a niqab (or face veil) to civic ceremonies.
• We should tax the rich to help the poor.
• New Canadians who become terrorists should lose their citizenship and be sent back to where they came from.
• The government should be stricter on immigration.
• Canada should not participate in the war against ISIS.
• Voting for a political party that is unlikely to win the election is wasting your vote.

Enjoy your discussion.

- Conversation topics created by Matthew Barton of Englishcurrent.com (Copyright)

Related Pages

• Conversation Questions
• Argumentative Essay Topics (Business-Related)

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12 comments on “ Discussion Topics for Agreeing & Disagreeing (ESL) ”

Little water was left in the pot,….?(question tag)

…, wasn’t it? (but it seems very strange to use a question tag here)

You’re missing “there”; (there was) little water left in the pot, wasn’t there?

This sentence has a negative meaning so it should be:

(There was) Little (not much) water was left in the pot, was there?

As the word”Home” has to function as “Adverb of place and Noun”, and you explained that when it works as adverb of place, the preposition ” To” is not used and when it is used as “noun” , preposition is possible,so school is also adverb of place now if we say that school has only form “Noun” and it does not have adverb form, Is it correct

Hello. ‘school’ does not have an adverb form. It is only a noun. Therefore, verbs that require a preposition use a preposition when school is the object (“I went to school / I arrived at school.”). You cannot omit the prepositions. If that’s what you meant, then you are correct.

Unless you are using the word school for the services it offers. Then you say I go to school. No prep

And what is “to”?

Put thing abt covid

Actually, there is an adverb form of school, “schoolishly.” It is, however, quite rare and pretty nearly archaic. It seems mainly to have been used to characterize the manners and thoughts of the so-called “schoolmen” (a.k.a., scholastic philosophers.) Wordhippo features the term as do older dictionaries.

The English subject is a bit complicated since it requires time and a lot of practice. Money is more important than health but it is necessary for life since many people depend on it. For teachers to teach English in elementary school, this great help for students is necessary to continue learning. Violence is not good but many times anger takes advantage of ourselves by taking revenge for which the act turns into violence. Personality is important Since we must have values ​​in our life And try to be a better person, beauty is natural. Not every job can be perfect as it can also be dangerous and very expensive. We are not alone in the world because there are many people around us but our personality is unique. We can all be good at something, it’s just that for some things we won’t have the ability to do everything perfectly. Money is one of the most necessary elements since if we work it is because we need the salary and trying to do things with love and commitment is the best. The happiness of another person does not have to offend me since we can all be happy as we want. Regarding the phrase that says what you sow, what you reap is very true, the world is turning around and what we do today, right or wrong, will have our reward sooner or later.

English is easy to learn: The english subject its such a beautifu world, you can learn a lot of things about it and you learn to aprecciate it with the pass of the day, It is easy at the way you want to learn it and study. No job is perfect: Because sometimes your body get tired of to many things and at this point you just want to through away those works issues, but also we have other days when we realize that we are blessing of have this job, its a constant feelings of high and lows. Women are better at teaching childrens than men are: No, because God gave to each one of us, the intelligence and the habbility for do all the things and ideal that we have in life, we just need the strengh and good vibes to do it. What goes around comes around: I have always used to think that those things that you sow, you harvest too, thats why we always have to do the good things to our behaviors.

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150 ESL Conversation Starters and Questions (The Essential List)

Do you want your students to be excited to speak with you in English?

Do you want to make sure you always know where the conversation is going and what to say next?

You need engaging content, interesting conversation starters, and questions that really reel them in.

Join our mailing list to receive a free ESL teaching resource every week.

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This list of 150 ESL conversation starters will give you everything you need to make sure you always have something interesting to talk about and never run out of things to say!

Why Every Teacher Needs a List of Starters

Conversation topics for adults and teens, conversation topics for kids, conversation topics for beginners, weird and funny conversation starters, controversial conversations topics, additional tips for your conversation lessons, final thoughts.

If you want to improve your student’s speaking ability you need to master the art of conversation. You need to know how to get your students speaking , move the conversation forward, provide feedback and make it all feel natural. You also need engaging topics and that is where this guide comes in.

One of the problems that can face a teacher is knowing what to talk about. What do you do when you’ve finished talking about work, the weather and then realise that only 5 minutes have passed!

This guide has everything you need to make sure you never run out of topics and most importantly you always have something interesting to say.

It is a good idea to pick a particular topic for a class (or even have your student pick if you want more engagement from them). Once you have that topic then move through the questions, trying to get as much from each one as possible. 

Browse our ESL teacher resources section for more tips and printable lesson materials.

Adults and teens usually know more about advanced topics than children (politics, religion, etc.) That being said, knowing more on these topics doesn’t necessarily translate to being able to speak about these things easily so don’t assume they can do everything. Be aware of your student’s level and be prepared to reframe a question if they are struggling to understand. 

• Where do you work?
• Do you enjoy your job?
• Do you use English for your job?
• Tell me about your last job.
• What do you think is the most difficult job in the world?
• What do you think is the easiest job in the world?
• Where would you work if you could pick any job?
• Would you still work if you won the lottery?
• Do you think robots will replace all of the jobs in the future?
• Which kind of job should have the highest salary?

In this post, you’ll get 20 topics and activities for Business English lessons.

• Do you listen to music?
• When did you start listening to music?
• Do you play a musical instrument?
• What do you think the future of music will be like?
• If you could meet any musician, who would it be?
• Why do people like music?
• If you could erase a musical genre, which would it be?
• Do you think musical success comes from working hard or luck?
• What was the first album you bought?
• Have you ever downloaded music illegally?
• What is a holiday?
• Do you often go on holiday?
• Where did you last go on holiday?
• Where would you like to go on holiday next?
• Do you prefer relaxing or having an adventure on your holiday?
• Is it weird to go on holiday by yourself?
• What is the best food you’ve eaten while on holiday?
• Can you imagine what holidays 500 years ago were like?
• Would you like to go on holiday to space?
• What do you think the future of the holidays will be like?
• What is technology?
• What do you think of when you hear the word ‘technology’?
• How has technology changed in the past?
• How has technology changed your life?
• Could you live without technology?
• Find the full list of technology questions here

In order to engage a child in conversation, you have to enter their world. What is fun for them? What do they like to do? Using words/phrases like “wow”, “That sounds tasty”, “Awesome” can show you are listening to them and make things more fun which will get them saying more!

• Do you have a pet?
• What do you think pets do in the day?
• What do pets eat?
• Are cats better or dogs?
• What is the best name for a pet?
• Would you like a pet spider?
• Would you like to be an animal? Which one?
• Why do we have pets?
• Do you prefer cute or fun pets?
• What is the best present for a pet?
• Do you like school?
• What is your favourite subject?
• What is your least favourite subject?
• Who is your favourite teacher?
• Why do people have to go to school?
• Do you like homework?
• What would you do if you were the headteacher?
• How could schools be more fun?
• How long are the summer holidays?
• Can you learn and have fun at the same time?
• What is your favourite movie?
• Who is your favourite character?
• Who is your least favourite character?
• Do you like disney movies?
• What was the last movie you saw at the cinema?
• How often do you watch movies?
• Do you wish you could live in a movie?
• Why do you watch movies?
• Do you prefer reading books or movies?
• Do you watch any movies in English?

Keeping the topics simple for beginners is a must at the start. Talking about their hobbies and family can help as these are areas they may have already experience in talking about. If a student is really struggling then giving them phrases to use such as “I like …” can help get the ball rolling.

• What do you like to do?
• Do you do any sports?
• What types of movie do you like?
• Do you play video games?
• What do you usually do with friends?
• Is learning English a hobby or work?
• Do you have any unusual hobbies?
• Do you have enough time for your hobbies?
• What is a common hobby?
• What do you think is a boring hobby?
• Do you live with your family?
• How many people are in your family?
• Are you close with your family?
• How often do you see your family?
• What do you do with your family when you see them?
• Is your family important to you?
• Which is more important, friends or family?
• Who is the weirdest person in your family?
• Are families less important nowadays than in the past?
• What would happen if we didn’t have families?
• Where do you live?
• What is there to do in your city?
• What is your place like?
• What is your neighbourhood like?
• Are there any parks near where you live?
• Have you ever lived elsewhere?
• How many rooms does your place have?
• If you moved, where would you like to live?
• Would you prefer to live in the city or country?
• Would you like to live abroad?

Use information gap activities to help your students practice speaking: read our guide.

Nobody wants to speak about the same mundane topics, especially if they’re an advanced student. Being able to mix it up is a great attribute to have as a teacher. Not only will you have memorable lessons with these conversation starters but it will really test the ability of the students to think about topics they aren’t used to (instead of rolling off easy answers about familiar topics.)

Zombie Apocalypse Plan

• What is your zombie apocalypse plan?
• Who would you take with you?
• What would be your weapon of choice?
• What would you do if a friend got bitten by a zombie?
• What would you do if you got bitten by a zombie?
• What food would you take with you?
• Do you think governments should have a zombie apocalypse plan?
• Do you think everyone should have a zombie apocalypse plan?
• Is a zombie outbreak a likely scenario?
• Why do you think there are so many movies and TV series based on zombies?

Superpowers

• If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
• What do you think is the weirdest superpower in comic books?
• Are some superpowers too powerful?
• Would you like a superpower where you could turn things into gold by touching them?
• What is the weakest superpower in a comic book?
• Have we already seen every kind of superpower possible in a comic book?
• Are there some people in the real world that have superpowers? (doctors etc)
• Would you like a superpower where you could turn things into chocolate?
• Would it be better to be super strong or super smart?
• Would you like the power to travel through time?
• If you were granted 3 wishes what would they be?
• Is wishing for more wishes cheating?
• Should there be any other rules for people granted wishes?
• Have you seen any movies with a magic lamp?
• Do you think there is a better object that could house a genie?
• Why are we interested in stories of people having wishes?
• Have any of your wishes come true in real life?
• Do you make a wish when you blow out the candles on a cake?
• Is it bad luck to tell someone what your wish is when blowing out the candles?
• What other ways do people make wishes?

These are topics that you need to be careful with and use your judgement based on the student’s background. You need to wait until you know a student to find out what material is appropriate for them. That being said, If used correctly, then these can be really interesting and get the student thinking about “real issues”. 

Death Penalty

• What do you think about the death penalty?
• Do you know which countries still use the death penalty?
• Why do you think some countries use the death penalty?
• Do you know of any famous executions?
• Should the death penalty be outlawed?
• If we removed the death penalty then what punishment should replace it?
• What is the most humane form of execution?
• What would your “last meal” be?
• Does the fear of the death penalty reduce crime?
• How has execution changed over the years?
• What is abortion?
• Should abortion be legal?
• Why do you think some people are “pro choice”?
• Why do you think some people are “pro life”?
• What do you think of abortion in cases where the baby was conceived due to rape?
• What do you think of abortion in cases where the Mother’s life is in danger (due to being pregnant)?
• Should the father “get a say” in the matter of abortion?
• What advice would you give to a family member who was thinking of getting an abortion?
• Should people be allowed to protest against abortion?
• What do you think the future laws on abortion will be?
• What is corruption?
• Is there corruption in your country?
• Why does corruption exist?
• Would you consider taking a bribe?
• Would you consider offering a bribe?
• Are some types of corruption better than others?
• Which countries have the most corruption?
• Which countries have the least corruption?
• Are there any stories of corruption that you can remember?
• Is it possible to get rid of corruption entirely?

Get a list of 110 “Would you rather” questions for your conversation lessons.

Here are some additional tips to make sure your students are getting the most out of their conversation lessons and will be excited about coming back for more. Some of these will take time to internalize and get right but be aware of them and experiment to get them just right.

Don’t feel like you have to stick rigidly to the list of conversation starters. If a question takes you down a different conversational thread then go with it. The important thing is that the student is talking, you can always return to “the script” later.

Correcting a student immediately can often be useful, but in conversation, it can really kill the flow as well as a student’s confidence if done too often. A good idea is to make notes of any major problems and then mention them after a particular section instead. On top of this, try not to interrupt a student once they are speaking. For each answer, try to milk everything out of them that you can before you have “your turn to speak”.

As well as the frequency of correction, consider the amount being corrected. Don’t feel like you have to correct EVERYTHING. Especially if a student is starting out and is a bit nervous. Pick a few problems areas and focus on that, if you mention too many things at once it can be overwhelming and can really lower a student’s confidence.

Be strict when a student gives you short answers. If a student gives you an answer like “yes” then force more out of them with “yes… because” or “no… but”. The idea is to get them using the language more.

Try to inject some personality when using these ESL conversation topics. It should feel more like a conversation rather than a robot giving an interview.

Some students will struggle with certain subjects as they just don’t know enough about the topic. If it’s a bit of a challenge then push through but if they can’t even talk about a topic in their native language then it may be an idea to move on to another subject.

Allowing a student to pick a topic can be a great way of engaging them more. This also has the added benefit of helping a younger student (such as a teenager) feel more empowered as they can make their own decisions.

Get 18 statesman tips on giving great conversation for teens and adults in this post.

There you have it!

All you need to make sure you never run out of things to say. Get these printed out as your go-to cheat sheets and bookmark this page so you can easily come back to them for future classes.

Hopefully, these ESL conversation starters and questions will spark your own ideas for topics you can use in class. If you are teaching one-to-one, you could even write niche topics especially for that student’s interests (e.g skateboarding, knitting or chess).

Remember, match the topics to the student’s level, keep it fun and once they start talking don’t get in the way!

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Related posts.

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4 thoughts on “150 esl conversation starters and questions (the essential list)”.

Interesting amazing content Thanks heaps

Very interesting! Thank you.

This is very useful for our speaking club. Thank you.

Glad to hear, enjoy! :)

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How to Present to an Audience That Knows More Than You

• Deborah Grayson Riegel

Lean into being a facilitator — not an expert.

What happens when you have to give a presentation to an audience that might have some professionals who have more expertise on the topic than you do? While it can be intimidating, it can also be an opportunity to leverage their deep and diverse expertise in service of the group’s learning. And it’s an opportunity to exercise some intellectual humility, which includes having respect for other viewpoints, not being intellectually overconfident, separating your ego from your intellect, and being willing to revise your own viewpoint — especially in the face of new information. This article offers several tips for how you might approach a roomful of experts, including how to invite them into the discussion without allowing them to completely take over, as well as how to pivot on the proposed topic when necessary.

I was five years into my executive coaching practice when I was invited to lead a workshop on “Coaching Skills for Human Resource Leaders” at a global conference. As the room filled up with participants, I identified a few colleagues who had already been coaching professionally for more than a decade. I felt self-doubt start to kick in: Why were they even here? What did they come to learn? Why do they want to hear from me?

• Deborah Grayson Riegel is a professional speaker and facilitator, as well as a communication and presentation skills coach. She teaches leadership communication at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and has taught for Wharton Business School, Columbia Business School’s Women in Leadership Program, and Peking University’s International MBA Program. She is the author of Overcoming Overthinking: 36 Ways to Tame Anxiety for Work, School, and Life and the best-selling Go To Help: 31 Strategies to Offer, Ask for, and Accept Help .

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Apple loop: iphone 16 pro max details, folding macbook plans, ipad pro revealed.

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Taking a look back at this week’s news and headlines from Apple, including the launch of the new iPads and Apple Pencils, the iPad Pro M4 chipset, the awkward size of the iPhone 16 Pro Max, foldable MacBook plans, iOS backdoor investigation, and Final Cut Pro’s new camera.

Apple Loop is here to remind you of a few of the many discussions around Apple in the last seven days. You can also read my weekly digest of Android news here on Forbes .

Apple’s Pen and Paper Launch

This week, we saw a virtual presentation from Apple, which featured the launch of new iPads and Apple Pencil. The headline belongs to the iPad Pro, bringing a new screen, improved chipset, and a thinner design:

"Available in silver and space black finishes, the new iPad Pro comes in two sizes: an expansive 13-inch model and a super-portable 11-inch model. Both sizes feature the world’s most advanced display — a new breakthrough Ultra Retina XDR display with state-of-the-art tandem OLED technology — providing a remarkable visual experience. "

( Apple Newsroom ).

The new iPad

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Drake kendrick lamar feud timeline another trespasser caught at drake s toronto home police say, the best queen mattresses that promote more restful nights.

The Smaller iPads Are Renewed

Apple also refreshed the iPad Air and the classic iPad during the event. The latter sees a price cut down to $349, while the former comes with a processor upgrade that offers it more power to challenge the Mac range with an M2 variant now available:

"In contrast, the new iPad Air comes with a slightly bigger screen than before, 11 inches, and adds a second screen size, 13 inches, which has never been seen before. The previous Air had the Apple M1 chip on board, and that’s been bumped up to M2—the same processor that powers the latest iMac."

( Forbes ).

Welcome To The M4

Sitting at the heart of the iPad Pro is Apple’s new M4 chipset. This is the first M4 device to be launched, and it’s notable that it is not debuting with the Mac range, even though the specifications feel more like a desk-bound than an in-hand device:

"The M4 uses second-gen 3nm technology, and its 10-core CPU is configured with four performance cores and six efficiency cores, making it 50 percent more powerful than the M2 inside the prior iPad Pro, according to Apple. The M4’s 10-core GPU also supports dynamic caching, mesh shading, and ray tracing, plus a new display engine with four times the rendering speed compared to the M2."

( The Verge ).

Is The New iPhone A Handful?

Meanwhile, one of the big iPhone 16 Pro Max changes has been discussed this week. With recent leaks suggesting the Pro Max is getting bigger, is the largest iPhone screen going to be difficult to hold?

"How big are your hands? Same size as yesterday, right? Some of the most recent leaks about the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro series have revealed that there could be noticeable size increases coming. According to the reliable Sonny Dickson on X a few days ago, it’s the iPhone 16 Pro Max which is going to be the grip-stretcher, thanks to its biggest-ever screen size, 6.9 inches, a noticeable increase from the current iPhone 15 Pro Max’s 6.7 inches."

The Foldable MacBook

How would you comfortably carry a 20-inch MacBook? According to analyst Jeff Pu, Apple’s supply chain is gearing up to ship such a device with a foldable screen that takes it closer to a 13-inch laptop… although we might have to wait a year:

"Apple is ramping up its work on foldable devices, according to a new investor note seen by 9to5Mac. The report, from Haitong International Securities analyst Jeff Pu, says that Apple will begin mass production of a 20.3-inch foldable device in late 2025, followed by a foldable iPhone in late 2026.

"If today’s report from Pu is to be believed, Apple has “accelerated” its work on foldable devices. The report says that there is “increasing visibility” of Apple’s foldable devices based on supply chain checks.

( 9to5Mac ).

Investigating Backdoored iPhones

Dan Goodin is reporting the discovery of an iPhone Zero-Day Exploit for Ars Technica. This is notable both for the length of time it has been available and the process that is being used.

"Researchers on Wednesday presented intriguing new findings surrounding an attack that over four years backdoored dozens if not thousands of iPhones, many of which belonged to employees of Moscow-based security firm Kaspersky. Chief among the discoveries: the unknown attackers were able to achieve an unprecedented level of access by exploiting a vulnerability in an undocumented hardware feature that few if anyone outside of Apple and chip suppliers such as ARM Holdings knew of."

( Ars Technica ).

And Finally...

There’s a new utility in Final Cut Pro for the iPad that allows multiple cameras to be brought into the tablet Apple doesn’t call a tablet for live mixing… Say hello to Final Cut Camera, available for every camera that is called iPhone:

"Users can get a director's view of each camera in real time, and the settings can be adjusted from the Final Cut Pro for iPad 2 app. There are options for tweaking exposure, focus, white balance, ISO, shutter speed, and zoom to get the perfect shots. Preview clips are passed through to Final Cut Pro and then replaced with full-resolution files so users can quickly move from production to editing."

( Mac Rumors ).

Apple Loop brings you seven days worth of highlights every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future. Last week’s Apple Loop can be read here , or this week’s edition of Loop’s sister column, Android Circuit, is also available on Forbes .

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Cloud Computing Platform CloudWeaver Wins at Spring 2024 Spark! Demo Day

Project was one of nearly 100 student presentations on display at bu’s semiannual experiential learning expo.

Created by Max Karambelas (ENG’24, CDS’24) (from left), George Trammell (CDS’24), Luis Mavarez (CAS’24), Andrea Rojas Doupovec (CFA’25, CAS’25), and Jimin Park (CAS’24) (not pictured), CloudWeaver took home the judges’ choice award at the spring 2024 Spark! Demo Day competition. Photo courtesy of BU Spark!

Molly Callahan

Cydney scott.

Imagine that you are a student at Boston University. You’ve made a name for yourself around campus for the handmade crafts you create from your dorm room. Your wares have gotten so popular in fact, that you consider selling them online—a side hustle that might just bring in some extra dough for better supplies (and maybe a nice dinner at a nearby restaurant).

You could list your crafts on existing sites such as Etsy or Amazon, but these platforms take a cut of your profits. Plus, you’ve taken a computer science class or two, so you know a bit about building a rudimentary website. But to get beyond the basics requires access to more powerful servers, not to mention a certain finesse that you just haven’t learned, or haven’t wanted to learn, yet.

Enter: CloudWeaver. The project would connect would-be website builders with easy to navigate, cloud-based computing services. CloudWeaver would help users generate code to build out their own websites and connect users with helpful tools to navigate the maze-like process.

Created by Max Karambelas (ENG’24, CDS’24), George Trammell (CDS’24), Luis Mavarez (CAS’24), Jimin Park (CAS’24), and Andrea Rojas Doupovec (CFA’25, CAS’25), CloudWeaver took home the judges’ choice award at the spring 2024 BU Spark! Demo Day competition on May 2.

“It meant a lot to win,” says Karambelas. “It was rewarding to see that the work I and my team put into this really came to fruition.” He says the team is planning to present their project, which is still in development, at DevConf.US 2024 , a professional technology conference being held at the University in August.

“This has been such a great learning experience,” he says, “not only trying to solve a real problem that my friends and I have encountered, but also getting to experiment with the technology to make it possible.”

In addition to the judges’ choice award, Demo Day presenters competed for an audience choice award. This year, that award went to the team behind chatsqrd , a web application designed to enhance children’s educational experience with an interactive AI component. The chatsqrd team: Milo (Min Sung) Park (CAS’25), Jiehoon Lee (Sargent’25, CAS’25), Thanh Huynh (CAS’25), and Emmeline Chung (CAS’24).

“BU Spark! Demo Day is always so refreshing, energizing, and inspiring,” says Azer Bestavros , BU associate provost for computing and data sciences, a William Fairfield Warren Distinguished Professor, and a College of Arts & Sciences professor of computer science.

“It speaks volumes to the creativity of our students as they put their tech skills to work on real-world problems, whether these problems are ones that they encountered and feel motivated to solve, or ones that are presented to them from our partners in industry or the public sector,” Bestavros says. “There is nothing more empowering to our students than the realization that they possess what it takes to change the world. Experiential learning is all about empowerment and impact. CDS is so lucky to have the BU Spark! team deliver on this promise year in and year out.”

Spark! Demo Day, the twice-annual showcase of innovation by BU Spark! students, was part of the larger Experiential Learning Expo, also held May 2. Taking over two floors of the Center for Computing & Data Sciences, the expo featured more than 100 student projects undertaken in conjunction with the University’s Cross-College Challenge (XCC) and the Learning Assistant Program , which trains undergraduates to be Learning Assistants. The training consists of weekly preparation sessions with faculty and a pedagogy course so they can facilitate discussions among groups of students in a variety of classroom settings that encourage active engagement.

The Cross-College Challenge is the signature project-based experience of the BU Hub general education program, open to juniors and seniors from all the University’s undergraduate schools and colleges. The Learning Assistant Program gives students an opportunity to redesign a small aspect of the course they teach. Students in the program combine the theory they learned throughout the semester with their in-class experiential practice of teaching. 

Students from all three programs presented projects at the expo that highlighted a semester’s worth of learning and experience, and CDS was buzzing with the results. The projects covered a wide range of issues—one team created a data visualization that explored the Boston area’s commuter rail usage; another created an app that pulls together various education platforms into one easy interface; yet another designed a machine-learning algorithm that would spot evidence of human trafficking in photos. 

As for Karambelas, the experience was one that he hopes will launch him forward in a career soon. “It absolutely embodies the kind of work I want to do,” he says. And, along the way, he’s learned that it’s OK not to have all the answers right away. “What we learned was that if you just stick with it and have the final goal in mind, you can make mistakes along the way. You can learn from those failures to make a better product in the end.”

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Senior Writer

Molly Callahan began her career at a small, family-owned newspaper where the newsroom housed computers that used floppy disks. Since then, her work has been picked up by the Associated Press and recognized by the Connecticut chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. In 2016, she moved into a communications role at Northeastern University as part of its News@Northeastern reporting team. When she's not writing, Molly can be found rock climbing, biking around the city, or hanging out with her fiancée, Morgan, and their cat, Junie B. Jones. Profile

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Cydney Scott has been a professional photographer since graduating from the Ohio University VisCom program in 1998. She spent 10 years shooting for newspapers, first in upstate New York, then Palm Beach County, Fla., before moving back to her home city of Boston and joining BU Photography. Profile

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There is 1 comment on Cloud Computing Platform CloudWeaver Wins at Spring 2024 Spark! Demo Day

Kudos to George Trammell for his incredible contributions to this award-winning CloudWeaver project!!

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