Hobbies Time

Everybody has hobbies, and everybody loves talking As people get older, their perceived value
about them. Hobbies could be passions too, you of time increases, so it’s a practical topic
know. Some simple questions to ask include: that everyone has something to say about.
1. What are your hobbies? You could ask questions like:
2. Why do you like your hobbies so much? 1. How much free time do you usually
3. How often do you do these hobbies? have?
4. How long have you been doing these hobbies, 2. How important is time to you?
and how did you get started? 3. If you had more free time, what would
5. What hobbies did you used to have, but now do you do?
not? 4. “Time is money.” Do you agree or
6. Is it important to have hobbies? Why/why not? disagree? Why?
5. How do you feel about time that is
wasted?

4. Music
Sleep Everybody loves music and most people
As people get older, they start to appreciate a good feel very strong emotions towards it—
night’s sleep more and more. This topic is often a especially when it comes to the music that
favorite for all. Some example questions are: they love (or hate) most. Some simple
1. How much sleep do you usually get? questions to ask could be:
2. Why do some people sleep well while other 1. What types of music do you like/dislike?
people do not sleep well? 2. How do certain kinds of music make you
3. What do you do when you have trouble sleeping? feel?
4. What time do you usually go to sleep? What time 3. What types of music come from your
do you usually get up? country?
5. Have you ever slept in a strange place that was 4. What’s your favorite song/album/artist?
not a bed? 5. What music is popular in your country
right now?

5. First Dates 6. Work

Unless you’re teaching in a place where arranged Lots of people work and have lots to say
marriages are the thing to do, talking about first about it. I mean, if you’re spending about a
dates gets everybody interested. We’ve all been third of your waking hours at work, you
there. You could ask questions like: may have lots to say. Some good questions
1. How many first dates have you had? are:
2. How do you feel about first dates? 1. What work do/did you do?
3. What is a common first date like in your 2. How do/did you like the work?
country? 3. What is your dream job?
4. What is the best/worst first date experience 4. What work is common in your
you’ve ever had? city/area/country?
5. What makes a good first date in your opinion? 5. What is your general view about work?
Why?
 Risk Food
Everyone feels a certain way about risk. Some are Food is possibly the most universal topic of
risk-oriented, others are risk-averse. Talking about them all and everyone loves to discuss what
risks seems to generate some good conversation. You they eat. This is also an ideal topic for
could ask questions like: beginners because the vocabulary is usually
1. What is your definition of risk? pretty simple. You could use questions like:
2. Are you a risk taker? Why/why not? 1. What is your favorite food? Why?
3. What are the advantages/disadvantages of taking 2. What food comes from your country?
risks? 3. How do you feel when you eat food?
4. What risks do you come across in your work/life? 4. What foods do you dislike? Why?
5. What risks have you taken in your life? 5. Where do you usually get food from?

Love Beauty
Everybody loves love and most people have had some Beauty is one of those topics that’s
firsthand experience they’d like to talk about. It’s conventionally more geared toward women
another one of those universal topics that gets the than it is to men. However, anyone can
conversation going. Even if it’s not about romantic appreciate beauty in all its forms, and
love and heartbreak, students can talk about familial anyone can recognize the importance of the
love with their parents and children, as well as love concept of beauty in our cultures, societies
between friends. Questions like these are good: and behaviors. Plus, men might surprise
1. What is love? you by caring to chime in on beauty, looks
2. Who/what do you love? and grooming.
3. What good/bad experiences have you had with
love? This makes it a good topic to discuss to get
4. Can you be too young to be in love? Why/why some opinions and various views within a
not? group of students. You could ask questions
5. How do you feel about love? like:
1. What is “beauty”?
2. What/who do you consider beautiful?
Motivation 3. What does “inner beauty” mean to you?
Whether or not the students are a motivated bunch, 4. Do you consider artificial beauty
motivation is a good topic to discuss in order to (cosmetic surgery) to still be beauty?
inspire your students. Some example questions are: Why/why not?
1. How motivated are you in general? 5. How do you feel about the emphasis that
2. What motivates you to do things? people put on beauty these days?
3. What is the best motivator to succeed? 6. What would you tell your children about
4. What do you do when you feel demotivated? beauty?
5. What is a good way to motivate others?

Crime Dreams
Crime may not be on the top of people’s lists of We all have dreams, sometimes on a nightly
favorite topics but it’s something that’s talked about. basis, and talking about them is a great
Depending on your adult students’ life experiences, it discussion topic for classes as they inspire
may be something that has affected their lives. students to be creative and even whimsical.
Learning to discuss it could help your students out in Great questions for this topic include:
the long run. Good discussion questions are:
1. Is crime a big problem in your city/country? 1. What kinds of dreams do you have?
2. Have you ever been a victim of crime? 2. What do you think dreams mean?
3. What crime is common in your city/country? 3. How much of your dreams do you
4. What would you do if you noticed a crime being remember? Why?
committed? 4. What is your opinion on premonitions? Are
5. How is the law enforcement in your city/country? they real?
5. What are examples of memorable dreams
you have had?
 Love
Goals Everybody loves love and most people have
We all have goals and talking about them actually had some firsthand experience they’d like
gets us more encouraged to do something about to talk about. It’s another one of those
them. Sharing goals is also a good thing to help universal topics that gets the conversation
get them done. A good set of questions is: going. Even if it’s not about romantic love
and heartbreak, students can talk about
1. What are your current goals in life?
familial love with their parents and
2. How do you plan to reach your goals? children, as well as love between friends.
3. How often do you set goals for yourself? Questions like these are good:
4. What goals have you set and achieved in the past? 6. What is love?
5. How do you feel when you reach your goals? 7. Who/what do you love?
8. What good/bad experiences have you
had with love?
9. Can you be too young to be in love?
Why/why not?
10. How do you feel about love?

Restaurants Cooking
Along with eating, everybody loves talking about Cooking is another topic that may allow
their favorite eateries and restaurants. Some students for some good conversation. Most people in
could even relate to each other with their choices and most countries do a good amount of
views. Good questions include: cooking. A few good questions could be:
1. How often do you go to restaurants? 1. In your home, who usually cooks?
2. What is your favorite restaurant? Why? 2. How often do you cook?
3. What do you usually order at a restaurant? 3. How well do you cook? What can you
4. What is the restaurant experience like in your cook well?
country? 4. What are the advantages/disadvantages
5. Have you ever worked in a restaurant? of cooking?
6. If you owned a restaurant, what kinds of food 5. What food would you like to learn how
would you serve? to cook?

Money Shopping
If there is a topic that everyone loves deep down, it This one is a personal favorite for many.
has to be money. People love talking about money. Shopping is becoming more and more
Well, may not if they’re broke—but even if they are, prevalent and brings out some zest in some
it’s a good, relatable topic that gets conversations people. They just love shopping! Others
going. Great questions include: feel strongly the other way—very few
1. How well do you manage your money? people are completely neutral on this topic.
2. Why do some people have money problems? A few good questions are:
3. What are some good ways to make money? 1. Do you enjoy shopping? Why/why not?
4. What would you do if I gave you 2. What is your favorite shop? Why?
$20/$2,000/$2,000,000? 3. In your city, where is a good place to go
5. How often do you save money? Why? shopping?
4. How do you feel about online shopping?
5. How do you think shopping will be like
in the future?
 Plans Books
Everybody makes plans and discussing them could Books make for a good discussion topic
even influence the class to start making plans of because most people enjoy a good book.
their own! A few example questions include:
1. How often do you plan things? Why? When you read, your mind is filled with
2. What are your plans for (________)? new images, feelings, ideas and thoughts.
3. What are your plans for your English? Books also empower and educate people, so
4. What do you think of this quote? “Having no plan your adult students may believe in the value
is a plan to fail.” of books. It can be immensely satisfying for
5. Do you have any back-up plans? adult students to share how they feel about
reading. Some questions to ask are:
1. Do you like books/reading? Why/why
not?
2. What kind of books do/did you like?
3. What is your favorite book? Why?
4. What was the last book you read?
5. Do you believe reading books/literature
is more important than reading stuff
online? Why/why not?

Sports Life
Now comes a topic that more men may favor, but it’s Life discussions go on in all languages and
still good for classes since female spectators are on English is no exception.
the rise. Some students may also have children that Practicing discussions on life is a good
enjoy sports! A few good examples are: topic to cover since everyone has their own
1. Do you like sports? Why/why not? views and thoughts on the ubiquitous
2. How often do you exercise/play sports? subject. You could bring up questions like:
3. Did you play any sports as a child? 1. What is the meaning of life?
4. What sport/physical activity is popular in your 2. How is your life going up to this point?
country? 3. What do you think happens after life?
5. What is your opinion on professional sports? 4. What important life lessons have you
learned?
5.  If tomorrow was your last day to live,
what would you do?

Movies Learning
Like television, talking about movies is a topic that Learning is like nature—it’s all around us,
has something to be said by everybody. I mean, who even on a subconscious level. Our brains
doesn’t watch movies? A few good questions to be are built to absorb, filter and store
asked could be: information. Discussion about learning
could actually stimulate some English
1. What was the last movie you saw? How was it? learning amongst the students! A few
2. What is your favorite movie? Why? questions that are suitable are:
3. How are the movies in your country? What are the 1. How important is learning? Why?
best ones? 2. Besides English, what are you currently
4. How often do you watch movies in English? learning?
If there were a movie about your life, what kind of 3. What things are you good/bad at
movie would it be? Why? learning? Why?
4. What would you most like to learn?
5. What is the most difficult part of
learning? Why?

Television Games
Television is one of those topics that everyone has an Games are fun and everybody enjoys fun, no?
opinion about. The irony of it is that even though But in all seriousness, talking about games gets
more and more programming is viewed on computers discussion more geared towards past tense,
and tablets, television is still a hot topic classes love to which gives the students a fond sense of
discuss. If you’re after a resource that uses TV and nostalgia. Some simple questions could be:
other native content, check out FluentU. 1. What is your favorite game ever?
You’ll be able to showcase native English forms and 2. What games did you play as a kid?
provide some great context before diving into 3. What games are popular/came from your
discussion questions. Good questions include: country?
1. How often do you watch TV? 4. How competitive are you when it comes to
2. Should everyone have a television in their home? games?
3. What is the best way to watch television: On a 5. What games do you still play now? Why?
television set, computer, tablet or phone?
4. What television programs are popular in your
country?
5. What do you think will be the future of television?
6. What is your opinion on television?
7. If you had your own TV show, what would it be
like?
 Computers Problems
The year is 2019 and you can’t go a day without talking Even though nobody likes to talk about
about computers. A greatly universal topic that could problems, per se, everybody still talks about
have students discussing quite a few things, which could their problems to other people! Problems are
all relate to real life too! Great questions on this could be: actually a good topic for discussion since they
1. Describe your computer at home/work. could help others relate to each other and even
2. What do you usually use a computer for? present solutions too. A few fine examples of
3. Do you like computers? Why/why not? questions are:
4. What was the first computer you ever had like? 1. How do you deal with your problems?
5. What do you think will be the future of computers? 2. What problems do you come across in your
work or life?
3. Do you feel that problems are
opportunities? Why or why not?
4. What was the last problem you solved and
how did you do it?
5. “Problems don’t matter. Solutions do.” Do
you agree or disagree?