1. Animals

  • Do you have any pets, if so, what are they?
  • What is your favourite animal and why?
  • What does this animal look like and what does it like to eat?
  • Are animals well looked after where you are from? Why?

2. Routines

  • Do you have certain routines that you follow, if so, what are they?
  • Do you have friends or family that follow similar routines?
  • What do you like about your routine?
  • How would you feel if something in your daily routine was changed?

3. Books

  • What is your favourite book and why?
  • What is your least favourite book and why?
  • Is there a library in your hometown?
  • What information can you learn from reading books?

RecommendedImportance of reading

4. Cleanliness

  • Why is cleanliness important?
  • How often do you think one should clean?
  • What types of things should be cleaned?
  • How clean do you think this room is?

5. Clothing

  • What do you like to wear?
  • Where do you buy your clothing and what colors do you choose?
  • What type of clothes do you not like wearing?
  • What type of clothing do your friends wear?

6. Culture

  • Which culture do you belong too?
  • How do people greet each other?
  • What type of customs and traditions do you practice?
  • Are you interested in learning about other cultures? Why?

7. Exercise

  • Do you usually exercise, if so, how often?
  • What activities do you do while exercising?
  • Do people in your country do a lot of exercising?
  • What can happen if people do not exercise?

8. Family

  • How many siblings do you have?
  • What are their names and how old are they?
  • Where are your parents originally from?
  • Who are your extended family members? (cousins, aunts, uncles etc.)

9. Fears

  • What is your biggest fear and why?
  • How does having this fear make you feel?
  • Do you know people that share the same fear?
  • How can you work through your fears?

10. Feelings

  • How are you feeling right now?
  • How do you feel when someone hurts your feelings? Why?
  • How do you feel when someone makes you happy? Why?
  • Why is it important to think about other people’s feelings?

11. Food

  • What is your favourite food and why?
  • What is your least favourite food and why?
  • What is a typical food from your home country?
  • What is a food you would love to try?

12. Goals

  • What is a goal that you have?
  • How do you plan to reach this goal?
  • Do you need help achieving your goal?
  • Do you think it’s important to set goals? Why?

13. Hobbies

  • What hobbies do you like to do?
  • What do you like about the hobbies you do?
  • Is there anybody in your family you share a hobby with?
  • When did you start practicing your hobby and how long do you spend practicing?

14. Holidays

  • What is your favourite holiday and why?
  • What is your least favoruite holiday and why?
  • How do you spend most of your holidays?
  • Do you do anything special with your family on holidays, if so what?

15. Hometown

  • Where is your hometown?
  • Do you live in a city or rural area?
  • Do you like living in your hometown? Why?
  • How do people get around in your hometown?

16. Household Items

  • What household item do you use the most and why?
  • How does it work?
  • How often do you use your household items?
  • Why are household items useful?

17. Jobs

  • What do you want to be when you grow up and why?
  • Do a lot of people do this job in your country?
  • What type of jobs do people in your country have?
  • Do you think everyone should work? Why?

More ESL Conversation Topics for Students

You are half way, but we have more!

18. Manners

  • Who taught you about manners?
  • How often do you use them and why?
  • Why are using manners important?
  • How do you feel when someone isn’t using manners?

19. Movies

  • What is your favourite type of movie and why?
  • What is your least favourite type of movie and why?
  • Do you go to the cinema to watch a movie?
  • Do you watch movies in different languages? Why?

20. Music

  • What is your favourite song and who sings it?
  • How much time a day do you spend listening to music?
  • What genre of music do you like best? Why?
  • What kind of music is preferred where you are from?

21. School

  • What do you do in a typical day at school?
  • What is your favourite subject and why?
  • What is your least favourite subject and why?
  • What do you like about your teachers?

22. Seasons

  • Can you name the four seasons?
  • What clothes do you need to wear in each season?
  • What season do you like best and why?
  • What season do you like least and why?

23. Sleep

  • How time do you go to sleep and what time do you wake up?
  • How many hours of sleep do you usually get a night?
  • Do you think you get enough sleep? Why?
  • If you don’t get enough sleep, how do you feel?

24. Shopping

  • Do you like shopping and why?
  • What do you usually shop for and where do you go shopping?
  • Who do you go shopping with?
  • Are their many shops in your hometown?

25. Sports

  • What sports do you like and dislike? Why?
  • What sport is popular where you live?
  • Why are sports important?
  • Who do you play sports with?

26. Television

  • What is your favourite T.V program and why?
  • Is it an international T.V program?
  • What is the T.V program about?
  • How often do you watch this T.V program and who watches it with you?

27. Time

  • How important is time to you?
  • How much free time do you usually have?
  • Who do you spend your free time with?
  • If you had more free time, what would you do with it?

28. Transportation

  • How do you travel to get to school?
  • How long does it take you to get to school?
  • What other types of transportation have you used?
  • How often do you use public transport?

29. Travel

  • Where have you traveled too?
  • Who do you usually go traveling with?
  • What languages do you use when traveling?
  • What is your favourite tourist attraction?

30. Weather

  • What is the weather outside today?
  • What is the weather normally like where you live?
  • How can the weather effect your feelings?
  • What kind of weather is your favourite and why?