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Category: Conversation Questions

  • Conversation Questions: Family and Relationships (PDF)

    Conversation Questions: Family and Relationships (PDF)

    Family and relationships is the most universal speaking-practice topic — every learner has people in their life to talk about. The questions in this worksheet move from concrete description (How many siblings do you have? What do your parents do?) to comparison (Who are you most similar to in your family?), to reflection (How have your relationships with family changed over time?). Learners build extended-answer speaking fluency on a topic they know inside out.

    This worksheet builds A2–B1 speaking fluency through family and relationships discussion.

    What’s inside:

    • 20 open conversation questions sequenced from easier to harder
    • Pre-discussion vocabulary box with family and relationship terms
    • Follow-up question patterns to keep conversations extending
    • Speaking-frame phrases for description, comparison, and reflection
    • Teacher Notes with pair-work setup and timing

    Common challenges: Extending answers beyond two sentences — learners need explicit modelling of answer + reason + example + comparison. Family vocabulary at A2–B1 includes step- and half-family terms. Politeness about sensitive areas (divorce, estrangement) — questions are designed to allow vague answers.

    For: Adult and teenage learners (14+) at CEFR A2–B1, in pre-intermediate and intermediate classes, 1:1 lessons, or self-study with a partner. Maps onto Cambridge A2 Key (KET) Speaking Part 1 and B1 Preliminary (PET) Speaking. Part of the Conversation Questions collection — the natural next step is Conversation Questions: Travel and Adventure.

  • Conversation Questions: Media and News (PDF)

    Conversation Questions: Media and News (PDF)

    Media and news is a B1–B2 speaking topic that combines personal habits with media-literacy reflection. The questions in this worksheet cover topics like news consumption, social media as news source, fake news, the future of journalism, and the role of media in democracy. Learners build the media-analytical speaking fluency that B2 Cambridge Speaking rewards.

    This worksheet builds B1–B2 speaking fluency through media and news discussion.

    What’s inside:

    • 20 open conversation questions on media consumption and analysis
    • Pre-discussion vocabulary box with media-literacy and news terms
    • Follow-up question patterns to develop media-analytical reasoning
    • Speaking-frame phrases for opinion, evidence, and qualification
    • Teacher Notes with pair-work setup and timing

    Common challenges: Media-literacy vocabulary at B1–B2: source, credibility, bias, framing, fact-check, clickbait, paywall. Distinguishing news consumption habit from news-quality judgment. Hedging political-leaning claims.

    For: Adult and teenage learners (14+) at CEFR B1–B2, in intermediate and upper-intermediate classes, 1:1 lessons, or self-study with a partner. Maps onto Cambridge B2 First (FCE) Speaking. Part of the Conversation Questions collection — the natural next step is Conversation Questions: Technology and AI.

  • Conversation Questions: Science and Ethics (PDF)

    Conversation Questions: Science and Ethics (PDF)

    Science and ethics is a B2–C1 speaking topic that demands sophisticated reasoning. The questions in this worksheet cover topics like genetic engineering, animal research, AI ethics, vaccine policy, and the limits of scientific knowledge. Learners build the ethical-analytical speaking fluency that C1 Cambridge Speaking rewards directly.

    This worksheet builds B2–C1 speaking fluency through science and ethics discussion.

    What’s inside:

    • 20 open conversation questions on scientific and ethical topics
    • Pre-discussion vocabulary box with science and ethics terms
    • Follow-up question patterns to develop ethical reasoning
    • Speaking-frame phrases for argument, counter-argument, and ethical qualification
    • Teacher Notes with pair-work setup, sensitivity guidance, and timing

    Common challenges: Ethical-reasoning language at B2–C1: the ethical issue here is, this raises the question of, one might object that, on balance. Distinguishing scientific consensus from ethical judgment. Hedging absolute claims about contested research.

    For: Adult and teenage learners (14+) at CEFR B2–C1, in upper-intermediate and advanced classes, 1:1 lessons, or self-study with a partner. Maps onto Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) and C2 Proficiency (CPE) Speaking. Part of the Conversation Questions collection — the natural next step is Conversation Questions: Technology and AI.

  • Conversation Questions: Culture and Identity (PDF)

    Conversation Questions: Culture and Identity (PDF)

    Culture and identity is a B1–B2 speaking topic that combines personal reflection with cultural reasoning. The questions in this worksheet cover topics like national identity, cultural belonging, generational change, the experience of migration, and what it means to share a culture. Learners build the reflective-cultural speaking fluency that B1+ Cambridge Speaking tests.

    This worksheet builds B1–B2 speaking fluency through culture and identity discussion.

    What’s inside:

    • 20 open conversation questions on cultural and identity topics
    • Pre-discussion vocabulary box with identity and belonging terms
    • Follow-up question patterns to develop personal-cultural reflection
    • Speaking-frame phrases for description, comparison, and analysis
    • Teacher Notes with pair-work setup, sensitivity guidance, and timing

    Common challenges: Identity vocabulary at B1–B2: belong, heritage, roots, tradition, mainstream, minority, integrate. Avoiding essentialism: questions emphasise individual experience over national generalisation. Personal-political balance: identity discussion can touch on contested ground.

    For: Adult and teenage learners (14+) at CEFR B1–B2, in intermediate and upper-intermediate classes, 1:1 lessons, or self-study with a partner. Maps onto Cambridge B2 First (FCE) Speaking. Part of the Conversation Questions collection — the natural next step is Conversation Questions: Society and Values.

  • Conversation Questions: Society and Values (PDF)

    Conversation Questions: Society and Values (PDF)

    Society and values is a B2 speaking topic that demands analytical depth. The questions in this worksheet cover topics like generational differences, gender roles, individualism vs collectivism, the role of religion, and what makes a fair society. Learners build the values-discussion speaking fluency that B2+ Cambridge Speaking rewards directly.

    This worksheet builds B2 speaking fluency through society and values discussion.

    What’s inside:

    • 20 open conversation questions on contemporary social and ethical topics
    • Pre-discussion vocabulary box with values and social-issue terms
    • Follow-up question patterns to develop reasoned positions
    • Speaking-frame phrases for argument, counter-argument, and qualification
    • Teacher Notes with pair-work setup, sensitivity guidance, and timing

    Common challenges: Values-discussion language at B2 requires hedging — I would argue that, it could be said, it depends on. Avoiding stereotype: questions distinguish individual experience from cultural generalisation. Polite disagreement: I see your point, but I’d say, that’s true to some extent, however.

    For: Adult and teenage learners (14+) at CEFR B2, in upper-intermediate classes, 1:1 lessons, or self-study with a partner. Maps onto Cambridge B2 First (FCE) and C1 Advanced (CAE) Speaking. Part of the Conversation Questions collection — the natural next step is Conversation Questions: Culture and Identity.

  • Conversation Questions: Food and Culture (PDF)

    Conversation Questions: Food and Culture (PDF)

    Food and culture is the universally engaging speaking topic that combines personal taste with cultural sharing. The questions in this worksheet move from personal eating (What’s your favourite meal? Are you a vegetarian?) into cultural reflection (What’s a traditional food from your country? How has fast food changed eating in your culture?). Learners build the culturally rich speaking fluency that A2–B1 Cambridge Speaking parts test.

    This worksheet builds A2–B1 speaking fluency through food and culture discussion.

    What’s inside:

    • 20 open conversation questions sequenced from personal to cultural
    • Pre-discussion vocabulary box with food and culture terms
    • Follow-up question patterns to develop cultural sharing
    • Speaking-frame phrases for description, comparison, and recommendation
    • Teacher Notes with pair-work setup and timing

    Common challenges: Food vocabulary mixes loaned items (pasta, sushi, paella) with everyday terms (chop, fry, season). Cultural-comparison language: in my country, unlike here, traditionally, these days. Recommendation register: you should try, you must try, you might enjoy.

    For: Adult and teenage learners (14+) at CEFR A2–B1, in pre-intermediate and intermediate classes, 1:1 lessons, or self-study with a partner. Maps onto Cambridge A2 Key (KET) and B1 Preliminary (PET) Speaking. Part of the Conversation Questions collection — the natural next step is Conversation Questions: Family and Relationships.

  • Conversation Questions: Education and Learning (PDF)

    Conversation Questions: Education and Learning (PDF)

    Education and learning is a personally familiar speaking topic — every learner has school experience and learning preferences to discuss. The questions in this worksheet move from school memory (What was your favourite subject?) into pedagogical reflection (Is online learning as effective as in-person?) and personal-learning discussion (What’s the best way for you to learn a new skill?). Learners build the educational-discussion speaking fluency.

    This worksheet builds B1 speaking fluency through education and learning discussion.

    What’s inside:

    • 20 open conversation questions sequenced from memory to reflection
    • Pre-discussion vocabulary box with education and learning terms
    • Follow-up question patterns to develop educational reasoning
    • Speaking-frame phrases for past experience, opinion, and recommendation
    • Teacher Notes with pair-work setup and timing

    Common challenges: Education-system vocabulary varies internationally — secondary school, high school, college, university mean different things in different countries. Reflection vocabulary: looking back, I realise, what I would change is, the best teacher I had.

    For: Adult and teenage learners (14+) at CEFR B1, in intermediate classes, 1:1 lessons, or self-study with a partner. Maps onto Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET) Speaking. Part of the Conversation Questions collection — the natural next step is Conversation Questions: Health and Wellbeing.

  • Conversation Questions: Environment and Climate (PDF)

    Conversation Questions: Environment and Climate (PDF)

    Environment and climate is the contemporary speaking topic that combines factual knowledge with personal-values discussion. The questions in this worksheet move from personal habits (What do you do to reduce your environmental impact?) into broader societal questions (Should governments tax meat? Is individual action enough or is policy required?). Learners build the analytical-speaking fluency that B1+ Cambridge Speaking parts test directly.

    This worksheet builds B1–B2 speaking fluency through environment and climate discussion.

    What’s inside:

    • 20 open conversation questions sequenced from personal to systemic
    • Pre-discussion vocabulary box with environment and climate terms
    • Follow-up question patterns to extend opinion-based discussion
    • Speaking-frame phrases for opinion, qualification, and counter-argument
    • Teacher Notes with pair-work setup and timing

    Common challenges: Environment vocabulary at B1–B2: emissions, carbon footprint, sustainable, renewable, biodiversity. Distinguishing individual action from systemic change. Hedged language for uncertain projections.

    For: Adult and teenage learners (14+) at CEFR B1–B2, in intermediate and upper-intermediate classes, 1:1 lessons, or self-study with a partner. Maps onto Cambridge B2 First (FCE) Speaking. Part of the Conversation Questions collection — the natural next step is Conversation Questions: Society and Values.

  • Conversation Questions: Money and Success (PDF)

    Conversation Questions: Money and Success (PDF)

    Money and success is a high-stakes speaking topic — culturally sensitive, personally consequential, philosophically rich. The questions in this worksheet move from financial-habit description (How do you budget your monthly spending?) into reflective territory (Does money buy happiness? What does success mean to you?). Learners build the values-discussion speaking fluency B1+ Cambridge Speaking rewards.

    This worksheet builds B1–B2 speaking fluency through money and success discussion.

    What’s inside:

    • 20 open conversation questions sequenced from concrete to philosophical
    • Pre-discussion vocabulary box with money and success terms
    • Follow-up question patterns to develop values-based reasoning
    • Speaking-frame phrases for opinion, qualification, and contrast
    • Teacher Notes with pair-work setup and timing

    Common challenges: Cultural sensitivity around money discussion — questions designed to allow general answers rather than specific amounts. Vocabulary: budget, save, invest, splurge, financial goals, work-life balance, fulfilment. Philosophical hedging: for me personally, in my opinion, on balance.

    For: Adult and teenage learners (14+) at CEFR B1–B2, in intermediate and upper-intermediate classes, 1:1 lessons, or self-study with a partner. Maps onto Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET) and B2 First (FCE) Speaking. Part of the Conversation Questions collection — the natural next step is Conversation Questions: Work and Career.

  • Conversation Questions: Health and Wellbeing (PDF)

    Conversation Questions: Health and Wellbeing (PDF)

    Health and wellbeing is a personally engaging speaking topic that combines everyday vocabulary with reflective content. The questions in this worksheet cover physical fitness habits, eating choices, mental wellbeing practices, sleep, work-life balance, and reflections on what makes a healthy life. Learners build the personal-and-reflective speaking fluency B1 Cambridge Speaking tests.

    This worksheet builds B1 speaking fluency through health and wellbeing discussion.

    What’s inside:

    • 20 open conversation questions sequenced from habit to reflection
    • Pre-discussion vocabulary box with health and wellbeing terms
    • Follow-up question patterns to extend health-related answers
    • Speaking-frame phrases for describing habits, expressing intention, reflecting on change
    • Teacher Notes with pair-work setup and timing

    Common challenges: Sensitive-topic handling — mental-health discussion should allow learners to engage at their comfort level. Habit vocabulary: I tend to, I usually, I try to, I’ve been meaning to. Modal verbs for advice and intention: should, could, ought to, might.

    For: Adult and teenage learners (14+) at CEFR B1, in intermediate classes, 1:1 lessons, or self-study with a partner. Maps onto Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET) and B2 First (FCE) Speaking. Part of the Conversation Questions collection — the natural next step is Conversation Questions: Education and Learning.

  • Conversation Questions: Travel and Adventure (PDF)

    Conversation Questions: Travel and Adventure (PDF)

    Travel and adventure is a high-engagement speaking topic — every learner has travel stories or travel ambitions. The questions in this worksheet move from concrete description (Where have you travelled? What’s your favourite place?) into adventure narrative (What’s the most unusual thing that’s happened on a trip?) and reflective discussion (Has travel changed how you see your home country?). Learners build narrative-speaking fluency on a universally engaging topic.

    This worksheet builds A2–B1 speaking fluency through travel discussion.

    What’s inside:

    • 20 open conversation questions sequenced from easier to harder
    • Pre-discussion vocabulary box with travel and adventure terms
    • Follow-up question patterns to develop travel anecdotes
    • Speaking-frame phrases for narrative, description, and recommendation
    • Teacher Notes with pair-work setup and timing

    Common challenges: Past-tense narrative at A2–B1 — I went, I stayed, I tried, we walked. Travel vocabulary: destination, itinerary, budget, accommodation, sightseeing, local culture. Recommending vs reporting: I would recommend going in spring vs I went in spring.

    For: Adult and teenage learners (14+) at CEFR A2–B1, in pre-intermediate and intermediate classes, 1:1 lessons, or self-study with a partner. Maps onto Cambridge A2 Key (KET) and B1 Preliminary (PET) Speaking. Part of the Conversation Questions collection — the natural next step is Conversation Questions: Food and Culture.

  • Conversation Questions: Technology and AI (PDF)

    Conversation Questions: Technology and AI (PDF)

    Technology and AI is the contemporary speaking topic every learner has views on — but few have practised discussing in English. The questions in this worksheet move from personal tech use (What devices do you use daily? How long is your screen time?) into broader societal questions (Is AI going to replace human jobs? Should social media be regulated?). Learners build the analytical-speaking fluency that B1–B2 Cambridge Speaking parts test.

    This worksheet builds B1–B2 speaking fluency through technology and AI discussion.

    What’s inside:

    • 20 open conversation questions sequenced from concrete to abstract
    • Pre-discussion vocabulary box with technology and AI terms
    • Follow-up question patterns to develop opinions and counterpoints
    • Speaking-frame phrases for opinion, counter-opinion, and qualification
    • Teacher Notes with pair-work setup and timing

    Common challenges: Tech-and-AI vocabulary at B1–B2: algorithm, generative, automation, surveillance, privacy, addiction, displacement. Opinion-with-evidence structure: I think X because, with a concrete example. Hedging strong claims about an uncertain future technology.

    For: Adult and teenage learners (14+) at CEFR B1–B2, in intermediate and upper-intermediate classes, 1:1 lessons, or self-study with a partner. Maps onto Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET) and B2 First (FCE) Speaking. Part of the Conversation Questions collection — the natural next step is Conversation Questions: Media and News.

  • Conversation Questions: Work and Career (PDF)

    Conversation Questions: Work and Career (PDF)

    Work and career is the speaking topic every adult learner cares about — current job, past roles, future ambitions, career frustrations, professional values. The questions in this worksheet move from current role (What do you do? What does a typical day look like?) into reflection (What’s been the most challenging moment of your career?) and forward-looking discussion (Where do you see yourself in five years? What would your dream job be?). Learners build extended-answer fluency on workplace topics.

    This worksheet builds B1–B2 speaking fluency through work and career discussion.

    What’s inside:

    • 20 open conversation questions sequenced from easier to harder
    • Pre-discussion vocabulary box with workplace and career terms
    • Follow-up question patterns to extend professional conversations
    • Speaking-frame phrases for describing, reflecting, and projecting
    • Teacher Notes with pair-work setup and timing

    Common challenges: Workplace-specific vocabulary at B1–B2 — role, responsibilities, projects, deadlines, deliverables, line manager. STAR-method structure for behavioural responses. Salary and earnings discussion: culturally sensitive — questions allow indirect answers.

    For: Adult and teenage learners (14+) at CEFR B1–B2, in intermediate and upper-intermediate classes, 1:1 lessons, or self-study with a partner. Maps onto Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET) and B2 First (FCE) Speaking. Part of the Conversation Questions collection — the natural next step is Conversation Questions: Money and Success.