CONVERSATION

BOOKLET
Compiled by

Jonny Jasses Torregroza Oliveros

 ADVANCED CONVERSATION CLUB
WORKSHOP-EMPLOYMENT
How has technology changed business?
Do you think it's created more work or
What's your ideal job? Why? less?

Would you prefer to have an easy routine

Is it typical for men and women to have the job or a job in which you made a lot of
same jobs in your county? decisions?

Do people usually work for one company

for a long time in your country or is it
Do you think office romances can be common for people to change jobs every
successful? Why or why not? Do you know few years? Why do you think people
of any couples who have met at work? change jobs so often?

Describe the first job you had for money.

In your opinion, which jobs are most

prestigious? Why?

What three things are most important for you

in a job? Why?

Would you like a job that involved a lot of

travel? Why or why not? Have you ever
known anyone with one of these jobs? Tell If you could own your own business, what
about them. would it be?

Who in your family or among our friends has How important are clothes at work? How
the most interesting job? What about the does your job determine what you wear in
most boring? your country?

LISTENING

The most common questions in a job interview

The students listen to an expert giving tips on how succeed in a job interview. The teacher
must pause the audio from time to allow the participants to express their opinions thus
fostering dynamic participation
APPLICATION
Role-play- Pair work
LISTENING AND SPEAKING – INTERMEDIATE
LEADERSHIP
Discuss these questions

 What is a leader?
 Who are the first leaders who come to your mind?
 What makes those people great leaders?
 What are the qualities or characteristics that every leader should have?
 Are some people natural leaders and other people natural followers? Why?
 Would you like to be a leader in Colombia? Why or why not?
 Why do some people think it's a bad thing to always follow other people?
 If you were the leader of your school, what changes would you make?
 Do you consider yourself a leader? Why or why not?
 Have you ever been in a position of leadership in a company?
 If so, do you think you were a good leader? Why / why not?
 What leadership qualities do you have?
 What leadership qualities do you want?
 If you were the leader of the company you work for, what changes would you
make?
 Is there a difference between a manager and a leader or are they the same thing?
 Are there differences between male and female leaders?
 Do you think some men have difficulty following a female leader? Why?
 Do you think some people are born natural leaders or must they learn it?
 Why is good leadership important for a business?
 What are the characteristics of a good leader?
 What leadership qualities do you most admire?
 What different kind of leadership styles are there?
 What characteristics does a bad leader have?
 Have you ever had to work for a bad leader?

3. LISTENING
 Leadership
The students listen and then discuss on the points they agree or disagree
with the speakers.

7 Essential Qualities of All Great Leaders

Students watch the video and outline their own concept of leadership
The teacher pauses the video to explain new vocabulary
 Conversation Questions
Culture

.
 What are some things that define a culture? For example, music, language, ...
 What do you think is interesting about your culture?
 When people from other countries think about your culture, what do they usually think
of?
 What has surprised you when you've met people from other countries?
 What do you like about your culture?
 What don't you like about your culture?
 Are there many people of different cultures in your country? Are you friends with any?
 Why do you think culture is important?
 If you could change one thing about your culture, what would it be?
 Would you ever consider marrying or dating someone from another culture?
 Would you ever consider living permanently in a country other than your home
country? Why or why not?
 What does it mean to be polite in your culture?
 What is considered rude in your culture?
 Is there anything in this culture that is considered rude that may not be
considered rude in your culture?
 If a group of people just came to your country from overseas, what advice would you
give them?
 What do you think is important when visiting another culture?
 Do you think "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" is always good advice? Why or
why not?
 What culture besides your own do you admire and why?
 How do you feel when you leave your home culture and enter into a completely new
culture?
 What is the best/most important thing your culture has given to the world?
 What are some things that define a culture? For example, music, language, ...
 Do you know much about your own culture?
 What do you think is interesting about your own culture?
 What do you like most about your own culture?
 What do you like least about your culture?
 What does it mean to be polite in your culture?
 What has surprised you when you've met people from other countries?
 What is the best/most important thing your culture has given to the world?
 What is the best/most important thing your culture/country has adopted from another
culture?
 LISTENING AND SPEAKING –INTERMEDIATE
EDUCATION

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFnMTHhKdkw

1. Discuss the following questions

Education ESL Conversation Questions

Is it easy to get a job after graduation in your country?

Should university education should be free?
How can educators and parents promote creativity in children?
How would you compare the quality of education in your country to other countries?
What makes a good teacher?
Do you prefer public or private schools?
Should evolution or creationism be taught at schools?
Do you have any funny school stories?
Who should be responsible for teaching sexual education to children and teenagers?
Is a university degree enough in your country to get a good job?
Is ‘the student life’ the best time in people’s lives?
Should researchers at universities also be required to teach classes?
What is the most important subject(s) in school?
How does your country’s education system rate globally?
Who was your favorite teacher from your school days? Describe him or her.
Should young children be required to learn English? If so, from what age?
How has technology changed teaching methods?
What do you think of home schooling?
Language development: what’s the best way to raise a bilingual child?
Have you ever had a problem with a bully?
Your son has just come home from school. He is crying because a bully at school beat him
up. What do you tell your son?
What are your fondest (best) memories of high school?
What regrets do you have? What classifications of students existed in your high school (e.g.
nerds, athletes, etc.)?Which were you part of?
How would you compare your high school generation to today’s generation of teenagers?
Is there such thing as a dangerous book?
Should children be prohibited from reading certain books? Has reading made you a better
person?
Are girls smarter than boys?
 Conversation Questions
Healthy Lifestyle

.
 Do you think you have a healthy life style?
 Is it possible to have a healthy life style in modern world?
 Why do many people try to have a healthy life style?
 What is the main purpose of it?
 What is healthy food?
 Do you pay much attention to what you eat?
 Do you think it is more important for you to eat healthy or tasty food?
 Do you try to eat your breakfast, lunch and dinner at a certain time every day?
 Do you have a snack every time you are hungry or do you wait for the lunch or
dinner?
What is better for health?
Why are there so many obese people in the US?
 What are the most efficient ways to lose weight?
 Do you think diets are useful or not?
 Have you ever tried to go on a diet?
 What kind of diet was it?
 Did it work?
 Is physical activity (jogging, going to a gym, swimming pool) an important part of a
healthy life style?
 What is your attitude to smoking?
What is the influence of smoking on health?
 What about passive smoking?
 Is it hard to give up smoking?
 What is the best way to give up smoking?
 What is a healthy dose of alcohol?
 What is the damage of alcohol abuse to health?
 How many hours of sleep do you need daily?
If you don't sleep enough, how do you feel and look?
 Do you try to go to bed and get up at certain hours every day?
What is good about it?
 Do you often find yourself under stress?
 What are the areas of your life where stress situations take place more often?
 Work?
 Family?
 Relationships with friends?
 While commuting to work?
 How do you usually cope with stress?
 Is there any connection between the person's style of life and the duration of his life?
Humour

 Do you think there is much difference between the American sense of humor and the sense of
humor of your country? Could you describe the difference?

 What elements of humor do you think are universal?

 Is humor always at someone's expense?

 How do you feel about puns and jokes made with words?

 Do you like to watch comedies at the cinema or do you think they are silly?

 What was the last comedy you saw at the cinema?

 What is your opinion of American comedies?

Joke

 Are you any good at telling jokes? Can you remember many? Do you have problems
remembering the punchline?

 What was the last joke you heard?

 Are there some things we should never make jokes about? What things, and why?

 How do you react if you hear a joke which you simply don't think is funny?

Laughter
Laughter is very good for us because it releases tension.

 What sort of things make you laugh?

 How frequently do you laugh every day?

 Do you laugh out loud or do you chuckle quietly?

 Do you sometimes laugh in situations which are not amusing?

 Laughter is catching. Do you start laughing when you see or hear other people laughing?
Why do you think this happens?

 What is the difference between "laughing at someone" and "laughing with someone"?

 Does your language have equivalent expressions for

 "I nearly died laughing!" or "I cracked up (with laughter)!"?

 "He was the laughing stock"
  "Don't make me laugh!"

WORKSHOP- PHRASAL VERBS IN OUR CONVERSATIONS

1. How do you help out your friends and family?

2. What time do you usually get up? Do you wish you could get up earlier or
later?
3. Have you ever been picked up by a crazy taxi driver?
4. Can you set up a computer?
5. Do you talk your friends into doing bad things?
6. Is there anything you turned down but now regret it?
7. What is the best or worst thing your friends talked you into?
8. What do you leave out when you talk to your parents about your life?
9. How often do you borrow money? Do you always pay it back?
10. Have any of your friends borrowed money and not paid you back?
11. How often do you get together with your high school or elementary school
friends?
12. Have you ever blown anything up? What was it and how did it happen?
13. Have you ever had to take care of someone or something (sibling, pet,
babysitting, etc.)? Did you enjoy it?
14. What is your favorite place to eat out at?
15. Do you know anyone who dropped out of high school or university?
16. Is there anyone you don’t get along with? Who and why?
17. How do you pick out the clothes you are going to buy? How about the
clothes you are going to wear for the day?
18. Is there anything you need to cut down on?
19. What is something that you always put off until another day?
20. Have you ever run into a celebrity?
21. When do you usually wake up? When would you prefer to wake up?
22. If you could do something over in your life, what would you do over?
23. What do you leave out when you talk to your parents about your life?
24. How often do you borrow money? Do you always pay it back?
 25. Have any of your friends borrowed money and not paid you back?

LISTENING AND SPEAKING – ADVANCED

WORKSHOP-STARTING MY OWN BUSINESS
February 15 thru 19

2. Introduction
The teacher will introduce the topic using these questions.

 Do you run your own business, or would you like to do so?

 What do you think are/would be the advantages and disadvantages of being your own
boss?
 If you are presently self-employed - why did you decide to be so?
 What do you have to do to become self-employed in Colombia?
 What kind of business would you like to set up?
 What are some things that you need to consider when starting your own business?
 What is the most profitable type of business to open in your country?
 What must a company do or have to be successful?
 What traits make someone a good entrepreneur?

3. LISTENING

How to start your own business

Students listen to an expert talking about how to start a business. Teacher and students
discuss on the main topics stated by the lecturer.

REFERENCES

http://teflpedia.com/Business_conversation_questions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_qXLYuZJpE
 ADVANCED CONVERSATION CLUB

 What is good behavior? What is bad behavior?

 Were you well-behaved as a child?
 Why do some children seem naturally well-mannered, while others seem difficult?
 Were you a well-behaved child?
 How do you raise well-behaved children?
 What influences you to make good choices?
 Have you ever not tolerated someone's behavior?
 Is there any behavior that you would not find acceptable?
 What are some examples of bad behavior?
 What is he worst behavior you have seen?
 Would you teach your child to "hit back" at school if somebody hit him?
 How can we teach our children good behavior? Are words or example more
important?
 Are you influenced by what you see on TV? Or by what you read?
 Do friends influence you?
 Can you influence your friends?
 Is it important to surround yourself with good people?
 How can friends have a bad influence on you?
 Can music influence your behavior?
 Is it important to only watch wholesome TV shows and only read good books?
 How has the media affected society? Has TV made society better or worse?
 How does religion influence people's behavior?
 Do you care what other people think of you?
 Do you care about the private behavior of a politician?
 Can you judge a politician by how he behaves toward his family?
 Do you give up your private life when you become a politician?
 Should people behave differently with friends than with family? Do you treat people
who are close to you better than strangers, or vice versa?
 Does the behavior of well-known people, such as celebrities and politicians, affect
how average people behave?
 Does economic status affect people's behavior? For example, are people more
generous if they have more money?
 Who do you admire? Do you try to be like this person (or people)?
 Are there historical figures you admire?
 Who is affected by your behavior?
 In what ways have the choices of others affected you?
 Does your happiness depend on the behavior of others?
 Should you always be on your best behavior?
 Will we be judged for our behavior? Do you believe in a God who punishes bad
people and rewards good people?
 Does it always pay to be good?
 How do you act when you are happy? Do you like being around happy people?
 Should people act on their feelings? If you are in a bad mood, can people around you
tell?
 Do you believe we have a moral obligation to act happy, even if we do not feel happy?
 CONVERSATION WORKSHOPS

1. Success-Failure

 How would you define success?

 Do you have the same idea of success as your parents?
 To what extent will you encourage your children to become
successful?
 Do you think failures can contribute to a person's success?
 Can you think of any famous people who encountered failure
before success?

2. Social Networking

 What is social networking?

 Can social networking sites be dangerous?
 What precautions would you advise people to take?
 Should the use of social networking sites be banned at work?
 Are social networking sites changing our daily behaviour?
 Is it possible to become a social networking addict?

3. Diseases

 What dangerous diseases are people scared of nowadays?

 Should we be better-informed about the dangers of these
diseases?
 What is the best way to stop diseases from spreading?
 Do diseases have an effect on travel?
 Which disease is it urgent to find a cure for?

4. News coverage in the media today.

 What improvements would you make?

 What is the most important current news story?
 Do certain types of events get too much/too little coverage?
 Do you trust the media? Are you sure the information given is
always true?
 Is it important to keep up with current events?
5. Job interviews

 Is it necessary to prepare for a job interview?

 How can a person make a good first impression?
 Is there a recommended dress code for an interview?
 Can you think of any difficult questions one should be
prepared for?
 Is there anything a candidate should avoid mentioning?
 Is it ok to make negative comments about your present
employer?
 Is it ok for interviewers to ask questions about age, marital
status, etc.?
 What information should a candidate have about the company?

6. Shopping on the internet

 Do you often do your shopping online?

 What do you buy online? :
- food
- clothes
- furniture
- services : airline tickets, theatre reservations, flowers,
greeting cards ...
- other
 Are the prices the same as in the shops/agencies or less
expensive?
 Have you ever had any disappointments or bad surprises?
 What are the advantages of shopping online?
 What are the dangers?
 What advice would you give future online shoppers?

7. Politicians' personal lives.

 Does a politician's personal life have an effect on their ability to

do their job?
 Do you think the media pays too much attention to politicians'
personal lives?
 Why do certain types of media give excessive coverage to
minor offences?
  Information concerning personal lives circulates quickly on
social networks.
Is this good or bad?

8. History for future generations.

 You are asked to select a number of objects to represent life at

the beginning of the 21st century.
The idea is to help future generations better understand how
we lived and what major events affected us.
What objects would your choose and why?

9. Technology

 What technology would it be difficult to live without today?

 Has technology changed our everyday lifestyle?
 What technology, if any, has made our homes more
comfortable?
 Has technology changed education methods?
 Will online education one day replace the classroom?

10. Travelling has become easier and cheaper. What has it changed in
people's lives :

 speed, comfort, health, family relationships, etc.

 work/employment
 holiday habits
 way of life/standard of living in certain countries

11. Describe the best or worst trip you ever took :

 Where did you go?

 Did you travel alone or with a group?
 What did you do / what had you intended to do?
 What made it your best (or worst) trip?
 What advice would you give someone planning the same sort
of trip?
12. Work

 Do human beings need to work to be happy?

 What motivates people to work long hours?
 Can perks (or fringe benefits) compensate for a boring job?
 What are the advantages/disadvantages of working from
home?
 How do people find a balance between work and personal life?
 What would make you leave your job?
 In your opinion, what is the worst job in the world?

13. Is life today better than in the past? Think about the following :

 Education - employment - job satisfaction

 Health : prevention, treatment, new discoveries, social security,
etc.
 Comfort : standard of living (housing/transport/leisure)
 Violence
 Social issues : single mothers, unmarried couples,
homosexuality ...

14. Inventions

 What invention has had the greatest impact on our lives?

 Are there some things that never should have been invented?
 Do some countries encourage inventors more than others?

15. What are the 5 most important decisions in a person's life?

After making suggestions and defending their ideas, the group
retains five and decides on the order of importance.

16. It is impossible to have a successful career and a happy family life.

You have to choose one or the other. Do you agree?

17. Careers today : how to advise young people

 How important is it to have a good (well-paid/secure) job?

 What advice would you give a young person today?
  Would you encourage your children to accept a job in another
country?
 Would you be disappointed if your children
 left school early?
 chose a manual job?

18. The internet is already an essential communication tool in today's

world.
The first and most popular use is the email.

 What others can you think of?

 Has fraud increased since the arrival of the internet? How?
 What steps would you advise to protect data and privacy?
 What do you think the internet will be used for in the future?

19. Recent physical achievements (crossing the Atlantic, mountain

climbing, etc.).

 How many can you think of?

 Which achievement was the most impressive?
 Are the world's best athletes present at the Olympic Games?
 What do you think of 'extreme' sports (bungee jumping,
tightrope walking...)?

20. Has violence increased in recent years?

 What are the causes (unemployment, poverty, minority issues,

tv series,
poor parenting ...?
 What are the effects on young children?
 What could be done to reduce violence?
 Is the increase in violence a worldwide phenomenon?

21. The effects of medical and scientific progress :

 health (prevention, treatment, organ transplants, rare diseases,

etc.)
 beauty (plastic surgery, dental care, etc.)
 comfort in the home