28 Discussion Topics For B1 and B2Students
28 Discussion Topics For B1 and B2Students
28 Discussion Topics For B1 and B2Students
Luckily, they come to the classroom with a unique advantage. They have life experience.
They want to speak English as well as they speak their own native language—so what better way to
speak English like their native language than to speak about the very same things that they speak about
on a daily basis?
Sure, games, debates, speeches, listening and interactive exercises definitely work and this is the way to
improve your students fluency; don’t forget they are going to C1 and C2 (proficiency).
1. Hobbies
Everybody has hobbies, and everybody loves talking about them. Hobbies could be passions too,
you know. Some simple questions to ask include:
How long have you been doing these hobbies, and how did you get started?
2. Time
As people get older, their perceived value of time increases, so it’s a practical topic that everyone
has something to say about. You could ask questions like:
3. Sleep
As people get older, they start to appreciate a good night’s sleep more and more. This topic is
often a favorite for all. Some example questions are:
Why do some people sleep well while other people do not sleep well?
What time do you usually go to sleep? What time do you usually get up?
Have you ever slept in a strange place that was not a bed?
4. Music
Everybody loves music and most people feel very strong emotions towards it—especially when
it comes to the music that they love (or hate) most. Some simple questions to ask could be:
5. First Dates
Unless you’re teaching in a place where arranged marriages are the thing to do, talking about
first dates gets everybody interested. We’ve all been there. You could ask questions like:
6. Work
Lots of people work and have lots to say about it. I mean, if you’re spending about a third of
your waking hours at work, you may have lots to say. Some good questions are:
7. Risk
Everyone feels a certain way about risk. Some are risk-oriented, others are risk-averse. Talking
about risks seems to generate some good conversation. You could ask questions like:
8. Food
Food is possibly the most universal topic of them all and everyone loves to discuss what they eat.
This is also an ideal topic for beginners because the vocabulary is usually pretty simple. You
could use questions like:
9. Motivation
Whether or not the students are a motivated bunch, motivation is a good topic to discuss in order
to inspire your students. Some example questions are:
10. Beauty
Beauty is one of those topics that’s conventionally more geared toward women than it is to men.
However, anyone can appreciate beauty in all its forms, and anyone can recognize the
importance of the concept of beauty in our cultures, societies and behaviors. Plus, men might
surprise you by caring to chime in on beauty, looks and grooming.
This makes it a good topic to discuss to get some opinions and various views within a group of
students. You could ask questions like:
What is “beauty”?
Do you consider artificial beauty (cosmetic surgery) to still be beauty? Why/why not?
How do you feel about the emphasis that people put on beauty these days?
11. Crime
Crime may not be on the top of people’s lists of favorite topics but it’s something that’s talked
about. Depending on your adult students’ life experiences, it may be something that has affected
their lives. Learning to discuss it could help your students out in the long run. Good discussion
questions are:
12. Love
Everybody loves love and most people have had some firsthand experience they’d like to talk
about. It’s another one of those universal topics that gets the conversation going. Even if it’s not
about romantic love and heartbreak, students can talk about familial love with their parents and
children, as well as love between friends. Questions like these are good:
What is love?
13. Goals
We all have goals and talking about them actually gets us more encouraged to do something
about them. Sharing goals is also a good thing to help get them done. A good set of questions is:
14. Dreams
We all have dreams, sometimes on a nightly basis, and talking about them is a great discussion
topic for classes as they inspire students to be creative and even whimsical. Great questions for
this topic include:
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15. Restaurants
Along with eating, everybody loves talking about their favorite eateries and restaurants. Some
students could even relate to each other with their choices and views. Good questions include:
16. Cooking
Cooking is another topic that may allow for some good conversation. Most people in most
countries do a good amount of cooking. A few good questions could be:
17. Money
If there is a topic that everyone loves deep down, it has to be money. People love talking about
money. Well, may not if they’re broke—but even if they are, it’s a good, relatable topic that gets
conversations going. Great questions include:
18. Shopping
This one is a personal favorite for many. Shopping is becoming more and more prevalent and
brings out some zest in some people. They just love shopping! Others feel strongly the other way
—very few people are completely neutral on this topic. A few good questions are:
19. Plans
Everybody makes plans and discussing them could even influence the class to start making plans
of their own! A few example questions include:
20. Books
Books make for a good discussion topic because most people enjoy a good book.
When you read, your mind is filled with new images, feelings, ideas and thoughts. Books also
empower and educate people, so your adult students may believe in the value of books. It can be
immensely satisfying for adult students to share how they feel about reading. Some questions to
ask are:
Do you believe reading books/literature is more important than reading stuff online? Why/why
not?
21. Sports
Now comes a topic that more men may favor, but it’s still good for classes since female
spectators are on the rise. Some students may also have children that enjoy sports! A few good
examples are:
22. Life
Practicing discussions on life is a good topic to cover since everyone has their own views and
thoughts on the ubiquitous subject. You could bring up questions like:
If tomorrow was your last day to live, what would you do?
23. Television
Television is one of those topics that everyone has an opinion about. The irony of it is that even
though more and more programming is viewed on computers and tablets, television is still a hot
topic classes love to discuss. Good questions include:
What is the best way to watch television: On a television set, computer, tablet or phone?
24. Learning
Learning is like nature—it’s all around us, even on a subconscious level. Our brains are built to
absorb, filter and store information. Discussion about learning could actually stimulate some
English learning amongst the students! A few questions that are suitable are:
25. Movies
Like television, talking about movies is a topic that has something to be said by everybody. I
mean, who doesn’t watch movies? A few good questions to be asked could be:
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What was the last movie you saw? How was it?
How are the movies in your country? What are the best ones?
If there were a movie about your life, what kind of movie would it be? Why?
26. Games
But in all seriousness, talking about games gets discussion more geared towards past tense,
which gives the students a fond sense of nostalgia. Some simple questions could be:
27. Computers
The year is 2019 and you can’t go a day without talking about computers. A greatly universal
topic that could have students discussing quite a few things, which could all relate to real life
too! Great questions on this could be:
28. Problems
Even though nobody likes to talk about problems, per se, everybody still talks about their
problems to other people! Problems are actually a good topic for discussion since they could help
others relate to each other and even present solutions too. A few fine examples of questions are:
What was the last problem you solved and how did you do it?
These topics may even inspire you to come up with some of your own, as you’ll begin to
understand your students on a deeper level and knows what works and what doesn’t.
Happy discussing!