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RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS

CONVERSATION TOPICS: Advanced Level

Conversation topics suitable for advanced learners of English.



CONVERSATION TOPICS - ADVANCED LEVEL

 Full list of Topics here 

  • Fears and Phobias
    • What are people most afraid of / scared of?
    • What were you most afraid of when you were a child?
    • How did you overcome your fear?
    • Can fear be a useful/positive feeling? (e.g. for avoiding danger, risks...)
    • What is a phobia? (an extreme or irrational fear of something)
    • What sort of phobias can you think of? (spiders, birds, heights, needles, flying, water...)
    • Some phobias have specific words. Do you know any of these words?:
      - Acrophobia: fear of heights
      - Aerophobia: fear of flying
      - Agoraphobia: fear of being alone in public places
      - Aquaphobia: fear of water/drowning
      - Arachnophobia: fear of spiders
      - Claustrophobia: fear of enclosed or confined spaces
      - Cynophobia: fear of dogs
      - Ornithophobia: fear of birds
    • How about this phobia: nomophobia (short for 'no-mobile-phone phobia')
      (fear of being without your mobile phone or unable to use it)
      Is this a common phobia today?
      How can we become less scared of being without a mobile phone?
  • Mobile Phones and their (excessive) use
    Mobile phones (or cell phones) have become such a large part of our lives today that many people wonder how they ever lived without them.
    What do most people use their phones for today?
    • In pairs, make a list of the most common uses:
      phone calls, text messages, photos, social media, alarm clock, booking flights, hotels, reading the news...
    • Do you think we have become too dependent on our mobile phones?
    • Should the use of mobile phones sometimes be banned or restricted?
      - at school (in general)?
      - in the classroom?
      - during meetings?
      - in restaurants?
      - other...
    • Can people become anxious or stressed without their mobile phone?
    • Have you ever heard of nomophobia? (no-mobile-phone phobia)
      (fear of being without a mobile, or being unable to use it, or feeling a compulsive need to have a device nearby at all times)
    • What advice would you give to someone who has become totally dependent on their mobile phone?
  • Consumerism
    Short definition: spending money on things that we don't really need, for example:
       - replacing a perfectly working mobile phone because a new model has come out
       - buying more and more toys for children
    Solicit more examples...

    • What are the positive and negative effects of consumerism?
      Suggestions:
        Positive effects:
      • increased industrial production
      • more jobs
      • a greater selection of goods to choose from
      • provides more comfort
      • makes us happier

        Negative effects:
      • destruction of our natural resources
      • increased pollution
      • low-quality products (...that have to be replaced more often)
      • lower working standards in countries where goods are manufactured

    • Did previous generations consume as much?
    • Should people be encouraged to consume less? Why? How?

  • Life in the future
    • Imagine life in the future. In what way will we live differently?
      - Education: (quality, teaching methods, areas of study/new professions, artificial intelligence...)
      - Work (working from home, online sales, etc.)
      - Homes (size, style, location, comfort, robots ...)
      - Healthcare: (vaccines/prevention, transplants, treatment, cures, new illnesses, longer life…)
      - Everyday life (shopping, sports, travel, etc.)
    • Should we worry about changes in the future? Which changes? Why?
    • What are the most positive/the least positive changes to be expected?

  • Physical Appearance
    • What is the first thing you notice about a person ?
    • Is it important how people dress ?
    • Is weight/physical well-being/fitness important ?
    • Which is the most important : clothes, shoes, hair, hygiene, fitness, style … ?
    • Does a person’s appearance reveal their personality ?
    • Is it wrong to judge people by their appearance ?
    • Could you be intimidated by someone’s appearance ?
    • What can people do to maintain or improve their appearance?
    • Is it acceptable to tell someone that they need to improve their appearance?
    • How should you dress for a job interview ?
    • On what occasions is it acceptable to dress casually ?
    • Can you think of expressions relating to clothes and/or appearance :
      (e.g. 'off the peg' / 'down at heel' / 'dressed to kill' / 'not a hair out of place' …)

  • Customs and Traditions
    • Have you visited other countries (besides the country where you live now) ?
    • What country/countries have you visited ?
    • Did you discover any customs or traditions that were different from your home country’s customs ?
    • Have you heard of any other strange foreign customs or traditions ?
    • Can you tell us about some of the most important customs of your country?
    • Is it necessary/advisable/recommended to follow other country’s customs ?
    • How do people greet each other in your country ?
    • Do you know of any particular wedding customs in other countries ?
    • What about eating customs ? Are they the same in all countries ?
    • Do you follow all of your country’s traditions and customs?

  • Coronavirus
    • What images come to mind when you hear the word ‘virus’?
    • What do you know about the coronavirus?
    • What does the word ‘outbreak’ make you think of?
    • What is the difference between ‘outbreak’ and ‘pandemic’?
    • What can governments do to stop a pandemic?
    • Could or should governments have reacted differently at the beginning of the outbreak?
    • Do you think the whole world can or should be vaccinated against the coronavirus?
    • Do you think scientists will find a cure for the coronavirus?
    • What questions would you like to ask a virologist?
    • Do you agree with the Japanese authorities’ decision not to allow spectators at the Tokyo Olympic games?
    • Did that decision prevent or limit the spread of the virus?
    • Are rich countries better protected than under-developed countries?
    • What are the advantages and disadvantages of vaccine passports?

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