ESL Conversation Questions for Adults: 7 Real-Life Topics
Good ESL conversation questions for adults are about real life: work, a home, the doctor, money, shopping, food and travel. Here are 7 adult topics with 7 or 8 questions each, at level A2 to B1. Each topic has a tip on how to run it in class and a free role‑play game, so students can move from talking about a situation to speaking in it.
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How to use these questions with adults
- Pick one topic per lesson. Seven or eight questions are enough for 20 to 30 minutes of pair work.
- Teach 4 or 5 key words first. Adults talk more when they have the words they need.
- Let people pass. Any student can skip a question, or answer about "a friend." People open up when they feel safe.
- End with a role‑play. After they talk about the topic, students practice the real situation in a short game.
1. Work and jobs 💼
- What do you do for work, or what work did you do before?
- What was your first job? How old were you?
- What do you like most about your job? What do you like least?
- Would you rather work from home or in an office? Why?
- What makes a good boss, in your opinion?
- How do people find a job in your country? Is it the same here?
- What questions did they ask you at your last job interview?
- If you could have any job for one year, what would it be?
How to run it: Pairs take turns with the questions for 10 minutes. Then each student tells the class one thing about a partner: "Ana's first job was in a bakery." This makes students listen, and it practices he and she.
Role‑play: A job interview with Ms. Brown, a hiring manager. In Say It Right, Ms. Brown says a line, and students choose the best of 3 replies, hear it and get a short tip. Useful phrases: job interview
▶ Play the job interview role‑play2. Renting a home 🏠
- Do you live in a house or an apartment? What is it like?
- How did you find your home?
- What matters most to you in a home: the price, the size or the neighborhood?
- What questions should you ask a landlord before you rent?
- Have you ever had a problem in your home, like no hot water? What did you do?
- Is it easy to find a home to rent in your city? Why or why not?
- Would you rather live in a big city or a small town?
- What do you like about your neighborhood?
How to run it: Before you start, teach five words: rent, lease, deposit, landlord and utilities. Keep money questions open: students can talk about "people in my city" and not about their own rent.
Role‑play: Questions to ask before you rent, with Sam, a landlord. In Say It Right, Sam says a line, and students choose the best of 3 replies, hear it and get a short tip. Useful phrases: landlord
▶ Play the landlord role‑play3. At the doctor 🩺
- How do you make a doctor's appointment here? Is it easy?
- What do you do when you have a cold?
- Is it hard to explain a health problem in English? Which words help you?
- What questions do you ask a doctor about a new medicine?
- In your country, do people go to a pharmacy before they see a doctor?
- What do you do to stay healthy?
- Do you prefer a doctor who talks a lot or a doctor who keeps it short?
How to run it: Health is private. Tell students they can answer about a friend or a person they invent. Write a few useful lines on the board first: "It started three days ago." "It hurts here."
Role‑play: Telling Dr. Lee what is wrong. In Say It Right, Dr. Lee says a line, and students choose the best of 3 replies, hear it and get a short tip. Useful phrases: doctor
▶ Play the doctor role‑play4. The bank and money 🏦
- Do you usually pay with cash, a card or your phone?
- How did you open your first bank account?
- Do you use a banking app? What do you use it for?
- Have you ever had a problem with a bank? What happened?
- What is one good way to save money?
- Is it a good idea to lend money to a friend? Why or why not?
- Should children get an allowance? How much?
How to run it: Never ask how much people earn or have in the bank. Use question 6 for an "agree or disagree" line: students stand on one side of the room or the other and say why.
Role‑play: Opening a checking account with Omar, a bank teller. In Say It Right, Omar says a line, and students choose the best of 3 replies, hear it and get a short tip. Useful phrases: bank
▶ Play the bank role‑play5. Shopping 🛒
- Where do you like to shop: in stores or online?
- What was the last thing you bought? Are you happy with it?
- Do you compare prices before you buy? How?
- Have you ever returned something to a store? What did you say?
- Is it OK to ask for a lower price in your country? Where?
- What is something you would never buy online?
- How would you choose a used car?
How to run it: Bring two real ads for the same thing at different prices, and ask pairs which one they would buy and why. Then move to the questions.
Role‑play: Asking about the price at a car dealership with Marco. In Say It Right, Marco says a line, and students choose the best of 3 replies, hear it and get a short tip. Useful phrases: buying a car
▶ Play the car price role‑play6. Eating out 🍽️
- How often do you eat at a restaurant?
- What is your favorite restaurant? What do you order there?
- Do people tip in your country? How much?
- What do you say if your food is cold or wrong?
- Do you prefer to cook at home or eat out? Why?
- What dish from your country should everyone try?
- Fast food or a sit‑down restaurant: which do you choose, and when?
How to run it: After question 6, write the dishes on the board as a menu. Students take turns as the server and the customer and order from it.
Role‑play: Ordering at a restaurant with Maya, a server. In Say It Right, Maya says a line, and students choose the best of 3 replies, hear it and get a short tip. Useful phrases: restaurant
▶ Play the restaurant role‑play7. Travel ✈️
- What is the best trip you have ever taken?
- Do you plan every day of a trip, or do you decide as you go?
- What do you always pack?
- Have you ever had a problem at a hotel or an airport? What happened?
- Would you rather travel by car, train or plane? Why?
- What place in your country should a visitor see?
- What do you say when you check into a hotel?
How to run it: Use question 1 for "two truths and a lie": each student tells three short travel stories, one of them not true. The group asks questions and guesses the lie.
Role‑play: Checking into a hotel with Carlos at the front desk. In Say It Right, Carlos says a line, and students choose the best of 3 replies, hear it and get a short tip. Useful phrases: hotel front desk
▶ Play the hotel role‑playESL conversation questions for adults
1. Work and jobs
- What do you do for work, or what work did you do before?
- What was your first job? How old were you?
- What do you like most about your job? What do you like least?
- Would you rather work from home or in an office? Why?
- What makes a good boss, in your opinion?
- How do people find a job in your country? Is it the same here?
- What questions did they ask you at your last job interview?
- If you could have any job for one year, what would it be?
2. Renting a home
- Do you live in a house or an apartment? What is it like?
- How did you find your home?
- What matters most to you in a home: the price, the size or the neighborhood?
- What questions should you ask a landlord before you rent?
- Have you ever had a problem in your home, like no hot water? What did you do?
- Is it easy to find a home to rent in your city? Why or why not?
- Would you rather live in a big city or a small town?
- What do you like about your neighborhood?
3. At the doctor
- How do you make a doctor's appointment here? Is it easy?
- What do you do when you have a cold?
- Is it hard to explain a health problem in English? Which words help you?
- What questions do you ask a doctor about a new medicine?
- In your country, do people go to a pharmacy before they see a doctor?
- What do you do to stay healthy?
- Do you prefer a doctor who talks a lot or a doctor who keeps it short?
4. The bank and money
- Do you usually pay with cash, a card or your phone?
- How did you open your first bank account?
- Do you use a banking app? What do you use it for?
- Have you ever had a problem with a bank? What happened?
- What is one good way to save money?
- Is it a good idea to lend money to a friend? Why or why not?
- Should children get an allowance? How much?
5. Shopping
- Where do you like to shop: in stores or online?
- What was the last thing you bought? Are you happy with it?
- Do you compare prices before you buy? How?
- Have you ever returned something to a store? What did you say?
- Is it OK to ask for a lower price in your country? Where?
- What is something you would never buy online?
- How would you choose a used car?
6. Eating out
- How often do you eat at a restaurant?
- What is your favorite restaurant? What do you order there?
- Do people tip in your country? How much?
- What do you say if your food is cold or wrong?
- Do you prefer to cook at home or eat out? Why?
- What dish from your country should everyone try?
- Fast food or a sit‑down restaurant: which do you choose, and when?
7. Travel
- What is the best trip you have ever taken?
- Do you plan every day of a trip, or do you decide as you go?
- What do you always pack?
- Have you ever had a problem at a hotel or an airport? What happened?
- Would you rather travel by car, train or plane? Why?
- What place in your country should a visitor see?
- What do you say when you check into a hotel?
Speaking activities and conversation games for adults
The same questions work in many formats. These six activities need little more than this page, and they work with adults of any age.
- Question cards (15 minutes).
- Print the cards and cut them up. In groups of three, students take a card, read it aloud and answer. The others must ask one follow‑up question.
- Inside and outside circle (10 minutes).
- Two circles face each other. Pairs talk about one question for two minutes, then the outside circle moves one step. Everyone talks to four or five people.
- Find someone who (10 minutes).
- Turn questions into a list: "Find someone who has returned something to a store." Students walk around, ask and write names.
- Agree or disagree (10 minutes).
- Read a statement, like "Online shopping is better than stores." Students move to the agree or disagree side and give one reason.
- Hot seat (10 minutes).
- One student sits in front. The class asks questions from one topic for three minutes. Then the next student sits down.
- Role‑play with a game (15 minutes).
- Put a Say It Right situation on the projector. The class reads the line and the three replies and votes on the best one. Then pairs act out the same situation without the screen.
Want more? See our ESL speaking games for adults (with Taboo, Desert Island and Debate), role plays for ESL students and teaching English conversation. For a full class, use our free 60‑minute ESL lesson plans for adults.
Questions about ESL conversation for adults
What are good conversation topics for adult ESL students?
Topics from real adult life work best: work and jobs, renting a home, the doctor, the bank and money, shopping, eating out and travel. Adults need this English every week, so they want to talk about it.
How do you start a conversation class with adults?
Start with an easy question that everyone can answer, like "What did you do this weekend?" Then teach 4 or 5 key words for the topic before the pair work.
How many conversation questions do I need for one class?
Seven or eight questions are enough for 20 to 30 minutes of pair work. Good questions lead to follow-up questions, so students need fewer than you think.
What are some speaking activities for adult ESL learners?
Question cards, an inside and outside circle, find someone who, agree or disagree, the hot seat and role-plays all work well with adults. None of them needs special materials.
What are good conversation games for ESL adults?
Two truths and a lie, the hot seat and agree or disagree are simple games that adults enjoy. A role-play game like Say It Right also works well: the class chooses the best reply in a real situation, like a job interview or the bank.
What topics should I avoid with adult ESL students?
Be careful with money, health, religion and politics. Let students answer about "people in my country" or a friend, and let anyone skip a question.
How can adult students practice conversation at home?
They can play Say It Right on a phone or a computer. In each situation, a person says a line, and the player chooses the best reply and hears it. It is free, with no sign-up.
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