JOBS

Akane, Canada
What is one job that you would hate to do? Well, I suppose( I think) one job that I would really hate to do is to be a homemaker(housewife), and I know that this is a very important job, and a very respectful(respeitoso) one but I don't think it's for me. I really get irritated(fico irritado) when I stay at home for long periods of time, and I know that many homemakers do go out, but, and I really do like making my own money(ganhar meu próprio dinheiro) and that's something(é algo) that's really important to me.

Barbara, Australia
One job that I would really hate to do would be, to be a salesperson(vendedora). Having to convince(convencer) people to buy something, probably which(provavelmente que) they don't need, and they can't afford(don't have money to pay). I would really hate to do that. If my income(renda) depended on selling(vendas), I think I would probably starve(passar fome)

Naomi, Australia
One job that I wouldn't like to do is a office job(trabalho de escritório), completely in the office, all the time(toda hora), 9 to 5, five-days-week office job. I think I would get(ficaria) really bored(entediado) after a short amount of time(pequena quantidade de tempo), and I would probably need a bit more(um pouco mais) excitement(emoção) in my life out of my job.

Mark, United States
Ah, one job I would hate to do is I would hate to be a garbageman(lixeiro), a garbage collector. I just, ah, it's gross(é nojento), it stinks(fede). I don't wish(não desejo) that job upon anybody(para ninguém) basically so(basicamente isso), that would be my last choice(escolha) for occupation(job)

questions:

1- what do you do for a living?

2- where do you work?

3- would you like to change your job?

4- what is the best thing about your job?

5- who do you work on the weekends?

6- what is your work schedule?

7- what is difficult about your job?

8- do you have a good or bad relationship with your co-workers?

9- Do you have a boss or are you self-employed?

10- Do you have a vacation one or two times a year?

Other levels

Tandia: Do you want these want ads after I’m finished with them?

Hank: No, I’m not going to find my dream job in the classifieds. I’m going to have to get more creative with my job search.

Tandia: What are you looking for?

Hank: I want a job that’s rewarding and fast-paced, and with good growth potential, but all I see are dead-end jobs.

Tandia: I know what you mean. I’m looking for something that’s challenging, but also with flexible work hours. All of my friends have great jobs. Why can’t I land one of them?

Hank: Instead of feeling sorry for ourselves, we need a better game plan.

Tandia: What do you have in mind?

Hank: I’m not sure, but we need to get noticed.

Tandia: Why don’t you take out a billboard? That should get you noticed.

Hank: Hey, that’s really thinking out of the box.

Tandia: I was joking!

Hank: I’m not. That’s an inspired idea. Now what should we put on the billboard?

Tandia: You’re crazy!

Tandia: Do you want these want ads(job ads) after I’m finished with them?

Hank: No, I’m not going to find my dream job in the classifieds(section of the newspaper to advertise things). I’m going to have to get more creative with my job search(job hunting/job finding)

Tandia: What are you looking for? (what job do you want)

Hank: I want a job that’s rewarding(satisfying) and fast-paced(high in energy), and with good growth potential(potential for promotion) but all I see are dead-end jobs.(jobs with no chance for promotion)

Tandia: I know what you mean. I’m looking for something that’s challenging, but also with flexible work hours. All of my friends have great jobs. Why can’t I land one of them?(why can't I find one of them)

Hank: Instead(ao invés) of feeling sorry for ourselves(ter pena), we need a better game plan.(a better strategy)

Tandia: What do you have in mind?( what are your ideas)

Hank: I’m not sure, but we need to get noticed. (ser notados)

Tandia: Why don’t you take out a billboard(put an outdoor)? That should get you noticed.

Hank: Hey, that’s really thinking out of the box(that's thinking differently).

Tandia: I was joking!( I was not serious)

Hank: I’m not. That’s an inspired idea( a good idea) Now what should we put on the billboard?

Tandia: You’re crazy! ( you are thinking right)

video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EO_pAfICWc

http://c2.libsyn.com/media/18928/ESLPod428.mp3?nvb=20100809131328&nva=20100810132328&sid=5b2991fce7a037e62e06fa7001382eb2&t=08e013d5acb616f64f5fb

1) Do you often check the jobs ads in newspapers or on the Internet?

2) What kinds of jobs interest you most and least?

3) Is the job market in your country growing?

4) What are the toughest jobs in the world?

5) Is being a housewife a job? Should women get paid for this?

6) Do you like job hunting applying for jobs?

7) What is the job description of your last job?

8) Does everyone have equal job opportunities in your country?

9) What’s the best way to pass job interviews?

10) What is the best way to quit a job?

HAPPINESS - 1

Level 1

1. What makes you happy? 
2. What is the color of happiness? 
3. what is the symbol of happiness? 
4. Do you prefer happy or sad movies? 
5. Is happiness inside or outside? 
6. Can money buy happiness? 
7. Is happiness in the mind or in the world? 
8. Tell me 3 things that makes you happy. 
9. Can you choose to be happy? 
10. Are you happy at this moment? 
11. What do you do when you are not happy? 
12. Do you cry when you are happy? 
13. Do you like books about happiness? 
14. Do you feel happy when you shop? 
15. When do you feel happier, in the morning, in the afternoon or at night? 
16. What was a very happy moment in your life? 
17. Do you cry with happiness? 
18. What do you enjoy doing when you are happy? 
19. Do you prefer comedies or drama? 
20. What do you do when you are sad?

Intermediate and Advanced levels

1. Are you a happy person? 
2. What is happiness for you? 
3. What do you think is the color for happiness? 
4. Do you think that happiness lies within you? Or does it depend upon other people and external things? 
5. Can money buy happiness? 
6. Is happiness a state of mind?
7. What makes you feel happy?
8. What are the three most important things for you to be happy? 
9. Is happiness relative, that is, does it have a different meaning for each person? 
10. Do you believe you can choose to be happy?

materials: http://www.elllo.org/english/Mixer/47-HappyLiveNow.html (basic mixer)

http://www.elllo.org/english/0801/Q830-Tini-Karaoke.html (fun elsewhere)

http://c4.libsyn.com/media/18928/ESLPod369.mp3?nvb=20100806163102&nva=20100807164102&sid=6c52e284b33a9c504bdc140997460af3&t=022ae2163c4cfb50178e3

eslpod(happy hour)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPjeVBV01jY (positive psychology study)

HOMETOWNS

1. Does your hometown have a college or university?
2. Does your hometown have a shopping mall shopping?
3. Does your hometown have antique shopping places?
4. Where is the best place to get a reasonably priced, but delicious meal in your hometown?
5. How long have you lived in your hometown?
6. Do any of your family members (still) live in your hometown?
7. Where did your maternal and paternal great-great-great grandparents live or come from?
8. Do you hope that someday your hometown would be world famous for something? What could it be famous for?
9. What is the average yearly rain fall for your hometown?
10. Does it snow in your hometown?

REAL STATE(HOUSING)

1.  Can you borrow money from a bank to get a place? Is it easy to buy and sell houses?
2. Draw/describe your dream house (money is no problem) where, materials, design, interior, landscaping etc
3. Imagine you have arrived in a country where they don't speak your language. You have no money or friends there. What would you do for accommodation?
4. Give some reasons why people become homeless.
5. What problems do home owners have? What can they do about them?
6. Is it better to rent or buy? Give reasons for your answer.
7. What do you think houses in the future will be like?
8. How important is security? How do you make a house secure?
9. Make a list of the 4 most important things you would look for when choosing a house to live in.
10. Some people say apartments are too much like boxes or cages. Do you agree or disagree? Why?

HEALTH

1. When you were in high school, how many days of school did you miss each year because of sickness?
2. Who is the healthiest person in your family? Who is the least healthy?
3. Why do people smoke?
4. Would you consider donating your organs after your death?
5. What is the health service like in your country?
6. How can the health service be improved?
7. Have you been to hospital in the last 3 months?
8. What do you know about Vaccines, how do they work?
9. What is the difference between a cold and the flu?
10. What do you think of this quote " Health is not the absence of illness, it is the joy to live"- Nuno Cobra

HAPPINESS

1. Are you a happy person?
2. What is happiness for you?
3. What do you think is the color for happiness?
4. Do you think that happiness lies within you? Or does it depend upon other people and external things?
5. Can money buy happiness?
6. Is happiness a state of mind?
7. What makes you feel happy?
8. What are the three most important things for you to be happy?
9. Is happiness relative, that is, does it have a different meaning for each person?
10. Do you believe you can choose to be happy?

HABITS

1. Are you extremely lazy?
2. Do you cut people off in the middle of their stories and conversations?
3. Does your mother or father have any bad habits?
4. Is it easy or difficult to get rid of a bad habit?
5. Do other people's bad habits get on your nerves?
6. Have you been successful in getting rid of a bad habit?
7. What bad habits bother you the most?
8. What good habits do you most admire?
9. What unusual habits do you observe in your family members? Do they bother you?
10. How can you develop a good habit?

GENERATION GAP

1. What is a generation gap?
2. Have you ever felt a generation gap with your friends?
3. How do you over come the generation gap?
4. When do you feel the generation gap the most?
5. Is it possible to overcome a generation gap?
6. At what point in life does the generation gap seem to be the largest?
7. Do you think you can be a better parent than your own parents in future?
8. Do you think it is OK to date or marry someone of a different gereration to yourself, either older or younger?
9. Some people think it is OK to marry a much older man but not a much older woman? Do you agree?
10. How would you feel if your father was a generation older than your mother? Do you know a family where this is the case?

GENDERS

1. Are there different expectations for sons and daughters?
2. What habits are deemed as appropriate for men but inappropriate for women?
3. What behaviors are deemed as appropriate for men but inappropriate for women?
4. What jobs are deemed as appropriate for men but inappropriate for women?
5. Are more doctors female or male in your country?
6. Are more nurses female or male in your country?
7. Are more professional musicians female or male in your country?
8. Are more teachers female or male in your country?
9. Are more truck drivers female or male in your country?
10. Are men and women equal in ability and intelligence?

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

1. In your opinion, what's the most delicious fruit?
2. Do you like vegetables? What's your favorite one?
3. Do you think that fruits and vegetables are good for your health? Why or why not?
4. Are you or would you like to be vegetarian?
5. How often do you drink fruit juice? What kind of fruit juice do you drink?
6. What kind of vegetables and fruits do you buy at the supermarket?
7. What the means the saying: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away?"
8. What are the most common fruits and vegetables in your country?
9. Can fruits and vegetables help you cure diseases?
10. Can fruits and vegetables help you lose weight if you are on a diet?
11. Do you cultivate fruits or vegetables in your garden?
12. Do you like to use things that have a fruit smell? ( E.g: Perfumes, erasers, etc)

FRIENDSHIP

1. Do you think it is possible to have a best friend of the opposite sex without becoming a girlfriend or boyfriend?
2. Do you think it would be possible for you still be friends with an ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend?
3. There is a proverb that says, "A friend in need is a friend indeed." Do you agree?
4. Do you believe that there is an end to any true friendships?
5. Do you believe your parents should be your friends?
6. What do you do if you receive a friend's call but you forgot his/her name?
7. Friendship is the most important relationship. Do you agree? Why? Why not?
8. What do you like best about your best friend(s)?
9. What are some ways your best friend has influenced your life in a positive way?
10. What are some ways your best friend has influenced your life in a positive way?

HOBBIES

1. How long have you had your hobby?
2. Which hobbies are the most expensive?
3. Which hobbies are the cheapest?
4. Which hobbies cost nothing at all?
5. Which hobbies are the most popular in your country?
6. Is hunting a hobby or a sport in your country?
7. Which hobbies are the most popular with women in your country? With men?
8. Did you have any hobbies when you were a child?
9. Can you think of any hobbies which are popular with children and adults?
10. Do you think a hobby is different from a sport?

FEELINGS

1. Are you annoyed when your partner/husband/wife flirts with someone else ?
2. Do bad mannered people upset you?
3. Do you get angry when politicians make promises they can't keep?
4. Do you get angry when you watch the news on TV and see all the terrible things happening in the world?
5. Does it annoy you when shop assistants try to sell you things you don't need?
6. Does it annoy you when someone interrupts you when you are speaking?
7. Does it annoy you when someone knows everything better than you and says so?
8. Does it annoy you when you are waiting in a long queue and someone pushes in front of you?
9. Does it annoy you when your teacher speaks too quickly?
10. Does it drive you crazy to always see the same faces and read about the same celebrities in the gossip columns?

DRUGS

1. Do some people have addictive personalities?
2. If you are addicted to drugs, what should you do?
3. What else can people become addicted to?
4. Why are some drugs more addicting than others?
5. Why do some people get addicted when others do not?
6. What happens in the brain of a person that causes addiction?
7. Do you know how much illegal drugs cost?
8. Do you think it is easy to buy illegal drugs where you live?
9. Which is worse, a peaceful drug addict or a violent non-addict?
10. Should pregnant women be arrested for child abuse if they use drugs when they are pregnant which may affect the baby?

DREAMS

1. When you were a child, what was your dream for the future? Has it changed?
2. Do you remember what you dream about in your sleep?
3. What is your dream for the future?
4. Have your dreams for your future changed?
5. Do you tell people about your dreams?
6. Do you think you can achieve your dreams?
7. If you had lots of money what would you do with it?
8. Do you think that having a lot of money can make you happy?
9. Do you think that having dreams and aspirations is a waste of time?
10. Do you think dreams are food for the soul?

DIETS

1. Have you ever been on a diet?
2. How do you know if you are fat?
3. What is the best way to diet?
4. Do you think dieting can be dangerous?
5. Do you think fiber is important in your diet?
6. What kind of fiber is the best when you are trying to loose weight?
7. Do you think protein is important in a balanced diet?
8. What is a good source of protein?
9. Do you think people who are fat can be happy?
10. Do you think people are in general are gaining weight or losing weight?

DEATH AND DYING

1. Why are so many people afraid of death, when it is unavoidable?
2. What would happen if you died?
3. On account of your beliefs or some other reason, do you look forward to dying?
4. Have you ever had to put a pet to sleep?
5. Do you believe that you will be born again?
6. What should you say to someone who has lost a loved one?
7. Why is facing death a difficult experience?
8. How does a person cope with death of a friend or loved one?
9. What are some reactions to death of a friend?
10. How do your national customs surrounding death reflect the values of your country?

CULTURE

1. Do you know much about your own culture?
2. When people from other countries think about your culture, what do they usually think of?
3. In your culture is it polite to be straightforward and direct when you talk to someone?
4. To whom is it OK and to whom is it not OK?
5. What has surprised you when you've met people from other countries?
6. Have you looked at Internet pages from a different culture? If so, how were they different from those of your own culture?
7. What do you like about your culture?
8. What don't you like about your culture?
9. Are there many people of different cultures in your country? Are you friends with any?
10. Have you ever felt confused by the actions of someone from another culture?

COMPUTERS

1. Can your parents operate a computer? / Can you children use a computer?
2. Do you think a computer can bring us happiness?
3. Do you have a computer?
4. Do you know any computer languages like C or C++?
5. What is configuration of your PC?
6. How often do you perform a backup? What kind of backup method do you use? What kind of backup media do you use?
7. What are some good things about having a computer?
8. What are some bad things about having a computer?
9. Does having a computer make life more complicated or less complicated?
10. What computer games have you played?

CLOTHES AND FASHION

1. What are some of the strangest fashions you have seen?
2. What colors do you think look good on you?
3. What colors do you think look good on your mother?
4. What did you wear yesterday?
5. What do you think of body piercing?
6. What fashions that you see today do you think will be out of fashion within two years?
7. What kind of clothes do you usually wear?
8. What's the most expensive piece of clothing you have ever bought?
9. When was the last time you got dressed up?
10. What do you think about secondhand clothes?

BEGGARS

1. Do you give money to beggars or homeless people? Why or why not?
2. If you give money to beggars or homeless people, about how much do you give?
3. How do you know if a beggar is a real beggar?
4. Do you think beggars should work in gangs or on their own? Would you offer a beggar any job you had to be done at home?Would you offer a beggar a job to help yo around you house?
5. Would you rather give money to beggars or buskers? (Buskers are people who entertain you on the street for money, e.g. musicians)
6. Would you rather give money to beggars who have a disability, older beggars, beggars with babies or child beggars? Why?
7. Do you think it's acceptable for children to work late at night selling flowers and singing?
8. Do you think these children need to be out doing this, or are they just earning extra money?
9. What do you think will happen to these children in the future? Do they have a future?
10. Do you think there should be more help for beggars, homeless and poor people in (your town/city)? How about in (your country)?

CARS AND DRIVING

1. How long did it take you to learn to drive?
2. What is the longest trip you have ever taken by car?
3. Have you ever broken down and been stranded on the side of the road? Who helped you?
4. How do American drivers compare to drivers in your country?
5. What are the speed limits in your country? what do you think about that?
6. On what occasions do you honk your car horn?
7. Is it acceptable to honk in your country
8. Are women better drivers than men?
9. Do you think the age for driving should be raised or lowered?
10. Do you think driving lessons should be provided by high schools?

BEHAVIOR

1. How do children acquire good behavior?
2. What would you do if your child behaves badly in public?
3. What would you do if you saw somebody else's child behaving badly in public?
4. Would you spank your child for bad behavior?
5. What would you do if you saw somebody spanking their child for bad behavior?
6. How should movie stars behave in public?
7. What behaviors are expected from children towards their parents?
8. What behaviors are expected from university and college students?
9. Is it acceptable for parents to spank their children?
10. Should corporal punishment be illegal?

ANNOYING THINGS

1. Do you think you have habits that annoy other people?
2. Does it annoy you when people kiss in public?
3. Do you get annoyed when someone cuts in front of you when you are waiting in line?
4. What are some new pet peeves you have as a result of recent technology (i.e. cell phone use)?
5. What annoying habits does your best friend have?
6. Does smoking bother you?
7. Do you get annoyed when other people display bad manners? Give some examples.
8. What is the most annoying thing for you?
9. What is the most annoying thing about your partner?
10. Do you annoy people with some of your habits?

ANIMALS AND PETS

1. How many pets have you had?
2. How many pets have you raised and what are they?
3. How many zoos have you been to?
4. How much does it cost to keep your pet?
5. If you could be an animal, what would you (choose to) be? Why?
6. If you don't keep pets, please explain why?
7. Is is right to keep animals in a zoo?
8. Is it harmful for a dog to travel in cabin on a airline under the seat where your carry-on bags go?
9. Pets are considered to be a burden to most of the city dwellers. To what extent do you agree?
10. Some people think that people shouldn't wear animal furs. Do you agree? Why or why not?

ADVERTISEMENT

1. What makes an ad memorable?
2. What are the different types of advertising? (Eg. TV)
3. What types of companies choose each type?
4. Do you buy products because of advertising?
5. Do you find advertising persuasive?
6. Why do you buy one product over another?
7. Should advertisers be allowed to advertise to children?
8. Should alcohol or tobacco companies be allowed to advertise? Why or why not?
9. What do you think of celebrity endorsements?
10. Which celebrities advertise which products?

ADOPTION

1. What is adoption?
2. Do you know anyone who was adopted as a child?
3. Do you know anyone who has adopted a child?
4. What are some of the reasons people choose to adopt?
5. What is the difference between domestic and international adoption?
6. What are the views of adoption in your country?
7. How would someone interested in adopting a child go about doing so?
8. Where do children available for adoption come from?
9. What happens to children that are not adopted?
10. How do you go about adopting a child?

YEARS

1) What can you get done in a year?
2) What things do you do every year?
3) Can you remember what you did each year on your birthday?
4) How do you feel when a new year arrives?
5) What do you think life will be like in the year 2100 and the year 3000?
6) If you could take a year out from studying or work, what would you do?
7) How long is 'donkey’s years'?

8) What has been the best year in your life?
9) What important events happened in the year of your birth?
10) Has this year been a good year for you?
11) Do you make New Year resolutions?
12) In what year in history would you like to go back to?
13) What was the best thing to happen to you last year?
14) What is the best year at school?
15) Do you think a year is a long time?

WEBSITES

1) What do you think makes a good website?
2) Do you think websites are interesting?
3) Can you remember the very first website you looked at?
4) What’s your favourite website?
5) What would websites would you recommend other students to learn
English?
6) Would you like to have your own website?
7) What things really annoy you about websites?
8) How many websites do you look at in an average day / week?
9) How long do you spend looking at one website?
10) Have you ever got angry with a website?

11) Can you think of a website you use (and like) that needs to better
designed?
12) If you started your own website, what would you call it?
13) Do you think there are websites that are dangerous?
14) From what age do you think children should be allowed to look at
websites?
15) Do you think your government should be able to censor websites?

TELEVISION

1) What images spring to mind when you hear the word ‘television’?
2) What are the good things and bad things about television?
3) What would life be like without television?
4) How much television do you watch every day?
5) Are you happy with the programmes on TV?
6) Does television kill conversation in your family?
7) Does violence on television make young people more violent?
8) How will television change over the next few decades?

9) What are your earliest memories of television?
10) Is television important?
11) How would society be different if TV had never been invented?
12) What could you do for three hours without watching television?
13) What is there too much of on television?
14) How long can you sit watching TV?
15) What do you think of television shows from other countries?

TELEPHONES

1) Do you like using the telephone?
2) What was your longest telephone call?
3) What is the most annoying thing about using the phone?
4) Do you worry about your telephone bill?
5) Can you remember life before the mobile phone?
6) Do you think you use the telephone too much?
7) Do you like listening to other people’s telephone conversations?
8) Have you ever got really angry with someone over the telephone?
9) Do men or women talk more on the phone? Why?

10) What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘telephone’?
11) How important is the telephone to you?
12) What would life be like with no telephone?
13) Do you ever talk in English on the phone?
14) How many calls do you make every day? How many of these are
necessary?
15) Who comes to your mind first when your telephone rings?

SPORTS

1) What images spring to mind when you hear the word ‘sport’?
2) Why do so many people like sport?
3) Why are some people not interested in sport?
4) How often do you read sports news?
5) Do you prefer playing or watching sports?
6) Do you have good or bad experiences with sports at school?
7) Do you think sports stars have the best life?
8) Who is your favourite all-time sport star?

9) What’s your favourite sport?
10) Do you prefer watching sports at the stadium, at home on TV, or in a
bar on a giant screen?
11) Would you like to play sport for a living?
12) How many hours of sport a week should children do at school?
13) Is football (soccer) THE world sport?
14) What is your country’s national sport? Do you like it?
15) What are blood sports and extreme sports? Do you like them?

STRESS

1) What images spring to mind when you hear the word ‘stress’?
2) Are you stressed at the moment?
3) What stresses you out?
4) What do you do to relieve your stress?
5) Is learning English stressful?
6) Is life becoming more or less stressful?
7) Who stresses you out the most?
8) What stresses you about walking in the streets?
9) Do you think technology is stressful?
10) How dangerous do you think stress is?

11) What’s the best stress reliever you know of?
12) Who do you give stress to?
13) Does watching TV make you stressed?
14) What things do you get stressed about that you wish you wouldn’t?
15) Who’s the most stressed person you know?

SUCESS

1) What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘success’?
2) Are you a success?
3) Who is the most successful person you know?
4) Is success important to you?
5) What does success taste like?
6) How do you measure success?
7) What success stories do you have of studying English?
8) What part does luck play in success?

9) What is your biggest success in life?
10) What small successes do you have every day?
11) How would you define success?
12) Is success a journey or a destination?
13) What is your formula or recipe for success?
13) Does success keep you happy?
14) Do you think success breeds success?
15) Do you think you can teach someone to be successful?

THE SUN

1) Do you protect yourself from the sun?
2) How important is the sun in your life?
3) What do you think of sun worshippers?
4) Do you prefer the rising or setting sun?
5) Do you like a lot of sunshine in your house?
6) Do you like sun tans?
7) What symbols of the sun are there in your culture?
8) What did people think about the sun thousands of years ago?
9) How does a sunny day make you feel?
10) What will happen when the sun burns itself out?

11) Do you like the feeling of the sun on your skin?

12) Do you ever get tired of the sun?
13) Are people who live in sunny places happier than those who don’t?
14) Do you think it’s important to “make hay while the sun shines’?
15) Do you have a favourite movie about the sun?

RAIN

1) Why does it rain cats and dogs in England?

2) Do you like rain?

3) How does rain change your feelings?
4) Do you wish it rain more or rain less where you live?
5) What kind of rain do you like?
6) What do you like to do in the rain?
7) Have you ever done a rain dance?

9) Do you think rain means the same thing to people in different
countries?
10) What do you think of the sound and smell of rain?

11) Do you think acid rain is still a problem?
12) Do you think it’s OK to drink rainwater?
13) Where does rain come from? How is it formed?
14) Has anyone ever “rained on your parade”?
15) When was the last time you got soaked in the rain?

PEOPLE

1) Are people strange?
2) What’s the worst thing about people?
3) Do you think animals are better than people?
4) Why do people dislike each other so much?
5) Do people ever confuse you with other people?
6) Do guns kill people or do people kill people?
7) What kind of people do you like best?
8) What kind of people do you get fed up with?
9) What different kinds of groups of people can you think of?
10) 2) Are you a morning person?
11) Do you believe what people tell you?
12) Does learning always make you motivated to do things?
13) What can we do to protect indigenous people around the world?
14) Do you like reading about famous people?
15) Are you a people person??

NEIGHBORHOOD

1)What makes a good neighbor?
2) Are you neighbourly?
3) What kind of neighbors don’t you like?
4) Do you trust your neighbours?
5) Do you have nosy neighbors?
6) Do you have any terrible neighbours stories?
7) “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” Do you believe this?
8) Do high fences make good neighbors?
9) What are the biggest problems among neighbours?
10) Would you like to live next door to your boss?

11) Have you ever argued with your neighbors?
12) What would you do if you had really noisy neighbours?
13) Would you like to have your parents or parents-in-law as neighbors?
14) Would you like your current neighbours to move?
15) Have you ever had a “dog problem” with neighbors?

NIGHT

1) What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘night’?
2) What do you know about night?
3) Are you a night person or a day person?
4) What do you do at night that is different from during the day?
5) Do you feel different at night than you do during the day?
6) Do you have a favourite night of the week?
7) What did you do last night?
8) Do you ever have nightmares?
9) Do ‘things go bump in the night’ in your house?
10) What’s the best night out you’ve ever had?

11) Do you like the night?
12) Would you prefer to work a night shift or day shift?
13) Is it safe to walk the streets at night in your town?
14) How does nature change when days turns to night?
15) Do you like going to nightclubs?

MEALS

1) What’s your favourite meal?
2) Do you always eat healthy, balanced meals?
3) Are home-cooked meals the best?
4) Would you like to have a three-course meal every day?
5) Is the evening meal the most important meal of the day?
6) What’s the most delicious meal you can remember eating?
7) What do you think of frozen meals, microwave meals and other prepacked
meals?
8) What’s the best thing to do after a lovely meal?
9) How does meal time now differ from when you were a kid?
10) What’s the worst possible meal you could imagine?

11) Do you always have three meals a day?
12) What’s your favourite meal of the day?
13) Do you prefer meals alone, with one other person or lots of people?
14) Do you ever skip meals?
15) Do you think it’s OK to eat between meals?

MUSIC

1) What is the difference between music and song?
2) What does music mean to you?
3) What would life be like without music?
4) Which is more important to you, music or TV?
5) What kind of music do you like?
6) How have your musical tastes changed since when you were a kid?
7) What music can change the way you feel?
8) What’s the best time and place to listen to music?
9) Where does the best music come from, the USA, UK, Brazil or other?
10) What decade has produced the best music?

11) Do you think most music (say 90%) is rubbish?
12) Is the Internet helping  musicians?
14) What new music have you bought or listened to recently?
15) What do you think of the music your parents listen to?

MARRIAGE

1) Is marriage over-rated?
2) Are you in favor of marriage in the church?
3) What do you think of a marriage without a party?
4) What is the secret to a happy marriage?
5) Why are fewer and fewer people getting married?
6) Who has the happiest marriage you know? Why do you think this?
7) How do you think marriage changes people?
8) Do you believe in arranged marriages?
9) Should people stay married if they no longer love each other?
10) Do you think people should agree on a marriage contract before they
get married?
11)) Are there any rules to marriage?
12) What is important in a marriage?
13) Is marriage supposed to be easy or hard?
14) Is it OK to live together before marriage?
15) Why do so many marriages go wrong?

MORNINGS

1) What is your usual morning routine?
2) What were mornings like in your house when you were a kid?
3) How are weekend mornings different from weekday mornings?
4) Would you prefer the morning shift or evening shift?
5) Do animals prefer mornings?
6) Which is worse, the morning or evening rush hour?
7) Do you ever say, “It’s been a bad morning”?
8) Is morning the best time to study and get things done?
9) What happens in your town early in the morning?
10) What do you do early morning, mid morning and late morning?
11) Tell me 4 things you did this morning.

12) Are you a morning person?
13) What do you like doing in the morning?
14) Are you grumpy in the morning?
15) What things about morning would you like to change?

JAILS

1) What images spring to mind when you hear the word ‘jail’?
2) Do you think jails work?
3) Would you like to work in a jail?
4) How would you feel if you had to spend a couple of months in jail?
5) Do you think people leave jail better people or better criminals?
6) What are the jails like in your country?
7) What do you think prisoners do in jail every day?
8) Do you think jails are dangerous places?
9) Have you ever visited someone in jail?
10) Would you live in a house / apartment that was right next door to a
jail?
11) Do you think ex cons deserve another chance in society?
12) Do you agree with the poor conditions in jails?
13) Do you think God helps people in jail?
14) If someone you like was in jail, would you visit?
15) Do you agree with the death penalty?

HOSPITALS

1) What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘hospital’?
2) What are your experiences of hospitals?
3) Would you like to work in a hospital?
4) Are the hospitals in your country good?
5) Is the standard of care in your country’s hospitals getting better?
6) Do you like watching TV programmes about hospitals?
7) Is it better to be born in hospital or at home?
8) Why is hospital food so bad?
9) Do you think hospitals are unhealthy places?
10) Why are people afraid of hospitals?
11) Do you think hospitals are happy or sad places?
12)- Have you ever stayed in a hospital?
13)- Can you say pronto socorro in English?
14)- Can you say posto de saúde in English?
15)- Have you ever slept over as a companion in a hospital?

GEOGRAPHY

1) Were you good at geography at school?
2) What is studied in geography?
3) Which part of the world do you think has the most interesting
geography?
4) How important is it to study geography at school?
5) What are the most important things about geography that children need
to know?
6) What jobs can you do if you have a geography degree?
7) What is the capital of Paris,Ireland, England,Italy and Peru?
8) What is the difference in cities, states, towns, countries, continents and capitals?
9) Tell me about one of your ex geography teachers.
10) What is boring about Geography?
11) What is the difference between Geography and History?
12) What can you find on a map?
13) What does Chemistry study? What does Biology study?
14) What does Philosophy study?
15)- What is the most interesting subject in school?

FRIENDS

1) What do friends mean to you?
2) What makes a friend a best friend?
3) What makes you a good friend?
4) Is it easy for you to make friends?
5) Do you have any particularly close friends?
6) Do you stay in touch with all of the friends you’ve made?
7) Which long-lost friend would you like to see again?
8) Is there a difference in friendship between your male friends and
female friends?
9) What would life be like without friends?
10) Do you ever worry about losing your friends?
11) Are friends sometimes more important than family?
12) How similar are you to your friends?
13) At which stages of life is it easier to make friends?
14) Are your childhood friends those you have strongest bonds with?
15) How often do you fall out with your friends?

EATING

1) How much do you enjoy eating?
2) What time of the day do you most enjoy eating?
3) Do you have a midnight snack?
4) Where in your house is your favourite place to eat?
5) Who do you like eating with most?
6) Do you like watching TV while you eat?
7) Are there any rules in your house when you eat?
8) Are you a slow or fast eater?
9) Are you a fussy / picky eater?

10) Do you ever get bored of eating?
11) How many times do you chew your food?
12) What do you think of people who eat food on trains or buses?
13) Are there any rules in your country about eating in public?
14) Is the issue of healthy eating important to you?
15) On what occasions do you overeat?

DOGS

1) Do you like dogs?
2) Are dogs really man’s best friend?
3) What kind of dogs do you like and dislike?
4) Do you think dogs are the best kind of pet?
5) Do you think dogs have a good life?
6) Are you ever afraid of dogs?
7) What do you think of dogs that bark non-stop?
8) Do you think people spend too much money on dogs?
9) In what ways are dogs helpful to humans?
10) Are there many abandoned dogs in your town?
11) In English, dogs go woof woof and in Portuguese?

12)Do owners have to clean up after their dogs in your town?
13) Dog is on the menu in many countries. What do you think of this?
14) What would you do if someone bought you a puppy as a present?
15) What do you think of people who organize dog fights?

CITIES

1) Are cities good things?
2) What is your favorite city?
3) How are city people and country people different?
4) What are the biggest problems with living in cities?
5) What damage do cities do to the countryside?
6) When does a town become a city?
7) Which world city do you think would be the best to live in?
8) How will cities in the future be different from those today?
9) If you were city mayor, what changes would you make to your city?
10) Which city would you choose as capital of the world and why?

11) Do you prefer city or country life?
12) What do you like and dislike about the capital city of your country?
13) What do you think are the world’s three greatest cities and why?
14) Is the capital city of a country always that country’s best city?
15) Is it better to grow up in the city?

ENGLAND

1- Where is England located?
2- What is the difference between England and the United Kingdom?
3- Have you ever been to England?
4- What is the weather like in England?
5- What do people usually eat in England?
6- What is a prime minister?
7- Can you tell me some English singers, bands or programs you know?
8- If you went to England for 3 weeks, what would you like to do there?
9- Have you ever listened to an English accent?
10- Tell me 2 or 3 places that were colonized by England.
11- Would you be able to live in England for 2 years?
12- What esle do you know about Great Britain?
13- What do you know about the Beatles?
14- What do you know about the Queen?
15- Are there beaches in England? What are they like?

TEENAGE YEARS

1) What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘adolescence’?

2) What is adolescence?

3) What happens during adolescence?

4) Is adolescence generally  a good or happy time? Why?

5) What problems did you have in your adolescence?

6) Did you worry about whether or not other people liked you?

7) Did you rebel against your parents or teachers?

8) When did you begin to feel like you were an adult?

10) What worries and fears did you have as a adolescent?

11) Is there a term for adolescence in your language?

12) Were you an early or late developer?

13) Did you suffer from spots and acne?

14) Would you like to relive your adolescence?

15) What advice would you give to today’s adolescents?

SIMPLE JOB INTERVIEW

1. What’s your full name?
2. How old are you?
3. Are you married or single?
4. What’s your address?
5. What’re you phone numbers?
6. What’s your e-mail?
7. What do you like to do in your free time?
8. What’s your profession?
9. Are you graduated in this area? If no, what’s your graduation?
10. Why did you choose this area?
11. How long have you been working in this area?
12. How did you get your first job in this area?
13. Do you like what you do?
14. When did you start in your last or current job?
15. How long have you been a.....?
16. When did you have your first job?
17. What do you love about your profession?
18. What do you need to improve about your profession?
19. What languages do you speak?
20. Can you speak Spanish or French?

THE PAST

1. What did you do last Saturday night?
2. Where were you born?
3. How many hours did you sleep last night?
4. When did you go to the movies?
5. What did you do this morning?
6. What was the last thing you cooked?
7. What were you doing before this class started?
8. What was the last good book you read?
9. Where did you go in your last vacation and what did you do?
10. What did you do for your last birthday?
11. Where were you last New Year's day?
12. What did you study in your last English class?
13. When was the last time you went to the beach? where was the beach?
14. What did you get last Christmas as a gift?
15. When did you last exercise?

SUPERNATURAL

1. Are you afraid of spirits?
2. Do you believe in angels?
3. Do you believe in witches why or why not.
4. Do you believe in astrology? What is your astrological sign?
5. Do you believe in coincidences? Why or why not?
6. Do you believe in God? Why or why not?
7. Do you believe in life after death?
8. Do you believe in vampires? / Do you believe that vampires exist?
9. Do you think heaven exist?
10. Do you think hell exist?
11. Do think black cats are unlucky?
12. Are you logical or supertitious?
13. Do you believe in the Devil?
14. How often do you read the horoscopes?
15. Are you afraid of black magic?

TESTS

1) What images spring to mind when you hear the word ‘test’?
2) Do you get nervous when you take tests?
3) Are there any kinds of tests that you love?
4) Do you have any special routines you follow before you take a test?
5)How did you feel when you took your drive's license test?
6) What do you think about while you wait for the result of a test?
7) Have you ever cheated on a test? Tell me about it
8) Have you ever taken an online test?Did you cheat
9) Do you think testing is useful or a waste of time?

INDIA

1) What images spring to mind when you hear the country India?
2) What are the good things and bad things about India?
3) What is India famous for?
4) What do you know about Indian history?
5) What images of India do you have that are beautiful ?
6) What do you think of Indian products and companies?
7) What has India given to the world?
8) Would you like to visit India, or live there?
9) Are Indian languages important languages?
10) What do you think about Indian food?

COMPANY RESPONSABILITY

1) How responsible is your company?
2) When and why do you think people first started talking about corporate
responsibility?
3) What do companies need to do to show they exercise good corporate
responsibility?
4) Which companies do you think are leaders in corporate responsibility?
5) Which industries show poor corporate responsibility?
6) Do you think there should be a corporate responsibility law?
7) Do you think making huge profits means companies can never be
responsible?
8) What are the most irresponsible companies on Earth?
9) Are there different responsibilities for small companies and
multinationals?
10) Can a company survive if it shows no corporate responsibility?

CAPITALISM

1) What is capitalism?
2) Is capitalism the best economic system for the world?
3) Who likes capitalism?
4) Who suffers from capitalism?
5) Will the whole world be capitalist one day?
6) What are the advantages of capitalism over communism?
7) What is the free market?
8) What is the difference between capitalism and greed?
9) What happens to the less intelligent or able under capitalism?
10) If capitalism is so great, why are there many people living below the
poverty line in capitalist countries?

COMPANY

1) Tell me a little about the history of your company.
2) What are your favourite companies?
3) Which company would you love to work for and why?
4) Which companies do you dislike most?
5) Have you ever written a letter of complaint to a company?
6) Which companies do you think provide the best customer service and
best products?
7) Do you prefer bricks-and-mortar companies or Internet companies?
8) Amazon.com founder and boss Jeff Bezos said: "A brand for a company
is like a reputation for a person." What do you think of this?
9) Mary Kay Ash said: "People are definitely a company’s greatest asset."
Do you think this is true all over the world?
10) Andrew Grove said: "In the future, all companies will be Internet
companies." Do you agree? Would this be good?

BUSINESS WORLD

1) Are you interested in the world of business?
2) Do you think you have a good head for business?
3) What kind of business would you like to start?
4) Do you think anyone can start their own business?
5) What are the dangers of having your own business?
6) Would you include your own name in your business name?
7) Do you read any business magazines?
8) Do men or women make more successful business people?
9) Do you think you’d be a tough person to work for?
10) What advice would you give to people starting in business?
Hundreds more

BANKS

1) Do like banks?
2) What are the good things about banks?
3) What are the bad things about banks?
4) What do you think of bank charges?
5) Are bank workers always helpful?
6) Has a bank ever made a mistake with your account/money?
7) Would you like to work for a bank?
8) Have you ever taken out a bank loan or overdraft?
9) What do wish were different about the bank service?
10) Have you ever met your bank manager?

AMBITION

1) What springs to mind when you hear the word ‘ambition’?
2) Are you ambitious?
3) Is it important to have ambitions?
4) Who is the most ambitious person you know?
5) What were your ambitions when you were a child?
6) Can ambitions be dangerous?

7) Why do we have ambitions?
8) What’s the difference between an ambition and a dream?
9) What ambition have you held the longest?
10) What happens after you have fulfilled all of you ambitions?

ADVERTISING

1) How would you define advertising?
2) Would you like to work in advertising?
3) Do you prefer advertisements on TV, in newspapers, on the radio, on
the Internet or in the street?
4) Do you think advertising is an art?
5) Would you like there to be no ads on TV?
6) What do you think of the ads in other countries?
7) Have you ever placed an ad in the classified section of a newspaper?
8) Do you think advertising is a clever way of lying about products?
9) What products depend most on advertising?
10) What do you think of advertisements for language schools?

ENGLISH

1) What are the main differences between American and British English’?
2) Why are you studying English?
3) What adjectives would you use to describe your feelings towards the
English language?
4) How much time and money do you spend on English?
5) How happy are you with your English level?
6) How has English improved your life?
7) Do you ever wish you didn’t have to know or study English?
8) What is your best piece of advice for anyone wanting to study English?
9) Have all of your English teachers been good?
10) How would your life be different if you spoke not a word of English?

DISCRIMINATION

1) What is discrimination?
2) What kind of discrimination exists in your country?
3) Do you ever have thoughts that are discriminatory?
4) Which countries around the world have shocking levels of
discrimination?
5) Are there strong laws in your country to prevent discrimination?
6) What kind of sexual discrimination exists in your country?
7) What do you do when you see discrimination?
8) Does ageism exist in your country?
9) Do you think there is religious discrimination in the war on terror?
10) Is there a class or caste system in your country?

DREAMS

1) Do you dream often?
2) Do you remember your dreams?
3) Do you dream in colour or in English?
4) Do you like having dreams?
5) Do you believe dreams have a special meaning?
6) Do you have the same dreams again and again?
7) Has something you’ve dreamt about ever come true?
8) Have you ever been woken up by a nightmare?
9) What kind of people do you meet in your dreams?
10) Do you tell other people about the dreams you have?

ENERGY

1) Does your country need a lot of energy?
2) How can you save the amount of energy you use every day?
3) Do you think scientists will solve the world’s energy problems?
4) What happens if we run out of energy?
5) Does your country use a lot of renewable energy?
6) What do you think of a future in which we totally rely on nuclear
energy?
7) What are biofuels and what harm do they cause the environment?
8) Have you started buying energy-efficient appliances for your house?
9) Do you think its possible to get our future energy from some source we
don’t yet know of?
10) What do you think when multinational energy and oil companies say
they care about the environment?

EVOLUTION

1) What springs to mind when you hear the word ‘evolution’?
2) Do you believe the story of evolution as told in religious books?
3) How do you think the world got here?
4) How do you think we got here?
5) What do you think we will look like millions of years from now?
6) Why have we evolved into different looks and colours?
7) How was the very first life form created and what did it do/look like?
8) Why is Darwin’s Theory of Evolution discarded by so many religions?
9) Many schools in the USA teach creationism – the idea that God put
humans on Earth as we are today. What do you think of this?
10) Do you think God created everything as it is outlined in the book of
Genesis?

FASHION

1) Do you like fashion?
2) What do you think of the fashion industry?
3) Are you a fashion victim / slave to fashion?
4) Would you like to be a fashion model?
5) How does fashion affect our lives?
6) How important is fashion today compared with in the past?
7) What do you think of the fact that what’s in fashion lasts just a short
time, then we have to spend more money on the next “in” things?
8) What are the bad things about fashion?
9) Is fashion only for beautiful people?
10) Do you have your own fashion or follow the crowds?
Hundreds

EUROPE

1) What makes Europe so European?
2) How are Europeans different from each other?
3) What do you know about the European Union?
4) What are your favourite European companies and why do you like
them?
5) Do you think Europe has the world’s most interesting history?
6) Do you think English should be the official language of Europe?
7) What are the differences between Europe and the USA?
8) Do you think Europe is a superpower, or has the potential to become
one?
9) What is the most important European country?
10) Movie producer Quentin Tarantino said the “funniest thing about
Europe…is the little differences”. What do you think he means?

FATHERS

1) What is the difference between father, dad and daddy?
2) Can you describe your father in one word? Why that word?
3) Did your father spend a lot of time with you when you were a child?
4) Do you always buy your father a present on Father’s Day?
5) What are the differences between a father and a father-in-law?
6) In what ways do you take after your father?
7) What is your father’s biggest fault?
8) Is your father more like a father or a best friend?
9) What do/did your father and you argue about?
10) What do you think of Father’s Day? Is it necessary?