15 Discussion Topics For “English Talk” Practice
“English Talk” is a popular term among beginner level English students. It refers to speaking in English freely during lessons. However, most traditional English courses don’t encourage free English talk. Most traditional English courses still focus on teaching grammar theory and asking students to memorize word lists. At Spoken English practice, we strongly encourage students to engage in free English talk during lessons and to maximize the time they speak in English.
Free English talk is a wonderful way to develop confidence and learn how to speak English naturally without translating in your head. Today we are sharing some discussion topics that are perfect for English speaking practice. For best results find a English conversation partner or teacher who is a Native English speaker. This will guarantee that you learn perfect pronunciation and grammar. This will also ensure that you get exposed to real Conversational English – things such as modern slang words and idiomatic expressions.
If you don’t have a Native English speaking teacher to practice with, you can try with a friend or even with yourself. There is no harm in speaking to yourself when you are practicing English!
Here are 15 topics and sub topics that are perfect for free English talk. We start off with simple topics like family and school and then move to more advanced areas like business, politics and technology.
Family
Describe your family.
Where do you live?
Do you live in a town or in the country?
Do you live near your family?
How often do you see your brothers and sisters?
Do you have cousins, nephews and nieces?
Education
Where did you go to school?
Did you go on to university after leaving school or did you go to college?
What are schools and universities like where you live?
Why are qualifications important?
Is learning a second language important?
Weather
What is the weather like where you live?
Do you prefer hot or cold weather?
Which is your favourite season?
How often have you seen snow?
Technology
Why is technology important?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of technology?
How often do you use a mobile phone?
Which are your favourite apps which you use most of the time on your mobile phone?
Do you use a computer for work or for pleasure or both?
Does technology make the world a smaller place?
How do you see technology changing in the next 10 or 20 years’ time?
Does technology make the world a smaller place?
Travel
Do you enjoy travelling?
Which countries have you visited?
Which countries would you like to visit?
What do you learn by travelling?
Do you enjoy travelling by plane, boat, train or car?
Do you prefer city breaks, beach holidays, activity holidays or historical and architectural based holidays?
Do you book holidays via the internet or through a travel agent?
Transport
Can you name different types of transport?
Do you commute to work?
Do you drive? If so, do you prefer a manual or an automatic car?
Is congestion bad in your country?
Have you ever used the subway, metro or underground?
What is the most unusual method of transport you have ever taken?
Great cities of the world
What are the greatest cities in the world?
How many of these have you visited?
Why are they so popular?
Business
What is business like in your country?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of being employed?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of being self-employed?
Are qualifications important in the work place?
What are the biggest imports and exports in your country?
Do you prefer to work for a small firm or a large organisation?
European Union
What do you know of the European Union?
Why was the European Union formed in the first place?
How many countries are in the European Union?
What have you heard of Brexit?
Does the European Union work?
Films, theatre, opera, ballet and television
Do you often to the cinema or theatre?
What kinds of films do you enjoy watching?
Do you like going to the theatre?
Do you enjoy watching and listening to opera?
Do you enjoy watching ballet?
Do you use Netflix to watch films and series?
Do you watch much television?
Food
What types of food do you enjoy eating?
Do you enjoy cooking?
What is a healthy diet?
What are the famous dishes of your country?
What are the supermarkets like near you?
Do you use internet shopping to buy food?
Restaurants, coffee shops and eating out
What are the restaurants and coffee shops like near you?
How often do you eat out?
What kind of foreign food do you enjoy eating?
Do you drink tea, coffee or soft drinks?
Mass media
What is media?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of mass media?
Do you believe all you read in the newspapers?
Do you watch the news on the television in your country?
Global warming
Explain global warming.
Explain climate change.
Will global warming change our lives?
What can be done to stop global warming?
Do we do enough to try and stop global warming?
What is pollution like in your country?
Advertising
Do you watch advertisements?
How often do you see advertisements on the television or magazines?
Do you listen to advertisements on the radio?
Do advertisements work?
Are advertisements worth the cost?
The aim for all learners of English is to gain the confidence to be able to speak with others in any situation and on any topic. Free English talk is a great way to improve one’s fluency in English whatever your age. All these topics form part of our daily lives and they are a great way to learn new vocabulary and to be able to learn how give to your opinion during discussions with confidence.
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With practise your confidence will improve as you learn new vocabulary on each of the above topics. Other topics can include sports and hobbies, music, work, books and job interviews to name but a few. These topics can be adapted to beginners, intermediates and advanced learners whether adult or children. All these topics can be enjoyed and they all form part of our day to day lives. Practise makes perfect.
