1 The cinema

Think of a film (but dont say the name). Describe it for a partner to guess.
Where is it set?
Is it based on a book?
Who was it directed by?
Whos in it?
Whats it about?

2. Your education
Tell partner about your primary school.
What school did you use to go to?
Did you use to wear a uniform?
What subjects did you use to like?
What subjects werent you good at?
What werent you allowed to do?
What did the teachers make you do?

3. Your family
Describe a member of your family
What does he/she look like? (describe him/her).
Whats he/she like? (give two positive and two negative characteristics)
How are you similar/different?

4. Sport
Tell your partner about:
A sport you really watching/doing
A sport you hate watching/doing
A sport you used to do and why you stopped.
The sporting event/match you most remember.
5. Your home
Tell your partner:
Where you live
How long youve lived there
Who you live with
If you get on well
What you argue about

6. Your diet
Talk for a minute about your diet
Is your diet healthy or unhealthy? Why?
Do you eat too much/ no enough of anything?
Are you trying to cut down on anything at the moment?
What do you usually eat when you eat out?
7. Work
Think of a friend or family member who has a job. Tell your partner about the good

and bad side of his/her job. Talk about:

Salary
Working hours.
The kind of contract
Holidays
Stress

8. Transport
Talk to your partner about the kinds of public transport in your town:
Which do you think is the best? Why?
How do you get to work or school?
How long does it take you?
9. Experience
Tell your partner about a time when you...
Felt very frightened
Felt very embarrassed
Felt very excited
Felt very stressed or nervous
Got very angry

10. Preferences
Tell your partner which you prefer and why:
Holidays abroad/ in your country
Travelling by car/by plane
Eating at home/in a restaurant
Living in a big town/small village
Shopping in large supermarkets/small shops
 Happiness

1. Are you happy person? What is happiness for you?

2. Who is the happlest person you know?
3. Is happiness a state of mind?
4. What are the three most important things for you to be happy?
5. Do you need money to be happy?
6. Is happiness relative, that is, does it have a different meaning for each

person?
7. What do you think is the colour for happiness?
8. Are single people happy?
9. Does having an animal/pet make you happy?
10. What makes you unhappy?
11. Do you agree that older people are less happy?
12. Does your happiness change during different times of the day, week, month or

year?
13. Do you think some nations are happier than others?
14. Why are teenagers some of the happiest people in the world?

Do you think these factors affect your levels of happiness?

1. Being in a long term relationship.

2. Being actively engaged in politics.
3. Being active work and in your free time.
4. Going out for dinner.
5. Having close friendships (though happiness does not increase with the number

of friends you have)

 Travelling

1. Have you ever been abroad? Where have you been?

2. Are you planning to anywhere for your next holiday? If so, where? How long will

you stay?

3. Are you afraid of going abroad alone?

4. Could you live in another country for the rest of your life?

5. Do you prefer to travel alone or in a group? Why?

6. Do you like to travel with children? Why or Why not?

7. Do you prefer summer vacations or winter vacations?

8. Have you ever got lost while travelling? If so, tell about it.

9. Do you travel with a lot of luggage or do you like travel light? Has the airline

ever lost your luggage? What happened?

10. What are some things that you always take with you on a trip?

11. What are some countries that you would never visit? Why would you not visit

them?

12. What countries would you like to visit? Why?

13. What is the most interesting place you have ever visited?

14. Whats the most beautiful place youve ever been to?

15. Would you prefer to stay at hotel/motel or camp while on vacation?

16. What are popular tourist destinations in your country?

17. Have you been to any of them?

18. Which would you recommend if you could only recommend one? Why?

19. Do you prefer active or relaxing holidays? Why?

20.Would you like to go back to the same place?

21. Do you think tourism will harm the earth?

 Food

1. When does the milkman bring milk?

2. What is the usual breakfast?

3. What is the traditional English breakfast?

4. How long is it lunch time?

5. What do they have?

6. What is it convenience food?

7. What do the people have for dinner?

8. How many different countries can you get food from in London?

9. Which one are the most popular?

10. What do teenagers like?

11. What do they hate?

12. What is it the traditional and not expensive food?

13. How much of it do British eat?

14. Is there any food that you didnt eat as a child and you eat now?

15. If were living abroad, what is the food that you missed most from home?

16. Do like food from other countries? Which ones have you tried? Which do you

like the most?

17. Whats the most unusual thing youve ever eaten? Did it taste good or bad?

18. Do you like to eat junk food? (comida basura)

19. Do you like to eat at fast food restaurant?

20.How often do you eat in a restaurant? Where do you usually go? Who do you

usually go with? About how much do you spend?

21. Are you a good cook?

22.Do you usually have meals with your family?

23.What did you have for dinner last night?

24.What do you eat for breakfast every day?

25.What do you eat when you feel sad?

26.Have you ever been on a diet? Do you know any who has?

27.Do you think a vegetarian diet in better than a diet that includes meat?

28.Do you read the nutritional information on the foods you buy?

29.Do you know anyone who has an eating disorder?

 Sleep

1. How many of hours sleep do you generally need per night?

2. What time do you usually go to bed?

3. What time do you usually wake up?

4. Are you a light sleeper or a heavy sleeper?

5. Do you move about a lot in your sleep?

6. What keeps you awake al night? (e.g worrying too much about stuff, too much

coffee, your partners snoring, your neighbours parties, un uncomfortable bed,

a hot summer)

7. Have you ever suffered from insomnia?

8. Do you use, or have you ever used, any special methods that help you get to

sleep? Sleeping pills? Herbal remedies? Counting sheep? Meditation?

9. Do you snore?

10. Do you talk in your sleep?

11. Do you ever oversleep?

12. Do you need an alarm clock to wake up?

13. Do you fall asleep while watching the TV or reading?

14. Where is the strangest place you have ever slept?

15. Do you have a nap at lunchtime or at another time of the day? Does it help?

16. Do you remember your dreams?

17. Do you have recurring dreams?

18. Do you believe that its possible to interpret dreams? Have you ever tried to

interpret your own dreams?

19. Tell us about a memorable, enjoyable, or strange dream youve had?

20.Do you suffer from nightmares? Can you remember any specific nightmare?

21. Have you ever walked in your sleep? Do you know anyone who does?

22.Do you ever think sleep wastes valuable time spent doing useful things?
 Volunteer Work

1. What is a volunteer project? Can you list some reasons why people volunteer?

2. Have you ever done any volunteer work?

3. Do you know anyone who has done volunteer work? Where and why did they

volunteer?

4. Would you like to work as volunteer?

5. Is volunteering worth the time it takes? merece la pena.

6. What could you do volunteer work? What kind of work do they do?

7. Can you think of ways to help people who need help?

8. Have you ever volunteered to help victims of natural disasters? Why or why

not?

9. What benefits do people get personally by volunteering?

10. Have you read a book about volunteer work?

11. How can volunteers benefit from their work?

12. Why would you enjoy certain types of volunteer work?

13. What types of volunteer work would be unpleasant for you?

14. Can a volunteer be treated the same as paid staff?

 Music

1. Do you listen to different music that you did five years ago?

2. About how many CDs do you have?

3. Which singer/group do you have most CDs of?

4. What was the last CD you bought?

5. Are you a good dancer? When was the last time you went dancing? What kind

of music do you like dancing to?

6. What kind of music do you put on...

a) When youre feeling depressed?

b) In the car

c) For a romantic evening?

7. What radio station do you usually listen to?

8. Can you think of a song from your country which is known around the world?

9. Are you a good singer? Do you sing while taking a bath?

10. Can you concentrate on things when you are listening to music?

11. Do enjoy music videos? Have you got a favourite one?

12. Do you watch music shows on TV? If so, what do you watch?

13. Do you like singing karaoke? How often do you sing karaoke?

14. Have you ever been to a concert? What was the last concert you went to?

15. Do you know any famous groups that have split up? (separse) Do you know why?
 Birthdays

1. How do you like to celebrate your birthday?

2. How are birthdays celebrated in your country?

3. What is your best birthday memory?

4. What is your worst birthday memory?

5. Have you ever had a surprise birthday party for yourself or someone else?

6. What is the best birthday gift you have ever received?

7. What is the worst birthday gift you have ever received?

8. What are some things you like to do for your birthday?

9. Did you parents give you birthday parties when you were a child?

10. In your opinion, what is the best time of year to have a birthday?

11. How do people you know celebrate turning 40?

12. Do you think getting older (40,50,60) is depressing for people, or a happy

occasion?

13. Do you like going to work/school on your birthday?

14. Did you like going ti school on your birthday when you were a child?

15. Among your close friends an relatives, whose birthday is coming up next?

16. About how many birthday gifts or cards do you send or give to people each

year?

17. Have you ever forgotten someones birthday that you should have

remembered?

18. Do you know any famous peoples birthdays? (are any the same as yours?)

19. Do you know of any big events that happened the year you were born?

20.What would you like to get most for your birthday this year?

21. Is the cost of a present important to you?

 Home

1. How many different home have you lived in?

2. How long have you lived where you are living now?

3. Who do you live with?

4. What do you like about yours house? What dont you like?

5. How many rooms are there in your house?

6. What is your favourite room? Why?

7. Which room do you spend the most time in? And the least?

8. Do you prefer living in a house or in a flat?

9. What things in your home couldnt you live without?

10. Would you like to design your own house?

11. How would it be?

12. Are you a stay at home person or a going out person?

13. Is it better to rent or buy?

14. What are most important things you would look for when choosing a house to

live?
 Supernatural, ghosts and superstition

Superstition

1. Do you think that there is truth behind superstitions?

2. What are some superstitions in your country?

a) What are some things that are considered unlucky?

b) What are some things that considered to be lucky?

3. What numbers are considered to be lucky and unlucky in your country?

4. Do you have a lucky number?

Ghosts

1. Do you believe in ghosts?

2. Do you believe that dead people come back to life as ghosts?

3. Do you know anyone good stories about ghosts?

4. Do you believe that houses can be haunted? Have you ever been to one?

5. Do you believe that houses have ghosts in them sometimes?

6. Would you spend the night in a place where people say that there are ghosts?

Fortunetellers and knowing the future

1. How do you people predict the future in your country?

2. Do you think that dreams come true?

3. Do you think that dreams can help us solve our problems?

4. Have you ever had a dream that come true?

5. Do you think that some people can predict the future?

6. Is the belief in UFOs aliens, and physic powers growing because belief in

religions is dying?

7. Do you believe in horoscopes?

8. Do you read your horoscope often? Does it come true?

9. Does your star sign describe your personality traits well?

The Unexplained

1. Do you believe that there are many things in our universe that cannot be

explained?

2. Has anything ever happened to you that you cannot explain?

3. Do you believe in UFOs?

4. Do you believe there is life on other planets?

 Weather

1. Which do you like better hot weather or cold weather?

2. Have you ever been caught in bad weather? If so, what did you do?

3. Do you think weather patterns are changing? If so, why do you think this is?

4. Di you think that in recent years we are losing our four distinct seasons?

5. Do you have many disasters in your country which are caused by weather?

6. Do you know any interesting myths or stories about weather?

7. Do you like snow? Do you have first?

8. What month gets the most rain in your country?

9. Whats the average temperature in your country in the summer time? How

about in the winter?

10. What kind of climate do you prefer when choosing a place to go on vacation?

11. What is the best season to get married?

12. Can you think of other activities in which one season may be better than

another?
 News

1. How often do you watch the news? Do you feel bad if you miss the news?

Which kind i the best for you? Why?

a) Newspaper

b) Radio

c) Television

d) Internet

2. Do you read the newspaper every day?

3. How often do you read the newspaper?

4. What newspaper do you read?

5. How much does the newspaper do you like to read?

6. What sections of newspaper do you like to read?

7. Will newspaper disappear in the future?

8. Do you think that the news is necessary? Why or why not?

9. Do you think that the news tells us just information without giving its opinion?

10. Do you think the news shocking now?

11. Do you think people need to know all of the news?

12. What do people not need to know?

13. What was the most memorable news you ever watched?

14. What stories are in the news at the moment?

15. If the news reported your week, what would be the headline?

16. Do you think that reading a newspaper is a good way to improve your English?
 Lies

1. Why do people lie?

2. How often do you lie?

3. Whats the biggest lie youve ever told?

4. Do you feel guilty when you tell a lie?

5. Children who are good liars often grow up to be very intelligent. Were you a

good liar when you were a child?

6. Have you told any lies today?

7. Who lies more, men or women?

8. Has a lie someone told you ever hurt you?

9. Do you think white lies are OK?

10. Would you ever lie in a court of law?

11. Do you think you could lie and beat a lie detection test?

12. What would you do if someone spread lies about you?

13. Have you ever cheated on or lied to a partner?

14. Have you ever been found out when telling a lie?
 Health

1. How often do you go to the doctor?

2. Do you always believe what your doctor says or do ypu sometimes doubt

him/her?

3. Do you prefer male or female doctors?

4. If you were a doctor, which area would you like to specialize in?

5. What kind of person makes an excellent doctor?

6. Have you ever had a disease? Have you ever had any vaccinations against

diseases?

7. What do you think the deadliest disease in the world is?

8. Which disease would you most like scientist find a cure for?

9. Do you catch a cold more than once year?

10. What treatments or remedies do you follow when you have a cold?

11. Do you ever get headaches? Do you know anyone who suffers from migraine

headaches?

12. Do you know anyone who suffers from backaches?

13. Do you go to the dentists twice a year?

14. Do you normally go one doctor in particular or any available doctor? Do you have

any allergies?

15. Do you have any scars?

16. Have you ever been in the hospital?

17. Have you ever broken a bone?

18. Have you ever donated blood?

19. Have you ever had stitches?

20.Whats the highest temperature youve ever had?

21. Would you considerer donating your organs after your death?

22.Do you hate taking medicine?

 Television

1. How often do you watch TV? Which are most and least favourite Tv

programmes? What are the god points about TV? What are the bat ones?

2. How many hours a day is television on in Spain? How many different television

channels do you have? What is the difference between them?

3. Do you think there is a maximum amount of time that people should watch TV?

Do you think the number of hours you watch is important?

4. Do you prefer watching the official channels or the private ones?

5. Do you like watching TV on your own or accompanied? What kind of

programmes do you like watching with someone?

6. In your opinion, what are the most watched TV programmes these days?

7. Would you have any arguments at home with other members of the family who

would like to see something different? Which choice of programmes would

cause the arguments?

8. Have you ever watched films or documentaries on the internet? Can you

mention any websites where you have?

9. What kind of programmes do you think are good for children?

10. Which of the following programmes do you like watching?

a) Cartoons

b) Chat/talk shows

c) Comedy shows/series (sitcons)

d) Detective series

e) Music programmes

f) Documentaries (nature, travel, food, health, history,...)

g) Educational programmes.

h) Current affairs programmes.

i) Game/quiz shows.

j) News broadcasts
 k) Soap operas, series

l) Sports programmes

m) Adverts/commercials.

n) Films (dubbed, in the original version with subtitles, black and white,

colour)

11. Should TV be educational as well as entertaining?

12. Do you think there should be censorship of TV programmes?

13. Would you sat television is one the greatest inventions of the twentieth

century? Why/why not?

 Men and women

1. Men/Women tend to doing more exercise than men/women.

2. Men/women are better at making decisions than men/women.

3. More men/women do evening courses than men/women.

4. Men/women send more time doing nothing than men/women.

5. Men/women are better at making people laugh than men/women.

6. Its easier for men/women to make friends with members of the opposite sex.

7. Most men/women try to avoid doing the washing up.

8. Men/women find it more difficult to admit they have make a mistake than

men/women.

9. Men/women are better at doing exams than men/women.

10. Men/women are more interested in making money than men/women.

11. Men/women are better at making excuses than men/women.

12. The men/women in this class do their homework more often than men/women.
 Computers and the internet

1. What are your favourite Internet sites?

2. At what age should kids learn how to use computers?

3. How many hours a day are you on line?

4. Which is more important: TV or Internet?

5. Do you/would you like to have your own blog?

6. Which is worse: 0 hours a day on line or 8 hours?

7. Can the nest help improve your English?

8. How will computers change in the future?

9. Describe how to go on line to website.

10. Is the internet dangerous?

11. Is the internet a good way to make friends?

12. How would life without computers be different?

13. How many hours a day should people be on line?

14. Do you ever buy things on line?

15. How often do you check you e-mail?

16. How can you make money from the internet?

17. Which is better: a laptop or a desktop computer?

18. How can you protect computers from viruses?

19. Why is knowing how to use a computer important?

20. Talk about how you learned to use a computer.

21. Do you like to go to Internet cafes?

22.Do you like to play computer games?

23.Why facebook so popular?

24. When do you plan to next use computer?

25.Are your computers skills good?

26.What kind of internet site would you like to own?

27.Do you spend too much time on line?

28.How computers make life better/worse?

29.Will computers one day become intelligent?

30.Why is chatting on line with friends so popular?