Canada Day ESL Discussion Questions

What comes to mind when you hear "Canada"?

What is the weather like in Canada now?

How old is Canada?

What do you want to know about Canada?

What do you think of Canada?  Canadians?

Is Canada an important country on the world?  What has Canada done for the world?

Do you want to move to Canada?  Why?

How are Canadians different from Americans, English, and Australians?

Have you heard of Eskimos and Aboriginals?

Do you want to live in Canada?  Why?  Why not?

Are Canadians and Americans alike? How do they differ?

What does this mean:  "How's it going eh?" 

How are Canada and China similar?

Can you name ten famous Canadians?

Can you name ten places in Canada?

Can you name ten Canadian things?

What are symbols of Canada?

Which is Canadian?  Which isn't?  Jim Carrey, Kangaroos, Penguins, Igloos, Keifer Sutherland, Texas, Prince Edward Island, Minneapolis, North Dakota, Winnipeg, Winnetonka, Medicine Hat, Minnesota, Beavers, Moose, Tigers, Ice Hockey, and Elephants. 

Match up these expressions (Two-Four, Double-Double, Hoser, Loonie, Washroom, Pop, Chocolate Bar, Keener, Mickey, eh) with the definitions (W.C., Beer Package, Cream and Sugar,  Weak Person, hard worker, One dollar coin, Soda, Sweet Food,  and Bottle of hard liquor)

International Picnic Day: ESL Discussion Questions

International Picnic Day

What do the words mean?

International

What is national?  What is international?  (Inter means between," "among," "in the midst of," "mutually," "reciprocally,""together," "during" ( intercept; interest, interchange, intercontinental, interact, interactive, intercept, interface, interfere, interlude, internal, interrelated);  on this model, used in the formation of compound words ( intercom; interdepartmental ).

Have you been to an international event?

Have you been to an international school?

Do these events foster peace and understanding?

What is the most nationalities you have ever been with at one time?

Have you meet people from many countries and continents?

What foreigners do you think are most interesting?

Can you tell me some famous international organizations or events?  Do these events unite nations or divide them?

Do you like to watch international sporting events involving your country?

Picnic

Do you like to picnic?  Why?  Why not?

Where do you like to picnic?  Best place in Wuxi?

What food do you bring?  What activities do you engage in (besides eating?)

What do we need to have a good picnic?

What are the pleasures of a picnic?

What are the annoyances?

What can ruin a picnic?

Do you have stories of good picnics?  Bad picnics?

An International Picnic

How to celebrate such an event?

How many countries can come?  Are there any countries you don't want to come?

What food to bring?

What entertainment to bring?

What should the Chinese bring to the picnic?

What should Americans bring to the picnic?

What should Canadian bring to the picnic?

What should Australians bring to the picnic?

What should the Japanese bring to the picnic?

What should Indians bring to the picnic?

What should Koreans bring to the picnic?

What would you do at the picnic?  Would you present your country?  What would you want to present?

What would you want other countries to present?

Old Photos: ESL Discussion Questions

Do you have many old photos?  Of What?  Have you digitalized the photos?

Oldest photo of you?  Your family?  Your ancestors?

Thirty years ago, how were photos taken?

Do you like looking at old photos of yourself?  Of Wuxi?  Where can one find old Wuxi photos?

How often do you look at old photos?

Do you have photo albums in your home?

Do old photos make you think of change?

Do old photos make you think that little has changed?

Do old photos embarrass you?  Are there old photos of you that you want destroyed?

Your favorite old photo?  Describe it.

Do you have some old photos that would surprise others?

Do you have baby photos of yourself?

What group portraits do you have?

Do you have old family portraits?

Do you have wedding photos of your parents?

At what famous places, have you posed for photos?

Do you have photos of you taken with animals?  Which ones?  Where?

Are there old photos of you taken with celebrities, important people, or foreigners?

Digital Cameras mean more and more photos.  Do you ever look at your old digital photos?  Or do you just look at your more recent photos?

Will digital photos be as interesting as old paper photos?

Do you still have your old camera?

Do you prefer to color or black & white photos?

What time in history do you wish that photos could have been taken?

You can keep only one photo from your life?  What photo would you keep?

The Power of a Smile: ESL Discussion Questions

What is a smile?  

Synonyms? Grin, smirk, laugh

Antonyms?  Frown, scowl, 

Why do we smile?  (many reasons including showing our emotions and trying to make others feel comfortable)

It is easy to smile?

Are all smiles happy/friendly?  (some are ironic, forced, amused, fake, show disbelief, show incredulousness,  show frustration,....)

Do all smiles make you feel comfortable?

In what situations is it bad to smile?

Do you like people who are always smiling?

Are there people you know who don't smile or rarely smile?

Do you like people who are always smiling?  Are there nasty people who always smile?

How long can you smile before you get tired?

Do you like smiles that show lots of teeth?

Have you never tried to smile at everyone you met to see what happens?

How would you feel if a stranger smiled at you?

How would you feel if a person smiled at you for a long time?

Are there people who you don't like to see smiling?

When you're smiling, the whole world smiles with you.  Agree?  Disagree?

Famous smiles?  Famous smilers?

Smile Expressions

Keep smiling

Crack a smile

Wipe the silly grin off your face.

Put a smile on someone's face.

Grin from ear to ear.

Break into a smile

He was all smiles today.

He has a million dollar smile.

ESL Discussion Questions about Trivia

What is trivia?  Things that are unimportant or of little value. 

What is trivial?  Adjective made with trivia.

Can you give examples of things that are unimportant.

What are these things unimportant?

What is the most unimportant thing people do these days?

What are some things that you think are important but others think are trivial?

What is a trivial thing you spend time on?

Is all life important or is all life trivial?

What is considered trivial in China?  

Trivia games, trivia quizzes, trivia knowledge:  are you interested in it?  Do you like to watch these sort of games on television?

On what subject, are you a trivia expect?

What are some trivia subjects?  e.g. Sports, history, animals, movie stars, numbers, news, music, math, war

Tell me some trivial facts.

e.g German won the World Cup in 1974

       Brad Pitt starred in Troy.

       The biggest city in Manitoba is Winnipeg.

        An animal with a long neck is a giraffe.

       The capital of the USA is Washington

        Richard Nixon was president of the USA in 1972.

       The yo-yo originated in the Philippines, where it was used as a weapon in hunting.

             Months that begins with a Sunday will always have a "Friday the 13th."

         The average human's heart will beat 3000 million times in their lifetime.

        There are more cars in Los Angeles than people

Have the students each write down five pieces of trivia.

Have the students each tell you one of their trivia facts.

Did you know that____________________________________?

Then have the students turn their trivia facts into questions.  e.g. What is the capital of the USA?

Find some trivia questions to ask the students.

Cleaning the House ESL Discussion Questions

Cleaning the House

What is the difference between clean and neat?

Do you clean the house or your room?  Why?  Why not?  How often do you clean?  How often should we clean the house?

Who does the cleaning in your house?

Are you good at cleaning?

Do you like cleaning?  Rate it on a scale of one to ten.

Is cleaning hard?  Why?  Why not?

Do you like a clean house?

Does dirt or messiness bother you?

How clean is your house now?  Rate it on a scale of one to ten.  Could I come to see now?  Or should I wait for you to tidy it up?

Are most houses in Wuxi clean?

Is your home neat and clean? Just neat?  Just clean?  Are the things in your house well-organized?  Is there a lot of clutter in your house?

Are you a slob?  Do you know any slobs?  How dirty and messy are they?

Are you a neat freak?  Do you know any neat freaks?  How crazy are they about cleanliness?

Who is better at cleaning?  Men or Women?  Boys or Girls?

Cleaning tools:  mop, broom, rag, vacuum cleaner, pail, brush, dust pan, sponge, duster, garbage bag (Do you use?)

Cleaning materials:  water, soap, detergents, sprays, vinegar, bleach, stain remover, deodorizer  (What do you use to clean your house?)

Cleaning verbs: scrub, mop, sweep, wipe, dust, polish (get the students to use the verbs in sentences.  Also ask:  What do you _______?)

What do you do about bad odors?

What do you do about dust?

What do you do about clutter?

What do you do about stains?

Do you clean the hidden areas in your house?  Why?  Why not?

How do you clean the floor?

How do you clean the bathroom?

Do you have any cleaning tips?

Expressions:

Cleanliness is next to godliness.

Clean as a whistle.

You could eat off her floors.

His room is a pig sty.

Sins and Virtues ESL Discussion Questions

What is sin?  The breaking of a moral law.

What is virtue? Behavior showing high moral standards: "paragons of virtue"; and a quality considered morally good or desirable in a person.

Can you give an example of a sinful act?

Can you give an example of a virtuous act?

Are you a sinful or a virtuous person?

 Seven Sins and corresponding virtues (try to elicit some from the students.  Don't expect exact answers.  Something close will do.  Then ask students if they have committed the sin or practiced the virtue. Have they seen examples of this in their lives? Are these sins hard to resist?  Are the virtues easy to perform?)

The Seven Sins 

Lust: Pride of sexual ability 

Gluttony: Pride in one's consumption 

Sloth: Too proud to consider anything new 

Envy: Craving the pride of others 

Wrath: Pride in violence 

Greed: Pride in possessions 

Pride: Too proud to consider others greater 

The Seven Virtues 

Lust (inappropriate desire)    

Gluttony (over-indulgence)    

Greed (avarice)    

Sloth (laziness)    

Wrath (anger)    

Envy (jealousy)  

Pride (vanity)    

Do they teach you a list of dos and don'ts in school or at home?

What is your greatest virtue?

What is the greatest virtue of your best friend?

What is your most sinful behavior?

Are all sins illegal?  Are all virtues lawful?

Virtue is its own reward.  Agree?  Disagree?

Idioms and Expressions (what do they mean?)

He greatest virtue is his modesty.

By virtue of something.

Ugly as sin.

Make a virtue of necessity.

Live in sin.

Patience is a virtue.

The wages of sin is death.

Extoll the virtue of something.

Sin against something.

Poverty is not a sin.

Hate someone or something like sin.