ESL Discussion Questions about If

If

conjunction

1 in case that; granting or supposing that; on condition that:Sing if you want to. Stay indoors if it rains. I'll go if you do.

2 even though: an enthusiastic if small audience

3 whether: He asked if I knew Spanish.

4 (used to introduce an exclamatory phrase): If only Dad could see me now!

5 when or whenever: If it was raining, we had to play inside.

noun

6 a supposition; uncertainty: The future is full of ifs. An impossibility

7 a condition, requirement, or stipulation: There are too many ifs in his agreement.

Makes sentences with "if."

When do we use the word "if?"

"If" is a big word. What do I mean when I say that "If is big word!"

Talk about historical counter-factuals. If there was no Hitler, there would be no Holocaust or WWII. If there was no Chairman Mao, there would be no PRC.

Talk about hypothetical.

What ifs. What would have happened if something was different?

What is the greatest what if of your life?

Introduce the students to the poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling.

IF you can keep your head when all about you 
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings 
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
' Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

Finish these sentences:

If I were you.....

If I could live my life again, I would.......

If only.....

If wishes were money, I'd be

If wishes were ______, I'd be

What would you do if ______________.

What do the following expressions mean?

No if, ands, and buts.

If shoes were clues, you would be barefoot.

as if;

 damned if I do, damned if I don't;

 make as if to;

 no ifs or buts;

 nothing if not;

 (if) push comes to shove;

 what if. 

ESL Discussion Questions about Insects

What are they?

Other words for insects? Bugs, Pests, ant, aphid, arachnid, arthropod, bedbug, bee,beetle, bumblebee, butterfly, cockroach, cootie,daddy long-legs, dragonfly, flea, fly, fruit fly,gnat, grasshopper, hornet, ladybug, louse, mite,mite, mosquito, moth, pest, praying mantis,spider, termite, tick, vermin, yellow-jacket

What does the word "bug" mean as a verb?

Can you tell some insects? Bees, Crickets, Hornets, Ants, Crickets, fleas, butterflies, grasshoppers, cockroaches,

What is your favourite insect?

How do insects help us?

Can we eat insects?

You must be an insect. What insect would you be?

What insects do you hate?

What insects do you see everyday?

What stories can you tell me about you and insects?

Did you play with insects when you were young?

What is a fly swatter?

Do you like killing insects? How can you kill them? What things do you use to kill mosquitoes? Is it okay to kill insects? Is killing a mosquito murder?

Have you ever had your home infested with bugs? What did you do about it?

Have you been stung by a bee? Have you ever come upon a hornet's nest or bee hive? What did you do?

Do insects make good pets?

If insects could talk, what would they talk about?

What bugs bugs?

Do only bugs bug us?

Tell me about insect characters that have appeared in movies and t.v. Shows.

Mention some Aesop tales involving insects. Tell the story. Ask for students to tell you their meaning.

The Ant and the Grasshopper

In a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart's content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.

"Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling in that way?"

"I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the Ant, "and recommend you to do the same."

"Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; we have got plenty of food at present." But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew:

It is best to prepare for the days of necessity.

The Bald Man and the Fly

A Fly settled on the head of a Bald Man and bit him. In his eagerness to kill it, he hit himself a smart slap. But the Fly escaped, and said to him in derision, "You tried to kill me for just one little bite; what will you do to yourself now, for the heavy smack you have just given yourself?" "Oh, for that blow I bear no grudge," he replied, "for I never intended myself any harm; but as for you, you contemptible insect, who live by sucking human blood, I'd have borne a good deal more than that for the satisfaction of dashing the life out of you!"

The Ant and the Chrysalis

An Ant nimbly running about in the sunshine in search of food came across a Chrysalis that was very near its time of change. The Chrysalis moved its tail, and thus attracted the attention of the Ant, who then saw for the first time that it was alive. "Poor, pitiable animal!" cried the Ant disdainfully. "What a sad fate is yours! While I can run hither and thither, at my pleasure, and, if I wish, ascend the tallest tree, you lie imprisoned here in your shell, with power only to move a joint or two of your scaly tail." The Chrysalis heard all this, but did not try to make any reply. A few days after, when the Ant passed that way again, nothing but the shell remained. Wondering what had become of its contents, he felt himself suddenly shaded and fanned by the gorgeous wings of a beautiful Butterfly. "Behold in me," said the Butterfly, "your much-pitied friend! Boast now of your powers to run and climb as long as you can get me to listen." So saying, the Butterfly rose in the air, and, borne along and aloft on the summer breeze, was soon lost to the sight of the Ant forever.

Appearances are deceptive.

What insects are: interesting, annoying, dangerous, helpful, delicious, ugly, beautiful, big, very tiny

What do the following expressions mean:

Stop bugging me!

As busy as a bee.

As mad as a hornet.

Have butterflies in the stomach.

Wouldn't hurt a flea.

It is the bee's knees!

To be a fly on the wall

ESL Discussion Questions about the Internet

Can you live without the Internet?

Can you imagine life without the Internet?

How has the Internet improved your life? How has it made your life worse?

Do you remember a time when you didn't have the Internet?

How much time do you spend on the Internet?

How much of what you do on the Internet is useful?

Does the Internet overwhelm you?

Do you waste a lot of time on the Internet?

Do you discipline yourself when you use the Internet?

Do you try to have no-internet times?

What do you usually do on the Internet? Where do you go?

How many sites do you visit on a regular basis? What are they?

What have you discovered on the Internet recently?

What did you learn on the Internet today?

Is there a new site you have discovered?

Does the Internet make us more knowledgeable?

Are there money making opportunities on the Internet?

Do you go to social sites on the Internet?

Have you made friends on the Internet?

Do you know anyone who has made friends or found love on the Internet?

Do you go to Internet aggregating sites? Which ones?

Do you read blogs?

Do you write a blog?

Do you have a favourite blogger?

Is the Internet good for us?

What happens to you if you don't have access to the Internet?

Are you places you go where you can't get the Internet?

ESL Discussion Questions about Hands

What are they?

What do we do with our hands?

What is the best thing to do with our hands?

What are some things we shouldn't do with our hands?

Parts of the hand?

Do you like your hands?

Do you decorate your hands? Why? Why not?

Do women like a man with strong looking hands?

Do men like women with beautiful hands?

What does it mean if a person has cold hands?

Can you tell something about a person when they shake your hands?

What gestures do we make with our hands? What do they mean?

Holding hands: cultural differences.

What professions require sure hands?

Have you ever injured your hands?

What tricks can you perform with your hands?

What would you do if you didn't have hands?

Are two hands enough? Would you like to have more hands?

Are you right-handed or left-handed or ambidextrous?

How many in the room are left-handed? Is anyone ambidextrous?

Expressions and Idioms using "hand" or "hands"

at first hand, hand in hand, be in good hands, be in safe hands, bite the hand that feeds one, close at hand, fall into wrong hands, get hands on, get out of hand, hand in, on the other hand, hands are tied, have hands full, have upper hand, time on hands, have to hand it to, lend a hand, old hand, on the one hand.....on the other hand, out of hand, out of my hands, right-hand man, second hand, sit on hands, throws up hands, wash hands of, with one hand tied behind the back

HyLite Entrance

ESL Discussion Questions about Elevators

What is an elevator?

What are words that are related to elevator?  Elevation, Elevating,

What verbs can we use with elevator?   Use, ride, take,

When you do use the elevator?

Is there an elevator in Wuxi that you like taking?

What is the most interesting elevator you have ever been on?  What is the highest floor you have ever been on?

What are alternatives to using an elevator?  Escalators, Stairs, Ladders, Ropes, Climbing, Jumping and Flying.

Do you sometimes take the stairs for exercise?  Have you ever had to go up 20 flights of stairs because the elevator wasn't working?

How do you use an elevator?

Are there still elevator operators in China?  Would you like that job?

How does an elevator work?

Have you ever been stuck on an elevator?  For how long?  How was the situation resolved?

Have you used a freight elevator?

How to behave on an elevator?

What are some rude actions that people do on the elevator?

What do you do if there are people leaving the elevator that you will get on?

How close can you stand against others on an elevator?

Have you ever gone on an elevator that was going in the wrong direction?

Have you ever been on an elevator with a strange person?

Is it okay to take you e-bike on the elevator?

What do you do if the elevator is crowded?  How many people can be on an elevator at one time?

Have you ever walked on an elevator and all the floor buttons had been pressed?

Have you ever had an argument with a stranger on an elevator?

Have you ever not gotten on an elevator because there was a strange person on it?

Is it okay to take your pet on the elevator?

What do you think of people who throw litter on the elevator?

Do you read the advertising on the elevator?

What is the strangest thing that ever happened to you on an elevator?

Have you ever kissed a girl on the elevator?

Have you ever met someone on an elevator?

How to behave on an escalator?   What are some actions you hate seeing done on the escalator?

Should you move or stand still on an escalator?  What should you do when you get off the escalator?

Should you leave room for people to pass you?  Have you ever had an escalator accident?

Another HyLite Commercial

ESL Discussion Questions about Eating

What images come to mind when you hear the  word "eat"?

Think of verbs associated with eating?  (e.g. Chew, bite,...)

Do you like eating?  Why?

What are some things you shouldn't eat?

Do you prefer eating or cooking?

How to be a good eater?

Cooking is a job?  Can eating be a job?

Is eating a duty or a pleasure?

What happens if we don't eat?  Why do we eat?

How long can you not eat?

Discuss Fasting with the students.  Is there a purpose to it?

Which is better?  To snack all day or to eat at certain times (three meals)?

Do you like to eat quickly or slowly?

Are you careful with what you eat?  When you eat?  How you eat?

How do Westerners eat?

How do the Chinese eat?

What do they with?  Can you eat with your hands?

Do you like to say a prayer before you eat?

It is okay to eat on the bus or train or subway?

Where is your favourite place to eat?

Where is the most unusual place to eat?

What are some places that you wouldn't eat?

What are some things you shouldn't do when you are eating?

When do you eat?  Do you like to eat late at night?

Expressions

Have your cake and eat it too.

A bite to eat.

Eat up!

Eat my full!

Dog eat Dog

Eat humble pie.

Eat out of house and home.

Eat words.

I could eat a horse!

Eat like a pig, a horse, a bird.