CONVERSATION TOPICS

Conversation Topics

and much more!!

Index

1. Adventure

8.

2. Air Travel

9.

3. Alcohol

10.

4. Abortion

11.

5. Alone

12.

6.

13.

7.

14.

English ConversationTopic 1 Talking about Adventure Starters: Life can sometimes be rather boring. We need more adventure, whether real or in our imaginations! Discuss adventures using the English questions below. You might need to use conditional verbs for questions 4 or 5. 1. Do you like to watch adventure movies? 2. Do you consider yourself to be an adventurous person? 3. What is the most adventurous thing you have ever done? 4. Would you say that learning English is a kind of adventure? 5. Could you say that life is a kind of adventure? Discussion Questions Use the questions below to have deeper conversations on the topic. Be sure to use conditional verb tenses in English when you are talking about things that are not quite real! 1. If you had a great adventure, who would you like to have it with? 2. Do you think your idea of adventure is the same as your parents’ ideas and your grandparents’ ideas? 3. Which of these things should be part of an adventure - danger, romance, travel, discovery, or treasure? Can you think of any other things? 4. Where would you like to go for an adventure – a jungle, a desert, a small island or a city?

Island Living

Topic 2 Talking about Air Travel Starters Choose 3 questions below that interest you to ask me. 1. Do you ever travel by plane? 2. Do you enjoy travelling by airplane? Why or why not? 3. How old were you the first time you flew? 4. Were you afraid the first time you were on an airplane? 5. What was the longest flight you have taken? 6. Do you prefer window seats or aisle seats? 7. What do you like to do during long flights? 8. Can you sleep on an airplane? Discussion Questions 1. What are the advantages of traveling by airplane? What are the disadvantages? 2. Do you know someone who is afraid of flying in an airplane? 3. What advice can you give to someone who is afraid of flying? 4. Would you like to be a pilot? What might be some of the requirements for the job? 5. Would you like to be a flight attendant? Why might it be a good job? Why might it be a challenging job? 6. What are some ways that airlines could improve the flying experience for passengers?

Part One – Airplane Vocabulary Seat Aisle Window Take-off Landing Carry-on baggage Overhead compartment Lavatory Cockpit Tray table Flight Attendant Boarding pass Runway Emergency exit Safety Life jacket

A Quiet Flight

Let’s discuss the following questions together. Please try to use some of the vocabulary from the previous page: 1. Have you ever travelled by airplane before? 2. How do you feel about flying on airplanes? 3. Do you feel that flying is safe? Why or why not? 4. What should you do before the flight takes off? 5. How can you pass the time on a flight? 6. What are the duties of a flight attendant? 6. What kind of person would or wouldn’t you like to sit next to on a plane? 7. What is good behavior on a flight? What is bad behavior? 9. What items can you take with you in your carry-on baggage? 10. Should part of the plane is the best for sitting – aisle or window? Front or back? 11. How do you feel about airline food? 12. What happens in the cockpit of an airplane? 13. What advice do you have for someone who is nervous about flying? 14. What should you do in the event of an emergency on an airplane? 15. What is the future of air travel?

Dialogue The following dialogue takes place before take-off. Please attempt to fill in the blanks, and then practice reading the dialogue aloud. Passenger 1: Excuse me, would it be possible to ________________ seats with someone? My wife and I would like to sit together. Flight Attendant: Certainly, sir. For now, please take your seat, and once the plane takes off, I’ll help you with that. Passenger 1: Thank you. Could you help me put this bag in the ________________ compartment? Flight Attendant: Sure… there you go. (YOU SEE THAT SOMEONE IS SITTING IN YOUR SEAT) Passenger 1: I’m sorry, I think you’re ________________. Passenger 2: Oh, let me check my boarding ________________… Yes, I’m sorry, my mistake. Passenger 1: No problem. I’m going to _________________ anyway. My wife and I would like to sit together. Passenger 2: Oh, well, I can switch places with your wife. That way you two can sit together. Passenger 1: Really? That would be great! Thanks a lot.

Now choose one of the following situations and practice a dialogue:Situation 1: A passenger’s baby is crying loudly and disturbing other people on the plane. A flight attendant must speak with the parents to resolve the situation. Situation 2: You wish to order a special meal, as you allergic to the flight food. You must discuss the options with the flight attendant. Situation 3: A passenger wishes to discuss security procedures with one of the flight attendants. Situation 4: There is a seat available in First Class. The flight attendant offers it to a passenger as an upgrade.

Topic 3 Talking About Alcohol Conversation Starters Alcohol is the most common "drug" in the world. It comes in many forms – beer, wine, along with whiskey and other "hard" liquors. Some people drink alcohol every day, others never drink it even once in their whole lives. Discuss drinking (or not drinking) alcohol, starting with the questions below. 1. Do you like to drink alcohol? Why or why not? 2. Do you think alcohol is addictive? 3. Do you know how much alcohol is in beer? 4. Do you know how much alcohol is in whiskey? 5. Do you know anyone who is an alcoholic? (a person who drinks too much) 6. Do you know the word prohibition? Discussion Questions: Here are more challenging questions on the topic of alcohol. Ask me these questions to and be ready to continue the conversation by asking follow up questions. 1. How can someone stop being an alcoholic? 2. Do you think we should try to prohibit alcohol? What might be the result if we did? 3. Why do some people drink too much alcohol? 4. Do you think alcohol is the same as a drug? 5. At what age should it be legal to drink alcohol?

Abortion: For, Against, or Somewhere In Between

Abortion is seldom a topic that we speak about in casual conversation. More often we hear abortion talked about by news media, politicians or, more rarely, depicted in books, television shows or movies. In pretty much any situation, abortion elicits an intense emotional response. In the U.S. the conversation on abortion generally centers on whether you are “for” or “against” it and very rarely explores personal narratives, what we believe about abortion as a decision, what the procedure entails, or how abortion affects an individual’s reproductive and mental health. Engaging in an honest and vulnerable conversation on abortion provides an opportunity to explore the depths of our beliefs about sex, life, death, agency and parenting. It gets at the very root of what we care deeply for in life and opens the door to finding potential common ground.

1. Share something from your life experience that informs your response to or position on abortion.
2. Why can it be so difficult to talk about abortion?
3. What is really at the heart of the debate?
4. Have you or someone close to you ever had to make a decision about abortion?
5. Who made the ultimate decision?
6. How do you (or the person you know) feel about it now?
7. Labels like ‘pro-choice’ and ‘pro-life’ often oversimplify positions and pit us against one another.
8. Which, if any, gray areas have you identified within your own position?

What did you learn from this conversation? Is there something else you would like to talk about based upon the conversation you just had?

Coronavirus - Alone: Solitude or Isolation?

Our social nature is part of our humanity. People tend to like being with other people, and many of us need other people in order to be healthy and happy. The feeling of being alone can weigh heavily on an individual. Yet, for some people, solitude is tranquil, relaxing, and even spiritually rewarding. The current need to physically isolate ourselves from others is putting limits on our social connections. While we are being cut off from outside daily connections, some of us are also sharing living space with others and not having the amount of time and space between us that we’re used to. What is this experience like for you?

1. What are your best experiences of being alone?
2. Are there times when being alone has been difficult for you?
3. What has been a positive experience of aloneness for you? What has been a negative experience?
4. If you are living with others, how are you experiencing the limited connection outside your space coupled with more exposure to a few individuals?
5. How are you coping with this experience?
6. What are you learning from this experience?

What did you learn from this conversation? Is there something else you would like to talk about based upon the conversation you just had?