DISCUSSION

QUESTIONS

--- Part 1 ---

 01. PERSONAL
BACKGROUND

1. What is your name? Do you have any other names that you
prefer?
2. When’s your birthday? Do you have a birthday party every year?
Where? At home? In a big restaurant?
3. Are you living in a big city or a small town?
4. Do you enjoy living in the city/ countryside? Why/Why not?
5. Do you think it's easier to have more job opportunities in the
city than in the countryside? Why?
6. If you had to choose between a satisfying job in the
countryside and a well-paid one in the city, which would you
choose?
7. What jobs require thorough background checks?
8. What makes a strong CV for a job application?
9. How important is educational background in getting a job in
your country?
10. Do you think more jobs will require higher academic
background in the future?
 02. DAILY ACTIVITIES
1. What time do you wake up? And get up?
2. What do you like to do after that?
3. Where and when do you eat your breakfast?
4. Do you need to drink coffee every morning to wake up?
5. What is your favorite food for breakfast?
6. What are the main reasons for eating breakfast?
7. Do you think that having a daily routine is important?
8. What part of the day is the busiest for you?
9. What part of your day do you like best?
10. What would you like to change in your daily routine? Why?
 I. For learners who are studying
1. What is your dream job?
2. What is the most important thing people should consider when
finding a job?
3. How can universities help students find the best job?
4. Have you heard any advice from the people who have worked
long before you? Can you share one with us?
03. JOBS
5. What do your family members say about their jobs?
6. What do you think about an internship before graduation?
7. Should companies pay for interns? Why/Why not?
8. In your opinion, what problem might occur when doing an
internship?
9. Between a big company with a low salary and a small company
with a high salary, which one would you choose?
10. How can internships help students before having a real job?
 II. For learners who are students and having a part-time job
1. Are you having a part-time job now? If yes, how does it help
you before graduation? If not, what kind of job would you be
interested in?
2. What should a person pay attention to when finding a part-
time job?
3. What are some benefits and drawbacks of doing a part-time
job when you're studying?
4. What should employers do to support their part-time
employees?
5. Do you think that working part-time is necessary for student
03. JOBS
before graduating? Why/ Why not?
6. Do you think that 1st year students should have a part-time
job ? Why/why not?
7. Can you share with us 3 things that you're enjoy most about
your part-time job?
8. Do you think that having a part-time job before graduation is
an advantage? Why/ Why not?
9. If you have a chance, would you work part-time with your
university friends ? Why/ Why not?
10. Do you have any advice for people who are looking for a part-
time job now? What are they?
 III. For learners who are working full-time
1. Can you share 3 things you enjoy most about your
current job?
2. What are the difficulties you're having at work right
now?
3. If you don't work well with your colleagues or boss,
how can you deal with that problem?
4. What job did you spend the longest time working at?
5. Can you share with us your thought about the
reasons why people quit a job?
03. JOBS 6. Would you switch to a company with a higher salary if
you have a chance?
7. In your opinion, for how many years should we stay at
a company?
8. What is the best experience you have had in your
professional life?
9. A famous company with a low salary and a lesser-
known company with a high salary, which one would
you choose?
10. What advice do you have for students who are about
to graduate?
 04. VACATION AND
BUSINESS TRIP

1. How many days of vacation should

a person have?
2. How would you like to spend your
holiday? at home or far away? 7. If you have to go for more than 2
3. How many paid-vacations do you weeks for a business trip, how would
have in a year? Do you think it's you feel about it?
sufficient? Why/ Why not? 8. If you have a chance to decline a
4. What is your ideal vacation like? business trip, would you do it?
5. If you receive a business call on 9. What do you normally do during a
your holiday, how would you react to business trip?
it? 10. Would you like to go to foreign
6. What do you think about business countries for a business trip?
trips? Do you think that they're 11. If your business trip is in a foreign
necessary? Do you think that they can country and you don't know their
be replaced by working remotely? language, how would you deal with it?
 05. TRAVEL

1. Do you like traveling? Why?

2. Do you prefer traveling alone or in a group? Why?
3. When was the last time you traveled? Where?
4. How long do you like to stay in one country when going travelling?
5. Did you travel during the last 3 months?
6. If you have a chance to travel, where would you like to go? Why?
7. Do you often travel on holidays? If yes, where do you usually travel to? If
no, why not?
8. Do you like to travel inbound or outbound?
9. How might tourism affect the environment?
10. What can a person do to be a responsible traveler?
 1. Do you enjoy eating your country's food?
2. Do you prefer making food or buying food? Why?
3. Is cooking easy or difficult for you?
4. Can you cook? If yes, what kind of foods do you like
to cook? If no, is there a dish that you want to learn
how to cook?
5. Do you think that cooking is an art? Why/Why not?

06. FOOD AND DINING OUT 6. Can you make a birthday cake? Or can you make a special dish
for a special occasion?
7. Do you enjoy eating greasy food? Salty? Sweet? Spicy?
8. Is your diet healthy? Why/ Why not?
9. Is it easy or hard to eat healthily nowadays?
10. How has the way people eat changed in the past few decades?
 07. HEALTH ISSUES
8. How should hospitals and
clinics in your country improve
3. How should people care about themselves for better services?
their health? 9. What do you think about the
4. How much time should people medical system in your country?
1. Do you think the environment spend on taking care of their Are your satisfied with the
affects our health? health? service?
- If yes, please give some 5. Do you know any activities 10. Do you know any
examples which are harmful to health? misconceptions about staying
- If no, then what do you think 6. How should the medical healthy and what they should
have great impacts on our system care for older people? actually be ?
health? 7. What is your biggest concern
2. How do you take care of your about human health in general ?
health?
 08. 1. What kinds of movies do you like to watch?
ENTERTAINMENT
2. What kinds of movies do you avoid watching?
3. Do you prefer to watch films at home or at the cinema?
4. How often do you watch films / go the cinema?

5. When was the last time you went to the cinema or the theatre?
What did you see?
6. What kind of TV programmes do you like to watch?
7. What are the most popular TV shows in your country?
8. Do you think there are too many shows on TV nowadays?
Why?
9. How have TV programmes changed in the past few
decades?
10. Do you think that television is the primary source of news
for people in your country? Why/why not?
1. Do you play any musical instruments? What music instruments do you play?
2. How often do you listen to music ? During studying, working, exercising?
09. MUSIC
3. What is your favourite genre of music ? Why do you prefer them to others?
4. If you were in a group and they were going to perform a song, what would be
your position in the group?
5. How does music affect you in your daily life?
6. If you had a chance to be a famous singer, would you take that chance ?
Why/Why not?
7. What would you do if there was a singer in your family? Would you encourage
him/her to pursue a professional career?
8. What do you think about music in the modern time, compared to the 90s, 80s,
70s....?
9. If you had the ability to play lots of musical instruments, would you show the
world your talents?
10. If you had a chance to learn one music instrument, what would it be ?
1. How often do you have a meeting or an appointment?
2. Who do you usually set up a meeting or an
appointment with?
3. Do you prefer offline or online meetings? Why?
4. How long should a meeting be?
5. How do you usually set up an appointment/ meeting
10.
with someone? MEETING/
6. Do business people exchange business cards in your APPOINTMENTS
culture? How do they do it?
7. In your opinion, what is the role of a host in a
meeting?
8. What do people need to do for an effective meeting?
9. How important is punctuality in your country?
10. What are the customs when meeting a new person in
your culture?
 11. HOUSING/ HOME
1. Do you live in a house or a flat?
2. How many rooms are there in your house/ flat?
3. Who do you live with?
4. What do you like about your house/ flat?
5. What don't you like about your house/ flat?
6. Is your home in a convenient location?
7. Do you prefer to buy or rent a place to live? Why?
8. Where would your dream house be?
9. Do you prefer to live in the city or the countryside?
10. What do you look for in a place to live?
 2. Have you ever been to a job interview?
12.
3. How should you dress for a job interview?
PERSONNEL 1. Do you work or
4. What do you need to prepare before a job interview?
are you a student? 5. What can you negotiate during an interview? Questions for
6. Where do you expect to work after graduating? Learners who are
7. What do you look for in your future job? still studying
8. What benefits should every employee receive?
9. Which one is more important? Net salary or benefits?
10. What do you think is a good working environment?

2. What do you like about your company policies?

3. What don't you like about your company policies?
4. Is it hard or easy to ask for leave in your company?
What is the policy for that? Questions for
5. What is your company's policy for tardiness?
Learners who
6. Are you happy with your compensation package?
If not, what is your plan to get a better one? are working
7. What benefits do you have in your company?
8. Should employees wear uniforms to work? Why/ Why not?
9. Should employees receive parental leave? Why/ Why not?
10. How often should employees receive an evaluation? Why
do you think so?
 Questions for Learners who are still studying
1. How often do you go shopping?
2. Who do you usually go shopping with? 13. PURCHASING
3. Where do you usually go shopping?
4. What types of goods do you usually buy?
5. Have you returned something that you bought? How did it
happen?
6. Have you ever worked in a shop? What was the store selling?
Does that kind of job suit you?

Questions for Learners who are working

1. Have you ever purchased anything for your company? What
was it? Questions 7-10 are for all
2. What are the common purchases in your office? 7. Do you prefer to shop online or in a
3. Who is in charge of purchasing office supplies in your store? Why?
company? How does he/she do it? 8. Do you like paying in cash or by card?
4. What do employees at your company need to do to get
9. How has technology changed the way
reimbursed for purchases they made for the company?
people shop recently?
5. Do you think the purchasing system in your company is cost-
efficient? 10. How does consumerism affect our
6. What can be done to cut the cost of purchasing in offices? daily life?
 Questions for Learners who are still studying
1. What are some common office supplies that you know?
14. 2. What different things can you use scrap paper for?
3. What would be a good paper substitute?
OFFICE
4. Do you think computers will one day mean we have no use for paper?
SUPPLIES – 5. What do you think about paperless office?
Imagine that you are opening your own business:
WORKPLACE 6. What kinds of office equipment and supplies do you think you would need to run your business?
7. Would you rent the equipment or buy it? Why?
8. If you wanted to buy these items (a laptop, an office phone, a desk and chair, a filing cabinet) for your
office, which Web site would you use?
9. Would you hire an office administrator to help monitor office supplies?
10. What do you think should be taken into consideration when buying office supplies?
 Questions for Learners who are working
14. 1. What kinds of office equipment and supplies does your company have?
2. What office supplies are always on hand in your office?
OFFICE 3. What are the most functional pieces of furniture in your office?
SUPPLIES – 4. What pieces of furniture do you think are useless in your office?
5. Do you know how to order office supplies?
WORKPLACE 6. What do you think should be taken into consideration when buying office supplies?
7. If you want to buy these items (a laptop, an office phone, a desk and chair, a filing cabinet) for your
office, which Web site do you use?
8. Do you think the office administrator in your company does a good job?
9. If yes, why do you think so?
10. If no, what do you think he/ she needs to improve?
11. What do you think about paperless office?
15. MANUFACTURING
Questions for Learners who are not working in a factory

1. Have you ever visited a factory and seen a production line?

• If yes, what do you think about the working conditions of assembly line workers in that factory?
• If no, would you like to visit one in the future?
2. Do you have any friends who work in a factory?
3. What kind of factories are there in your town?
4. What factories were in your town 50 years ago?

5. Would you like to work in a modern factory with lots of robots?

6. Should factories be full of workers or robots?
7. What do you think factories of the future will look like?
8. What do you think the differences are between working in a
factory and in an office?
9. Do you think all factories need organized unions?
10. What do factories need to do to protect the environment?
15. MANUFACTURING

Questions for Learners who are working in a factory

1. Are you an assembly line worker?
2. What are some safety rules in your factory?
3. Does your factory use any robots in manufacturing?
4. Should factories be full of workers or robots?
5. Do workers in your factory usually work overtime?
6. How have working conditions in your factory changed
since you started working there?
7. What should be done about multinational companies
employing children in sweat shops?
8. Which country do you think has the most efficient
factories?
9. Do you think your factory has effective policies to protect
the environment?
10. What do you think factories of the future will look like?