If I got a dollar for everytime a student was asked “What are your hobbies?” during an English conversation class, I’d be filthy rich. 

Here are 40 questions to make your English classes more interesting and to help your students think deeper in English while discussing a variety of topics.

These questions are better suited for intermediate and advanced-level adult students, but you can also tweak them for beginner and younger students as well. Use your professional judgement to determine which questions are appropriate for each student.

Questions to get to know your student better

1. What makes you feel the happiest? 
2. How would your friends and family describe you? Do you agree? Why or why not? 
3. What is the best advice you have ever received? 
4. What is an unusual habit that you have or an unusual thing that you own?
5. How have your goals changed as you’ve gotten older?
6. Do you have any rare talents? What is your best talent/skill?
7. Are you more of a spontaneous or structured person? Explain.
8. Do you often remember your dreams? What was the last dream you had? 
9. What three websites or three apps do you use the most? Why?
10. What are your morning and evening routines?

Questions to learn about your student’s experiences

1. What is something you’ve tried in the past but would never do again? 
2. Share one of your favorite childhood memories. 
3. What purchase have you made for less than $100 (amount is changeable) that has most positively impacted your life?
4. What is the biggest lesson you have learned from a past failure or success?
5. What new beliefs or habits have you developed in the last five years?
6. What are some bad advice or recommendations that you often hear in your profession? 
7. When you feel overwhelmed or stressed, what do you do?
8. What do you like the most and least about the city you live in?
9. What was the worst job you have ever had?
10. What’s been your proudest accomplishment in life so far?

Questions to learn about your student’s opinions/preferences

1. What book, movie, or series have you recommended the most to others and why? 
2. What’s the best advice you can share with others? 
3. If you can only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
4. What is your favorite type of gift to receive and to give? 
5. After a long day, do you prefer to hang out with friends or spend time alone?
6. When you’re on vacation, do you prefer to join a tour or plan out the trip by yourself?
7. Would you travel the world on your own? Why or why not?
8. Do you prefer to have many friends or just a few close ones?
9. What qualities do you value the most in a friend?
10. What technology do you think would be obsolete in 10-20 years?

Hypothetical questions 

1. If you could create a rule that everyone in the world must follow, what rule would it be?
2. If you could share a message with the world, perhaps a quote, what would it be?
3. If you knew you couldn’t fail, what would you do?
4. If you could go back in time and change one thing, what would it be?
5. If you had to give up one of your five senses, which one would it be?
6. If you could try any job for a week, what would it be?
7. If you could eliminate one thing you do every day, what would it be?
8. If money is not an issue, what would you do in your life?
9. If you could create any new invention to make your life easier, what would it be?
10. If your house burns down and you can only save three items, what would they be?

We hope you found these questions useful for your future English classes. Feel free to share some of your own questions in the comments below!  

LatinHire is currently hiring a lot of online English teachers for Latino students (adults and children). If you are interested in joining LatinHire’s teaching team, click here to apply.