Paul Holmes -
University
English Professor

Free Materials For ESL Teachers and Learners

“Making Plans” ESL Discussion Questions

I. Basics of Planning
1. What does it mean to make a plan?
2. Why is planning important?
3. How do you decide what to plan for?
4. Can you make plans without writing them down?
5. What’s the difference between a plan and a goal?

II. Daily Planning
6. How do you plan your day?
7. What tools do you use to help you plan?
8. What do you do when your plans change?
9. How does planning help you save time?
10. Do you prefer to plan your leisure time or be spontaneous?

III. Long-Term Planning
11. What are some long-term plans you have?
12. How far ahead should you plan for your future?
13. Why might someone have a five-year plan?
14. What steps can you take to make a long-term plan successful?
15. How can you stay motivated to stick to a long-term plan?

IV. Planning with Others
16. How do you make plans with friends?
17. What do you do when people have different ideas while planning?
18. How important is it to be flexible in plans with others?
19. What is the role of a leader in group planning?
20. Can you give an example of a successful plan you made with a group?

V. Work and Career Planning
21. How do you plan for career success?
22. What is a career development plan?
23. Why is it important to set deadlines in work plans?
24. How do work plans help a team?
25. What do you do if you don’t meet your work plan targets?

VI. Event Planning
26. What steps do you take to plan an event?
27. How do you decide on the budget for an event?
28. Why is it important to have a backup plan for events?
29. How can you make sure an event runs smoothly?
30. Can you share an experience of a well-planned event you attended?

VII. Financial Planning
31. What is a budget?
32. Why should you plan your finances?
33. How often should you review your financial plan?
34. What is the best way to plan for unexpected expenses?
35. How can planning help you save money?

VIII. Travel Planning
36. How do you start planning a trip?
37. Why is it important to research before you travel?
38. What are the benefits of having a travel itinerary?
39. How can you plan for safety while traveling?
40. What do you do if your travel plans fall apart?

IX. Planning for Health and Fitness
41. How can you plan a healthy diet?
42. What is a workout schedule?
43. Why is it important to plan rest days in your fitness routine?
44. How can planning help you achieve your health goals?
45. What do you do when you miss a planned workout?

X. Planning for Education
46. How do you plan your study time?
47. What are the benefits of having an educational plan?
48. How can planning help with school projects?
49. Why should you plan your class schedule carefully?
50. How do you adjust your plans when school or learning gets tough?

XI. Planning for Entertainment
51. How do you plan your free time?
52. What’s the best way to plan a day out?
53. How does weather affect your entertainment plans?
54. How do you decide what movies or shows to watch?
55. Can you plan to have fun with no money?

XII. Reflection on Planning
56. How do you feel when you complete a plan successfully?
57. Have you ever over-planned something?
58. What have you learned from plans that didn’t work out?
59. How does planning affect your stress levels?
60. Can planning ever be a bad thing? How?

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