Paul Holmes -
University
English Professor

Free Materials For ESL Teachers and Learners

“Time Travel” ESL Discussion Questions

I. Understanding Time Travel
1. What is time travel?
2. Do you think time travel is possible?
3. How do you think time travel works?
4. Can you name any movies or books about time travel?
5. Why do you think people are interested in time travel?

II. The Possibilities of Time Travel
6. If you could travel in time, would you go to the past or the future? Why?
7. What are some dangers of time travel?
8. How could time travel change the world?
9. If you could meet anyone from history, who would it be and why?
10. What future invention would you like to see if you traveled to the future?

III. Time Travel in Fiction
11. What is your favorite time travel story and why?
12. How do you think time travel in movies and books is different from how it would be in real life?
13. Can time travel in fiction teach us anything about our real lives?
14. Do you think time travel stories are usually optimistic or pessimistic about the future?
15. What is the most interesting time travel paradox you have heard of?

IV. Ethical Considerations of Time Travel
16. Is it ethical to change the past if you could?
17. How could time travel affect relationships between people?
18. Should there be rules for time travel? What might they be?
19. How would you prevent the misuse of time travel?
20. If you could send a message to the future, what would you say?

V. The Science Behind Time Travel
21. What scientific theories support the possibility of time travel?
22. How does the concept of time travel challenge our understanding of time?
23. Do you think humans will ever invent a time machine?
24. What role does gravity play in theories of time travel?
25. How might traveling at the speed of light affect time travel?

VI. Historical Events and Time Travel
26. If you could witness any historical event, which one would you choose and why?
27. How could time travelers potentially change history?
28. Do you think changing a small event in the past could have big effects on the present?
29. What historical mystery would you like to solve through time travel?
30. Which period in history do you think would be the most interesting to visit?

VII. Personal Experiences with Time Travel
31. If you could relive any day in your life, which day would it be and why?
32. How would you prepare for a time travel journey?
33. What personal items would you take with you on a time travel trip?
34. Would you be afraid to time travel? Why or why not?
35. How do you think you would react to seeing the future?

VIII. Time Travel and Society
36. How could time travel impact society?
37. Would time travel be available to everyone or only a select few?
38. How might governments control time travel?
39. Could time travel create new social classes or divisions?
40. How would history be taught if time travel was possible?

IX. The Future of Time Travel
41. What do you think will be the first use of time travel if it becomes possible?
42. How might time travel technology evolve over time?
43. Do you think there will be time travel tourism in the future?
44. How could we ensure that time travel is used responsibly?
45. What do you think are the biggest challenges to making time travel a reality?

X. Creative Thinking about Time Travel
46. If you could create a time travel device, what would it look like?
47. Can you think of a new way to use time travel that hasn’t been explored in fiction?
48. How would you use time travel to solve a current world problem?
49. If you could bring one person from the past to the present, who would it be and why?
50. How would the world be different if time travel had always been possible?

XI. Time Travel and Culture
51. How do different cultures view time and time travel?
52. Would time travel affect how we view cultural heritage?
53. How might time travel influence art and literature?
54. Could time travel inspire new cultural traditions?
55. How would you explain time travel to someone from 500 years ago?

XII. Philosophical Questions on Time Travel
56. If you change the past, do you think you would still be the same person?
57. Is it more important to change the past or to shape the future?
58. Can time travel give us a better understanding of free will?
59. How does the concept of time travel challenge our perception of reality?
60. If time travel exists, do you think we are already living in a changed timeline?

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