Paul Holmes -
University
English Professor

Free Materials For ESL Teachers and Learners

“Education” ESL Discussion Questions

1. What is the purpose of education?
2. Where did you go to school?
3. Why are you learning English?
4. What are the benefits of education?
5. How is education important to you?
6. What do you like about your school/university?
7. What do you dislike about your school/university?
8. What are your goals for your future?
9. What skills do you need to succeed in the future?
10. What’s your favorite subject at school/university and why?
11. How do you feel about tests and exams in general?
12. Who is the most influential person in your life and why did they influence you so much?
13. What do you think is the best way to learn a new language?
14. Why do you think some people are better at learning languages than others?
15. What’s the most difficult subject that you’ve had to study?
16. How do you feel about homework? Do you like it or hate it?
17. How often do you study outside of class time? Once a week, twice a week, every day?
18. What is your favorite type of writing assignment in school? (For example: essay, poem, report)
19. What kinds of things do you like to write about when asked to write an essay or report for class?
20. Do you ever struggle with writer’s block when asked to write something for school?
21. Is there anything that makes learning easier for you, such as listening to music while studying?
22. Why do you want to be educated?
23. What is the most important thing you learned in school?
24. How do you feel about your education?
25. What do you think of your teacher/teaching style?
26. What is the best thing about being in school?
27. Do you like going to school or would you rather be home-schooled?
28. Are there any parts of your education that are lacking? Why or why not?
29. Would you rather learn from books or from lectures?
30. Are there some classes that are more interesting than others? If so, which ones and why?
31. What is your greatest achievement in school?
32. What do/did you like about being a student?
33. Are you more of a visual or auditory learner?
34. Do you prefer to learn in a group or alone?
35. What is the most important thing about education?
36. How do you feel about standardized testing?
37. How important is it for children to be able to read and write before starting school?
38. What does the word education mean?
39. Why do we go to school?
40. Who is responsible for giving you an education?
41. Is your education free or do you have to pay for it?
42. Do you think everyone should get an equal education? Why or why not?
43. Should students be graded on their performance?
44. Do you think that people learn better in groups or alone?
45. Should schools have uniforms?
46. Are there any subjects that should not be taught in school?
47. Which would you rather teach: Math or English? Why?
48. What do you think about reading books for fun?
49. How do you feel about homework in school? Do you like doing it?
50. What did your parents think about education when they were growing up, and how do they feel about it now as adults with children of their own?
51. Why should you go to school?
52. What are the disadvantages of education?
53. Is it necessary to go to college/university to get a good job?
54. What is the most important thing that you learned in school?
55. What are the best and worst things about being a student in your school?
56. Do you think education is more important for boys or girls? Why?
57. Do you think teachers should be able to punish students? Why/why not?
58. What do you think about homework? Do you like it, hate it, or just do it because you have to?
59. What is education?
60. What are the roles of students in the classroom?
61. How do you learn something new?
62. How can you improve your test scores?