Paul Holmes -
University
English Professor

Free Materials For ESL Teachers and Learners

“Feelings and Emotions” ESL Discussion Questions

I. Identifying Feelings and Emotions
1. What emotions do you feel when you’re lost?
2. How do you know if someone is sad?
3. What makes you feel angry?
4. How can you tell if someone is scared?
5. What emotions do you feel when you’re surprised?

II. Causes of Emotions
6. What situations make you feel stressed?
7. What activities make you feel relaxed?
8. What makes you feel proud of yourself?
9. What can make you feel disappointed?
10. What events make you feel excited?

III. Expressing Emotions
11. How do you express happiness?
12. What do you do when you’re feeling sad?
13. How do you handle anger?
14. How do you calm yourself when scared?
15. What do you do when you’re surprised?

IV. Understanding Others’ Emotions
16. How do you help a sad friend?
17. How do you respond to someone who is angry?
18. How can you comfort a scared person?
19. How do you celebrate with a happy friend?
20. How can you support a disappointed person?

V. Emotional Intelligence
21. How important is it to understand emotions?
22. How can you improve your emotional intelligence?
23. How does empathy help in relationships?
24. How does emotional intelligence affect success?
25. How can you control your emotional reactions?

VI. Emotions in Different Cultures
26. How do people express emotions in your culture?
27. Are some emotions more accepted than others?
28. Are emotional expressions different in other cultures?
29. How does your culture handle negative emotions?
30. What can we learn from other cultures about emotions?

VII. Emotions in the Workplace
31. How important is emotional intelligence at work?
32. How do you handle stress in the workplace?
33. How can you support a colleague who is upset?
34. How do emotions affect teamwork?
35. How can you maintain a positive work environment?

VIII. Emotions and Mental Health
36. How do emotions affect mental health?
37. How can you cope with negative emotions?
38. What are the benefits of positive emotions?
39. How can you improve your emotional well-being?
40. How can you help others with their emotional health?

IX. Emotions and Decision-Making
41. How do emotions influence decision-making?
42. How can you make decisions without emotions?
43. How can you avoid impulsive decisions?
44. How can you consider others’ emotions when making decisions?
45. How important is it to balance logic and emotions?

X. Love and Relationships
46. What is the difference between love and infatuation?
47. How do you express love for someone?
48. How can you manage jealousy in a relationship?
49. How do emotions change over time in a relationship?
50. How can you maintain a strong emotional connection?

XI. Emotions and Communication
51. How can you communicate your emotions effectively?
52. How can you listen to others’ emotions?
53. How can you resolve emotional conflicts?
54. How can you validate others’ emotions?
55. How can you apologize when your emotions hurt someone?

XII. Emotions and Personal Growth
56. How can emotions help you grow as a person?
57. How can you learn from emotional experiences?
58. How can you become more emotionally strong?
59. How can you use emotions to achieve goals?
60. How can you turn negative emotions into motivation?