Paul Holmes -
University
English Professor

Free Materials For ESL Teachers and Learners

“Successful people” ESL Discussion Questions

I. Defining Success
1. What does it mean to be successful?
2. How do you define success in your own life?
3. Can someone be successful without being famous or rich?
4. What are some different ways people measure success?
5. Do you think success means the same thing to everyone?

II. Characteristics of Successful People
6. What are some common traits of successful people?
7. Do you think successful people are born or made?
8. How important is hard work in achieving success?
9. Do you believe that successful people take more risks?
10. What role does perseverance play in success?

III. Habits of Successful People
11. What daily habits do you think successful people have?
12. How do successful people manage their time?
13. Do you think successful people read a lot? Why or why not?
14. What are some healthy habits that help people succeed?
15. How important is setting goals for success?

IV. Learning from Failure
16. Do you think successful people fail more often than others?
17. How do successful people handle failure?
18. Can failure be a positive thing? How?
19. What is the most important lesson you can learn from failure?
20. Do you think successful people talk about their failures?

V. Role Models
21. Who is a successful person you admire?
22. What can we learn from the lives of successful people?
23. Do you have a role model you try to follow? Why?
24. How do role models influence your ideas of success?
25. Can a person be successful without a role model?

VI. Success in Different Fields
26. Can someone be successful in sports but not in other areas?
27. How do people measure success in business?
28. What does success look like in the arts?
29. Do you think success in science is different from success in other fields?
30. How do people become successful in their careers?

VII. Success and Education
31. How important is education for success?
32. Can someone be successful without a formal education?
33. What role does lifelong learning play in success?
34. Do you think successful people always have good grades?
35. How can education help people achieve their goals?

VIII. Success and Money
36. Is being wealthy the same as being successful?
37. Do you think money can buy success?
38. How do successful people manage their money?
39. Can someone be successful without being rich?
40. How important is financial stability to success?

IX. Success and Happiness
41. Can someone be successful and unhappy at the same time?
42. Do you think happiness is a sign of success?
43. How do successful people balance work and personal life?
44. Is it possible to be successful without being happy?
45. What role does happiness play in your idea of success?

X. Success and Relationships
46. How do successful people maintain strong relationships?
47. Can someone be successful without support from others?
48. How important are friendships to success?
49. Do you think family plays a role in a person’s success?
50. How do successful people balance relationships and work?

XI. Success and Personal Growth
51. How do successful people keep growing and improving?
52. Do you think personal growth is part of being successful?
53. How important is self-reflection for success?
54. What are some ways successful people challenge themselves?
55. How does personal growth influence professional success?

XII. Future Success
56. What are your goals for future success?
57. How can you prepare yourself for success?
58. Do you think technology will change what it means to be successful?
59. What advice would you give someone who wants to be successful?
60. How do you see your own success in 10 years?

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