Paul Holmes -
University
English Professor

Free Materials For ESL Teachers and Learners

“Successful people” ESL Discussion Questions

You can watch these questions in a video, or scroll down to see the full list of questions.
1. Can you succeed in life without hard work?
2. Does everyone have the potential to be a successful person?
3. What do you think is the difference between a successful person and an unsuccessful person?
4. Do successful people always have a positive outlook on life?
5. Why do some people become rich and others don’t?
6. How can you develop a competitive edge?
7. Is it possible for a person to become successful without having any connections or knowing anyone in high places?
8. Do you think that you can be successful without having good health?
9. What are the qualities of a successful person?
10. Do successful people become successful because they are born with more opportunities than other people?
11. Do you believe that anyone can be successful in life?
12. Are there any important qualities for success?
13. Why do some people become successful while others don’t?
14. Do successful people have to be good at math?
15. What are some of the biggest challenges you face in your daily life?
16. Do you believe that all successful people have a competitive edge?
17. What separates the winners from the losers in life?
18. Can anyone be successful if they have the right tools and support?
19. Can people become successful if they are lazy and don’t work hard?
20. What is your definition of success?
21. What do you want to achieve in your life?
22. Are successful people usually happy?
23. Are successful people smarter than everyone else?
24. What do you think the most important qualities of a successful person are?
25. Is it possible for a small business to grow into a large company?
26. Is it possible to be a good friend and still be successful in business?
27. Do you have to be born with a certain personality in order to achieve success?
28. Why do successful people need help from others?
29. What do you think is the most important thing in life?
30. What are the key factors in being successful?
31. What is the most important thing for a person to do if they want to be successful?
32. Are there any secrets to being successful in life?
33. How important is money in becoming successful?
34. Is it possible for someone who has been poor all his/her life to become rich if he/she works hard enough at it?
35. Can you be both successful and happy?
36. How can I be a more successful person?
37. Do successful people always stay in one place?
38. What makes someone a successful leader?
39. Do you believe that success is measured by money and power?
40. What does it mean to be successful?
41. What do you think is the most important quality in a successful person?
42. Why do some people succeed and others fail to achieve their goals?
43. Do successful people have to look attractive?
44. What do you think is more important: hard work or luck?
45. Can you be successful without education?
46. What would you do if you had 100 million dollars?
47. What are some things that make a person successful?
48. How do you measure success?
49. Do people need luck in order to be successful in life?
50. Do you believe that it’s possible to be happy without being successful?
51. Do you think that women and men are equally successful in business?
52. Is it possible to achieve happiness without success?
53. How do you become a self-made man/woman?
54. How do you define “success”?
55. Do you need to be wealthy to be considered a success in life?
56. What are the different ways to become rich?
57. Do successful people stay focused on their goals?
58. Do you think successful people are born or made?
59. Can anyone become rich?
60. Do you feel like a successful person?
61. Are there any other factors that you believe contribute to a person’s success?
62. Is there any single secret to success in life?
63. How can we increase our chances of being successful in life?
64. Does being smart help with your career?
65. Are successful people always nice?
66. Are people who are more successful less likely to make mistakes?
67. Why do successful people work so hard?
68. How does a person become successful?
69. Do you think there are ways to become successful without having money? How?
70. Do you need to be smart to be successful?
71. Is it easier to be successful in some parts of your life than others?
72. Do you agree with the statement “The harder I work, the luckier I get”? Please explain why or why not.
73. Are successful people born or made?