easy essay topics esl students

30 Writing Topics and Writing Prompts For ESL Students

When learning a new language like English, developing writing skills is essential. Many beginner ESL students find it difficult to write essays, especially if they have to come up with the essay topic themselves.

Providing ESL students with writing topics and writing prompts can help students to focus and start writing. As a teacher, it can be quite challenging to come up with many ESL writing topics, so we have put together this list of ESL writing topics and writing prompts to help you out.

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List Of ESL Writing Topics

Here is a list of ESL writing topics and writing prompts your students can write about.

• Describe your dream house. Where is it? And What’s inside?
• Talk about the best vacation you ever took.
• What do you like to do in your spare time?
• Write about three things you want to achieve this year.
• What’s your earliest memory as a child?
• What would you do if you had a million dollars?
• What are you good at? What would you like to be good at in the future?
• Write about the members of your family. What are they like? What do they do?
• Write about how to cook your favorite food, step by step.
• If you could meet anyone from history, who would you want to meet, and why?
• Describe everything you did last weekend in as much detail as possible.
• Write about something funny that happened to you this week.
• What were the last three things you bought? Where did you buy them from?
• Describe how you get ready for school every day.
• Describe a famous person in as much detail as possible.
• What is your favorite movie, and why?
• What three things would you take to a desert island, and why?
• Write about your happiest memory.
• What makes a good friend?
• If you could change anything about the world, what would it be?
• If you could travel back in time, when and where would you go?
• What’s your favorite game to play?
• What is something you have done that you regret?
• Describe what the world will be like in1000 years.
• Write an essay about what you did this week.
• Write about one of your memorable birthday celebrations.
• Write about your exercise routine.
• If you had three wishes, what would you wish for?
• Describe a person you look up to.
• What’s your opinion about social media?

Tips For Teaching ESL Writing

Error correction.

Writing in a foreign language is hard, especially for beginner ESL students. Students will likely make many mistakes in the beginning.

Although it is necessary to highlight and correct students’ errors, it can be quite demotivating for a student to only hear all the things they got wrong.

To ensure students stay motivated, be sure to praise them and tell them all the things they did well, as well as point out any grammatical mistakes.

After correcting errors, give students an opportunity to re-write their essays and correct their mistakes. Once students have completed their final draft, be sure to let them know what you liked about their essay, and you can even share this praise with other students, teachers, and even the student’s parents.

To master writing in English, students will need to write a lot of essays over time, and if students stay motivated, they are much more likely to succeed.

Ask About Students’ Interests

Another great way to keep students motivated while writing ESL essays is to encourage them to write about things that interest them.

A great way to encourage this is to ask about things students are interested in and then tailor the writing topic to them.

Students are much more likely to actively engage in a writing assignment if it is something they are interested in and passionate about.

Provide Enough Writing Prompts

ESL students often find it difficult to write long answers to essay questions. Ask an ESL student to write about their favorite restaurant, and they’ll likely give you a one-sentence answer.

To help students write longer essays, be sure to give them enough writing prompts to cover the different aspects they should cover in their writing.

For example, if students are to write about their favorite restaurant then you could give them several writing prompts such as ‘where is the restaurant’, ‘what kind of food do they serve’, ‘how much is a typical meal’, ‘what do you usually order’, etc.

Giving beginner ESL students plenty of writing prompts will help them to flesh out their essays and write longer answers.

Structure The Essay

To help ESL students become better at writing in English, teach them a particular structure you would like them to follow when writing their essays.

A typical writing structure with beginner ESL students would include an introduction, the main body of the text, and then a conclusion.

Providing students with an easy-to-follow structure will help them to plan out their essays and develop their writing skills over time.

Thanks for reading. I hope you found some useful ESL writing topics and writing prompts you can use in your next writing class. 

Before you go, don’t forget to check out our FREE resources for teaching English, including  Activity Videos ,  Board Games ,  Flashcards ,  PowerPoint Games , and  Lesson Plans .

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40 ESL Essay Writing Topics + Prompts

By VIPKid  |  April 20, 2018

Ready to start teaching English online?

Writing ESL essay writing is hard for most students and many will struggle at first before learning to write well.

However, writing skills are a crucial part of learning a new language . 

In this piece, we’ll share some ESL writing prompts and ESL essay topics for five different kinds of essays. They should help your students develop their grammar and vocabulary skills  while teaching them how to write coherently.

(While they work for all kinds of students, we’ve found these topics are especially handy for  teaching English to kids .) 

Writing practice should never be boring! When you’re done this article, check out the 10 most engaging writing activities here .

Descriptive ESL Writing Topics

• Describe your favorite place in as much detail as possible.
• Describe your favorite fictional character in as much detail as possible.
• Describe a famous person – e.g. a singer or athlete – that you admire. Focus on both their appearance and personality traits.
• Describe a family member or your best friend  as detailed as possible. Discuss how they look and their personality.  
• Choose a  hobby or favorite activity  and describe why and how you do it. 
• Describe your most memorable holiday or vacation spot in as much detail as possible.
• Describe a photo or work of art in as much detail as possible.
• Pick your favorite food . Describe what you taste, smell, and sense while eating or drinking it. 

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Explanatory ESL Essay Topics

• Give directions for getting from one point to another . For example, how to get from your home to your school. Describe the landmarks someone might see along the way.
• Explain how to cook your favorite meal . Provide a recipe and the step-by-step instructions.
• Explain your favorite computer game . What should a player do to win? What are some playing tips?
• Explain what you would do if your friends show up at your house unexpectedly . Say how you would entertain them. 
• Explain how to make a bed . This task is seemingly simple but allows you to write about everyday habits you might never think through in detail. 
• Explain how to make a paper airplane . Again, this task has many precise, technical details that that should be included in the essay. 
• Explain how to brush your teeth . Try to make your essay about a seemingly mundane task more interesting. 
• Explain how to pack a suitcase when going on a holiday. List out all the objects and pieces of clothing you would bring. 

ESL Essays Topics to Practice Verb Tenses

• Talk about a time in the past when you had to make a difficult decision . Explain what you did and why.
• Describe your dream place to live . Why would you want to live there? What would you do?
• Write about three specific goals  you want to achieve this year. Explain how you are going to achieve them.
• Write about something you regret having done . Point out what could have happened if you had not made that decision.
• Describe the world 100 years from now . Describe how people live, and new inventions and also the things that will not change.
• Talk about your earliest memory . What happened? How well do you remember the events?
• Write a short essay about how you prepared for class . Now “translate” that essay into future tense. In other words, the essay should say how you plan to prepare for class.  

Argumentative ESL Essay Topics

• Are smartphones good or bad? Give some arguments to support your position.
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of public schools and private schools ?
• What is your favorite book or movie ? Convince others, through your essay, to read or watch it. 
• Is it the case that the more people that have cars, the better? What are some advantages and disadvantages of public transit ? 
• Should money be spent on space exploration ? Give arguments to support your opinion.
• You’re the mayor of your town or city. Explain in an essay your recent decision to ban smoking . Then, from another person’s perspective, write a letter to the mayor protesting this new law. 
• Reading books vs. watching movies . Which do you prefer and why?
• What are the pros and cons of e-readers compared to paper books?

Hypothetical ESL Essay Topics

• What would you do if you were late for an important class?
• What would you do if your car got a flat tire on the highway?
• If you had the power to change one thing about your past, what would it be?
• If you had the power to alter  one major historical event , what would it be?
• If you could take any superhero’s powers , who would be your choice?
• How would you feel if, one day, you woke up 300 years in the past ?
• What would you do if you won the lottery ? Would your life change day-to-day?

Some General ESL Essay Tips

When checking ESL essays, pay attention to the following key points:

• Grammar. The ESL essay should be grammatically correct.
• Vocabulary. The more new vocabulary the essay contains, the more points it will get.
• Text flow. The text of the essay should flow logically and naturally. Pay attention to the use of connecting words and phrases. These include first of all , secondly , moreover , in addition , besides , finally , on the one hand, on the other hand , and as a result .
• Sticking to the topic. Some essay writers tend to deviate from ESL essay topics. However, a perfect ESL essay should stay as close to the point as possible.

A good essay typically has the following parts:

• An introduction . Here, the author gives some general information about the topic or lays out their argument. An effective intro entices readers to read further. 
• The body . In an argumentative essay, the body could be 2 to 3 paragraphs. Each should introduce their arguments and support them with examples. In other types of essays, the content may vary. For example, the body may include descriptions, explanations, or personal stories.
• Conclusion . The author should logically conclude or summarize their thoughts and arguments.

How Do You Teach Writing?

It doesn’t matter if you teach English online or if you’re a classroom teacher, we want to know about your  teaching styles.  Do you use writing prompts,  games and activities, or something else entirely?

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The Best ESL Writing Prompts and Topics for Beginners

Learning a different language is hard. Writing in a different language is even harder. But the only way to improve writing is to write more! One way to make writing less frustrating for your ESL students is to provide them with interesting writing prompts and topics.

Writing Prompts for ESL Beginners

Purpose of Writing Prompts

The main purpose of writing prompts is to encourage students’ interests and also encourage them to write about the topic. This doesn’t mean that you always want to limit what your students write. It is also encouraged for students to come up with a topic of their own. However, thinking of a topic every single time can also be stressful. So, for ESL beginners, writing prompts act more like a guide to starting the writing.

If you are teaching ESL beginners how to write, try to keep the writing assignment short to about like 100 words. Once they get used to describing the topic and writing in a creative way, you can increase the word limit. Go through the list of writing prompts and find the topics that will interest your ESL students.

ESL Writing Prompts and Topics

30 Writing Prompts for ESL Beginners

• Describe your favourite holiday.
• Describe your best friend.
• Talk about your best vacation memory.
• Write about your New Year’s resolutions.
• What would you do if you won the lottery?
• Write about your family members.
• Describe your favourite game.
• Write about your favourite movie.
• Who is your favourite celebrity, and why?
• What do you like to do during summer vacation?
• What is our earliest memory as a child?
• What are your strengths?
• What are your weaknesses?
• What is your favourite season, and why?
• Describe your happiest memory.
• What kind of superpower do you want, and why?
• Describe your favourite movie (or TV series, book) character.
• What are the three most recent things that you bought? Where did you buy it from?
• Describe a perfect day for you.
• Which country do you want to visit, and why?
• Describe what makes a good friend.
• What do you like to do in your free time?
• Do you prefer presents or money? Why?
• Would you rather live in a very cold country or a very hot country? Why?
• Describe your favourite restaurant.
• Describe your favourite drink besides water.
• Which superhero do you want to be friends with? Why?
• Do you prefer a rainy day or a snowy day? Why?
• Talk about your favourite animal.
• Would you rather go back in time or travel in the future? Why?

Even More Writing Prompts for Beginners

When it comes to selecting writing topics for beginners, it’s important to choose subjects that are simple, relatable, and promote vocabulary and sentence structure development. Here are some ideas:

• My Family : Ask students to write about their family members, their names, ages, and occupations. They can describe their relationships and write a few sentences about each family member.
• My Hobbies : Have students write about their favorite hobbies or activities. They can describe why they enjoy them and how often they engage in these activities.
• My Daily Routine : Ask students to write about their daily routine, starting from when they wake up until they go to bed. They can describe their activities, such as getting ready, going to school or work, eating meals, and doing homework.
• My Favorite Food : Encourage students to write about their favorite food or dish. They can describe its taste, ingredients, and how it is prepared. Encourage them to use descriptive words to make their writing more interesting.
• My Favorite Season : Have students write about their preferred season of the year. They can describe the weather, activities, and events they associate with that season.
• A Memorable Holiday : Ask students to write about a holiday or vacation they remember. They can describe where they went, what they did, and why it was memorable.
• My Best Friend : Encourage students to write about their best friend. They can describe their friend’s appearance, personality, and what they like to do together.
• My Dream Job : Have students write about their dream job. They can explain what it is, why they are interested in it, and what skills or qualifications are necessary for that job.
• My Favorite Book/Movie : Ask students to write about their favorite book or movie. They can describe the plot, characters, and why they enjoy it.
• My Future Goals : Encourage students to write about their aspirations and goals for the future. They can write about what they want to be when they grow up or their plans for further education.

Tips for Teaching ESL Writing to Beginners

Before teaching your students an ESL writing lesson, check out these tips first.

Error Correction

Yes, you want to help students improve their writing. However, pointing out every single error in the writing can discourage students. Remember that your students are writing in a foreign language. Of course, they will make many mistakes as beginners.

However, it is still important to let them know where have made mistakes. The tip here is to praise a lot and let them know what’s good about their writing and then highlight the grammatical errors. This way, you will be able to make corrections without demotivating them.

writing prompts and topics

Student’s Interests

You want to encourage students and have them be interested in writing about the topic. To do so, you will have to choose topics related to what students are already interested in. You don’t necessarily have to use the exact writing prompts provided above. If you know what your students like, switch it up a bit to fit their interests. If there’s something your ESL students want to write about, let them do that too!

Provide Writing Structure

Teach your students how to structure the writing. Students will refer to that structure every time they are given a writing assignment. A structure to follow will lessen the stress of writing. Knowing how to begin an introduction, write the main point, and finish with a conclusion will help students worry less about how to structure and focus on being creative with their writing.

FAQs About English Writing Prompts for Beginners

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about writing prompts for ESL beginners.

What are some easy writing prompts?

List of easy writing prompts:

• What are your strengthes and weaknesses?

What are some fun writing prompts?

List of fun writing prompts:

• Would you rather become 10 years younger or 10 years older? Why?
• Which one is better and why? Being too short or too small.
• If you could be someone else for a day, who would you be?

Writing Prompts for ESL Beginners: Join the Conversation

What are your thoughts on these writing prompts for ESL beginners? Which one is your favourite? If there are other great writing prompts for English beginners, let us know in the comments! We’d love to hear from you.

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Jackie is the author of more than 60 books for English teachers and English learners, including Business English Vocabulary Builder and 39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities for Teenagers and Adults . She loves to share her ESL games, activities, teaching tips, and more with other teachers throughout the world.

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Interesting Writing Prompts For ESL Students

10 August 2021 Guest posts

Just like speaking, reading, and listening, writing is an essential element of learning a language. That’s why it’s so important that ESL students pay special attention to their writing skills while teachers assess their progress.

Unarguably, the best way to learn and improve these very writing skills is through practice. The more a student practices writing, the better their skills will get. Consequently, teachers need to provide their students with opportunities to practice their writing – and this can be done with the help of interesting writing prompts.

Why Should You Use Writing Prompts?

Why exactly do you need to use writing prompts? In fact, do you need them at all? As mentioned earlier, writing can be improved through practice . If you decide to write about whatever comes to your mind, you can technically improve your writing. However, you will see better results if you write with more intention.

Using writing prompts poses a challenge to the students as these prompts make them think in a particular direction and try to phrase their thoughts in relation to the topic at hand. By choosing more and more complicated writing prompts every time, you (or your student, if you are a teacher) will gradually improve their writing skills.

Descriptive Writing Prompts

Instead of only using writing prompts of one type, it’s worth trying out a variety of writing prompts. Experts from the top rated research paper writing services explain, “Variety in the writing prompts you choose will help you develop different writing subskills. You should be able to describe as much as you should be able to argue your point.”

Hence, here are some descriptive writing prompts to start from:

• Describe your favorite place using as many details as possible. This can be anything from your childhood hideout to your writing desk to your family’s summer home.
• Pick and describe your favorite food. Focus on such characteristics as its taste, smell, look, and so on.
• Choose and describe your favorite activity, hobby, or passion. It could be anything from reading to swimming to going on picnics with friends.
• Write about your favorite fictional character or famous person. Describe their appearance, personality, accomplishments, and so on.
• Describe your most memorable holiday. It could be one you went on with friends or family or even alone.

Explanatory Writing Prompts

Another type of writing prompts you should try out are explanatory ones. While descriptive prompts only ask you to describe something, explanatory prompts urge you to go into more detail with your descriptions. Here are some explanatory prompts to try:

• Pick your favorite meal or food and explain how to make it by laying everything out in the form of step-by-step instructions.
• Think about your hometown, choose your favorite places around it, and give directions on how to get to each place.
• Explain how your favorite computer game works. Talk about the concept, the characters, the plot, the locations, the music, the functionality, and so on.
• Choose some kind of skill you have and explain how someone could learn to do it. For example, if you know how to create paper planes, explain how to do them.

Argumentative Writing Prompts

Experts from the best writing services reviews sites put it this way, “Descriptive and explanatory prompts ask you to be somewhat indifferent and take more of an objective stance on different topics. Argumentative prompts, on the other hand, ask you to take a subjective point of view and support your opinion with valid points.”

Here are some argumentative prompts to use:

• Choose your favorite book, movie, show, etc. and try to convince others to check it out by writing about it.
• Consider space exploration. Should money be spent on it? Write about your opinion on the matter and use relevant arguments to support it.
• What’s better: reading books or watching movies? Write about your opinion on the matter and use relevant arguments to support it.
• Should more people use public transport instead of cars or should more people get their own cars? Write about your opinion on the matter and use relevant arguments to support it.

Hypothetical Writing Prompts

Last but not least, there is one more type of prompts you will find useful – hypothetical. These prompts ask you to consider a particular situation and explore it through writing. Here are some hypothetical prompts to practice your writing:

• If you could change one thing about your own past, what would that thing be?
• If you could have any superpower, what would this superpower be and what would you do with it?
• If you could travel back in time, to which point in time would you travel and what would you do then?
• If you could meet any dead person, what would you do?
• If you one day won the lottery, how would you spend the money?
• If you had the power to solve one world issue (e.g. hunger, global warming), what would this be and how would the world change once the issue is solved?

Final Thoughts

All in all, writing prompts for ESL students are somewhat different from those native speakers get for practicing their writing skills. This is because ESL students are usually older when they study the same topics that native speakers study at a younger age.

That being said, by using the topics listed in this article, you will be able to provide ESL students with the most interesting writing prompts. Or, if you are a student, you will be able to practice your writing skills either on your own or with the guidance of your teacher. ESLstarter offers a wide variety of TEFL jobs so see where you can go with TEFL and put those skills into practice!

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22 Engaging ESL Essay Topics You Can Use to Improve Your Writing Skills

Text Version:

The only way to get better at anything is to do it—over and over again. In addition to practicing your English conversational skills, you should also practice your writing skills on a regular basis.

Here are twenty-two potential essay topics to get you started, but don’t be afraid to branch out and come up with your own topics, as well.

Descriptive topics

• Describe your favorite place in as much detail as possible.
• What do you do outside of school and work? Describe any hobbies you have, sports you participate in, or other activities you regularly enjoy.
• If you could invite five people to a dinner party, who would they be? What is each guest like?
• Describe your favorite fictional character in as much detail as possible.
• If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? Describe it and explain why you’d choose it.

Instructions

• Give directions for getting from one point to another. Explain what landmarks someone might see along the way.
• Explain how to entertain guests who unexpectedly arrive at your home.

Verb tense practice

• What’s one thing you could never live without and why?
• Describe your ideal town or city, why you would want to live there, and what you would do there.
• Write about a time in the past when you had to make a difficult decision, and explain what you did.
• Talk about five specific goals you want to accomplish this year, and explain how you are going to accomplish them.
• Imagine you’re babysitting a child who breaks the kitchen table. Explain to the child how they could have avoided doing this if they had behaved differently.

Practical vocabulary practice

• Write a review of a new restaurant (either fictional or real) in your area.
• Describe the best party or large-scale event you’ve ever attended.
• If you could get one gift for everyone in your family, regardless of the cost, what would you get them and why?
• Choose a form of transportation (such as cars, trains, boats, planes, or subways) and explain how it has changed people’s lives.
• Write a pitch for a new blockbuster movie. Explain what will happen in the movie and why it will draw crowds to the theater.

Persuasive writing practice

• Do you think our society is too dependent on technology like smartphones? Why or why not?
• Imagine that a big new department store is being built in your hometown. Do you support this development or not?
• Do you think it’s better for students to have a long summer break or be in a year-round school system with more breaks throughout the year? Explain your position.
• Should employers set aside time during the day for their employees to exercise? What might be some of the advantages or disadvantages of this?
• What is your favorite book or movie, and why should people read or watch it?

What are some great ESL essay topics you've encountered? Let us know in the comments.

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Comments on this post (6 comments)

Eliakim balle says....

Here’s a topic:

write about what your ideal weekend would look like if you could do anything you want.

On April 01, 2019

Ndate Thabo says...

¨Write about when u took the risk to do the right thing.¨ Good prompt . . and something to live by.

El sari says...

Interesting question Jessica …according to me to find someone to teach you and guide you better than trying thanks by your own ..

On March 11, 2016

Jessica Bordelon says...

What is the best way to learn: by experiencing something on your own, or from someone explaining it to you? What brings the most happiness: buying things or having experiences?

On March 03, 2016

Bindi kanyal says...

Niceee…..

On December 08, 2015

dayo says...

Write about when u took the risk to do the right thing

On December 05, 2014

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Topics for Writing

The following  Topics for Writing  are just a small sample from the  game ,  Roll Play , by  Dymon Publications .

Hypothetical

What would you do if you were late for an important appointment?

What would you do if someone accused you of a crime you didn’t commit?

What would you do if you got lost in an unfamiliar city?

What would you do if you left something in a locked building?

What would you do if your best friend stole something from you?

What would you do if you didn’t have enough money to pay your bills?

What would you do if your children were caught shoplifting?

What would you do if your car got a flat tire on the freeway?

If you could change one thing about your past, what would it be?

If you could change one major historical event, what would it be?

Description

• Describe a famous park or recreation area in your home country.
• Describe an interesting neighbor you have had.
• Describe something you could never give away.
• Describe a place you will never forget.
• Describe a sporting event you attended recently.
• Describe a memorable birthday celebration.
• Describe a place you go for recreation or exercise.
• Describe your childhood home.
• Describe someone you respect deeply.
• Describe the nightlife in a city you are familiar with.
• Tell about a recent interview.
• Tell about a time when you lost something.
• Tell about one of your fondest childhood memories.
• Tell about a time when you lied to your parents, boss, or teacher.
• What is your opinion about cellular phones?
• What is your opinion about women in the military?
• What is your opinion about a current politician?
• What is your opinion about violence on television?
• What is your opinion about fortune telling?
• What is your opinion about the tabloids?
• What is your opinion about legalizing marijuana?
• What is your opinion about the welfare system?
• What is your opinion about cloning?
• What is your opinion about recycling?
• Tell about a time when you were treated unfairly.
• Briefly tell about a movie you saw recently.
• Tell about something you made ?from scratch.?
• Tell about a “close call” you had recently.
• Tell about something you wish had never happened.
• Tell about a time when you inadvertently caused trouble for someone else.

Instructions

• Tell how to find something on the Internet.
• Tell how to feed family members who drop by unexpectedly.
• Tell how to dump a boyfriend/girlfriend.
• Tell how to get from your house to the supermarket.
• Tell what to do in an earthquake.
• Tell how to get someone to fall in love with you.
• Tell how to make a paper airplane.
• Tell how to get a good table at a restaurant.
• Tell how to get a discount on an expensive item.
• Tell how to discipline an unruly child.

Sample Personal Essay Topics

Argumentative Essay Topics (from Glendale Community College, Arizona)

Writing Prompts/Journal Topics  from  Can Teach

TOEFL Writing Topics (from Kazuo.com)

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365 essays for english learners.

1 America: Land of Opportunity

2 The Fourth of July

3 The U.S. Federal Government

4 Christmas: A Holiday of Traditions

5 New Year's Day: A Holiday of New Beginnings

6 Martin Luther King Jr Day: To Remember a Civil Rights Leader

7 Valentine's Day: A Holiday of Love and Friendship

8 St. Patrick's Day: A Holiday to Celebrate the Irish

9 Passover: A Jewish Holiday of Remembering

10 Easter: An Important Christian Holiday

11 Mother's Day: A Holiday to Honor Motherhood

12 Father's Day: A Holiday to Honor Fatherhood

13 Memorial Day: A Holiday to Remember Fallen Soldiers

14 Labor Day: A Holiday to Honor Workers

15 Columbus Day: A Holiday to Remember an Explorer

16 Halloween: A Holiday for Costumes and Candy

17 Veterans Day: A Holiday Honoring All Soldiers

18 Chanukah: A Holiday of Lights

19 Thanksgiving: Families Coming Together

20 Lottery: A Chance at Millions

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Over 170 Prompts to Inspire Writing and Discussion

Here are all of our Student Opinion questions from the 2020-21 school year. Each question is based on a different New York Times article, interactive feature or video.

By The Learning Network

Each school day we publish a new Student Opinion question, and students use these writing prompts to reflect on their experiences and identities and respond to current events unfolding around them. To introduce each question, we provide an excerpt from a related New York Times article or Opinion piece as well as a free link to the original article.

During the 2020-21 school year, we asked 176 questions, and you can find them all below or here as a PDF . The questions are divided into two categories — those that provide opportunities for debate and persuasive writing, and those that lend themselves to creative, personal or reflective writing.

Teachers can use these prompts to help students practice narrative and persuasive writing, start classroom debates and even spark conversation between students around the world via our comments section. For more ideas on how to use our Student Opinion questions, we offer a short tutorial along with a nine-minute video on how one high school English teacher and her students use this feature .

Questions for Debate and Persuasive Writing

1. Should Athletes Speak Out On Social and Political Issues? 2. Should All Young People Learn How to Invest in the Stock Market? 3. What Are the Greatest Songs of All Time? 4. Should There Be More Gender Options on Identification Documents? 5. Should We End the Practice of Tipping? 6. Should There Be Separate Social Media Apps for Children? 7. Do Marriage Proposals Still Have a Place in Today’s Society? 8. How Do You Feel About Cancel Culture? 9. Should the United States Decriminalize the Possession of Drugs? 10. Does Reality TV Deserve Its Bad Rap? 11. Should the Death Penalty Be Abolished? 12. How Should Parents Support a Student Who Has Fallen Behind in School? 13. When Is It OK to Be a Snitch? 14. Should People Be Required to Show Proof of Vaccination? 15. How Much Have You and Your Community Changed Since George Floyd’s Death? 16. Can Empathy Be Taught? Should Schools Try to Help Us Feel One Another’s Pain? 17. Should Schools or Employers Be Allowed to Tell People How They Should Wear Their Hair? 18. Is Your Generation Doing Its Part to Strengthen Our Democracy? 19. Should Corporations Take Political Stands? 20. Should We Rename Schools Named for Historical Figures With Ties to Racism, Sexism or Slavery? 21. How Should Schools Hold Students Accountable for Hurting Others? 22. What Ideas Do You Have to Improve Your Favorite Sport? 23. Are Presidential Debates Helpful to Voters? Or Should They Be Scrapped? 24. Is the Electoral College a Problem? Does It Need to Be Fixed? 25. Do You Care Who Sits on the Supreme Court? Should We Care? 26. Should Museums Return Looted Artifacts to Their Countries of Origin? 27. Should Schools Provide Free Pads and Tampons? 28. Should Teachers Be Allowed to Wear Political Symbols? 29. Do You Think People Have Gotten Too Relaxed About Covid? 30. Who Do You Think Should Be Person of the Year for 2020? 31. How Should Racial Slurs in Literature Be Handled in the Classroom? 32. Should There Still Be Snow Days? 33. What Are Your Reactions to the Storming of the Capitol by a Pro-Trump Mob? 34. What Do You Think of the Decision by Tech Companies to Block President Trump? 35. If You Were a Member of Congress, Would You Vote to Impeach President Trump? 36. What Would You Do First if You Were the New President? 37. Who Do You Hope Will Win the 2020 Presidential Election? 38. Should Media Literacy Be a Required Course in School? 39. What Are Your Reactions to the Results of Election 2020? Where Do We Go From Here? 40. How Should We Remember the Problematic Actions of the Nation’s Founders? 41. As Coronavirus Cases Surge, How Should Leaders Decide What Stays Open and What Closes? 42. What Is Your Reaction to the Inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris? 43. How Worried Should We Be About Screen Time During the Pandemic? 44. Should Schools Be Able to Discipline Students for What They Say on Social Media? 45. What Works of Art, Culture and Technology Flopped in 2020? 46. How Do You Feel About Censored Music? 47. Why Do You Think ‘Drivers License’ Became Such a Smash Hit? 48. Justice Ginsburg Fought for Gender Equality. How Close Are We to Achieving That Goal? 49. How Well Do You Think Our Leaders Have Responded to the Coronavirus Crisis? 50. To What Extent Is the Legacy of Slavery and Racism Still Present in America in 2020? 51. How Should We Reimagine Our Schools So That All Students Receive a Quality Education? 52. How Concerned Do You Think We Should Be About the Integrity of the 2020 Election? 53. What Issues in This Election Season Matter Most to You? 54. Is Summer School a Smart Way to Make Up for Learning Lost This School Year? 55. What Is Your Reaction to the Senate’s Acquittal of Former President Trump? 56. What Is the Worst Toy Ever? 57. How Should We Balance Safety and Urgency in Developing a Covid-19 Vaccine? 58. What Are Your Reactions to Oprah’s Interview With Harry and Meghan? 59. Should the Government Provide a Guaranteed Income for Families With Children? 60. Should There Be More Public Restrooms? 61. Should High School-Age Basketball Players Be Able to Get Paid? 62. Should Team Sports Happen This Year? 63. Who Are the Best Musical Artists of the Past Year? What Are the Best Songs? 64. Should We Cancel Student Debt? 65. How Closely Should Actors’ Identities Reflect the Roles They Play? 66. Should White Writers Translate a Black Author’s Work? 67. Would You Buy an NFT? 68. Should Kids Still Learn to Tell Time? 69. Should All Schools Teach Financial Literacy? 70. What Is Your Reaction to the Verdict in the Derek Chauvin Trial? 71. What Is the Best Way to Stop Abusive Language Online? 72. What Are the Underlying Systems That Hold a Society Together? 73. What Grade Would You Give President Biden on His First 100 Days? 74. Should High Schools Post Their Annual College Lists? 75. Are C.E.O.s Paid Too Much? 76. Should We Rethink Thanksgiving? 77. What Is the Best Way to Get Teenagers Vaccinated? 78. Do You Want Your Parents and Grandparents to Get the New Coronavirus Vaccine? 79. What Is Your Reaction to New Guidelines That Loosen Mask Requirements? 80. Who Should We Honor on Our Money? 81. Is Your School’s Dress Code Outdated? 82. Does Everyone Have a Responsibility to Vote? 83. How Is Your Generation Changing Politics?

Questions for Creative and Personal Writing

84. What Does Your Unique Style Say About You? 85. How Do You Spend Your Downtime? 86. Would You Want to Live to 200? 87. How Do You Connect to Your Heritage? 88. What Do You Think Are the Secrets to Happiness? 89. Are You a Sneakerhead? 90. What Role Have Mentors Played in Your Life? 91. If You Could Make Your Own Podcast, What Would It Be About? 92. Have You Ever Felt Pressure to ‘Sell Your Pain’? 93. Do You Think You Make Good Climate Choices? 94. What Does TikTok Mean to You? 95. Do Your Parents Overpraise You? 96. Do You Want to Travel in Space? 97. Do You Feel You’re Friends With Celebrities or Influencers You Follow Online? 98. Would You Eat Food Grown in a Lab? 99. What Makes You Cringe? 100. What Volunteer Work Would You Most Like to Do? 101. How Do You Respond When People Ask, ‘Where Are You From?’ 102. Has a School Assignment or Activity Ever Made You Uncomfortable? 103. How Does Your Identity Inform Your Political Beliefs and Values? 104. Are You an Orchid, a Tulip or a Dandelion? 105. Are You Having a Tough Time Maintaining Friendships These Days? 106. How Is Your Mental Health These Days? 107. Do You Love Writing or Receiving Letters? 108. What Has Television Taught You About Social Class? 109. Are You Easily Distracted? 110. What Objects Bring You Comfort? 111. What Is Your Favorite Memory of PBS? 112. Have You Ever Felt Embarrassed by Your Parents? 113. What Are You Doing to Combat Pandemic Fatigue? 114. Have You Ever Worried About Making a Good First Impression? 115. What Do You Want Your Parents to Know About What It’s Like to Be a Teenager During the Pandemic? 116. How Have You Collaborated From a Distance During the Pandemic? 117. How Important Is It to You to Have Similar Political Beliefs to Your Family and Friends? 118. How Are You Feeling About Winter This Year? 119. Which Celebrity Performer Would You Like to Challenge to a Friendly Battle? 120. How Mentally Tough Are You? 121. What Smells Trigger Powerful Memories for You? 122. What Are You Thankful for This Year? 123. Do You Miss Hugs? 124. Are You a Good Conversationalist? 125. What Habits Have You Started or Left Behind in 2020? 126. What Was the Best Art and Culture You Experienced in 2020? 127. What’s Your Relationship With Masks? 128. What Role Does Religion Play in Your Life? 129. How Will You Be Celebrating the Holidays This Year? 130. What Is Something Good That Happened in 2020? 131. What New Flavor Ideas Do You Have for Your Favorite Foods? 132. What Are Your Hopes and Concerns for the New School Year? 133. How Has 2020 Challenged or Changed You? 134. What Do You Hope for Most in 2021? 135. How Do You View Death? 136. What Is Your Favorite Fact You Learned in 2020? 137. What Are the Places in the World That You Love Most? 138. Have You Ever Experienced ‘Impostor Syndrome’? 139. How Well Do You Get Along With Your Siblings? 140. Do You Talk to Your Family About the Cost of College? 141. Do You Have a Healthy Diet? 142. How Do You Feel About Mask-Slipping? 143. Do You Believe in Manifesting? 144. How Do You Express Yourself Creatively? 145. What Are Your Family’s House Rules During the Covid Crisis? 146. What Online Communities Do You Participate In? 147. Have You Experienced Any Embarrassing Zoom Mishaps? 148. What Does Your Country’s National Anthem Mean to You? 149. Are Sports Just Not the Same Without Spectators in the Stands? 150. Would You Volunteer for a Covid-19 Vaccine Trial? 151. What ‘Old’ Technology Do You Think Is Cool? 152. Have You Ever Tried to Grow Something? 153. How Has the Pandemic Changed Your Relationship to Your Body? 154. How Do You Find New Books, Music, Movies or Television Shows? 155. Are You Nervous About Returning to Normal Life? 156. How Do You Celebrate Spring? 157. How Do You Talk With People Who Don’t Share Your Views? 158. Would You Want to Be a Teacher Someday? 159. What Would You Recommend That Is ‘Overlooked and Underappreciated’? 160. What Children’s Books Have Had the Biggest Impact on You? 161. What Is Your Gender Identity? 162. Have You Hit a Wall? 163. What Is the Code You Live By? 164. Do You Think You Have Experienced ‘Learning Loss’ During the Pandemic? 165. What Are the Most Memorable Things You’ve Seen or Experienced in Nature? 166. Do You Want to Have Children Someday? 167. What Have You Learned About Friendship This Year? 168. What Seemingly Mundane Feats Have You Accomplished? 169. Has a Celebrity Ever Convinced You to Do Something? 170. How Have You Commemorated Milestones During the Pandemic? 171. How Often Do You Read, Watch or Listen to Things Outside of Your Comfort Zone? 172. Do You Think You Live in a Political Bubble? 173. What Is Your Relationship With the Weight-Loss Industry? 174. What Have You Made This Year? 175. How Are You Right Now? 176. What Are You Grateful For?

Want more writing prompts?

You can find even more Student Opinion questions in our 300 Questions and Images to Inspire Argument Writing , 550 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing and 130 New Prompts for Argumentative Writing . We also publish daily Picture Prompts , which are image-centered posts that provide space for many different kinds of writing. You can find all of our writing prompts, added as they publish, here .

150 ESL Conversation Starters and Questions (The Essential List)

Do you want your students to be excited to speak with you in English?

Do you want to make sure you always know where the conversation is going and what to say next?

You need engaging content, interesting conversation starters, and questions that really reel them in.

Join our mailing list to receive a free ESL teaching resource every week.

Click to Join

This list of 150 ESL conversation starters will give you everything you need to make sure you always have something interesting to talk about and never run out of things to say!

Why Every Teacher Needs a List of Starters

Conversation topics for adults and teens, conversation topics for kids, conversation topics for beginners, weird and funny conversation starters, controversial conversations topics, additional tips for your conversation lessons, final thoughts.

If you want to improve your student’s speaking ability you need to master the art of conversation. You need to know how to get your students speaking , move the conversation forward, provide feedback and make it all feel natural. You also need engaging topics and that is where this guide comes in.

One of the problems that can face a teacher is knowing what to talk about. What do you do when you’ve finished talking about work, the weather and then realise that only 5 minutes have passed!

This guide has everything you need to make sure you never run out of topics and most importantly you always have something interesting to say.

It is a good idea to pick a particular topic for a class (or even have your student pick if you want more engagement from them). Once you have that topic then move through the questions, trying to get as much from each one as possible. 

Browse our ESL teacher resources section for more tips and printable lesson materials.

Adults and teens usually know more about advanced topics than children (politics, religion, etc.) That being said, knowing more on these topics doesn’t necessarily translate to being able to speak about these things easily so don’t assume they can do everything. Be aware of your student’s level and be prepared to reframe a question if they are struggling to understand. 

• Where do you work?
• Do you enjoy your job?
• Do you use English for your job?
• Tell me about your last job.
• What do you think is the most difficult job in the world?
• What do you think is the easiest job in the world?
• Where would you work if you could pick any job?
• Would you still work if you won the lottery?
• Do you think robots will replace all of the jobs in the future?
• Which kind of job should have the highest salary?

In this post, you’ll get 20 topics and activities for Business English lessons.

• Do you listen to music?
• When did you start listening to music?
• Do you play a musical instrument?
• What do you think the future of music will be like?
• If you could meet any musician, who would it be?
• Why do people like music?
• If you could erase a musical genre, which would it be?
• Do you think musical success comes from working hard or luck?
• What was the first album you bought?
• Have you ever downloaded music illegally?
• What is a holiday?
• Do you often go on holiday?
• Where did you last go on holiday?
• Where would you like to go on holiday next?
• Do you prefer relaxing or having an adventure on your holiday?
• Is it weird to go on holiday by yourself?
• What is the best food you’ve eaten while on holiday?
• Can you imagine what holidays 500 years ago were like?
• Would you like to go on holiday to space?
• What do you think the future of the holidays will be like?
• What is technology?
• What do you think of when you hear the word ‘technology’?
• How has technology changed in the past?
• How has technology changed your life?
• Could you live without technology?
• Find the full list of technology questions here

In order to engage a child in conversation, you have to enter their world. What is fun for them? What do they like to do? Using words/phrases like “wow”, “That sounds tasty”, “Awesome” can show you are listening to them and make things more fun which will get them saying more!

• Do you have a pet?
• What do you think pets do in the day?
• What do pets eat?
• Are cats better or dogs?
• What is the best name for a pet?
• Would you like a pet spider?
• Would you like to be an animal? Which one?
• Why do we have pets?
• Do you prefer cute or fun pets?
• What is the best present for a pet?
• Do you like school?
• What is your favourite subject?
• What is your least favourite subject?
• Who is your favourite teacher?
• Why do people have to go to school?
• Do you like homework?
• What would you do if you were the headteacher?
• How could schools be more fun?
• How long are the summer holidays?
• Can you learn and have fun at the same time?
• What is your favourite movie?
• Who is your favourite character?
• Who is your least favourite character?
• Do you like disney movies?
• What was the last movie you saw at the cinema?
• How often do you watch movies?
• Do you wish you could live in a movie?
• Why do you watch movies?
• Do you prefer reading books or movies?
• Do you watch any movies in English?

Keeping the topics simple for beginners is a must at the start. Talking about their hobbies and family can help as these are areas they may have already experience in talking about. If a student is really struggling then giving them phrases to use such as “I like …” can help get the ball rolling.

• What do you like to do?
• Do you do any sports?
• What types of movie do you like?
• Do you play video games?
• What do you usually do with friends?
• Is learning English a hobby or work?
• Do you have any unusual hobbies?
• Do you have enough time for your hobbies?
• What is a common hobby?
• What do you think is a boring hobby?
• Do you live with your family?
• How many people are in your family?
• Are you close with your family?
• How often do you see your family?
• What do you do with your family when you see them?
• Is your family important to you?
• Which is more important, friends or family?
• Who is the weirdest person in your family?
• Are families less important nowadays than in the past?
• What would happen if we didn’t have families?
• Where do you live?
• What is there to do in your city?
• What is your place like?
• What is your neighbourhood like?
• Are there any parks near where you live?
• Have you ever lived elsewhere?
• How many rooms does your place have?
• If you moved, where would you like to live?
• Would you prefer to live in the city or country?
• Would you like to live abroad?

Use information gap activities to help your students practice speaking: read our guide.

Nobody wants to speak about the same mundane topics, especially if they’re an advanced student. Being able to mix it up is a great attribute to have as a teacher. Not only will you have memorable lessons with these conversation starters but it will really test the ability of the students to think about topics they aren’t used to (instead of rolling off easy answers about familiar topics.)

Zombie Apocalypse Plan

• What is your zombie apocalypse plan?
• Who would you take with you?
• What would be your weapon of choice?
• What would you do if a friend got bitten by a zombie?
• What would you do if you got bitten by a zombie?
• What food would you take with you?
• Do you think governments should have a zombie apocalypse plan?
• Do you think everyone should have a zombie apocalypse plan?
• Is a zombie outbreak a likely scenario?
• Why do you think there are so many movies and TV series based on zombies?

Superpowers

• If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
• What do you think is the weirdest superpower in comic books?
• Are some superpowers too powerful?
• Would you like a superpower where you could turn things into gold by touching them?
• What is the weakest superpower in a comic book?
• Have we already seen every kind of superpower possible in a comic book?
• Are there some people in the real world that have superpowers? (doctors etc)
• Would you like a superpower where you could turn things into chocolate?
• Would it be better to be super strong or super smart?
• Would you like the power to travel through time?
• If you were granted 3 wishes what would they be?
• Is wishing for more wishes cheating?
• Should there be any other rules for people granted wishes?
• Have you seen any movies with a magic lamp?
• Do you think there is a better object that could house a genie?
• Why are we interested in stories of people having wishes?
• Have any of your wishes come true in real life?
• Do you make a wish when you blow out the candles on a cake?
• Is it bad luck to tell someone what your wish is when blowing out the candles?
• What other ways do people make wishes?

These are topics that you need to be careful with and use your judgement based on the student’s background. You need to wait until you know a student to find out what material is appropriate for them. That being said, If used correctly, then these can be really interesting and get the student thinking about “real issues”. 

Death Penalty

• What do you think about the death penalty?
• Do you know which countries still use the death penalty?
• Why do you think some countries use the death penalty?
• Do you know of any famous executions?
• Should the death penalty be outlawed?
• If we removed the death penalty then what punishment should replace it?
• What is the most humane form of execution?
• What would your “last meal” be?
• Does the fear of the death penalty reduce crime?
• How has execution changed over the years?
• What is abortion?
• Should abortion be legal?
• Why do you think some people are “pro choice”?
• Why do you think some people are “pro life”?
• What do you think of abortion in cases where the baby was conceived due to rape?
• What do you think of abortion in cases where the Mother’s life is in danger (due to being pregnant)?
• Should the father “get a say” in the matter of abortion?
• What advice would you give to a family member who was thinking of getting an abortion?
• Should people be allowed to protest against abortion?
• What do you think the future laws on abortion will be?
• What is corruption?
• Is there corruption in your country?
• Why does corruption exist?
• Would you consider taking a bribe?
• Would you consider offering a bribe?
• Are some types of corruption better than others?
• Which countries have the most corruption?
• Which countries have the least corruption?
• Are there any stories of corruption that you can remember?
• Is it possible to get rid of corruption entirely?

Get a list of 110 “Would you rather” questions for your conversation lessons.

Here are some additional tips to make sure your students are getting the most out of their conversation lessons and will be excited about coming back for more. Some of these will take time to internalize and get right but be aware of them and experiment to get them just right.

Don’t feel like you have to stick rigidly to the list of conversation starters. If a question takes you down a different conversational thread then go with it. The important thing is that the student is talking, you can always return to “the script” later.

Correcting a student immediately can often be useful, but in conversation, it can really kill the flow as well as a student’s confidence if done too often. A good idea is to make notes of any major problems and then mention them after a particular section instead. On top of this, try not to interrupt a student once they are speaking. For each answer, try to milk everything out of them that you can before you have “your turn to speak”.

As well as the frequency of correction, consider the amount being corrected. Don’t feel like you have to correct EVERYTHING. Especially if a student is starting out and is a bit nervous. Pick a few problems areas and focus on that, if you mention too many things at once it can be overwhelming and can really lower a student’s confidence.

Be strict when a student gives you short answers. If a student gives you an answer like “yes” then force more out of them with “yes… because” or “no… but”. The idea is to get them using the language more.

Try to inject some personality when using these ESL conversation topics. It should feel more like a conversation rather than a robot giving an interview.

Some students will struggle with certain subjects as they just don’t know enough about the topic. If it’s a bit of a challenge then push through but if they can’t even talk about a topic in their native language then it may be an idea to move on to another subject.

Allowing a student to pick a topic can be a great way of engaging them more. This also has the added benefit of helping a younger student (such as a teenager) feel more empowered as they can make their own decisions.

Get 18 statesman tips on giving great conversation for teens and adults in this post.

There you have it!

All you need to make sure you never run out of things to say. Get these printed out as your go-to cheat sheets and bookmark this page so you can easily come back to them for future classes.

Hopefully, these ESL conversation starters and questions will spark your own ideas for topics you can use in class. If you are teaching one-to-one, you could even write niche topics especially for that student’s interests (e.g skateboarding, knitting or chess).

Remember, match the topics to the student’s level, keep it fun and once they start talking don’t get in the way!

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4 thoughts on “150 esl conversation starters and questions (the essential list)”.

Interesting amazing content Thanks heaps

Very interesting! Thank you.

This is very useful for our speaking club. Thank you.

Glad to hear, enjoy! :)

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Essay Topics – List of 500+ Essay Writing Topics and Ideas

List of 500+ essay writing topics and ideas.

Essay topics in English can be difficult to come up with. While writing essays , many college and high school students face writer’s block and have a hard time to think about topics and ideas for an essay. In this article, we will list out many good essay topics from different categories like argumentative essays, essays on technology, environment essays for students from 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th grades. Following list of essay topics are for all – from kids to college students. We have the largest collection of essays. An essay is nothing but a piece of content which is written from the perception of writer or author. Essays are similar to a story, pamphlet, thesis, etc. The best thing about Essay is you can use any type of language – formal or informal. It can biography, the autobiography of anyone. Following is a great list of 100 essay topics. We will be adding 400 more soon!

But Before that you may wanna read some awesome Essay Writing Tips here .

Get the Huge list of 100+ Speech Topics here

Argumentative Essay Topics

• Should plastic be banned?
• Pollution due to Urbanization
• Education should be free
• Should Students get limited access to the Internet?
• Selling Tobacco should be banned
• Smoking in public places should be banned
• Facebook should be banned
• Students should not be allowed to play PUBG

Essay Topics on Technology

• Wonder Of Science
• Mobile Phone

Essay Topics on Festivals on Events

• Independence Day (15 August)
• Teachers Day
• Summer Vacation
• Children’s Day
• Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
• Janmashtami
• Republic Day

Essay Topics on Education

• Education Essay
• Importance of Education
• Contribution of Technology in Education

Essay Topics on Famous Leaders

• Mahatma Gandhi
• APJ Abdul Kalam
• Jawaharlal Nehru
• Swami Vivekananda
• Mother Teresa
• Rabindranath Tagore
• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
• Subhash Chandra Bose
• Abraham Lincoln
• Martin Luther King
• Lal Bahadur Shashtri

Essay Topics on Animals and Birds

• My Favorite Animal

Essays Topics About Yourself

• My Best Friend
• My Favourite Teacher
• My Aim In Life
• My Favourite Game – Badminton
• My Favourite Game – Essay
• My Favourite Book
• My Ambition
• How I Spent My Summer Vacation
• India of My Dreams
• My School Life
• I Love My Family
• My Favourite Subject
• My Favourite Game Badminton
• My Father My Hero
• My School Library
• My Favourite Author
• My plans for summer vacation

Essay Topics Based on Environment and Nature

• Global Warming
• Environment
• Air Pollution
• Environmental Pollution
• Water Pollution
• Rainy Season
• Climate Change
• Importance Of Trees
• Winter Season
• Deforestation
• Natural Disasters
• Save Environment
• Summer Season
• Trees Our Best Friend Essay In English

Essay Topics Based on Proverbs

• Health Is Wealth
• A Stitch in Time Saves Nine
• An Apple a Day Keeps Doctor Away
• Where there is a will, there is way
• Time and Tide wait for none

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Essay Topics for Students from 6th, 7th, 8th Grade

• Noise Pollution
• Environment Pollution
• Women Empowerment
• Time and Tide Wait for none
• Science and Technology
• Importance of Sports
• Sports and Games
• Time Management
• Cleanliness is next to Godliness
• Cleanliness
• Rome was not Built in a Day
• Unemployment
• Clean India
• Cow Essay In English
• Describe Yourself
• Festivals Of India
• Ganesh Chaturthi
• Healthy Food
• Importance Of Water
• Plastic Pollution
• Value of Time
• Honesty is the Best Policy
• Gandhi Jayanti
• Human Rights
• Knowledge Is Power
• Same Sex Marriage
• Childhood Memories
• Cyber Crime
• Kalpana Chawla
• Punctuality
• Rani Lakshmi Bai
• Spring Season
• Unity In Diversity
• Artificial Intelligence
• Online Shopping
• Indian Culture
• Healthy Lifestyle
• Indian Education System
• Disaster Management
• Environmental Issues
• Freedom Fighters
• Grandparents
• Save Fuel For Better Environment
• Importance Of Newspaper
• Lal Bahadur Shastri
• Raksha Bandhan
• World Environment Day
• Narendra Modi
• What Is Religion
• Charity Begins at Home
• A Journey by Train
• Ideal student
• Save Water Save Earth
• Indian Farmer
• Safety of Women in India
• Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
• Capital Punishment
• College Life
• Natural Resources
• Peer Pressure
• Nature Vs Nurture
• Romeo And Juliet
• Generation Gap
• Makar Sankranti
• Constitution of India
• Girl Education
• Importance of Family
• Importance of Independence Day
• Brain Drain
• A Friend In Need Is A Friend Indeed
• Action Speaks Louder Than Words
• All That Glitters Is Not Gold
• Bhagat Singh
• Demonetization
• Agriculture
• Importance of Discipline
• Population Explosion
• Poverty in India
• Uses Of Mobile Phones
• Water Scarcity
• Train Journey
• Land Pollution
• Environment Protection
• Indian Army
• Uses of Internet
• All that Glitters is not Gold
• Balanced Diet
• Blood Donation
• Digital India
• Dussehra Essay
• Energy Conservation
• National Integration
• Railway Station
• Sachin Tendulkar
• Health And Hygiene
• Importance Of Forest
• Indira Gandhi
• Laughter Is The Best Medicine
• Career Goals
• Mental Health
• Save Water Save Life
• International Yoga Day
• Winter Vacation
• Soil Pollution
• Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining
• Indian Culture And Tradition
• Unity Is Strength
• Unity is Diversity
• Wildlife Conservation
• Cruelty To Animals
• Nelson Mandela
• Of Mice And Men
• Organ Donation
• Life in a Big City
• Democracy in India
• Waste Management
• Biodiversity
• Afforestation
• Female Foeticide
• Harmful Effects Of Junk Food
• Rain Water Harvesting
• Save Electricity
• Social Media
• Social Networking Sites
• Sound Pollution
• Procrastination
• Life in an Indian Village
• Life in Big City
• Population Growth
• World Population Day
• Greenhouse Effect
• Statue of Unity
• Traffic Jam
• Beti Bachao Beti Padhao
• Importance of Good Manners
• Good Manners
• Cyber Security
• Green Revolution
• Health And Fitness
• Incredible India
• Make In India
• Surgical Strike
• Triple Talaq
• A Good Friend
• Importance of Friends in our Life
• Should Plastic be Banned
• Nationalism
• Traffic Rules
• Effects of Global Warming
• Fundamental Rights
• Solar System
• National Constitution Day
• Good Mother
• Importance of Trees in our Life
• City Life Vs Village Life
• Importance of Communication
• Conservation of Nature
• Man vs. Machine
• Indian Economy
• Mothers Love
• Importance of National Integration
• Black Money
• Greenhouse effect
• Untouchability
• Self Discipline
• Global Terrorism
• Conservation of Biodiversity
• Newspaper and Its Uses
• World Health Day
• Conservation of Natural Resources
• A Picnic with Family
• Indian Heritage
• Status of Women in India
• Child is Father of the Man
• Reading is Good Habit
• Plastic Bag
• Terrorism in India
• Library and Its Uses
• Life on Mars
• Urbanization
• Pollution Due to Diwali
• National Flag of India
• Vocational Education
• Importance of Tree Plantation
• Summer Camp
• Vehicle Pollution
• Women Education in India
• Seasons in India
• Freedom of the Press
• Caste System
• Environment and Human Health
• Mountain Climbing
• Depletion of Natural Resources
• Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
• Health Education
• Effects of Deforestation
• Life after School
• Starvation in India
• Jan Dhan Yojana
• Impact of Privatization
• Election Commission of India
• Election and Democracy
• Prevention of Global Warming
• Impact of Cinema in Life
• Subhas Chandra Bose
• Dowry System
• Ganesh Chaturthi Festival
• Role of Science in Making India
• Impact of Global Warming on Oceans
• Pollution due to Festivals
• Ambedkar Jayanti
• Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat
• Family Planning in India
• Democracy vs Dictatorship
• National Festivals of India
• Sri Aurobindo
• Casteism in India
• Organ trafficking
• Consequences of Global Warming
• Role of Human Activities in Global Warming
• Issues and Problems faced by Women in India
• Role of Judiciary in the Country Today
• Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan
• PUBG Mobile Game Addiction
• Role of Youths in Nation Building
• Value of Oxygen and Water in Life/Earth
• Farmer Suicides in India
• Start-up India
• Pollution Due to Firecrackers
• Life of Soldiers
• Child Labour
• Save Girl Child
• Morning Walk
• My School Fete
• Essay on Financial Literacy
• Essay On Sustainable Development
• Essay On Punjab
• Essay On Travel
• My Home Essay
• Child Marriage Essay
• Importance Of English Language Essay
• Essay On Mass Media
• Essay On Horse
• Essay On Police
• Essay On Eid
• Essay On Solar Energy
• Animal Essay
• Essay On Mango
• Gender Discrimination Essay
• Essay On Advertisement
• My First Day At School Essay
• My Neighborhood Essay
• True Friendship Essay
• Work Is Worship Essay
• Essay On Self Confidence
• Essay On Superstition
• Essay On Bangalore
• Sex Vs Gender Essay
• Essay On Social Issues
• Time Is Money Essay
• Essay About Grandmothers
• Essay On Hard Work
• First Day Of School Essay
• Flowers Essay
• My Favorite Food Essay
• Essay on Birds
• Essay on Humanity
• Essay on Sun
• Essay on Kargil War
• Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining Essay
• Francis Bacon Essays
• Importance of Cleanliness Essay
• My Sister Essay
• Self Introduction Essay
• Solar Energy Essay
• Sports Day Essa
• Value Of Education Essay
• Essay On Isro
• Essay On Balance Is Beneficial
• Essay On Reservation In India
• Essay On Water Management
• Essay On Smoking
• Essay On Stress Management
• Essay On William Shakespeare
• Essay on Apple
• Essay On Albert Einstein
• Essay On Feminism
• Essay On Kindness
• Essay On Domestic Violence
• Essay on English as a Global Language
• Essay On Co-Education
• Importance Of Exercise Essay
• Overpopulation Essay
• Smartphone Essay
• Essay on River
• Essay on Cyclone
• Essay On Facebook
• Essay On Science In Everyday Life
• Essay On Women Rights
• Essay On Right To Education
• Essay on Quotes
• Essay On Peace
• Essay On Drawing
• Essay On Bicycle
• Essay On Sexual Harassment
• Essay On Hospital
• Essay On Srinivasa Ramanujan
• Essay On Golden Temple
• Essay On Art
• Essay On Ruskin Bond
• Essay On Moon
• Birthday Essay
• Dont Judge A Book By Its Cover Essay
• Draught Essay
• Gratitude Essay
• Indian Politics Essay
• Who am I Essay
• Essay on Positive Thinking
• Essay on Dance
• Essay on Navratri
• Essay on Onam
• Essay on New Education Policy 2020
• Esasy on Thank you Coronavirus Helpers
• Essay on Coronavirus and Coronavirus Symptoms
• Essay on Baseball
• Essay on coronavirus vaccine
• Fitness beats pandemic essay
• Essay on coronavirus tips
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• Gender inequality essay
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• Essay on Gurpurab
• Essay on Types of sports
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• Essay on my favourite season
• My pet essay
• Student life essay
• Essay on Railway station
• Essay on earth
• Essay on knowledge is power
• Essay on favourite personality
• Essay on memorable day of my life
• My parents essay
• Our country essay
• Picnic essay
• Travelling essay

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137 Intriguing Cause & Effect Essay Topics for Students

Teach critical thinking, logic, and the art of persuasion.

Cause-and-effect essays aren’t just a way to help students strengthen their writing skills. They’ll also learn critical thinking, logic, and the art of persuasion. In addition, they teach students to demonstrate how one thing directly influences another. Coming up with engaging cause-and-effect essay topics can be challenging, but we have you covered. This list of ideas includes a variety of topics that range from social and cultural movements to mental health and the environment.

Science and Environment Cause & Effect Essay Topics

• Describe the effect of urbanization on the environment.
• What is the impact of air pollution on health?
• What are the causes and consequences of plastics on marine life?
• What is the impact of rising sea temperatures on fish and marine life?
• Describe the impact of human behavior on global warming.

• What is the effect of social media on environmentalism?
• What causes volcanic eruptions?
• What causes trees to die?
• What are the effects of gravity?
• Why are plants green?
• Why do trees shed their leaves?
• What causes a species to become endangered?
• What are some of the causes of animals losing their habitats?
• Describe the effect of overpopulation on the environment.
• What are the effects of famine on human population?
• What are the causes and effects of Antarctica floods?
• What are the effects of pollution on the ocean?
• What effect do cars have on the environment?
• Why is it important to manage wildfires?
• What has been the impact of DNA on crime scene processing?

• What are the impacts of deforestation in Brazil?
• What are the effects of GMO foods on human health?
• What are the impacts of immunizations on human health?

Technology and Social Media Cause & Effect Essay Topics

• What are the effects of social media on adolescent development?
• How does technology affect productivity?
• What are the effects of video games on childhood development?
• How do cell phones affect human relationships?
• What are some reasons a teacher might ban cell phones from class?

• What effects do cell phones have on sleep?
• What effects did the invention of the Internet have on technology?
• What were the origins of cyberbullying?
• What are the effects of tablet use on small children?
• How has online dating changed relationships?
• What makes some people less likely to use social media?
• What are the effects of social media on privacy?
• How does the rise of TikTok affect Facebook and Instagram?
• In what ways could social media lead to extremism?
• What is the impact of social media on the increasing popularity of plastic surgery and other enhancements?

• What are some of the benefits of owning a smartphone and what are some of the drawbacks?
• What has been the impact of online shopping on brick-and-mortar stores?
• What has been the impact of smartphones on marriages and relationships?
• What are the causes and effects of texting while driving?
• What has the rise of “influencers” meant for Hollywood?
• In what ways have photo filters influenced young people’s self-esteem?

Culture and Social Issues Cause & Effect Essay Topics

• What are some of the reasons for substance abuse in young people?
• What are some of the effects of bullying?
• How does economic status affect the quality of health care?
• What are some of the causes of homelessness?
• Explain the effects of ignorance on discrimination.
• What are the impacts of death sentences on social justice?

• How does financial success affect societal privilege?
• What effects does growing up poor have on children?
• In what ways does religion influence society?
• What are the effects of immigration on a host country?
• What are the effects of ageism on job opportunities?
• What is the impact of LGBTQ+ representation in TV and movies?
• What are the effects of school shootings on politics?
• How do school uniforms affect students?
• What are the impacts of high student debt?
• What are the impacts of body shaming on people?
• What were the lasting impacts of the AIDS epidemic on society?

• What impact does banning abortion have in the United States?
• What has been the impact of marriage equality in the United States?
• What are the causes and effects of noise pollution?
• What are the causes and effects of inflation on the economy?
• What are the effects of TV shows on our behavior?

Sports Cause & Effect Essay Topics

• Examine the effects of exercise on mental health.
• What led to baseball being an iconic American sport?
• What drives people to participate in extreme sports?
• In what ways did globalization affect modern sports?
• What were the effects of doping on amateur and professional sports?
• Select a sport and write about the historical factors that led to the popularization of that sport.

• Describe the ways in which youth sports influence a child’s development.
• What were the driving forces behind the first Olympics?
• How can team sports help develop social skills?
• How have e-sports changed the sporting landscape?
• In what ways do race biases influence sports?

• What are the effects of regular workouts on immunity?
• How does participating in sports affect leadership skills?
• In what ways can sports lead to character development?
• What effect does famous athletes’ social commentary have on their fans?

History Cause & Effect Essay Topics

• What are the effects of the war in Syria on the United States?
• What have been the lasting effects of the Civil Rights Movement?
• What were the causes and effects of the attack on Pearl Harbor?
• What led up to the Berlin Wall being torn down and what effects did that have?

• What lasting impact did 9/11 have on modern American society?
• What were the causes of the Salem Witch Trials?
• What was the cultural impact of the Spanish-American War?
• How has globalization led to modern-day slavery?
• What events led to the fall of the Roman Empire?
• What were the impacts of the Great Depression on women’s employment?
• How did cartels come into existence? What effect have they had on the United States and Mexico?
• What were the causes and effects of the Women’s Liberation Movement?
• Give an example of colonialism in history and name the resulting impact to the affected society.

• What led to the rise of ISIS and what has the impact been on international security?
• What factors led to the Titanic’s sinking?
• What were the causes and effects of the Vietnam War?
• Choose an American president. What led him to become president and what were the effects of his presidency?

Mental Health Cause & Effect Essay Topics

• How can stress affect the immune system?
• How does social anxiety affect young people?
• How can high academic expectations lead to depression?
• What are the effects of divorce on young people?
• How does service in the armed forces lead to post-traumatic stress disorder?

• What are the effects of mindfulness on mental health?
• Describe the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted mental health.
• How does childhood trauma impact childhood development?
• What impact does witnessing violence have on mental health?
• What is behind increasingly high levels of anxiety in modern American society?

• What are the causes and effects of panic attacks?
• What are the causes and consequences of high stress in the workplace?
• What are some of the causes of insomnia and in what ways does it affect mental health?
• What is the impact of staying home for an extended period of time?

Current Events Cause & Effect Essay Topics

• Choose a local public education campaign. What are the effects of that campaign?
• What are the causes and effects of migration?
• What are the causes and effects of terrorist attacks?

• What are the effects of legalizing genetic engineering research?
• How do low voting rates impact elections and government?
• What is the effect of raising the minimum wage?
• What are the effects of globalization on society?
• How does gerrymandering affect election outcomes?
• What are the causes and effects of police brutality?
• What are the causes and effects of political polarization?

• What are the causes and effects of fake news?
• What are the effects of global war on citizens?
• What is the effect of international aid on poverty or health?
• Why do some countries have nuclear weapons, and what does this mean for other countries?

Education Cause & Effect Essay Topics

• What are the effects of teacher quality on student success?
• What are the causes and effects of student loan debt?
• What are the causes and effects of low graduation rates?

• What are the effects of assigning homework?
• What are the causes and effects of school funding disparities?
• What are the causes and effects of the digital divide in education?
• What is the effect of AI on education?
• What are the causes and effects of student burnout?
• Should students be required to study a foreign language in school, and what are the effects of learning a foreign language?

• What effect has the COVID pandemic had on education?
• What are the effects of same-sex classrooms or schools?

What are your best cause-and-effect essay topics for students? Come exchange ideas in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.

Plus, check out our list of interesting persuasive essay topics for kids and teens..

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29 ESL Conversation Topics Adult Students Really Enjoy

One key goal almost every adult ESL student shares is  gaining the ability to speak English with others.

What better way to learn to speak English than to speak about the very same things that you speak about on a daily basis ?

ESL speaking activities work even better when someone speaks about their own personal recollections, thoughts and ideas on these topics.

Use these topics and questions to get conversations started!

8. Television

11. first dates, 13. motivation, 19. restaurants, 20. cooking, 22. shopping, 26. learning, 28. computers, 29. problems.

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Everybody has hobbies, and everybody loves talking about them. Hobbies could be passions too, you know. Some simple questions to ask include:

• What are your hobbies?
• Why do you like your hobbies so much?
• How often do you do these hobbies?
• How long have you been doing these hobbies, and how did you get started?
• What hobbies did you used to have, but now do not?
• Is it important to have hobbies? Why/why not?

Lots of people work and have lots to say about it. I mean, if you’re spending about a third of your waking hours at work, you may have lots to say.

Some good questions are:

• What work do/did you do?
• Do/did like your job? Why or why not?
• What is your dream job?
• What work is common in your city/area/country?
• What is your general view about work? Why?

Food is possibly the most universal topic of them all and everyone loves to discuss what they eat. Food-themed ESL activities are always a hit with students.

This is also an ideal topic for beginners because the vocabulary is usually pretty simple. You could use questions like:

• What is your favorite food? Why?
• What food do you eat a lot?
• What food comes from your country?
• How do you feel when you eat food?
• What foods do you dislike? Why?
• Where do you usually get food from?

This is a topic that many people get very excited about. If someone is passionate or emotional about a topic, they can be more motivated to speak and understand things related to it.

A few good example questions are:

• Do you like sports? Why/why not?
• How often do you exercise/play sports?
• Did you play any sports as a child?
• What sport/physical activity is popular in your country?
• What is your opinion on professional sports?

As people get older, their perceived value of time increases, so it’s a practical topic that everyone has something to say about.

You could ask questions like:

• How much free time do you usually have?
• How important is time to you?
• If you had more free time, what would you do?
• “Time is money.” Do you agree or disagree? Why?
• How do you feel about time that is wasted?

As people get older, they start to appreciate a good night’s sleep more and more. This topic is often a favorite.

Some example questions are:

• How much sleep do you usually get?
• Why do some people sleep well while other people do not sleep well?
• What do you do when you have trouble sleeping?
• What time do you usually go to sleep? What time do you usually get up?
• Have you ever slept in a strange place that was not a bed?

Everybody loves music and most people feel very strong emotions toward it—especially when it comes to the music that they love (or hate) most. Some simple questions to ask could be:

• What types of music do you like/dislike?
• How do certain kinds of music make you feel?
• What types of music come from your country?
• What’s your favorite song/album/artist?
• What music is popular in your country right now?

Listening to music with English lyrics can be fun and engaging activity that can also start conversations.

Watching music videos with subtitles will help students remember the vocabulary they hear in a song.

Television is one of those topics that everyone has an opinion about.

TV will enable you to showcase native English forms and provide some great context before diving into discussion questions. Good questions include:

• How often do you watch TV?
• Should everyone have a television in their home?
• What is the best way to watch television: On a television set, computer, tablet or phone?
• What television programs are popular in your country?
• What do you think will be the future of television?
• What is your opinion on television?
• If you had your own TV show, what would it be like?

If your students enjoy learning from TV and other native content, you can try a media-focused resource like FluentU .

This website and app teaches English with authentic videos, including clips from TV shows, news segments and commercials.

The video dictionary also links to other videos that use the word for additional context. Students can also take quizzes based on the videos and their flashcard learning.

The pop-culture content on FluentU is more interesting to students than more traditional materials, and it increases the motivation to understand the dialogue.

Authentic media lets students hear English the way native speakers use it and helps them recall the meanings of words better by creating memorable associations with stories and characters.

The FluentU program is available both for schools and for individual learners .

Like television, movies are a popular conversation topic. I mean, who doesn’t watch movies? A few good questions to be asked could be:

• What was the last movie you saw? How was it?
• What is your favorite movie? Why?
• How are the movies in your country? What are the best ones?
• How often do you watch movies in English?
• If there were a movie about your life, what kind of movie would it be? Why?

Travel can be a great discussion topic – it encourages storytelling in the past tense and inspires students to talk about culture and similar topics.

Here are some possible questions:

• Where have you traveled?
• What countries have you been to?
• Where would you like to travel to in the future?
• When you travel, what safety precautions do you take?
• Do you like to prepare a lot before you travel, or just wing it?
• What are some cultural issues that you have experienced while traveling? Do you have any funny or embarrassing stories?

Talking about first dates gets everybody interested. We’ve all been there.

• How many first dates have you had?
• How do you feel about first dates?
• What is a common first date like in your country?
• What is the best/worst first date experience you’ve ever had?
• What makes a good first date in your opinion?

Everyone feels a certain way about risk. Some are risk-oriented, others are risk-averse. Talking about risks seems to generate some good conversation. You could ask questions like:

• What is your definition of risk?
• Are you a risk taker? Why/why not?
• What are the advantages/disadvantages of taking risks?
• What risks do you come across in your work/life?
• What risks have you taken in your life?

Whether or not the students are a motivated bunch, motivation is a good topic to discuss in order to inspire your students.

• How motivated are you in general?
• What motivates you to do things?
• What is the best motivator to succeed?
• What do you do when you feel unmotivated?
• What is a good way to motivate others?

Anyone can appreciate beauty in all its forms, and anyone can recognize the importance of the concept of beauty in our cultures, societies and behaviors.

This makes it a good topic to discuss to get some opinions and various views within a group.

• What is “beauty”?
• What/who do you consider beautiful?
• What does “inner beauty” mean to you?
• Do you consider artificial beauty (cosmetic surgery) to still be beauty? Why/why not?
• How do you feel about the emphasis that people put on beauty these days?
• What would you tell your children about beauty?

Crime may not be on the top of people’s lists of favorite topics but it’s something that’s talked about.

Depending on someone’s life experiences, it may be something that has affected their lives. Learning to discuss it could help in the long run.

Good discussion questions are:

• Is crime a big problem in your city/country?
• Have you ever been a victim of crime?
• What crime is common in your city/country?
• What would you do if you noticed a crime being committed?
• How is the law enforcement in your city/country?

Most people have had some firsthand experience with love that they’d like to talk about. It’s another one of those universal topics that gets the conversation going.

Even if it’s not about romantic love and heartbreak, students can talk about familial love with their parents and children, as well as love between friends.

Questions like these are good:

• What is love?
• Who/what do you love?
• What good/bad experiences have you had with love?
• Can you be too young to be in love? Why/why not?
• How do you feel about love?

We all have goals and talking about them actually gets us more encouraged to do something about them. Sharing goals is also a good way to help get them achieved.

A good set of questions is:

• What are your current goals in life?
• How do you plan to reach your goals?
• How often do you set goals for yourself?
• What goals have you set and achieved in the past?
• How do you feel when you reach your goals?

We all have dreams, sometimes on a nightly basis, and they can make for a great discussion topic as it inspires students to be creative and even whimsical.

Great questions for this topic include:

• What kinds of dreams do you have?
• What do you think dreams mean?
• How much of your dreams do you remember? Why?
• What is your opinion on premonitions? Are they real?
• What are examples of memorable dreams you have had?

Along with eating, people love talking about their favorite eateries and restaurants. Some students might even relate to each other with their choices and views.

Good questions include:

• How often do you go to restaurants?
• What is your favorite restaurant? Why?
• What do you usually order at a restaurant?
• What is the restaurant experience like in your country?
• Have you ever worked in a restaurant?
• If you owned a restaurant, what kinds of food would you serve?

Cooking is another topic that may allow for some good conversation. Most people in most countries do a good amount of cooking.

A few good questions could be:

• In your home, who usually cooks?
• How often do you cook?
• How well do you cook? What can you cook well?
• What are the advantages/disadvantages of cooking?
• What food would you like to learn how to cook?

Recipes can be a fun way to introduce students to assorted cooking vocabulary and phrases. And in addition to written recipes, there are tons of recipe videos on the web if you want to work on listening comprehension as well.

FluentU has lots of videos about food and cuisine, as well as several captioned recipe videos.

If there is one topic that affects everyone, it has to be money. People love talking about money.

Well, they may not if they’re broke—but even then it’s a relatable topic that gets conversations going.

Great questions include:

• How well do you manage your money?
• Why do some people have money problems?
• What are some good ways to make money?
• What would you do if I gave you $20/$2,000/$2,000,000?
• How often do you save money? Why?

This one is a personal favorite for many. Shopping just brings out the zest in some people.

Others feel strongly the other way—very few people are completely neutral on this topic.

A few good questions are:

• Do you enjoy shopping? Why/why not?
• What is your favorite shop? Why?
• In your city, where is a good place to go shopping?
• How do you feel about online shopping?
• What do you think shopping will be like in the future?

Everybody makes plans and discussing them could even influence the class to start making plans of their own! A few example questions include:

• How often do you plan things? Why?
• What are your plans for (________)?
• What are your plans for your English?
• What do you think of this quote? “Having no plan is a plan to fail.”
• Do you have any back-up plans?

Books make for a good conversation topic because most people enjoy a good book.

When you read, your mind is filled with new images, feelings, ideas and thoughts. It can be immensely satisfying for someone to share how they feel about reading.

Some questions to ask are:

• Do you like books/reading? Why/why not?
• What kind of books do/did you like?
• What is your favorite book? Why?
• What was the last book you read?
• Do you believe reading books/literature is more important than reading stuff online? Why/why not?

Life discussions go on in all languages and English is no exception.

Life is a good topic since everyone has their own views and thoughts on this universal subject.

You could bring up questions like:

• What is the meaning of life?
• How is your life going up to this point?
• What do you think happens after death?
• What important life lessons have you learned?
•  If tomorrow was your last day to live, what would you do?

Learning is like nature—it’s all around us, even on a subconscious level. Our brains are built to absorb, filter and store information.

A conversation about learning could actually stimulate some English learning!

A few questions that are suitable are:

• How important is learning? Why?
• Besides English, what are you currently learning?
• What things are you good/bad at learning? Why?
• What would you most like to learn?
• What is the most difficult part of learning? Why?

Games are fun and everybody enjoys fun, no?

But in all seriousness, talking about games tends to gear the conversation more toward past tense, which can bring students a fond sense of nostalgia.

Some simple questions could be:

• What is your favorite game ever?
• What games did you play as a kid?
• What games are popular/came from your country?
• How competitive are you when it comes to games?
• What games do you still play now? Why?

It’s hard to go a day without talking about computers. This universal topic could have students discussing quite a few things, much of which could relate to real life too!

Great questions on this could be:

• Describe your computer at home/work.
• What do you usually use a computer for?
• Do you like computers? Why/why not?
• What was the first computer you ever had like?
• What do you think will be the future of computers?

Even though nobody likes to talk about problems per se, everybody still talks about their problems to other people!

Problems are actually a good topic for discussion since they could help others relate to each other and even present solutions too.

A few fine examples of questions are:

• How do you deal with your problems?
• What problems do you come across in your work or life?
• Do you feel that problems are opportunities? Why or why not?
• What was the last problem you solved and how did you do it?
• “Problems don’t matter. Solutions do.” Do you agree or disagree?

Discussion questions like the ones above—questions about everyday things—work well because they really get the brain thinking.

These topics relate directly to students on a familiar level and can even spark some fascinating discussions.

You could even mix up the example questions any way you’d like.

These topics may even inspire you to come up with some of your own, as you begin to understand what works and what doesn’t.

Happy discussing!

For more tips, check out this post next: 

Wondering how to teach ESL to adults? While your lessons might be a bit less chaotic than with younger students, they don’t have to be dull or boring. Everyone enjoys…

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• Unique Discursive Essay Topics To Try In 2024

Finding interesting discursive essay topics might be a difficult task, especially for students who aren’t fond of writing or dislike their subject. Fortunately, this problem has a quick and simple solution, but before we get to it, let’s shed light on the most common question first.

What is a discursive essay? This type of essay is a piece of academic writing that describes a topic, details its background, and explores all the main perspectives on it. When writing such an essay, it is essential to look into various points of view, analyzing and comparing them. Virginia Woolf once said, "It is the nature of the artist to mind excessively what is said about him. Literature is strewn with the wreckage of those who have minded beyond reason the opinions of others."   This quote underscores the importance of maintaining objectivity and embracing various perspectives without bias, which is a basic principle of writing balanced discussion essays.

These essays are a very common college writing assignment, so learners of all levels must know how best to write them. That’s why we are here! Today, we’ll discuss everything about discursive essay writing as well as outline some creative paper topics. If your professor assigned this type of task to you and now you’re searching for a good topic, consider it found! Our guide will not only explain how to write such essays but also answer questions and offer you a list of original topics you may like.

Five Tips on Choosing Good Topics for a Discursive Essay

Locating a great topic is important because students’ entire research depends on it. Here are five top ways to do it:

• Consider your personal interests . High-quality custom essay writing always gets the highest praise from professors. To increase the uniqueness and value of your paper, dedicate it to a theme you genuinely like. Maybe there is something you constantly argue over on X; perhaps your favourite movie character has a hobby you’d like to explore scientifically. Choose a topic you feel connected to, and you’ll love writing your essay.
• Choose something extra relevant . What worries the world most? The discursive essay topics example is great when it’s current and widely known. Staying up-to-date with the news and trends never fails to deliver great results.
• Go for the most controversial areas . Exploring a subject that multiple people have the most passionate and heated debates over might be interesting. 
• Pick the most researched topic . There is nothing wrong with going the easiest route and choosing a topic that has been researched to death. You’ll find many sources and opinions, so you’ll immediately have what to choose from.
• Select the least researched topic . If you like challenges, working with a rare and under-researched subject might feel thrilling.

Key Features of a Strong Discursive Paper

So, what should premium quality discursive writing look like? Be sure your essay includes these four aspects:

• Objectivity. Don’t try to make some arguments look weaker than they are just because you dislike them — and vice versa. 
• Formal writing. Maintain a strict academic tone. Avoid contractions, phrasal verbs, and other informalities. 
• Extensive research. Include plenty of credible sources in your essay. 
• Equality. Present all the points equally. It’s not okay to dedicate 10 sentences to one argument and just 2 sentences to another one.

Top Ten Discursive Essay Topics for 2024/25 Academic Year

Are you interested in exploring the latest trends and news that concern students worldwide? Then check out these discursive topics:

• What is the global opinion on Israel’s bombing of Gaza? 
• Will the cost of college education in Britain continue to rise?
• Can energy drinks truly increase one’s workability? 
• How to make Africa’s economy flourish
• Should violent movies be avoided by teens? 
• Is racism still on the rise?  
• Are more people becoming obese? 
• Is hiring essay writers illegal in the UK?
• Does anyone still watch TV?
•  How efficient is marketing, and how it affects buying behaviour

Higher English Discursive Essay Topics

UK students who study higher English should know everything about it, from language to literature to its history. Does that sound intriguing? Then, on to the higher discursive essay topics!

• What do such terms as “pro-ship” and “anti-ship” mean?
• Is literacy important to an average person?
• Explain what higher education means globally
• Are scholarships becoming harder to obtain?
• Have e-books replaced printed books?
• AI versus human writers: who is better?
• Is fanfiction a form of literature?
• Are romance novels better now, or were they more compelling a century ago?
• Does learning languages help understand diverse cultures?
•  How many languages can a person realistically speak?

Good Discursive Essay Topics for High School

High-school students can get away with researching simpler concepts. Here are some examples of topics for discourse essays of this level:

• Do bitcoins still have a future?
• Is wearing a school uniform necessary?
• Does love cause more pleasure or pain?
• What was the best time for women historically?
• How can students fight climate change?
• Can killing ever be justified?
• Is history, as modern people know it, trustworthy?
• What harms health more, tea or coffee?
• Have cell phones become better in the last 5 years?
•  Is it better to be an extrovert or an introvert?

Discursive Essay Topics for College Students

College requires more complicated research. Look at these good discursive essay topics:

• Should people participate in medical trials?
• Ideal global drinking age
• Should educational establishments use corporal punishment?
• Has online education made students’ lives better?
• Is social media dangerous?
• Optimal number of work days per week
• How many hours of sleep do people need?
• Why is TikTok so popular among teens?
• Are private schools necessary, or should public schools cater to everyone?
•  Is a college education worth it in terms of effort and money?

Controversial Discursive Essay Topics

Controversy generates passion, making our blood run hotter. It intimidates some students, pushing them to contact us, asking, “Please write my essay for me” sometimes. That said, if you want to write your paper yourself, try these best discursive essay topics:

• Should getting a COVID-19 vaccine be mandatory?
• Is Elon Musk a visionary or a fraud?
• Should the government have secrets from people?
• Should reproduction be selective?
• Are there more smart or stupid individuals in the world currently?
• Should Ukraine agree to negotiate with Russia?
• Is reading books overrated?
• Who killed JonBenet Ramsey?
• What is the explanation for the Bermuda Triangle?
•  Is genetic engineering in humans ethical?

Mental Health Topics For a Discursive Essay

Life can be pressing, and mental health issues are becoming ever more relevant. That’s why writing discursive essays on them is always interesting. Here are just a few mental health-related essay topics you can explore:

• Do rich people have more or fewer mental health problems?
• Why are depression rates rising despite the increased awareness and more help avenues?
• Is it possible to spot a person who plans on committing suicide?
• Why do many psychologists have mental and emotional problems?
• Is social media harmful to mental health?
• Does the UK need more mental health awareness campaigns?
• What is the most dangerous mental problem?
• Is autism a form of mental illness?
• Is there a link between sexuality and mental health?
•  Are children brought up by same-sex parents happier than those raised in traditional families?

Funny Topics For a Discursive Essay

Enough of tragedies and depression. Have some amusing discursive writing topics instead:

• Zombie apocalypse survival
• What do pets do when their owners leave home?
• Is napping at work beneficial?
• Extraterrestrial neighbours. Why are aliens avoiding us?
• Should adults have mandatory comfort toys?
• Dangers of binge-watching TW shows
• How to be an adult? Basic skills.
• Daily challenges of left-handed people
• Laziness as a survival skill
•  Pets as political leaders

Interesting Topics For a Discursive Essay

Here’s a list of diverse topics that our experts find personally stimulating. Who knows, you might share some of their preferences.  

• Why do people think about Eurovision 2024?
• Is doomsday coming?
• Does religion cause more harm than good?
• Who is most children’s favourite parent by gender?
• Are dogs smarter than cats?
• What are the world’s biggest misconceptions?
• What do all religions have in common?
• Should we allow voting at 16?
• What is the role of urban gardening in a big city?
•  The world's most popular song and the key to its popularity

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Why Is It Difficult to Write Papers Even on the Greatest Discursive Essay Ideas?

Multiple UK students love their subjects. They pick a topic they’re interested in, but sometimes they choose to buy an essay anyway. Why is that? In truth, writing a powerful discursive paper might be frustrating. Look at these frequent problems and check our experts’ solutions:

FAQ About Finding the Right Topics for Discursive Essay

• What is discursive writing in comparison to argumentative papers?

In argumentative papers, writers pick their points of view and argue in their favour. They might mention the opposition's views but focus on their personal beliefs. Discursive essays are more objective. You need to dedicate equal attention to all the points and limit your own thoughts to a minimum.

• What 2 types of discursive papers do I need to know about?

Roughly, discursive writing is divided into persuasive and argumentative papers. They have their differences that students should learn before they attempt to write anything.

• What is a discursive statement?

In most cases, this phrase refers to a thesis statement in a discursive paper. It has to reflect your topic in one single line. 

• Is it bad if my topic is overly extensive?

It’s better to break broad topics into something more specific. Watch out for the word count: it’ll help you calculate how many points you can explore.

• What formatting should I stick to when writing my discursive essay?

APA and MLA are both common formats. Unless your professors suggest differently, follow the academic rules you follow in other projects. Your title should be medium-sized; the discursive essay introduction and conclusion shouldn’t exceed 10% of your word count, and no informal words should be present.

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The (AI) sky isn’t falling

Students using generative AI to write their essays is a problem, but it isn’t a crisis, writes Christopher Hallenbrook. We have the tools to tackle the issue of artificial intelligence

Christopher R. Hallenbrook

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In January, the literary world was rocked by the news that novelist Rie Qudan had used ChatGPT to write 5 per cent of her novel that won Japan’s prestigious Akutagawa Prize. The consternation over this revelation mirrored the conversations that have been taking place in academia since ChatGPT was launched in late 2022. Discussions and academic essays since that time have consistently spoken of a new wave of cheating on campus, one we are powerless to prevent. 

While this reaction is understandable, I disagree with it. Students using AI to write their essays is a problem, but it isn’t a crisis. We have the tools to tackle the issue.

AI is easy to spot

In most cases AI writing can be easily recognised. If you ask multipart questions, as I do, ChatGPT defaults to using section headings for each component. When I grade a paper that has six section headings in a three- to five-page paper (something I have experienced), I see a red flag. ChatGPT’s vocabulary reinforces this impression. Its word choice does not align with how most undergraduates write. I’ve never seen a student call Publius a “collective pseudonym” in a paper about The Federalist Papers , but ChatGPT frequently does. AI is quick to discuss the “ethical foundations of governance”, “intrinsic equilibrium” and other terms that are rare in undergraduate writing if you haven’t used the terms in class. Certainly, some students do use such vocabulary. 

One must be careful and know one’s students. In-class discussions and short response papers can help you get a feel for how your students talk and write. Worst-case scenario, a one-to-one discussion of the paper with the student goes a long way. I’ve asked students to explain what they meant by a certain term. The answer “I don’t know” tells you what you need to know about whether or not they used AI. 

• Resource collection: AI transformers like ChatGPT are here, so what next?
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Even when you can’t identify AI writing so readily, you will likely fail the paper on its merits anyway. I’ve found ChatGPT will frequently engage with the topic but will write around the question. The answer is related to what I asked about but doesn’t answer my question. By missing the question, making its points in brief and not using the textual evidence that I instruct students to include (but I don’t put that instruction in the question itself), ChatGPT produces an essay that omits the most essential elements that I grade on. So even if I miss that the essay was AI generated, I’m still going to give it a poor grade.

The summary is ‘dead and buried’

Careful consideration and structuring of essay prompts also reduce the risk of students getting AI-written work past you. A simple summary of concepts is easy for ChatGPT. Even deep questions of political theory have enough written on them for ChatGPT to rapidly produce a quality summary. Summaries were never the most pedagogically sound take-home essay assignment; now they are dead and buried. 

Creativity in how we ask students to analyse and apply concepts makes it much harder for ChatGPT to answer our questions. When I was an undergraduate student, my mentor framed all his questions as “in what manner and to what extent” can something be said to be true. That framework invites nuance, forces students to define their terms and can be used to create less-written-about topics. 

Similarly, when responding to prompts asking about theories of democratic representation, ChatGPT can effectively summarise the beliefs of Publius, the anti-federalist Brutus or Malcolm X on the nature of representation, but it struggles to answer: “Can Professor Hallenbrook properly represent Carson? Why or why not? Draw on the ideas of thinkers we have read in class to justify your answer.” In fact, it doesn’t always recognise that by “Carson”, I am referring to the city where I teach, not a person. By not specifying which thinkers, ChatGPT has to pick its own and in my practice runs with this prompt, it used almost exclusively thinkers I had not taught in my American political thought class.

Ask ChatGPT first, then set the essay topic

I select my phrasing after putting different versions of the question through ChatGPT. Running your prompt through ChatGPT before you assign it will both let you know if you’ve successfully created a question that the generative AI will struggle with and give you a feel for the tells in its approach that will let you know if a student tries to use it. I’d recommend running the prompt multiple times to see different versions of an AI answer and make note of the tells. It is a touch more prep time but totally worth it. After all, we should be continually re-examining our prompts anyway.

So, yes, ChatGPT is a potential problem. But it is not insurmountable. As with plagiarism, some uses may escape our detection. But through attention to detail and careful design of our assignments, we can make it harder for students to use ChatGPT to write their papers effectively and easier to spot it when they do.

Christopher R. Hallenbrook is assistant professor of political science and chair of the general education committee at California State University, Dominguez Hills.

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Rather than restrict the use of AI, embrace the challenge

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