Icebreaker questions are a great speaking activity that can be used not only at the beginning of the new school year but whenever there is a need for a warm-up activity, group speaking activity, pair work, or a quick fun speaking activity.
This speaking activity contains 20 icebreaker questions for teenagers and adult learners. (16+, B1+).
The slideshow can be used as a resource for online teaching, just share your screen on Zoom or other app when teaching online. Click on the full screen option in the top right corner of the slideshow and your whole group can discuss or if you want to use the activity in smaller groups, assign your students into breakout rooms and send them the PDF with the conversation questions before your lesson. During the lesson, pop into the breakout rooms to listen in and observe.
Other speaking activities:
Conversation Questions Passive: ESL Speaking Activity
ESL Negotiation Role plays: 12 Real-life Situations
ESL Exam Speaking Picture Description and Questions
Taboo Card Games: Food, Health, Nature
Conversation Starters: 30 Interesting Conversation Questions Not Only For ESL Students
Icebreaker Questions
1. What food do you love that a lot of people might find a little odd?
2. If you could start a charity, what would it be for?
3. What topic could you give a 20-minute presentation on without any preparation?
4. Who is the most interesting person you’ve met and talked with?
5. What do you wish someone taught you a long time ago?
6. What subjects should be taught in school but aren’t?
7. What kind of challenges are you facing these days?
8. What do you highly recommend to most people you meet?
9. What was the last thing you were really excited about?
10. What does your perfect breakfast look like?
11. What are some of your favorite holiday traditions that you did while growing up?
12. If you could choose your dreams, what would you prefer to dream about?
13. What tells you the most about a person?
14. When is the most interesting period in history?
15. What is the best event you’ve attended?
16. What do you wish was illegal?
17. Would you ever try space tourism, if you had the money for it?
18. What are you grateful for?
19. What skill or talent would you most like to learn?
20. What culture would you like to learn more about?
The questions for this activity are used with the kind permission of C.B. Daniels of Conversation Starters World.