Unleash Engaging ESL Classes: 100 Would You Rather Discussion Questions ESL

Would You Rather Discussion Questions ESL are a fantastic tool for teachers looking to spice up their English as a Second Language classes. These questions are more than just simple icebreakers; they’re designed to encourage conversation, critical thinking, and even a little bit of debate among students. Let’s dive into why these questions are so effective and how you can use them in your classroom!

Why Would You Rather Questions Rock for ESL Learners

Would You Rather Discussion Questions ESL are popular because they are naturally engaging and accessible to learners of various proficiency levels. The format is simple: present two options, and ask students to choose one and explain their reasoning. This instantly creates a comfortable environment for speaking, as students don’t need to be experts on a particular topic, just offer their opinion. Their importance lies in their ability to activate language skills in a fun and low-pressure setting. Think about it: most ESL lessons are structured around specific grammar points or vocabulary themes. While this is important, it can sometimes feel a bit dry. Would You Rather questions, on the other hand, inject some spontaneity and personality into the classroom. Here’s why they work so well:

  • They encourage speaking without pressure.
  • They promote critical thinking and justification.
  • They expose students to different perspectives.

Essentially, these questions provide a scaffold for conversation. Students are given a starting point (the two options) and then guided towards providing reasons for their choice. This helps them practice using a range of vocabulary and grammatical structures, from simple present tense to more complex conditional sentences.

Benefit Description
Enhanced Fluency Regular use leads to more confident and natural speaking.
Vocabulary Expansion Students encounter new words and phrases as they explain their choices.
Improved Pronunciation Speaking practice helps refine pronunciation skills.

Hypothetical Hijinks: 35 Would You Rather Questions ESL

Here are 35 Would You Rather Discussion Questions ESL focused on hypothetical scenarios, designed to spark imagination and debate:

  1. Would you rather be able to fly or be invisible?
  2. Would you rather have the power to read minds or teleport?
  3. Would you rather live in a world without music or a world without books?
  4. Would you rather be the smartest person in the world or the kindest?
  5. Would you rather be famous for inventing something or for helping people?
  6. Would you rather be able to speak every language in the world or play every musical instrument?
  7. Would you rather travel to the future or the past?
  8. Would you rather live in a house made of candy or a house made of books?
  9. Would you rather have a personal robot that does all your chores or a magical tree that grows money?
  10. Would you rather find a hidden treasure or win the lottery?
  11. Would you rather be a superhero or a supervillain?
  12. Would you rather always be slightly too warm or slightly too cold?
  13. Would you rather have a pet dragon or a pet unicorn?
  14. Would you rather live in a world where everyone is always happy or a world where everyone is allowed to feel all emotions?
  15. Would you rather be able to control the weather or control plants?
  16. Would you rather be the first person to explore a new planet or the first person to discover a new species?
  17. Would you rather have a rewind button for your life or a pause button?
  18. Would you rather live in a world where everyone can sing beautifully or everyone can dance perfectly?
  19. Would you rather be able to talk to animals or understand any language?
  20. Would you rather live in a world made of chocolate or a world made of cheese?
  21. Would you rather have a photographic memory or be able to predict the future?
  22. Would you rather have an endless supply of pizza or an endless supply of ice cream?
  23. Would you rather be able to breathe underwater or fly through space without a suit?
  24. Would you rather always know the truth or always be happy?
  25. Would you rather be the star of a movie or the director?
  26. Would you rather live in a world where it never snows or where it never rains?
  27. Would you rather have a time-traveling car or a self-cleaning house?
  28. Would you rather be able to change the past or see the future?
  29. Would you rather always be right or always be liked?
  30. Would you rather have a personal chef or a personal masseuse?
  31. Would you rather live in a treehouse or an underground bunker?
  32. Would you rather be able to shrink things or grow things?
  33. Would you rather find a map to buried treasure or a winning lottery ticket?
  34. Would you rather be a famous artist or a famous scientist?
  35. Would you rather have the ability to heal any wound or the ability to never get sick?

Everyday Dilemmas: 35 Would You Rather Discussion Questions ESL

Here are 35 Would You Rather Discussion Questions ESL focusing on daily situations, prompting practical thinking and opinion sharing:

  • Would you rather always be 10 minutes late or always be 20 minutes early?
  • Would you rather do laundry or wash dishes?
  • Would you rather have a roommate who is always messy or always loud?
  • Would you rather have to wear the same outfit every day or have to eat the same meal every day?
  • Would you rather have to walk barefoot everywhere or wear shoes that are too small?
  • Would you rather have no internet for a week or no phone for a week?
  • Would you rather have to take a cold shower every morning or only be able to drink lukewarm water?
  • Would you rather always have a song stuck in your head or always have an itch you can’t scratch?
  • Would you rather always have to tell the truth or never be able to speak at all?
  • Would you rather have to eat only spicy food or only bland food?
  • Would you rather live in a city or the countryside?
  • Would you rather have to work on weekends or work very long hours during the week?
  • Would you rather never have to sleep again or never have to eat again?
  • Would you rather always have a bad hair day or always have bad breath?
  • Would you rather have to speak in rhyme all the time or only be able to speak in a whisper?
  • Would you rather always lose your keys or always lose your wallet?
  • Would you rather have to sing everything you say or dance everywhere you go?
  • Would you rather have to wear a hat all the time or sunglasses all the time?
  • Would you rather always be too hot or always be too cold?
  • Would you rather never be able to watch movies again or never be able to listen to music again?
  • Would you rather have a job you hate that pays well or a job you love that pays poorly?
  • Would you rather have to walk uphill both ways or always have a headwind?
  • Would you rather have to write with your non-dominant hand or eat with chopsticks every meal?
  • Would you rather have no sense of taste or no sense of smell?
  • Would you rather have to clean toilets for a living or flip burgers?
  • Would you rather always have to say what everyone else is thinking or never be able to know what others are thinking?
  • Would you rather have to wear a bathing suit to work or pajamas to a party?
  • Would you rather always be the first to arrive or always be the last to leave?
  • Would you rather have a personal paparazzi or a personal stalker?
  • Would you rather have a broken leg for a month or a broken arm for a month?
  • Would you rather never be able to use social media again or never be able to watch TV again?
  • Would you rather have a messy car but a clean house or a clean car but a messy house?
  • Would you rather have to live without coffee or without chocolate?
  • Would you rather have a boss who micromanages everything or a boss who never gives you any direction?
  • Would you rather have a never-ending stuffy nose or a never-ending dry cough?

Travel & Adventure: 30 Would You Rather Discussion Questions ESL

Here are 30 Would You Rather Discussion Questions ESL based on travel, sparking dreams and destination debates:

  1. Would you rather travel to space or explore the deepest parts of the ocean?
  2. Would you rather visit the Amazon rainforest or the Sahara desert?
  3. Would you rather go on a safari in Africa or see the Northern Lights in Iceland?
  4. Would you rather visit ancient ruins in Rome or hike the Great Wall of China?
  5. Would you rather travel by train across Europe or go on a road trip across America?
  6. Would you rather stay in a luxury hotel or camp in the wilderness?
  7. Would you rather learn to surf in Australia or ski in the Swiss Alps?
  8. Would you rather eat street food in Thailand or fine dining in France?
  9. Would you rather visit Disneyland or the Grand Canyon?
  10. Would you rather go backpacking through Southeast Asia or island hopping in the Caribbean?
  11. Would you rather visit a city known for its art museums or a city known for its nightlife?
  12. Would you rather travel alone or with a large group of friends?
  13. Would you rather speak the local language fluently or have unlimited money?
  14. Would you rather spend a year traveling the world or buy your dream home?
  15. Would you rather visit a country with a rich history or a country with stunning natural beauty?
  16. Would you rather go to a music festival in the desert or a film festival in a big city?
  17. Would you rather stay in a treehouse in Costa Rica or an igloo in Alaska?
  18. Would you rather travel to a place where it’s always warm or a place where it’s always cold?
  19. Would you rather explore a new country every month or live in one country for the rest of your life?
  20. Would you rather visit the pyramids of Egypt or Machu Picchu in Peru?
  21. Would you rather go on a cruise or take a cross-country road trip?
  22. Would you rather climb Mount Everest or swim with sharks?
  23. Would you rather stay in a haunted castle or a remote cabin in the woods?
  24. Would you rather visit a futuristic city or a perfectly preserved historical town?
  25. Would you rather go whale watching or stargazing in the desert?
  26. Would you rather learn to scuba dive or learn to rock climb?
  27. Would you rather visit a volcano or a glacier?
  28. Would you rather travel by hot air balloon or by submarine?
  29. Would you rather visit a country where you don’t speak the language or a country where you don’t understand the culture?
  30. Would you rather go on a week-long silent retreat in the mountains or spend a week volunteering at an animal shelter in a busy city?

Would You Rather Discussion Questions ESL are an invaluable resource for any ESL teacher. By incorporating them into your lessons, you can create a more dynamic, engaging, and effective learning environment for your students. So go ahead, try them out and watch your students’ confidence and fluency soar!