PERSPECTIVE
Free ESL Conversation Resource · Issue 049

Coffee or Tea? ESL Discussion Questions

15 classroom conversation questions about coffee and tea traditions, café culture, global chains, changing habits, and what our favorite drinks reveal about us.
A1–A2 BeginnerB1–B2 IntermediateC1–C2 Advanced

Coffee or tea? Explore how two familiar drinks reveal different cultural traditions through 15 ESL discussion questions inspired by Perspective English Issue 049, “Coffee or Tea?” Students compare everyday habits, café culture, globalization, and the survival of traditional tea houses. Use these questions for pair work, group discussions, and debates at three English levels.

A

Beginner · A1–A2

Start the conversation

  1. 01

    Coffee or tea? Has your answer always been the same?

  2. 02

    Where do you go when you want to sit and talk for hours?

  3. 03

    What can a café tell you about a city?

  4. 04

    How do people in your country drink coffee or tea now, compared with the past?

  5. 05

    Do global chains make cities the same, or do cities change the chains?

Ready for the full lesson?Explore the A1–A2 Coffee or Tea? lesson →
B

Intermediate · B1–B2

Explore the issue

  1. 01

    Coffee or tea — and has that always been your answer?

  2. 02

    Where do you go when you want to sit and talk for hours?

  3. 03

    What does a café tell you about the city it is in?

  4. 04

    Has the way people in your country drink changed in your lifetime?

  5. 05

    Do global chains make cities more similar, or do cities change the chains?

Take the topic further.Explore the B1–B2 Coffee or Tea? lesson →

Two cups. Two very different afternoons.

One topic. Three levels. Countless perspectives.
C

Advanced · C1–C2

Challenge the idea

  1. 01

    What do you usually drink in the morning, and where?

  2. 02

    Have you ever been surprised by how people drink coffee or tea abroad?

  3. 03

    Why do some drinks become status symbols while others do not?

  4. 04

    Should cities protect traditional tea houses from modern café chains?

  5. 05

    Does globalization make cultures more alike, or just more mixed?

Push the discussion further.Explore the C1–C2 Coffee or Tea? lesson →
Perspective English · Complete lessons

Turn the discussion into a full lesson.

Continue with “Coffee or Tea?”, Perspective English Issue 049. Explore how coffee and tea spread around the world, why drinking habits differ between cultures, and how cafés reflect local identity through reading, vocabulary, critical thinking, and speaking challenges at all three levels.

A1–A2

Discuss favorite drinks, café visits, local customs, and how coffee and tea habits are changing.

View beginner lesson →B1–B2

Explore drinking rituals, cultural identity, and whether global café chains change local traditions.

View intermediate lesson →C1–C2

Debate the cultural significance of drinks, status symbols, and the survival of traditional tea houses.

View advanced lesson →