PERSPECTIVE
Free ESL Conversation Resource · Issue 048

Dynamic Pricing: ESL Discussion Questions

15 classroom conversation questions about changing prices, flight tickets, ride-hailing fares, supply and demand, and whether two people should pay different amounts for the same thing.
A1–A2 BeginnerB1–B2 IntermediateC1–C2 Advanced

Why should two people pay different prices for the same thing? Explore dynamic pricing through 15 ESL discussion questions from Perspective English Issue 048, “Same Same, But Different.” Students consider airline fares, surge pricing, customer fairness and the hidden rules behind changing prices. Use these questions for pair work, group discussions and debates at three English levels.

A

Beginner · A1–A2

Start the conversation

  1. 01

    When did you last feel a price was unfair?

  2. 02

    Have you ever waited for a price to go down? What happened?

  3. 03

    Why do people accept changing prices for flights but not for taxis?

  4. 04

    Should a shop charge more when customers really need something?

  5. 05

    If every price can change, does anything have a real price?

Ready for the full lesson?Explore the A1–A2 Same Same, But Different lesson →
B

Intermediate · B1–B2

Explore the issue

  1. 01

    When did you last feel that a price was unfair?

  2. 02

    Have you ever waited for a price to fall? What happened?

  3. 03

    Why do people accept changing prices for flights but not for taxis?

  4. 04

    Should a business be allowed to charge more when customers are desperate?

  5. 05

    If every price can move, does anything have a real value at all?

Take the topic further.Explore the B1–B2 Same Same, But Different lesson →

Same seat row. Very different receipts.

One topic. Three levels. Countless perspectives.
C

Advanced · C1–C2

Challenge the idea

  1. 01

    Have you ever paid much more than someone else for the same thing?

  2. 02

    When did a price change make you buy sooner, or wait?

  3. 03

    Why do companies prefer prices that change rather than fixed ones?

  4. 04

    Should a company charge you more because you clearly want something?

  5. 05

    Is a fair price the same thing as the lowest price?

Push the discussion further.Explore the C1–C2 Same Same, But Different lesson →
Perspective English · Complete lessons

Turn the discussion into a full lesson.

Continue with “Same Same, But Different,” Perspective English Issue 048. Explore airline fares, surge pricing, changing demand and the ethics of personalized prices through reading, vocabulary, critical thinking and speaking challenges, with ready-to-teach materials for all three levels.

A1–A2

Discuss unfair prices, waiting for discounts and whether shops should charge more when customers need something.

View beginner lesson →B1–B2

Explore demand, fluctuating prices and whether dynamic pricing benefits businesses and customers equally.

View intermediate lesson →C1–C2

Debate personalized pricing, algorithmic opacity and the difference between the going rate and a fair price.

View advanced lesson →