PERSPECTIVE
Free ESL Conversation Resource · Life Skills & Education

Life Skills & Education ESL Discussion Questions

15 conversation questions about practical life skills, traditional school subjects, and whether education prepares us for the real world.
A1–A2 BeginnerB1–B2 IntermediateC1–C2 Advanced

Use these life-skills ESL discussion questions for pair work, small-group speaking or whole-class conversation. Explore what schools teach, what students need for adult life, and the difficult choices involved in changing the curriculum. Choose the level that fits your learners.

A

Beginner · A1–A2

Start the conversation

  1. 01

    Which subject did you like most at school? Has it been useful?

  2. 02

    Did you ever need to know something that nobody taught you?

  3. 03

    Why do you think schools change their subjects so slowly?

  4. 04

    Is a subject useful if you forget the facts but keep the thinking skills?

  5. 05

    What is school really for: life, work, knowledge or thinking?

Ready for the full lesson?Explore the A1–A2 The Missing Lessons lesson →
B

Intermediate · B1–B2

Explore the issue

  1. 01

    Which subject did you enjoy most at school, and has it been useful?

  2. 02

    Was there something you badly needed to know and nobody taught you?

  3. 03

    Why do you think schools change their subjects so slowly?

  4. 04

    Is a subject worth keeping if students forget the content but keep the thinking?

  5. 05

    What is school actually for: adult life, employment, knowledge, or thinking?

Take the topic further.Explore the B1–B2 The Missing Lessons lesson →

What should schools teach, and what should they stop teaching?

One topic. Three levels. Countless perspectives.
C

Advanced · C1–C2

Challenge the idea

  1. 01

    Which subject from school has quietly shaped how you think as an adult?

  2. 02

    What did you learn the hard way that school could have taught you?

  3. 03

    Why might governments promise practical subjects but rarely deliver them?

  4. 04

    Can a subject earn its place if students forget almost all of its content?

  5. 05

    Should school prepare people for jobs, for life, or for thinking itself?

Push the discussion further.Explore the C1–C2 The Missing Lessons lesson →
Perspective English · Complete lessons

Turn the discussion into a full lesson.

Continue with the complete The Missing Lessons lesson at the level your class needs. Each Perspective lesson combines reading, vocabulary, discussion, critical thinking and classroom speaking activities.

A1–A2

Discuss favorite school subjects, missing life skills and what school is really for.

View beginner lesson →B1–B2

Debate practical education, the value of traditional subjects and the limits of the school timetable.

View intermediate lesson →C1–C2

Challenge curriculum priorities, defend the value of academic subjects and examine the trade-offs of school reform.

View advanced lesson →