Description
Fear. What do you think is lurking under your bed? We're all terrified of something. Fight or flight? How do you react? Fear is universal, but the way it shows up is deeply personal. Some people freeze. Some people laugh nervously. Some people have been living with a phobia so long they've forgotten life without it.
That's exactly what makes fear such rich territory for conversation. Your adult ESL students aren't going to run out of things to say on this one. They have stories. They have opinions. And they have questions they've probably never had a chance to ask in English before.
These 80 fear-themed conversation cards give you a ready-made set of discussion starters that go well beyond "what are you scared of?" From the psychology of fear to superstitions, phobias, horror movies, and whether fear can actually be useful, the prompts range from warm-up friendly to genuinely thought-provoking. Great for any time of year, not just Halloween.
WHAT'S INSIDE:
✅ 80 fear-themed conversation starter cards, each on its own card, ranging from easier warm-up prompts to more challenging questions that push intermediate and advanced students deeper into the topic
✅ Teacher suggestion page with tips on how to use the cards and links to additional resources
✅ Easel version with one discussion prompt per slide, perfect for whole-class discussion or paperless classrooms
HOW TO USE THESE CARDS
Pull a few cards before class and choose the ones that feel right for your group. You know your students. Start with something accessible to get them talking, then layer in the heavier prompts once they've warmed up. Split them into pairs or small groups, give each group a card or two, and let them run with it. If a group stalls, a follow-up question from you usually does the trick. Or better yet, train them to ask each other.
The Easel version works well when you want the whole class focused on the same question at once. Project it, read it aloud, and open it up for discussion. No printing, no cutting, no prep beyond clicking through slides.
THIS WAS CREATED FOR YOUR ADULT ESL STUDENTS
Your intermediate to advanced adult ESL students bring real-life experience to every topic, and fear is no exception. These cards give them a structure to build on so they're focused on expressing themselves in English, not on figuring out what to say next. They also work well for older teen students who need conversation practice but don't always know how to get one going.
GRAB IT AND GO
Download it, print what you need, cut the cards apart, and you're set. Laminate if you want. Use the Easel and skip all of that. Either way, you've got 80 prompts that will keep your students talking long after you expected the conversation to wind down.
Questions? Drop them in the Q&A section.
If you teach conversation classes regularly, take a look at my Adult ESL Discussion Topics MEGA Bundle. It pulls together over two thousand discussion questions across 28 themes, so you'll always have something on hand when a conversation stalls or you need to fill time.
For more topics, click here.
You may also be interested in Expressions for Opinions to ensure that your adult ESL students can use a good variety of expressions to ask for and give opinions.
Highlights
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Description
Fear. What do you think is lurking under your bed? We're all terrified of something. Fight or flight? How do you react? Fear is universal, but the way it shows up is deeply personal. Some people freeze. Some people laugh nervously. Some people have been living with a phobia so long they've forgotten life without it.
That's exactly what makes fear such rich territory for conversation. Your adult ESL students aren't going to run out of things to say on this one. They have stories. They have opinions. And they have questions they've probably never had a chance to ask in English before.
These 80 fear-themed conversation cards give you a ready-made set of discussion starters that go well beyond "what are you scared of?" From the psychology of fear to superstitions, phobias, horror movies, and whether fear can actually be useful, the prompts range from warm-up friendly to genuinely thought-provoking. Great for any time of year, not just Halloween.
WHAT'S INSIDE:
✅ 80 fear-themed conversation starter cards, each on its own card, ranging from easier warm-up prompts to more challenging questions that push intermediate and advanced students deeper into the topic
✅ Teacher suggestion page with tips on how to use the cards and links to additional resources
✅ Easel version with one discussion prompt per slide, perfect for whole-class discussion or paperless classrooms
HOW TO USE THESE CARDS
Pull a few cards before class and choose the ones that feel right for your group. You know your students. Start with something accessible to get them talking, then layer in the heavier prompts once they've warmed up. Split them into pairs or small groups, give each group a card or two, and let them run with it. If a group stalls, a follow-up question from you usually does the trick. Or better yet, train them to ask each other.
The Easel version works well when you want the whole class focused on the same question at once. Project it, read it aloud, and open it up for discussion. No printing, no cutting, no prep beyond clicking through slides.
THIS WAS CREATED FOR YOUR ADULT ESL STUDENTS
Your intermediate to advanced adult ESL students bring real-life experience to every topic, and fear is no exception. These cards give them a structure to build on so they're focused on expressing themselves in English, not on figuring out what to say next. They also work well for older teen students who need conversation practice but don't always know how to get one going.
GRAB IT AND GO
Download it, print what you need, cut the cards apart, and you're set. Laminate if you want. Use the Easel and skip all of that. Either way, you've got 80 prompts that will keep your students talking long after you expected the conversation to wind down.
Questions? Drop them in the Q&A section.
If you teach conversation classes regularly, take a look at my Adult ESL Discussion Topics MEGA Bundle. It pulls together over two thousand discussion questions across 28 themes, so you'll always have something on hand when a conversation stalls or you need to fill time.
For more topics, click here.
You may also be interested in Expressions for Opinions to ensure that your adult ESL students can use a good variety of expressions to ask for and give opinions.
