questions and conversation in the classroom

There are lots of ideas out there on how to stimulate conversation in class...

And one of the easiest ways to get a conversation going - and to keep it going - is to ask lots of questions:

Lists of questions:
ESL Conversation Questions (EFL discussion questions on many topics) English Current

Here's another, great example:

A: Do animals talk to each other?
B: Of course they talk to each other.
A: What do they talk about?
B: They talk about other animals.
A: What else do they talk about?
B: They talk about food and the weather.
A: Do they talk about us?
B: Of course they talk about us.
A: What do they say about us?
B: They say that we are funny-looking.
A: Ha! We're not funny-looking; animals are funny-looking.
B: We're funny-looking because we wear clothes.

Conversations for ESL/EFL Beginners

Another great list of questions:
Conversation Questions for the ESL/EFL Classroom (I-TESL-J)

for example:

Selected Questions

• Do you have a pet?
• How old is it?
• Where did you get it from?
• Who takes care of it?
• What does it look like (color, breed, etc.)?
• What do you feed it?
• Do you play with it?
• What is it's name? How did you choose this name?
• Does it know any tricks or understand any words?
• If you don't have a pet, why not?
• Would you ever consider getting a pet?
• Did you grow up with pets in your home?
• What are the pros and cons of keeping a pet?
• What is the best pet to own?
• What are some animals that live in your country?
• Are there animal rights groups where you live?
• Are you afraid of snakes? What is the biggest snake you have seen? Are there any poisonous snakes in your country?
• Are you frightened of spiders? What do you do if you see one?
• Can you name some endangered species?
• Have you ever ridden a horse?
• Are there birds or squirrels in your neighborhood?

More Questions

• Do you think it is right to keep wild animals in captivity all there life
• Is it morally right to spend a lot of money on pets, rather than helping people in need?
• Why are pets, not people used for medical research?
• What is your favorite animal?
• Have you ever had a pet?
• What kind of pet would you like to have in the future?
• Have you ever been to the zoo? What animals did you see there?
• Have you ever been on a farm? What animals did you see there?
• Do you ever bird watch?
• Do you think people should wear fur coats?
• Should animals be kept in a zoo?
• Do you know any endangered species?

ESL Conversation Questions - Animals & Pets (I-TESL-J)

And some lesson plans for stimulating questions:
TEFL Conversation Lesson Plans

See also:
Jay Doubleyou: how to ask indirect or polite questions

and:
Jay Doubleyou: questioning and problem-solving
Jay Doubleyou: socratic method
Jay Doubleyou: socratic method pt 2
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