Conversations / Work
Work Conversation Questions for Adult ESL Classes
Use these 20 discussion questions about Work to run a full speaking lesson with adult learners (B1–B2). Each part opens with a vocabulary warm-up, every question is labelled with the thinking skill it practises, and each part fills roughly thirty minutes of class time on its own.
Reviewed by Brando Oxley · 15 Aug 2026
Part 1
Jobs, Skills, and Working Life
Focus: sharing work experiences, describing jobs, discussing useful skills, comparing workplaces, and explaining career preferences
Think of one object used at work, one action people do at work, and one person or place connected to a job.
Describe each word without saying it directly. Your teacher or partner must guess the word.
EXPERIENCE
What kinds of jobs have you had, studied for, or been interested in?
DESCRIBE
What does a good working day look like for you?
PREFERENCE
What kind of work environment helps you perform well, and why?
SKILL
Which skills are most useful in your current or future work?
COMPARE
Compare working alone with working as part of a team. What are the advantages of each?
PRIORITIZE
Which matters most when choosing a job: salary, interest, stability, flexibility, or opportunities to grow?
PROBLEM-SOLVE
Imagine you have too many tasks and not enough time. How would you decide what to do first?
ADAPT
How should someone prepare when starting a completely new job?
ADVISE
What advice would you give someone who feels unhappy in their job but is afraid to leave?
REFLECT
What makes work feel meaningful rather than simply something people do for money?
Part 2
Workplace Culture and the Future of Work
Focus: discussing workplace relationships, flexibility, stress, leadership, technology, and changing ideas about careers
Choose one word from each category: Person: manager, employee, customer, coworker; Action: present, solve, explain, negotiate; Place: office, shop, home, meeting room; Feeling: confident, stressed, satisfied, frustrated. Use your four words to describe a short scene in two or three sentences.
DISCUSS
What makes a workplace pleasant or unpleasant for employees?
COMPARE
How is working from home different from working in an office?
EVALUATE
What qualities make someone a good manager or team leader?
BALANCE
How can people work hard without allowing work to take over their personal lives?
CULTURE
How are attitudes toward work and working hours different across countries or generations?
PROBLEM-SOLVE
A coworker repeatedly fails to complete their share of the work. How should the team handle the situation?
EVALUATE
Should companies allow employees more freedom to choose when and where they work? Explain your view.
INFLUENCE
How is technology changing the skills that workers need?
PREDICT
What kinds of jobs or working arrangements do you think will become more common in the future?
REFLECT
Do you think people should try to find one long-term career or be open to changing careers several times?