Questions courtes

• Where do you come from?
• What is your home like?
• Tell me about your family. 
• Tell me about your job/studies.
• Is there anything you dislike about your job/studies?
• What type of transport do you use most?
• Do you like reading?
• What kind of television programmes do you watch?
• Tell me about a film you have seen recently.
• Do you have a pet? 
• What kind of food do you like? 
• How often do you go shopping? 
• What’s your favourite festival? Why?
• How do people celebrate this festival? 

Family 

• Do you have a large family or a small family?
• Can you tell me something about them?
• How much time do you manage to spend with members of your family?
• What sorts of things do you like to do together?
• Did/Do you get on well with your family? [Why?]

Accommodation

• What kind of accommodation do you live in? What’s it like?
• Have you always lived there?
• What are the main advantages of this [accommodation]?
• What changes would you like to make to improve it? 
• Would it be easy for you to move to another accommodation?
• Do many people in your country live in such accommodation? 

Neighbourhood 

• Which part of town do you live in? 
• What’s it like? 
• What kind of shops are there in your neighbourhood?
• Do you get along well with your neighbours?
• What’s difficult about living there? 

Education (students) 

• What do you study?
• What is special about this subject? 
• Is there anything you find difficult about it?
• Where do you study…? What’s your university/college like? 

Education (graduates)

• Do you have higher education? 
• What have you studied at university? 
• What did you like about your studies? 
• Was there anything you found difficult? 

Job

• What’s your job? 
• Is it a common job in your country?
• What are your working hours like?
• Do you get a lot of vacation and off time?
• Are you thinking of changing your job? 

Cold weather 

• Have you ever been in very cold weather? [When?] 
• How often is the weather cold where you come from?
• Are some parts of your country colder than others? [Which parts?] 
• Would you prefer to live in a hot place or a cold place? [Why?] 

Laughing 

• What kinds of things make you laugh? 
• Do you like making other people laugh? [Why/Why not?] 
• Do you think it’s important for people to laugh? *Why/Why not?
• Is laughing the same as feeling happy, do you think? [Why/Why not?]

Keeping in contact with people 

• How do you usually contact your friends? [Why?]
• Do you prefer to contact different people in different ways? [Why?] ·
• Do you find it easy to keep in contact with friends and family? [Why/Why not?]
• In your country, did people in the past keep in contact in the same ways as they do today? [Why/Why not?] 

Daily Routine

• What would you like to change in your daily routine? 
• Are all your days the same? 
• Tell me about your typical weekday and your typical weekend.
• What is the balance of work/study and free time in your normal day?

Visitors 

• What would you suggest a visitor should see and do in your country?
• Are there any traditional arts or music you would recommend? 
• Tell me about the kind of foreign visitors or tourists who go to your country. 
• In what ways has tourism changed your country? 

Festivals 

• Tell me about the most important festival in your country. 
• What special food and activities are connected with this festival?
• What do you most enjoy about it?
•  Do you think festivals are important for a country? [Why?] 

Dancing

• Do you enjoy dancing? [Why/Why not?] 
• Has anyone ever taught you to dance? [Why/Why not?]
• Tell me about any traditional dancing in your country.
• Do you think that traditional dancing will be popular in the future? [Why/Why not?] 

Musical instruments

• Which instrument do you like listening to most? [Why?]
• Have you ever learned to play a musical instrument? [Which one?] 
• Do you think children should learn to play a musical instrument at school? [Why/Why not?] 
• How easy would it be to learn to play an instrument without a teacher? [Why?]

Traffic where you live

• How do most people travel to work where you live? 
• What traffic problems are there in your area? [Why?] 
• How do traffic problems affect you? 
• How would you reduce the traffic problems in your area? 

Your friends 

• Do you prefer to have one particular friend or a group of friends? [Why?] 
• Are your friends mostly your age or different ages? [Why?]
• What do you like doing most with your friend/s?
• The last time you saw your friends, what did you do together?
• What makes a friend into a good friend? 
• Do you think it’s important to keep in contact with friends you knew as a child? *Why/Why not? 

Food and cooking

• What kinds of food do you like to eat?
• What kind of new food would you like to try? [Why?]
• Do you like cooking? [Why/Why not?] 
• What was the last meal you cooked? 
• Do you prefer home-cooked food or food from restaurants? [Why?]

Leisure 

• Do you have any hobbies or interests? [What are they?] 
• How did you become interested in (whatever hobby/interest the candidate mentions)?
• What is there to do in your free time in (candidate’s hometown/village)? 
• How do you usually spend your holidays? 
• Is there anywhere you would particularly like to visit? [Why?] 

Your favourite place 

• What place do you most like to visit? 
• How often do you visit this place? 
• Why do you like it so much? 
• Is it popular with many other people? 
• Has it changed very much since you first went there? [In what way?] 

Your country

• Which part of your country do most people live in?
• Tell me about the main industries there.
• How easy is it to travel around your country? 
• Has your country changed much since you were a child? 

Colour 

• What’s your favourite colour? *Why?+ 
• Do you like the same colours now as you did when you were younger? [Why/Why not?] 
• What can you learn about a person from the colours they like? 
• Do any colours have a special meaning in your culture?

Entertainment

• Do you prefer relaxing at home or going out in the evening? [Why?] 
• When you go out for an evening, what do you like to do? 
• How popular is this with other people in your country?
• Is there any kind of entertainment you do not like? [Why/Why not?] 

Clothes 

• How important are clothes and fashion to you? [Why/Why not?]
• What kind of clothes do you dislike? [Why?]
• How different are the clothes you wear now from those you wore 10 years ago?
• What do you think the clothes we wear say about us? 

Fruits 

• Do you eat fruits?
• How often do you eat fruits?
• Where do you buy your fruits from?
• Do you think it’s important for people to eat fruits? *Why/Why not?] 

Books

• Do you like reading books?
• What kind of books do you like to read? [Why?]
• Where do you like to read? [Why?]
• Do others in your family read books too?
• Do you usually buy your books from a special place? [Where?] 

Telephone calls

•  How often are you on the phone? 
• Do you like calling friends or family more often? [Why?] 
• Did you call your friends a lot when you were a child? 
• Do you think children should have to pay their own telephone bills? [Why/Why not?] 

Technology at home/office 

• How often do you use electric appliances at home/office?
• How do you think they help you with your chores?
• Are there any other advantages? 
• Are there any drawbacks to using these appliances? 
• Do you think pe0ople should use electric appliances more often or less often than they do now? [Why/Why not?]

1. Work - What is your job?

- What company do you work for?

- Why did you choose that job?

- Do you like your job?

- Do you get on well with your colleagues?

- What was your first day like?

- What responsibilities do you have at work?

- If you had the chance, would you change your job?

- Do you plan to continue with your job in the future? 

2. Study - What (subjects) do you study?

- Where do you study?

- What is your favourite subject? Why?

- Do you get on with your classmates?

- What was your first day like?

- What teacher do you like? Why?

- If you had the chance, would you change any subject? Why? 

3. Hometown - Where is your hometown?

- Do you like your hometown?

- Do you often visit your hometown?

- What is your hometown like?

- What is the oldest place in your hometown?

- What is there for a foreigner to do or see in your hometown?

- How could your hometown be improved?

- Has your hometown changed much since you were a child?

- Is there good public transportation in your hometown?

- Do you think your hometown is a good place to bring up children? 

4. Home - Where is your home?

- Do you live in a house or a flat?

- Who do you live with?

- Are there many rooms in your home?

- What is your favourite room?

- How are the walls decorated?

- What would you change about your home?

- Do you plan to live there in the future?

- What facilities are there near your home?

- What is your neighbourhood like?

- Do most people live in houses or flats in your country? 

5. Childhood - Did you enjoy your childhood?

- What is your first memory of your childhood?

- Did you have a lot of friends when you were a child?

- What did you enjoy doing as a child?

- Do you think it is better for children to grow up in the city or in the countryside? 

6. Internet - How often do you go online?

- What do you use the internet for?

- How do you get online?

- Do you have your own computer?

- What’s your favourite website?

- Do you think children should be allowed unsupervised access to the internet? 

7. Leisure Time - What is your favourite leisure activity?

- What did you enjoy doing in your free time as a child?

- Do you prefer to spend your free time with other people or alone?

- What is a common leisure activity in your country?

- Do most people in your country get two days off a week?

- Do you think leisure time is important? 

8. Music - Do you like music?

- What’s your favourite type of music?

- Can you sing?

- Did you learn music at school?

- If you could learn a musical instrument, what would it be?

- Do you think music is important? 

9. Birthdays - Do you enjoy your birthdays?

- Do you usually celebrate your birthday?

- What did you do on your last birthday?

- Can you remember a birthday you enjoyed as a child?

- Do most people celebrate their birthdays with a party in your country?

- Which birthdays are considered important in your country? 

10. Clothes - Are clothes important to you?

- What kind of clothes do you usually wear?

- Do you ever wear the traditional clothes of your country?

- Where do you usually buy your clothes?

- Have you ever worn a uniform?

- Do most people in your country follow fashion? 

11. Computers - Do you often use a computer?

- How do you usually get online?

- Do you prefer desktops or laptops?

- What do you use your computer for?

- Do you think it is important to learn how to use a computer? 

12. Daily Routine - When do you usually get up in the morning?

- Do you usually have the same routine every day?

- What is your daily routine?

- Do you ever change your routine?

- Is your routine the same today as it was when you were a child?

- Do you think it is important to have a daily routine? 

13. Dictionaries - Do you often use a dictionary?

- What do you use dictionaries for?

- What kinds of dictionaries do you think are most useful?

- Do you think dictionaries are useful for learning a language?

- What kind of information can you find in a dictionary? 

14. Evenings - What do you often do in the evenings?

- Do you do the same thing every evening?

- Do you prefer to spend your evenings with family or friends?

- Do you ever work or study in the evenings?

- What is a popular activity for young people in your country in the evenings?

- Do you do the same thing in the evenings as you did when you were a child? 

15. Family & Friends - Do you spend much time with your family?

- Who are you closest to in your family?

- Do you prefer spending time with your family or friends?

- Who is your best friend?

- Are you still friends with people from your childhood?

- Is family important in your country? 

16. Flowers - Do you like flowers?

- What’s your favourite flower?

- When was the last time you gave someone flowers?

- Do any flowers have a special meaning in your country?

- Why do you think women like flowers more than men? 

17. Food - What’s your favourite food?

- Have you always liked the same food?

- Is there any food you dislike?

- What is a common meal in your country?

- Do you have a healthy diet?

- What do you think of fast food? 

18. Going Out - Do you often go out in the evenings?

- What do you like to do when you go out?

- Do you prefer going out on your own or with friends?

- How often do you go out in a week?

- Where do most young people like to go out in your country? 

19. Happiness - Are you a happy person?

- What usually makes you happy?

- Does the weather ever affect how you feel?

- What makes you feel unhappy?

- Do you think people in your country are generally happy people? 

20. Hobbies - Do you have a hobby?

- What equipment do you need for it?

- Do you think hobbies should be shared with other people?

- Did you have a hobby as a child?

- What hobbies are popular in your country?

- Why do you think people have hobbies? 

21. Neighbours & Neighbourhood -

- Do you like your neighbours?

- Are neighbours usually close to each other in your country?

- What is your neighbourhood like?

- Do you think your neighbourhood is a good place for children?

- How could your neighbourhood be improved?

- Do you think it is important to have a good relationship with your neighbours? 

22. Newspapers - How do you usually get your news?

- Do you often read the newspapers?

- What kind of news do you usually follow?

- How do most people get the news in your country?

- Do you think international news is important? 

23. Pets - Do you have a pet?

- Do you like animals?

- What’s your favourite animal?

- What is a popular pet to have in your country?

- Did you have a pet as a child?

- Why do people have pets? 

24. Reading - Do you often read?

- What is your favourite kind of book to read?

- Do you often read newspapers?

- Do you have any e-books?

- What books did you read as a child?

- Do you think it is important to encourage children to read? 

25. Shopping - Do you like shopping?

- What’s your favourite shop?

- Do you prefer shopping alone or with others?

- What kinds of shops are there where you live?

- Have you ever bought anything online?

- Do you think men and women have different opinions about shopping? 

26. Sport - Do you like sport?

- What’s your favourite sport?

- Do you often watch sport on TV?

- Did you play sport as a child?

- What is the most popular sport in your country?

- How do most people in your country keep fit? 

27. TV - Do you often watch TV?

- What sorts of things do you watch on TV?

- What is your favourite TV program?

- Do you ever watch foreign programs or films?

- What did you watch on TV when you were a child?

- Do you think children should watch TV? 

28. Transport - How did you get here today?

- What is your favourite mode of transport?

- Do you ever use public transport?

- Do you like the transport system in your country?

- What is the difference between taking a bus and taking a train? 

29. Weather - What’s the weather like today?

- What’s your favourite weather?

- Do you like the weather in your country?

- Is the weather the same in all parts of your country?

- Does the weather ever affect the way you feel?

- Does the weather in your country ever affect transportation?