You are learning a new language and want to perfect your skills?
The best way to improve spoken English, your pronunciation and sentence structure is to have a conversation with another speaker of that language. They are the best source of everyday slang.
Another great way to find everyday vocabulary and improve your skills is to listen to English Conversations.
Having an abundant social life and lots of friends or new acquaintances can actually help you get better at language learning.
If you are not yet comfortable with your language skills, it might be hard to start a conversation.
The best tip is to find a common interest with your partner for discussion.
Do you like Game of Thrones? Great.
You're into football and want to fight who is better Ronaldo or Messi?
Or, maybe your passion is fashion, and your speaking buddy would love to discuss new Desigual collection?
All these topics are great.
But sometimes it is hard to start a conversation.
That is why we made this list of Top 10 English conversation topics for a language learner.
Before we dig into our help list, a couple of tips, try to avoid questions in a conversation that can be answered with yes or no?
For instance, don't ask: do you like football? Try with what is your favorite club, and to be sure conversation will go on, follow that up with why.
Also try to avoid personal questions, that could be inappropriate.
1. Where are you from?
You can ask where do you live? Do you live alone, in a house or apartment? What's the weather like there, do you live in a city, town or village, in a suburb or town center?
2. Do you like sports?
What is your favorite sports and athlete? Did you watch the last match, how do you think your club will perform this season? This conversation opener works better with guys, and they could end up talking for hours on who do you like better Liverpool or Manchester City.
3. TV shows and movies
What TV shows do you watch? Did you binge-watch Breaking Bad, who will survive in the last season of Game of Thrones? Who is your favorite actor/actress, director, movie? This is an evergreen topic, and in the age of Netflix, Amazon Prime and other streaming services and TV shows explosion one of your safest bet for a conversation opener.
4. What kind of music do you like?
Unless you're into Norwegian black metal, you could probably find some similar songs or artist you both like. And if not, it's also a significant topic in which you can try to convince that the music you listen is the best.
5. Where do you work?
What do you do for a living? Are you a student? What is your dream job? If you talk to a student, you can extend a conversation with questions about his college or university, favorite or least favorite subjects. For jobs, additional questions can be about the boss, working hours or salary, but that last one is not perceived as a polite question.
6. What was your best travel destination?
Talking about beautiful places can be engaging, and positive emotions from lovely memories can spark a long conversation. What was your favorite holiday? Describe me the most beautiful beach you visited? Which country you visited had the best cuisine?
7. Do you play games?
Do you have Playstation or you like playing games on PC? Are you more into PUBG or Forntite? Do you prefer Pro Evolution Soccer or you are more of Fifa guy? This might seem like another typical male topic, but statistics show that 48% of gamers are women. So, a great conversation opener.
8. Politics and world problems?
What do you think about the American president? What is your opinion on Brexit? Discuss plastic pollution, global warming, religion, social issues, immigration and other unsolved political, social and environmental challenges.
9. Weather
If nothing else works, weather topics are always good conversation fillers. What is your favorite time of year? Do you like sunny time, or do you prefer rain? You can talk about changing of the seasons and what do you do during the winter or in summer, what do you like to eat and drink in different weather.
10. What is your favorite food?
Do you enjoy cooking? What is your perfect meal? Where do you buy your food? Do you eat organic food, or buy only in supermarkets? Do you eat out or dine home cooked meals? Are you more pizza or burger guy, vegetarian or meat lover?
The conversation topics are countless, and some other notable include finances, drugs and alcohol, holidays, pets, famous people, education, charity, books, cars, technology, memories, wars, hobbies...
The best English conversation topics are those you have in common with the person you are speaking with.
Find an English conversation partner and talk as much as you can.
If you’re looking for other ways to improve your English, try these leading online learning platforms: Start with Babbel, where you can engage in user-friendly, enjoyable lessons that easily fit into your daily routine, designed to make learning English fun and effective. For a deeper understanding of the language, check out Courseras comprehensive English course that cover everything from beginner basics to advanced nuances. For tailored guidance, Preply offers personalized sessions with native English speakers, significantly enhancing your conversational skills. Benefit from a 50% discount on your first session at Preply with this link.
What can I discuss with native speakers in English?
You can discuss the weather, hobbies, music, movies, but don't ask personal questions if you aren't friends yet.
Why people always talk about the weather in English?
Weather topics are neutral and they help break the ice between people.
How to improve English speaking skills?
Having an abundant social life and lots of friends or new acquaintances can help you get better at language learning.
Why is it hard to start a conversation in English?
The speaking skills might be too low, but there are a number of topics that can be discussed even if you don't have a wide vocabulary.
How to find a topic for disscution in English?
It depends on your interests and language skills, you can discuss finances, drugs and alcohol, holidays, pets, famous people, education, charity, books, cars, technology, memories, wars, hobbies and so on.
