To my young learners--Do you want to try some free talk but don't know what to discuss? Here are some ideas we can use during our lessons. These are general topics that can be used anytime. You can also connect them to current events for even deeper discussion. If you have any more ideas, please let me know and I'll add them! Look at the bottom of the page for Junior Debate Topics, too!
Junior Conversation Topics
1. Sports
2. Internet/Computer Games
3. TV Shows/Dramas
4. Movies
5. Comics/Books
6. School Life
7. Music
8. Travel
9. Dreams for the Future
10. Food
11. School Uniforms
12. Pets/Animals
13. North Korea
14. Good and Bad Points About Living in Korea
15. Club Activities/Saturday School
16. Chuseok/Lunar New Year
17. Your Apartment/House
18. Your Neighbors and Neighborhood
19. Snacks
20. Family
21. Smoking/Drinking
22. Academies
23. Universities
24. MP3 Players/Cell Phones/PMPs
25. Your Friends
26. Three Wishes
27. Famous Places in Korea
28. Favorite Person in History
29. Trading Places
30. Transportation (Subway, Bus, Walking, Cars)
31. Climate Change
32. Poverty
33. Diet and Exercise
34. Plastic Surgery
35. Studying English
36. Seasons
37. Country Life/City Life
38. Amusement Parks
39. Foreigners
40. Vacation
41. Games
42. Exams
43. Fashion and Accessories
44. Singing Room/PC Room
45. Things You Hate/Dislike
46. Toys
47. Mysterious Creatures (Lock Ness Monster, Big Foot, etc.)
48. Shopping
49. Comparing America and Korea
50. Guns and Safety
51. Sleep and Dreaming
52. Space, Aliens, and UFOs
53. Money and Allowance
54. Robots and Technology
55. School Rules and Punishments
56. Rich vs. Poor
57. The Best/Worst Day of Your Life
58. Stress
59. When You Are Sick/Going to the Doctor
60. Pet Peeves
61. Social Networks (Cyworld, Facebook, and Twitter)
62. If you were on a deserted island and could only bring 3 things, what would you bring and why?
63. Competition and ranking in school
64. Drugs and Alcohol
65. Love and Dating
66. Superheroes and Superpowers
67. Role Models and Bad Influences
68. Bullying
69. Garbage and Recycling
70. Crime
71. Korea and Japan’s history and rivalry
72. School festival/Sports Day
73. Time Travel
74. Death Penalty/Capital Punishment
75. Military Service
76. Korea’s Problem of Low Birth Rate
77. 20 Questions Game/Market Game
78. Grandparents
79. Stereotypes
80. Suicide
81. Genetic Engineering
82. Handicaps
83. The five most important things in my life
84. Things I am proud of
85. Things that scare me
86. Optimism and Pessimism
87. Bad Habits
88. Creativity, Art, and Imagination
89. Secrets
90. Nationalism
91. Natural Disasters (Earthquakes, Storms, Floods, Fires, etc.)
92. Learning Styles
93. China
94. The Three Most Important People in the World
95. Camping, Hiking, and Outdoor Activities
96. Ghosts, Vampires, and Magic
97. Folktales and Fairytales
98. Gardening and Farming
99. Lies and Cheating
100. Gambling—Is It OK?
101. The Best and Worst of the Past Year
102. New Year’s Resolutions
103. Volunteer Work
104. Emergencies (Fire, Police, Ambulance)
105. Government and Politics
106. School Trip*
107. School Violence*
108. Three Things I Regret in My Life*
109. Parties
110. Children's Day/Parents' Day*
111. The Last Letter Game*
112. Celebrity Gossip*
113. Saunas/Bath houses (Jinjilban)
114. Buddhism/Temples*
115. Picnics*
116. Study Abroad*
117. Your Best and Worst Teachers*
*Student Contributed Ideas
106. School Trip*
107. School Violence*
108. Three Things I Regret in My Life*
109. Parties
110. Children's Day/Parents' Day*
111. The Last Letter Game*
112. Celebrity Gossip*
113. Saunas/Bath houses (Jinjilban)
114. Buddhism/Temples*
115. Picnics*
116. Study Abroad*
117. Your Best and Worst Teachers*
*Student Contributed Ideas
Junior Debate Topics
Do you agree or disagree with the statement? Think of at least three reasons and support each reason with facts or examples.
1. Cats are better than dogs.
2. Soccer is better than baseball.
3. Public transportation is better than personal cars.
4. There should be no dress code at school.
5. Smoking should not be allowed in public places.
6. Drugs like marijuana should be legalized.
7. The age for driving should be lowered.
8. Military service should be optional, not mandatory.
9. There should be no tests in school.
10. Boys and girls should study separately.
11. English should be the only language we speak worldwide.
12. We must always obey our parents.
13. We should develop nuclear weapons.
14. It is important to save all animal species from extinction.
15. Healthcare should be free for all.
16. Abortion should be outlawed.
17. Euthanasia should be allowed.
18. Genetic engineering must be allowed without limit.
19. Tourism is always positive.
20. There is no such thing as global warming.
21. Movies are better than books.
22. Internet lectures are better than attending school.
23. Animals should not be kept in zoos.
24. We should all become vegetarians.
25. North and South Korea must become unified again.
26. Money is the most important thing in life.
27. If I don’t get into a SKY university, my life is over.
28. Family is more important than friends.
29. It is better to give than to receive.
30. Physical education is not an important subject at school.
31. There should be no more academies in Korea.
32. It is important for Korea to possess Dokdo.
33. Recycling is useless.
34. We don’t need to learn English.
35. Academy teachers are better than school teachers.
36. We should never eat sweets.
37. Having hobbies is important even during one’s school days.
38. Studying by oneself is more effective than studying at an academy.
39. Violent video games and computer games are bad.
40. We shouldn’t trust products from China.
41. It is important to trade freely with other countries.
42. Alternative energy is impractical.
43. Technology is a blessing, not a curse.
44. Celebrities are the best role models.
45. Early adopters are just wasting their money.
46. SMS is the best form of communication among friends.
47. We must preserve ancient Korean traditions even in the modern age.
48. Math is the most important subject in school.
49. University is easier than high school/middle school.
50. There is nothing wrong with being fat/obese.
51. The elderly are better off in retirement homes than with their family.
52. It is better to be beautiful/handsome than to be smart.
53. It’s more important to take care of the poor people in our own country that those in other countries.
54. It’s better to be a kid than to be an adult.
55. Large classes are better than classes with a small number of students.
56. Students shouldn't have to do Summer Vacation Homework.*
57. Men are better at sports than women.*
58. Students should attend extra lessons during summer vacation.*
59. It's OK to eat dogs even though some people like to keep them as pets.
60. It is good to have a 5-day a week school week.*
56. Students shouldn't have to do Summer Vacation Homework.*
57. Men are better at sports than women.*
58. Students should attend extra lessons during summer vacation.*
59. It's OK to eat dogs even though some people like to keep them as pets.
60. It is good to have a 5-day a week school week.*
