Corruption

Corruption is one of those topics that gets students talking about real-world issues, from everyday bribery to systemic problems. These questions move from simple examples to deeper discussions about power, accountability, and what actually works to fight it.

Questions are organized by level from beginner to advanced. A printable PDF of all the questions is available at the bottom of the page.

Beginner (A1-A2)

1. Have you ever seen corruption in your daily life? Tell me about it.
2. Who is responsible for stopping corruption in your country? What do they do?
3. Is corruption getting better or worse in your country? What do you see?
4. Have you ever had to pay extra money to get something done faster? What happened?
5. Have you ever seen someone cheat on a test or break a rule? What did you do?
6. Have you ever heard of someone getting a job because they knew the right people instead of being the best candidate? What happened?
7. Have you ever heard of a company lying to its customers? What did they lie about?
8. Have you ever had a problem at a government office involving corruption? What happened?
9. Do most people follow the rules in your country, or do they break them? Give me some examples.
10. Has anyone ever asked you for extra money to do their job? What did you say?
11. Do people in your country give gifts to teachers, doctors, or police? What kind of gifts?

Elementary (A2)

1. Is there a lot of corruption in your country? What kind of corruption do people talk about the most?
2. What businesses have the most corruption in your country? Why do you think those businesses have more corruption than others?
3. What recent corruption scandal was in the news? What happened?
4. Who is the most corrupt politician or businessperson you know of? What did they do?
5. What kind of corruption do you hear about the most? Where do you hear about it?
6. Do you see more corruption in big cities or small towns? What’s the difference?
7. What are some rules that people break every day? Which ones do you think are the most common?
8. What kind of workers do people trust the most in your country? (Doctors, teachers, police, etc.)
9. Have you ever seen a government official take a bribe? What did you think of it?
10. What happens to corrupt politicians in your country? Do they go to jail?
11. What do people in your country do when they need to deal with a lot of government paperwork? Do some people pay extra to skip the line?

Intermediate (B1)

1. What are some problems with corruption in the political system of your country?
2. Do you think corruption will always be a part of business and politics? Why or why not?
3. What is the best way to fight corruption in business and politics?
4. Is corruption ever justified? Why or why not?
5. If you were in a position of power, do you think you would be corrupt? Why or why not?
6. What kind of corruption makes you the most angry? Why?
7. What areas of life are most affected by corruption in your country? Why those areas?
8. Do rich people or poor people suffer more from corruption? Why do you say that?
9. What is the most common type of corruption people talk about in your country? Why is it so common?
10. Do you think teachers or professors in your country are usually fair with grades? Why?
11. Should businesses that break rules be punished more severely? Why or why not?
12. What do you think causes corruption in the first place? Give me some examples.
13. Is small-scale corruption as bad as large-scale corruption? Why or why not?
14. Is corruption more common in some countries than others? What makes the difference?
15. Do small bribes in daily life create bigger corruption problems over time? How so?
16. Should politicians have to show the public how much money they make? Why or why not?
17. If you found out your boss was doing something illegal, would you report it? What would you worry about?
18. Do you think paying someone to get better seats at a restaurant or concert is a form of corruption? Where do you draw the line?
19. Should corrupt politicians be banned from politics forever, or should they get a second chance? Why or why not?
20. Do you think people in your country are afraid to speak up about corruption? What stops them?

Upper-Intermediate (B2)

1. Can a corrupt organization ever be more efficient than a less corrupt organization if they are about the same size and in the same industry? How so?
2. How has social media changed the way corruption is exposed and discussed? What are the advantages and disadvantages?
3. How is corruption in democratic countries different from corruption in authoritarian countries? What accounts for those differences?
4. What are the differences between legal corruption and illegal corruption? How much does the distinction matter?
5. How does corruption in the education system affect the quality of professionals a country produces? Give me some examples.
6. What are the advantages and disadvantages of giving government workers higher salaries to prevent corruption?
7. How does corruption affect small businesses compared to large corporations? Who suffers more and why?
8. Some countries have very strict anti-corruption laws but still have a lot of corruption. Why do you think laws alone are not enough?
9. What role does the media play in fighting corruption? What happens when the media itself is controlled by corrupt people?
10. How does corruption in healthcare affect ordinary people differently depending on how much money they have?
11. Some people argue that foreign aid to corrupt governments does more harm than good. What are the strongest arguments on both sides?
12. In many countries, people pay bribes to police officers, doctors, or government workers just to get basic services. Why do you think this keeps happening even when everyone knows it is wrong?
13. Countries that successfully reduced corruption, like Singapore or Denmark, often did it through a combination of strict punishment and cultural change. Which do you think matters more — harsh consequences or changing how people think about corruption?

Advanced (C1)

1. Some of the fastest-growing economies in the world also have high levels of corruption. How can corruption sometimes help economic growth in the short term while destroying it in the long term?
2. When a whole society runs on bribes and favors, an honest person is at a disadvantage. How does corruption punish the people who refuse to participate in it?
3. Anti-corruption campaigns are popular with voters, but many leaders who promised to fight corruption became corrupt themselves once in power. What is it about political power that makes this happen so often?
4. In some cultures, giving gifts to officials is seen as respectful, while in others it is called bribery. How do you decide where the line is between a cultural tradition and corruption?
5. Large international companies sometimes follow strict anti-corruption rules at home but behave very differently in countries where corruption is normal. What does this double standard reveal about how businesses really think about ethics?
6. Corruption often grows during times of crisis, like wars, natural disasters, or pandemics. Why are emergencies such fertile ground for corruption, and what makes it so hard to prevent during those times?
7. How does corruption in one country affect people in other countries? What responsibility do wealthy nations have to address corruption that benefits their own citizens or companies?
8. What role does inequality play in sustaining corruption? How does corruption in turn reinforce inequality?
9. Whistleblowers often lose their jobs, friendships, and reputations for exposing corruption. Why does society tend to punish the people who try to do the right thing, and what does that tell us about how corruption protects itself?
10. Technology like blockchain, body cameras, and digital records was supposed to make corruption harder. In practice, has technology actually reduced corruption, or have corrupt people just found new ways to work around it?
11. In many countries, the most corrupt officials are also the most popular with voters because they deliver jobs, roads, and favors to their communities. What happens to a democracy when corruption is the most effective way to get things done for ordinary people?

PDF: Download a PDF of all the questions