Climate Change
50 conversation questions and prompts
Choose a prompt and share your experience or opinion. Give a reason when you can.
Use the level groups as a guide when choosing prompts for your students.
A1
Beginner (A1)
6 questions
- Where do you hear about climate change?
- What do you do on a very hot day?
- Where can people go on very hot days?
- What helps you stay cool at home?
- Do people you know talk about climate change?
- Is it hot at school or work in summer? What do you do?
A2
Elementary (A2)
8 questions
- What would you like to know about climate change?
- Have you ever stayed home because it was too hot outside?
- What do you do when it is too hot to sleep at home?
- Is it easy or hard for you to use less electricity at home?
- What could your town do to make parks cooler in summer?
- Do you trust climate news you see online?
- What helps a home stay comfortable when hot weather lasts for days?
- Should schools move outdoor sports to cooler hours on very hot days?
B1
Intermediate (B1)
21 questions
- What news about climate change catches your attention?
- Which part of your day changes most during a heat wave?
- Is there a natural place near you that you worry climate change could affect?
- How could your town help people without air conditioning on very hot days?
- If winters became much warmer, what would you miss?
- Have you noticed any changes in local birds or other animals that make you think about climate change?
- Would you pay more for electricity from cleaner sources? Why or why not?
- If summers became hotter where you live, what change to public spaces would help most?
- Has a local place changed after a flood, drought, or long hot spell?
- When does saving energy at home start to feel inconvenient?
- What should a city do when buses cannot run during extreme weather?
- What changes in your neighborhood after weeks with little rain?
- What should schools do when classrooms are too hot for students to focus?
- How can residents tell city leaders what they need during extreme weather?
- How might climate change affect people who work outside where you live?
- Would you travel less by plane if train trips were cheaper but took longer?
- How well does your home handle long periods of heat or heavy rain?
- How could your town make the bus a good choice for more people?
- Would you support turning some parking spaces into bike lanes?
- What do you hope children in your area can still enjoy outdoors as the climate changes?
- When a change saves energy but takes more time, how do you decide if it is worth it?
B2
Upper Intermediate (B2)
11 questions
- Who has the hardest time finding a cool place in your area, and why?
- Does climate change affect where you choose to go on vacation?
- How could employers protect outdoor workers during hotter summers without cutting their pay?
- Who should pay to improve insulation in rented homes: owners, renters, or the government?
- Should cities keep public pools open longer as summers get hotter? What might make that hard?
- What would help you decide whether to stay in a town with growing climate risks?
- How should a city decide which neighborhoods get protection from extreme heat first?
- Should landlords have to make rented homes safe during heat waves?
- Should workers be paid when extreme weather closes their workplace?
- When is it better to rebuild a damaged home, and when is it better to move?
- How should public services help people who cannot afford to prepare for extreme weather?
C1
Advanced (C1)
4 questions
- When does changing your routine for hotter weather feel like an adjustment, and when does it feel like a loss?
- If a flood barrier protects one area but puts another area at greater risk, who should have a say?
- Would you change the date of an annual local event if the climate changed enough? What might be lost?
- How would you weigh future climate risks against what you love about a place when deciding where to settle?