Conspiracy theories are everywhere these days, and students usually have strong opinions about what’s real and what’s nonsense. These questions range from discussing famous theories to examining why people believe in conspiracies and how misinformation spreads.
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)
- Are you a suspicious or trusting person? Give me an example of why you think so.
- Do you like movies or TV shows about conspiracies? What’s a good one?
- Do you know anyone who believes in conspiracy theories? What do they believe?
- Have you ever heard a conspiracy theory about food or medicine? Tell me about it.
- Do you read about conspiracies online or watch videos about them? What do you prefer?
- Have you seen a documentary about a real cover up? What was it about?
- What do you know about Area 51? Where did you learn about it?
- Have you ever heard a conspiracy theory that you thought might be true? What was it?
- Do you like reading about secrets from the past or secrets about today? Give me an example.
- What is the most famous conspiracy theory in your country? Tell me about it.
Elementary (A2)
- What are some famous real conspiracies or cover ups?
- How often do politicians in your country get in trouble because of cover ups? Can you give me an example?
- Whose job is it to uncover conspiracies and expose cover ups?
- What is the craziest conspiracy theory you have ever heard? What made it so crazy?
- Do you think conspiracy theories are interesting or boring? Give me an example of one you know.
- Where do people in your country usually hear about conspiracy theories?
- If someone told you a big secret, would you keep it or share it? Who would you tell?
- Have you ever believed something that turned out to be false? How did you find out?
- Have you ever looked up facts to check if a conspiracy theory was true? What did you find?
- Have you ever tried to convince someone that a conspiracy theory was false? How did it go?
- Do people in your country talk about conspiracy theories a lot or a little? Can you give me an example?
- If you could ask a world leader one question and they had to tell the truth, what would you ask?
Intermediate (B1)
- What are some common conspiracy theories? Do you think they will be proven or proven wrong?
- Do you think that newspapers sometimes cover up events? Why or why not?
- Do you think it is possible for global conspiracies to exist? Why or why not?
- What are some secret societies you have heard of? Do you think they really exist?
- When are secrets a good thing?
- Do you think some conspiracy theories are harmless, or are they all dangerous? Why?
- What kind of people usually believe in conspiracy theories? Why do you think so?
- Do you prefer conspiracy theories about history or about current events? Why?
- Do you think most conspiracy theories start online or offline? Why?
- Why do you think people create conspiracy theories? What are some common reasons?
- Do you prefer to believe what the government says or do your own research? Why?
- Do you think conspiracy theories are more common now than in the past? Why or why not?
- Should social media companies remove posts about conspiracy theories? Why or why not?
- What makes people believe conspiracy theories even when there’s no proof? Give me some examples.
- Do you think celebrities who talk about conspiracy theories are being irresponsible? Why or why not?
- If you discovered evidence of a real cover up, what would you do?
- Do you think believing in one conspiracy theory makes someone more likely to believe in others? Why or why not?
- Do you think companies ever hide the truth about their products to make more money? Give me some examples.
Upper-Intermediate (B2)
- How open should governments be? Do governments need some secrecy?
- Do you think there is a difference between a conspiracy theory and a real conspiracy? How do you tell them apart?
- How has the internet changed the way conspiracy theories spread compared to how they spread before? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this?
- Compare how mainstream media and alternative media cover controversial events. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
- How do conspiracy theories affect public trust in institutions like governments, scientists, and the media? Can you give me some examples?
- How is investigating a conspiracy theory different from investigating a real crime? What methods are similar?
- Some governments have released classified documents decades after events happened. What are the benefits and risks of declassifying old secrets?
- How do conspiracy theories affect public health? Can you give me some examples, like vaccine hesitancy or distrust of doctors?
- What is the difference between healthy skepticism and harmful conspiracy thinking? Where do you draw the line?
- Why do some conspiracy theories last for decades while others are quickly forgotten? What makes certain ones stick?
- How do conspiracy theories about elections affect democracy? What are the long-term consequences when people stop trusting the voting process?
- How has the relationship between whistleblowers and the public changed over the last few decades? Why do you think so?
- Conspiracy theories often spread faster than corrections or retractions. Why do you think people find the conspiracy more believable than the explanation?
- Throughout history, some conspiracy theories turned out to be true (MKUltra, government surveillance programs). How does this reality make it harder for society to dismiss new conspiracy claims?
- How does believing in conspiracy theories both empower and isolate people? Can you think of examples of each?
Advanced (C1)
- Conspiracy theories are often strongest during times of crisis, such as wars, pandemics, and economic collapse. What is it about uncertainty that makes people look for hidden explanations?
- Some people argue that questioning official stories is essential for democracy, while others say it undermines trust in institutions. Can both of these things be true at the same time?
- Social media algorithms tend to show people content they already agree with. How does this technology interact with conspiracy thinking, and what does it tell us about how beliefs form in the modern world?
- Why do conspiracy theories often target powerful groups, such as governments, banks, and pharmaceutical companies, rather than ordinary people? What does this pattern reveal about how people understand power?
- In many cultures, there is a fine line between folklore, religious belief, and conspiracy theory. How do societies decide which alternative explanations are acceptable and which are dangerous?
- When a conspiracy theory becomes mainstream and millions of people believe it, does it start to matter less whether it is true or false? How does widespread belief in something change its real-world impact?
- Whistleblowers like Edward Snowden are called heroes by some people and traitors by others. What makes the difference between exposing a conspiracy for the public good and betraying your country?
- Governments sometimes use the phrase ‘national security’ to justify keeping secrets from the public. How do leaders decide what the public can handle knowing, and who should have the power to make that decision?
- Some conspiracy theories have led to real-world violence, such as attacks on cell towers, harassment of grieving families, and even attempted coups. At what point does a belief become dangerous enough that society needs to step in, and how do you do that without limiting free speech?
- People who believe in conspiracy theories and people who dismiss them both claim to be ‘thinking for themselves.’ Why do people on opposite sides of an issue both feel like they are the independent thinkers?
- When a real conspiracy is uncovered, like a company hiding pollution data or a government spying on its own people, why does the public often lose interest so quickly? What does that say about how we process uncomfortable truths?