Risk-taking is one of those topics that students have genuinely different opinions on, which makes for great discussion. These questions explore everything from small everyday risks to bigger life decisions.
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)
- Do you like watching videos of people doing dangerous stunts? What kind?
- Do you like to try new things? What is something new you tried recently?
- What is the most dangerous job you can think of? What makes it so dangerous?
- Are you afraid of heights? What is the tallest place you have been to?
- Have you ever broken a rule at school or at work? What happened?
- Do you like swimming in the ocean or in deep water? Why?
- Would you ever hold a snake, a spider, or another scary animal? Which ones would you never touch?
- Do you like fast rides, like go-karts or jet skis? What is the fastest thing you have ever been on?
- Have you ever trusted a stranger and it turned out well? Tell me about it.
- What is something you did as a child that was dangerous? Did you get in trouble?
Elementary (A2)
- What is the biggest risk you have ever taken? How did it turn out?
- Do you like activities that are a little dangerous, like roller coasters, motorcycles, or fast driving? What do you like about them?
- Who is the bravest or most daring person you know? What makes them so brave?
- Have you ever traveled somewhere alone? How did it go?
- Have you ever lent money to a friend or family member? How did that go?
- What is the scariest thing you have ever seen someone else do? What happened to them?
- Have you ever started something new, like a sport, a hobby, or a class, and found it harder than you expected? Tell me about it.
- Have you ever told someone a secret and then regretted it? What happened?
- Have you ever bet money on something, like a game or a sports match? How did it go?
- Have you ever spoken up or disagreed with someone in charge, like a teacher or a boss? Why did you do it?
- What is the most adventurous thing on your bucket list? Why do you want to do it?
Intermediate (B1)
- Have you ever done something adventurous or scary? (For example, tried an extreme sport, traveled somewhere alone, or spoken in front of a crowd.) Was it worth it?
- Are you the kind of person who likes to try new things, or do you prefer to stick with what you know? Why?
- What are three things you would never do, no matter what? Why not?
- If you could try one scary or exciting activity for free, like skydiving, surfing, or rock climbing, which one would you choose? Why?
- Have you ever quit a job or walked away from something important because it felt wrong? What made you do it?
- Do you prefer taking risks alone or with other people? Why?
- What is something most people are too afraid to try? Why do you think they are scared of it?
- What is something risky that a lot of your friends do but you don’t? Why don’t you do it?
- Do you think you take more risks now or when you were younger? Why?
- Do you think people who take big risks in their careers, like quitting a comfortable job to start their own business, are brave or foolish? Why or why not?
- If you could go back and take a risk you were too scared to take, what would it be? What stopped you at the time?
- If you could quit your job or school tomorrow and do anything you wanted, what would you do? What is stopping you?
- Some people say you should do one thing every day that scares you. Do you agree? Why or why not?
- How do you feel about people who say ‘you only live once’ as a reason to do something dangerous or irresponsible? Do you agree with that attitude?
Upper-Intermediate (B2)
- Do you think men and women take different kinds of risks? How so?
- Do you think fear is more useful or more harmful when it comes to taking risks? How so?
- Do you think social media makes people more or less likely to take risks? Give me some examples.
- What do you think makes someone a good decision-maker when facing a risky choice? Is it something you can learn or is it a natural ability?
- Is it riskier to make a big decision too quickly or to wait too long and overthink it? What are the downsides of each?
- How has the rise of insurance, safety regulations, and technology changed the way people think about risk? Do you think these things make us more or less willing to take chances?
- How does where you grow up (your country, your family’s wealth, your culture) shape how much risk you feel comfortable taking in life?
- Some people argue that entrepreneurs and risk-takers deserve their rewards because they put in effort and took chances. Others argue that luck plays a bigger role than people admit. What do you think?
- How do movies, TV shows, and news media portray people who take big risks? Do you think these portrayals are accurate, or do they distort reality?
- What are the biggest risks that young people face today that older generations didn’t have to worry about as much? What can be done to help them navigate those risks?
- How is the risk of starting a business different now compared to 30 years ago? Has it become easier or harder, and for whom?
- How do governments decide which risks are acceptable for society and which ones need to be regulated? Give me some examples.
- Is it possible to take too many safety precautions, to the point where they actually cause more problems than they solve? What are some examples?
- People often say they regret the risks they didn’t take more than the ones they did. Why do you think that is, and does knowing this actually change how people behave?
Advanced (C1)
- How does a person’s culture or upbringing shape whether they see risk as exciting or dangerous, and does that shaping ever become a ceiling that limits what they think is possible for them?
- When companies take risks with their employees’ livelihoods, like sudden layoffs, restructuring, or moving operations overseas, how should we think about the difference between ‘bold business decision’ and ‘harm to real people’?
- How do the risks that society celebrates, like launching a startup or climbing a mountain, differ from the risks that society ignores or punishes, like leaving an abusive relationship, speaking out at work, or trusting a stranger? What does that gap reveal?
- Some people argue that modern life has become so safe and predictable that people now manufacture risk through extreme sports, gambling, or reality TV. Do you think that’s true, and if so, what does it say about what humans actually need?
- How does the way risk is communicated by governments, media, or scientists shape public behavior? And what happens when that communication turns out to have been wrong or misleading?
- When young people from disadvantaged backgrounds take economic risks, such as starting a business with no safety net or leaving a stable job to pursue something uncertain, are those the same kinds of risks as when wealthy people do the same? What does calling it ‘risk-taking’ in both cases actually mean?
- When someone takes a risk and succeeds, we call them a visionary. When they fail, we call them foolish. How much of what we call ‘good judgment’ is actually just luck, and how does this affect the advice we give others?
- Some parents try to protect their children from every possible risk, while others believe that facing danger and failure is essential for growing up. How does a society’s approach to childhood risk affect the kind of adults it produces?
- Climate change, pandemics, and financial crises are all risks that everyone shares but no single person can control. How do people and governments handle risk differently when the danger is collective rather than individual, and why is collective risk so much harder to manage?
- Some people become addicted to risk itself like day traders, extreme athletes, or serial entrepreneurs. Why do you think risk becomes a need rather than a tool for some people, and how does society treat that differently depending on whether the risk-taker is winning or losing?