Social issues give students something real to argue about: poverty, inequality, healthcare, discrimination, mental health. These are topics they’ve all encountered in some form. The questions work across levels, from simple observations about their own communities to deeper debates about why these problems exist and who should fix them.
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)
- What is the most common job for men in your country? How about for women?
- What are three things that rich people have that poor people often do not have?
- Do you have a hospital or a clinic near your home? How far is it?
- Are there any homeless people in your city or town? Where do you usually see them?
- Do children in your country go to school for free, or do families have to pay? How much does it cost?
- Is there a lot of pollution in your city? What kind? (Air, water, trash, etc.)
- Do old people in your country usually live with their families or in a care home? What is more common?
- Are there places in your city where people can get free food? What kind of places are they?
- What do people in your country do to help their neighbors when something bad happens? (A fire, a flood, someone getting sick, etc.)
- Do you see people with disabilities in your daily life? (At school, at work, on the bus, etc.) Where do you see them?
- Is drinking water clean and safe in your city? Do people usually drink tap water or buy bottled water?
- Do some areas of your city look very different from other areas? What do you notice?
Elementary (A2)
- What is the biggest problem in your city or town? What makes it so bad?
- Do you know anyone who has had a hard time finding enough food or money for basic things? What was the situation like?
- Have you ever seen a homeless person asking for help? What did you do?
- Are boys and girls treated the same way at school in your country? What are some differences?
- Is healthcare free in your country, or do people have to pay for it? How does it work?
- Have you ever seen someone being treated unfairly because of how they look, where they are from, or who they are? What happened?
- What kind of volunteer work do people do in your country? Have you ever tried it?
- Who do you talk to when you feel stressed or worried? How do they help you?
- Have you ever donated to a charity? Why did you choose that one?
- Are there any areas in your city where people say it is dangerous to walk alone at night? Why do people think that?
Intermediate (B1)
- Do you think it is harder to be poor in a big city or a small town? Why?
- What do most people think causes homelessness? Do you agree?
- Do men and women earn the same amount of money for doing the same jobs in your country? Why do you think that happens?
- Do people in your country talk openly about mental health, or is it something people avoid? Why?
- What is one thing about your country that you wish was more fair? Why?
- Do you think education is more expensive now than it was for your parents? Why?
- Do you prefer to give money directly to homeless people or donate to organizations that help them? Why?
- Is there a lot of crime in your area, or is it pretty safe? Why do you think that is?
- Should wealthy people pay more taxes to help people living in poverty? Why or why not?
- Do you think gun violence is mainly a social problem, a mental health problem, or a political problem? What makes you say that?
- Is drug addiction treated more as a crime or a health problem in your country? What do you think the right approach is?
- Do you think the government should provide free healthcare for everyone? Why or why not?
- What do you think is the most important social issue in your country right now? What makes it so serious?
- Should the government do more to help homeless people? Why or why not?
- Should schools teach students about social issues like racism, poverty, and climate change? Why or why not?
- Do you think it is getting easier or harder for young people to find good jobs? What makes you think so?
- Do you think protests and demonstrations actually change anything, or are they a waste of time? What examples come to mind?
- How do you think a person’s life changes when they become disabled? What kind of support do they need the most?
Upper-Intermediate (B2)
- How does growing up in poverty affect a child’s chances of success later in life? What can be done to improve that?
- How has social media changed the way people fight for social justice? What are the strengths and weaknesses of online activism?
- What are the main reasons some countries have a very large gap between the rich and the poor, while others have a smaller gap? Why do you think so?
- How do stereotypes and discrimination affect the mental health of people who experience them regularly? How is this issue handled in your country?
- Workers’ rights, like minimum wage, sick leave, and unions, are much stronger in some countries than others. Why do you think that is, and what difference does it make for workers’ daily lives?
- How is the experience of being homeless different from what most people imagine? What do people commonly misunderstand about it?
- How do the neighborhoods people grow up in shape their education, health, and future opportunities? What patterns do you see in your own country?
- How do traditional gender roles both help and limit people in modern society? Have these roles changed much in your country?
- What happens to a society when the gap between the richest and poorest people keeps growing? What are the long-term consequences?
- Older generations and younger generations often think very differently about mental health. How is the conversation changing, and is that a good thing?
- Many countries now have laws against discrimination based on race, gender, or religion, but discrimination still happens. Why do you think laws alone aren’t enough to change how people treat each other?
- Companies increasingly talk about social responsibility like supporting diversity, protecting the environment, fighting inequality. How do you tell the difference between a company that genuinely cares and one that is just using social issues for marketing?
Advanced (C1)
- Social media gives ordinary people a platform to speak out about injustice, but it also spreads misinformation and outrage quickly. How do both of these forces shape the way social movements succeed or fail today?
- When a country takes in a large number of refugees, both the refugees and the local population face challenges. What tensions arise, and how can a society manage them without sacrificing either group’s well-being?
- Some people argue that true equality means treating everyone the same, while others say it means giving extra support to disadvantaged groups. Where do you think the line is, and what are the risks of each approach?
- Many people believe in equality but still benefit from systems that produce inequality, whether in education, housing, or hiring. How does that gap between personal belief and systemic reality make social change so slow?
- In many countries, addiction is treated as a moral failure rather than a medical condition, even as evidence grows that it is largely a brain disease. Why do you think that view persists, and what would it take to change it?
- Economic growth has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty in the last 50 years, yet inequality within countries has also grown sharply. How can the same process produce both of these outcomes at the same time?
- Access to technology is often described as a great equalizer, giving everyone access to information and opportunity. But in reality, people who already have money and education tend to benefit the most from new technology. How does this ‘digital divide’ reinforce the very inequalities it was supposed to fix?
- Poverty in wealthy countries looks very different from poverty in developing countries, but both exist. What does it reveal about a society when people are poor in a country that has plenty of wealth?
- Older generations often say that young people are too sensitive about social issues, while younger generations say older people are too comfortable with things that are unfair. Is this just a normal generational disagreement, or is something deeper going on?
- Many people support social causes online, sharing posts, signing petitions, changing profile pictures, but never take action in the real world. Is this kind of ‘slacktivism’ actually harmless, or does it make people feel like they have done their part when they really haven’t?