Space
79 conversation questions and prompts
Choose a question. Share your experience or opinion, and explain it when you can.
Use the level groups as a guide when choosing prompts for your students.
A1
Beginner (A1)
7 questions
- Would you like to travel into space? Why or why not?
- Is space exciting or scary to you?
- Do you ever look for planets in the sky?
- Would you like to sleep in space for one night? How many nights would you like to stay?
- Can you see a lot of stars from your home?
- Do you watch videos or documentaries about space?
- Do you like space stories in books or in movies?
A2
Elementary (A2)
24 questions
- What is the most interesting thing you know about space?
- What is the most interesting planet (besides Earth) in our solar system?
- What would you like to see in a space museum?
- Would you like to try on a space suit? What do you think would be the most uncomfortable thing about it?
- Are you more interested in rockets or planets?
- Have you ever seen a satellite move across the sky?
- What was the last thing in the night sky that made you stop and look?
- Would you rather watch a rocket launch or a meteor shower?
- What do you picture when someone says 'alien'?
- When you were a child, what did you think the Moon was like?
- Have you ever seen a shooting star? Where were you?
- Where have you seen the most stars?
- Have you ever seen an eclipse? What was it like?
- Would you go outside late to watch a meteor shower?
- Did you want to be an astronaut when you were a child?
- Has a space movie ever scared you?
- What have you seen in the night sky that you couldn't name?
- If you could take one photo from space, what would you take a picture of?
- Have you ever slept outdoors under the stars? Where?
- Do you remember a picture of space that surprised you? What was in it?
- Have you ever searched online after seeing something unusual in the sky?
- Do you ever play games set in space? Which ones?
- How often do you use the satellite view on a map? What is better about the satellite view?
- Do you hear about space news by chance, or do you look for it?
B1
Intermediate (B1)
24 questions
- What do you think about space tourism?
- How important is learning about space?
- What is your favorite space movie or TV show? How realistic is it?
- What characteristics make a good astronaut?
- Do you prefer space stories that feel real or ones that are pure fantasy?
- What space news has stayed in your memory?
- What space discovery would you most like to see in your lifetime?
- What do you find hardest to imagine about space?
- Have you ever changed your mind about the possibility of life beyond Earth?
- What ordinary part of an astronaut's day would you want to ask about?
- If someone you cared about joined a risky space mission, would you follow every update or avoid the news?
- Do you think you would enjoy living on a space station after the first week?
- What everyday activity do you think would feel most different in low gravity?
- What did you expect people to be doing in space by now when you were younger?
- Would you rather watch a documentary about a failed space mission or a successful one?
- Tell me about a time the night sky made a trip memorable.
- How has your view of the night sky changed since you were a child?
- Does knowing the names of stars change how you enjoy looking at them?
- Does a sky full of stars make you feel calm, curious, or uneasy?
- Would you travel a long way to see an eclipse that lasts only a few minutes?
- Have you ever been surprised by how a place looked in a satellite image?
- What kind of place would you like to see in a live view from space?
- Do you care more about the people on a space mission or what they discover?
- Which would you fund: a safer mission with a small goal or a risky mission with a big goal?
B2
Upper Intermediate (B2)
20 questions
- Will humans ever travel to different solar systems?
- Would you agree to help colonize a planet if you knew you couldn't come back to Earth?
- What is the most important thing for astronomers to research?
- What do you think of your country's involvement in space?
- What evidence would convince you that scientists had found life beyond Earth?
- Would evidence of ancient life on Mars or life on a distant planet today affect you more?
- If simple life were found on another planet, should we send people there?
- Should humans send messages into space when we do not know who might receive them?
- Do you think space exploration is driven most by curiosity, national pride, or business?
- What kind of space news is most likely to disappoint you after you read beyond the headline?
- Do images of Earth from space make you feel closer to other people or more alone?
- If a new settlement on the Moon needed rules, should its first residents write them or people on Earth?
- Should a space agency run many small missions or save up for one major mission?
- If you could fund only one, would you choose a space telescope or better satellite weather warnings?
- Would you support a research mission that also carried paying tourists?
- If a satellite company closed, who should pay to remove its old equipment from orbit?
- If a company paid for a space mission, should it be able to keep the results private for a while?
- Should scientists or the public have more say in which missions get funding?
- Should satellite images of Earth be open to everyone, or should some be restricted?
- Would you back a mission that helped another country more than your own?
C1
Advanced (C1)
4 questions
- Can a space agency from one country speak for humanity if it discovers life elsewhere?
- Could finding life elsewhere make conflicts on Earth worse instead of bringing people together?
- How would the answers we get from space research differ if private companies funded it instead of governments?
- Who should be able to limit new satellite launches when countries disagree?
For some more space based activities you might try some space trivia questions. Even though they are meant for native speakers they can still be a good resource for ESL teachers / students. Try having the students find the answers in groups and present their answers.