Honest review · Classroom-tested

ESL Discussions Review: 14,000+ Conversation Questions for Speaking Class

ESL Discussions is a free speaking-practice site with 14,000+ conversation questions across 700+ topics. Here's what teachers actually get, what works in class, and what to pair it with.

#1 Pick for Free Speaking-Prompt Banks

Ready to try ESL Discussions?

"14,000+ questions across 700+ topics — the largest free discussion-question bank we have seen for ESL."

Best for

ESL teachers running conversation classes who need quick, ready-to-print discussion prompts for intermediate students and above.

Pricing

Free

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Pro tip — heads up before you bookmark it

A note on level tagging

ESL Discussions does not label topics by CEFR level. Topics work best for B1+ students; for lower levels, pre-teach vocabulary from the linked vocab lists before running the conversation.

What is ESL Discussions?

ESL Discussions is a free speaking-practice site that hosts over 14,000 conversation questions across roughly 700 topics. Topics range from Abbreviations and Babies to World Hunger and the Future, organised alphabetically A–Z.

Each topic page follows the same structure: a short title, a list of 20 questions split into two halves — Student A's questions and Student B's questions — plus a vocabulary support page linked from the menu.

The site is maintained by Sean Banville, who also runs Breaking News English, one of the largest free current-events ESL sites on the web. The design is intentionally plain — minimal CSS, no animations, no tracking, no account system.

Every topic can be exported as a printable PDF or Word handout, which is the main reason teachers keep coming back: prep takes about 30 seconds.

How teachers use it

ESL Discussions works best for these specific scenarios:

Pair-work warm-ups: hand each student the A or B half and let them run the conversation for 10–15 minutes while you monitor.
Printable conversation homework: PDF handouts work even when students have no internet at home. Useful for low-tech contexts.
Substitute teacher plans: print 3–4 topics by level and leave them. Students self-direct the conversation.
Debate prep: the controversial topics (Abortion, Capital Punishment, Euthanasia, Gun Control) give pairs a clean debate scaffold.
Vocabulary lead-ins: each topic links to a related vocabulary list — pre-teach terms before running the discussion.

Is it worth your time?

Yes — for the specific job of running a speaking class without prep, ESL Discussions is genuinely one of the best free resources available. The combination of 14,000+ questions, printable handouts, and a no-signup model covers the core speaking-class workflow.

The main trade-off is the design. The site looks like it was built in the mid-2000s and has not been updated since. Mobile usability is acceptable but not great. Search is basic. There is no progress tracking. None of that matters if you want printable prompts, fast.

Honest recommendation: bookmark ESL Discussions as your primary free conversation-question bank. Pair it with ESL Discussion Topics (for PDF format variety) or one of the structured paid lesson-plan services (ESL Brains, Teach-This) when you want full lesson plans around the discussion.

The honest pros and cons

What works

14,000+ questions, free Largest free question bank we have seen. No signup required.
Printable PDF & Word Every topic exports cleanly. Works offline, no student account needed.
Pair-work built in Student A / Student B split is right there on the page.
Vocabulary support Each topic links to related vocab lists for pre-teaching.
No ads or tracking Safe for student devices. No data collection.
Controversial topics available Strong debate prompts (Abortion, Euthanasia, Capital Punishment).

What doesn't

Dated design Mid-2000s interface. Mobile works but is not optimised.
No level tags Topics are not labelled A2/B1/B2 — you have to read the questions to gauge fit.
No audio Pure text. No listening practice or model pronunciation.
Basic search Alphabetical A–Z index only. No topic filtering by theme.
No progress tracking Students cannot save which topics they have completed.
Some topics older Cultural references date back years; review before printing.

Best alternatives

If ESL Discussions isn't a fit, these are the resources teachers actually switch to:

ESL Discussion Topics

1,000+ discussion questions with multiple PDF formats (individual, pairs, threes, cards).

Breaking News English

Lesson plans built around current news stories. Strong on listening, reading and vocabulary.

Conversation Starters World

Hundreds of short conversation-starter prompts. Quick for warm-ups and icebreakers.

ESL Brains

Lesson plans built around TED talks and authentic videos. Structured, ready to teach.

Crystal Clear ESL

Ready-to-teach conversation lesson packs for adults, with audio and teacher notes.

Frequently asked questions

What is ESL Discussions?

A free ESL speaking-practice site with over 14,000 conversation questions across 700+ topics, organised A–Z. Each topic page contains 20 questions split into Student A / Student B sets for pair work.

Is ESL Discussions free in 2025?

Yes. The site is fully free, with no signup, no ads displayed in the lesson content, and printable PDF / Word handouts for every topic.

What level is ESL Discussions for?

Intermediate (B1) and above. Each topic includes 20 questions that progress from accessible to more complex, so stronger students push further while weaker ones still find entry points.

Can students use ESL Discussions independently?

Yes. The site works as a self-service speaking resource — students pick a topic, read the Student A / Student B split, and run the conversation without teacher prompts.

Does ESL Discussions have vocabulary support?

Each topic page links to related vocabulary lists on the same domain, which is useful for pre-teaching key terms before running a discussion.

Who runs ESL Discussions?

The site is maintained by Sean Banville, the same teacher behind Breaking News English — one of the largest free ESL resources on the web.

What are the best alternatives to ESL Discussions?

ESL Discussion Topics (more structured PDF formats), Conversation Starters World (shorter prompts), and Breaking News English (current-events based). For paid, structured lesson plans: ESL Brains and Teach-This.

Ready to run your next speaking class without prep?

Pick a topic, print the PDF, hand out the A/B split. Your students do the rest. Free, no signup, 14,000+ questions to choose from.

Visit ESL Discussions