ESL Conversation Questions - Time (I-TESL-J) (2024)

• Are you on time?
• If you are late, what message does this send to the person who is waiting for you?
• Do you prefer to show up late or early?
• What is your busiest day of the week?
• Do you like to be busy, or do you like to have an easy schedule?
• What takes up most of your time?
• Do you think you manage your time wisely?
• Do you manage time, or does time manage you?
• What do you do if you show up too early for something?
• What do you do if you show up too late for something?
• What do you do if you forget an appointment?
• Do you spend a lot of time when preparing for something?
• How much time do you spend sleeping?
  • Do you wish you could sleep more?
• Does waiting for something bother you?
• Do you get bored easily?
• Do you schedule out what you have to do every week? Do you make a schedule for every day?
• Are you good at getting things done on time?
• Do you think time moves slowly or quickly?
• What would you do if you had a few extra hours in a day?
• Would you rather have more time or more money?
• In your culture, is it polite to always show up on time, or to show up a little late?
• How important is time in your culture?
• Do you think people in America are too concerned with time?
• What time do you get up in the morning?
• What time do you go to bed?
• What time does school start?
• What time is it?
• What time do you go to work?
• What time does your work begin?
• What time does your work end?
• What time do you take a bath in the evening?
• When do you do your homework?
• What time do you like to get up?
• What time do you like to go to bed at night?
• What time do you think high school students should go to bed?
• What's the most significant time of your life? (Significant for any reason: because you liked it or hated it; because of your profession; because of a relationship; or because it was a turning point in your life)
• What's your perception of time now? Does it go by slowly or quickly? What does this depend on?
• Can you do without a watch or a clock? For how long?
• If you could stop time, what would you do and why?
• Do you show up early or late for work? Class? Meeting a friend for lunch? English conversation class?
• Are you a "night owl" or an "early bird"?
• Which time of day do you feel you are most productive in your work or study?
• If you are a punctual person and your mate is not, how do you resolve conflicts that arise?
• If you had the power to stop and restart time, when would you use it?
• Do you show up early or late in your home country verses in the United States?

Time and World History

• If time travel were possible, which period of world history would you like to return to? Why?
• How far into the future would you like to travel? What do you hope to see?
• On your time travels, you can take five objects to show people what life is like towards the end of the 20th century. What five objects would you take? Why?
• Which famous person from the past would you most like to meet? Why?
  • What would you ask this person?
  • How would you spend the time with this person?