Culture

• What are some things that define a culture? For example, music, language, …
• What do you think is interesting about your culture?
• Do you know much about your own culture?
• When people from other countries think about your culture, what do they usually think of?
• In your culture is it polite to be straightforward and direct when you talk to someone?
  • To whom is it OK and to whom is it not OK?
• What has surprised you when you’ve met people from other countries?
• Have you looked at Internet pages from a different culture? If so, how were they different from those of your own culture?
• What do you like about your culture?
• What don’t you like about your culture?
• How do young people in your culture behave differently from older people?
• How do young people in your culture behave differently from people in this culture?
• Are there many people of different cultures in your country? Are you friends with any?
• Have you ever felt confused by the actions of someone from another culture?
  • If so, tell me about it.
• How are your language teachers who are not from your country different from your other teachers?
  • How are they the same?
• Who in your culture do you admire most?
• What your culture are you most proud about?
• Why do you think culture is important?
• If you could change one thing about your culture, what would it be?
• Would you ever consider marrying or dating someone from another culture?
• Would you ever consider living permanently in a country other than your home country? Why or why not?
• What does it mean to be polite in your culture?
• What is considered rude in your culture?
  • Is there anything in this culture that is considered rude that may not be considered rude in your culture?
• If a group of people just came to your country from overseas, what advice would you give them?
• What other cultures have you met people from?
• What do you think is important when visiting another culture?
• Do you think “when in Rome, do as the Romans do” is always good advice? Why or why not?
• Have you ever been in a situation where you felt you had to “do as the Romans do”?
• What culture besides your own do you admire and why?
• If aliens visited your country, what might surprise them?
• Do you pray before each meal?
• How do you feel when you leave your home culture and enter into a completely new culture?
• What is the best/most important thing your culture has given to the world?
• What is the best/most important thing your culture/country has adopted from another culture?
• If you could choose three aspects of your culture to put in a “time box” for the future, what would you put in it?
• What is culture shock?
• Have you ever experienced culture shock?
• What is reverse, or re-entry, culture shock?
• Have you ever experienced reverse culture shock?
• On what occasions do you exchange flowers in your country?
• On what occasions do you exchange flowers in your country?
• What are some things that define a culture? For example, music, language, …
• Do you know much about your own culture?
• What do you think is interesting about your own culture?
• What do you like most about your own culture?
• What do you like least about your culture?
• What does it mean to be polite in your culture?
• What is considered rude in your culture? Is there anything in Canadian culture that is considered rude in your culture?
• In your culture is it polite to be straightforward and direct when you talk to someone? To whom is it OK and to whom is it not OK?
• What has surprised you when you’ve met people from other countries?
• How do young people in your culture behave differently from older people?
• How do young people in your culture behave differently from people in Canada?
• Are there people of different cultures in your country? Are you friends with any of them?
• What other cultures have you met people from?
• Have you ever felt confused by the actions of someone from another culture? If so, tell me about it.
• How are your language teachers different from your teachers in your culture? How are they the same?
• What are the five most important values of your culture? (For example, Family)
• What in your culture are you most proud about?
• If you could change one thing about your culture, what would it be?
• Would you ever consider marrying or dating someone from another culture?
• Would you ever consider living permanently in a country other than your home country? Why or why not?
• Do you think “when in Rome, do as the Romans do” is always good advice? Why or why not? Have you ever been in a situation where you felt you had to “do as the Romans do”?
• What do you think is important when visiting another culture?
• If a group of people just came to your country from overseas, what advice would you give them?
• What culture besides your own do you admire? Why?
• If aliens visited your country, what might surprise them?
• What is the best/most important thing your culture has given to the world?
• What is the best/most important thing your culture/country has adopted from another culture?
• What are some things that define a culture? For example, music, language, …

Customs

• What customs do you practice?
• What are your favorite customs?
• What customs do you think should be revised?
• What customs do you think should no longer be practice?
• What customs (from elsewhere) do you think should be included in our culture?

Travel

• Have you ever been abroad?
• Where have you been?
• Are you planning on going anywhere for your next vacation?
  • If so, where?
  • Who with?
  • How long will you stay?
• Are you afraid of going abroad alone?
• Could you live in another country for the rest of your life?
• Describe the most interesting person you met on one of your travels.
• What was your best trip.
• What was your worst trip.
• Did your class in high school go on a trip together?
  • If so, where did you go?
  • How long did you stay?
  • How did you get there?
• Do you have a driver’s license?
• Do you like to travel with children? Why or why not?
• Do you like to travel with your mother? Why or why not?
• Do you prefer summer vacations or winter vacations?
• Do you prefer to travel alone or in a group? Why?
• Do you prefer to travel by train, bus, plane or ship?
• Do you prefer traveling by car or by plane?
• Have you ever been in a difficult situation while traveling?
• Have you ever been on an airplane?
  • How many times?
  • What airlines have you flown with?
• Have you ever been to a foreign country?
• Have you ever gotten lost while traveling? If so, tell about it.
• Have you ever hitchhiked? If so, how many times?
• Have you ever taken a package tour?
• How do you spend your time when you are on holiday and the weather is bad?
• How many countries have you been to? How many states?
• How many times have you traveled abroad?
• How much luggage do you usually carry?
• If you traveled to South America, what countries would like to visit?
• If you went to ___(Insert a country name)__, what kind of souvenirs would you buy?
• If you were going on a camping trip for a week, what 10 things would you bring? Explain why.
• What are some countries that you would never visit? Why would you not visit them?
• What are some things that you always take with you on a trip?
• What countries would you like to visit? Why?
• What countries would you most like to visit?
• What countries would you not like to visit? Why?
• What country do you most want to visit?
  • Why?
  • Do you think you will ever go there?
• What do you need before you can travel to another country?
• What is the most interesting city to visit in your country?
• What is the most interesting souvenir that you have ever bought on one of your holidays?
• What languages can you speak?
• What place do you want to visit someday?
• What was the most interesting place you have ever visited?
• What’s the most beautiful place you’ve ever been to?
• When was the last time your traveled?
• When you are on a long car journey do you play games or sing songs to occupy your time?
  • What kind of games?
  • What songs?
• Where are you going to go the next time you travel?
  • When are you going to go?
  • Who are you going to go with?
  • How long are you going to go for?
  • What are you going to do there?
  • What kind of things do you think you will buy?
• Where did you go on your last vacation?
  • How did you go?
  • Who did you go with?
• Where did you spend your last vacation? Your summer vacation? Your Christmas vacation?
• Where will you go on your next vacation?
• Would you like to take a cruise? Where to? With who?
• Do you prefer traveling on a hovercraft or a ferry?
• Would you prefer to stay at a hotel/motel or camp while on vacation?
• Would you rather visit another country or travel within your own country?
• Would you rather go to a place where there are a lot of people or to a place where there are few people?
• Do you find more fulfillment from your leisure activities including vacations than from your job?
• Do you think the type of vacation one takes reflects one’s social status?
• What are popular tourist destinations in your country?
  • Have you been to any of them?
  • Which would you recommend if you could only recommend one? Why?
• Do you prefer active or relaxing holidays? Why?
• Which is better, package tour or a tour you organize and book yourself?
• Why do you travel?
  • Why do people travel?
• Would you like to go back to the same place?
• Did you find anything of particular interest? / Did you get attracted to anything special?
• What are some benefits of travel?
  • Why do people travel?
• What is your favorite mode of travel?
• Have you travelled in business class?
• When you were a child did your family take a vacation every year?
• Do you prefer a budget or first class hotel? Why?
• Do you travel with a lot of baggage or do you like to travel light?
• What is your favorite method of travel at your destination? Train? Bus? Boat? Bicycle? Backpacking?
• What is the best kind of holiday for different ages of people? Children? Teenagers? Adults? Elderly people?
• Do you think it is a good idea to travel with friends, or alone? How about with your family?
• If you had $100,000, where would you go on holiday? How about if you had $10,000? What about $1,000?
• Which countries have you travelled to?
• Do you prefer hot countries or cool countries when you go on holiday
• Who makes the decisions when your family decides to go on holiday
• If you could choose one place to go this weekend, where would it be?
• Has the airline ever lost your luggage? What happened?
• On long flights do you usually walk around the plane to avoid health problems?
• Have you ever read an interesting question in an in-flight magazine? What was it?
• Is there any difference between young tourists and adult tourists?
• Do you think tourism will harm the earth?