Friends

• Are there any famous stories of friendship in your culture?
• Can you describe one of your closest friends.
• Do you have any childhood friendships that are still strong today? Tell us about them.
• Do you have any long distance friends?
  • How do you keep in touch with your long-distance friends?
  • How often do you see your long-distance friends?
• Do you think it is a good idea to borrow money from a friend? Why or why not?
• Do you make friends easily?
• Has a friend ever let you down?
• Have you made any friends over the Internet?
  • How often do you write to them?
  • Have you ever met them in person?
• How are your friendships different now than they were when you were a child?
• How do you maintain a good friendship?
• How do you make new friends?
• How many people do you consider your “best friends?”
• Is it common to have friendships across generations?
  • What are the advantages and disadvantages of these types of friendships.
  • Do you have any friends from a different generation than you?
• There is a saying “To have a good friend, you need to be a good friend.”
  • How can you be a good friend?
• What do you usually do with your friends?
• What factors may result in the breakdown of a good friendship?
• What is a best friend?
• What is the longest friendship that you have had?
• What makes friends different from family?
• What qualities do you think are important in a friend?
  • What is a friend?
• What things should friends never do?
• Why do you like your best friend?
  • What are some things you like about your best friend?
• Where is a good place to meet new friends?
  • Where is a good place to meet a new boyfriend/girlfriend?
• Do you think it is possible to have a best friend of the opposite sex without becoming a girlfriend or boyfriend?
• Do you think it would be possible for you still be friends with an ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend?
• There is a proverb that says, “A friend in need is a friend indeed.” Do you agree?
• Do you believe that there is an end to any true friendships?
• Do you believe your parents should be your friends?
• What do you do if you receive a friend’s call but you forgot his/her name?
• Friendship is the most important relationship. Do you agree? Why? Why not?
• What do you like best about your best friend(s)?
• What are some ways your best friend has influenced your life in a positive way?
• How close do you get to your friends?
• Why do you need a friend?
• What do you do when you have a misunderstanding with your friend?
• Do you trust all of your friends? Why?
• What is the best time for making new friends?
• What was your best friendship?
  • Are you still friends with him or her?
  • What life lessons did you learn from this relationship?
• What qualities do you appreciate in your friends? What makes someone special or best friend?
• Why are friendships important for you? Do you still maintain friendships from the past?
• How long have you known your best friend? Where did you meet and what did you have in common?
• What are some good opportunities to meet new people?
• How can you get to better know a person?
• What is the relationship between love and friendship?
• Who is the most interesting person you have ever met?
• Do you think famous people are happier than ordinary people? Why?
• What type of people do you get along with best?
• What quality do you admire most in people and which one do you find the most objectionable?
• What behavior of others hurts you most? When you have upset someone by your actions, what do you try to do?
• What do you consider to be your good and bad qualities?
• What qualities help you to have good relationships with others?
• What traits or actions make an interpersonal conflict worse?
• Are relationships among people better or worse than a few years ago? Why? Give some examples.
• Do you think that dysfunctional family life contributes to worsening relationships in society?
• Is getting along with others a natural ability from birth or does it have to be learnt?
• How important is forgiveness in human relationships?
• What are friends for?
• Can you be friends with your student if you are a teacher?
• To what extent can you be friends with your child?
• What was your best friendship? Are you still friends with him or her? What life lessons did you learn from this relationship?
• Do you tell your best friend everything?
• Do you have a close group of friends?
• What do you usually do together
• Is it easy for you to make friends?
• Talk about friends you’ve made in this country.
• Are you good friends with your family members?
• Do you fight with your friends?
• How often do you talk with your friends?
• What is the difference between friendship and ‘kinship’ (blood relatives)?
• Do you have different groups of friends who never meet one another?
• *Are you a different ‘self’ with each group?
• * Do you think these groups would get along if you
• introduced them to one another?
• * Would you want these friends to mix,or do you get
• something different from each set of relationships?
• There is a saying that “to lose a friend you need to start sharing a flat with him/her”. Do you agree? Why/Why not?
• What would you do if your best friend, that never betrayed you and you thought your relationship to be brother/sister asked you out on a date?
• Do you think you can find eternal friendships through the internet?
• What is your best friend like?

Family

• Are friends more important than family? What do you think?
• Are chores assigned to children in your family?
• Are you married?
• Are you pressured by your family to act in a certain way?
• Are you the oldest among your brothers and sisters?
• Are your parents strict?
• Did you ever meet any of your great grandparents?
• Do you get along well with your family?
• Do you get along well with your brothers and sisters?
• Do you get along well with your in-laws?
• Do you have any brothers or sisters? If so, how old are they?
• Do you have any children? If yes, what are their names and ages?
• Do you have to clean your own room?
• Does your mother make you clean your room?
• Do you like your family? Why or why not?
• Do you live with any of your grandparents?
• Do you live with your parents?
• Do you look more like your mother or your father?
• Do you often argue with your mother or father? What about?
• Do you often visit your grandparents?
• Do you think people should adopt children from other countries?
• Do you usually have any influence on family matters?
• Do your parents let you stay out late?
• What time do you have to be home?
• Do you have a curfew?
• How did you get your name?
• For whom are you named?
• Who are you named after?
• How big is your family?
• How many (first) cousins do you have?
• How many aunts and uncles do you have?
• How many brothers and sisters do you have?
• How many children do you have?
• How many members do you have in your family altogether?
• How many people are in your (immediate) family?
• How many people are in your family?
• How often do you see your cousins?
• How often do you see your grandparents?
• How often is your entire family together?
• How old are your brothers and sisters?
• How old are your children?
• How old are your grandparents?
• How old are your parents?
• Is spanking a good way to discipline children?
• Should people follow the religion of their parents, or should they have the liberty to choose another?
• What are some of your fondest memories of childhood?
• What are your parents like?
• What do you and your family like to do together?
• What do you think of married couples who decide not to have any child?
• What do your mother and father look like? How about your grandparents?
• What do your parents do in their free time?
• What are the occupations of your family members?
• What does your father do? What’s his job?
• What does your mother do?
• What is the best memory you have of your family doing something together?
• What kind of things do you do with your family?
• What will you teach your children? (what values, beliefs, hobbies, skills, etc.)
• What would you change about your childhood?
• Where do your grandparents live?
• Where does your father’s father live?
• Where does your mother’s mother live?
• Who do you get along better with, your mother or your father?
• Who is the black sheep (odd ball) in your family?
• Would you get involved in your in-laws’ family problems?
• Would you live with your parents after you get married?
• Should children help with the housework?
• How much or how often should they help?
• What kinds of housework is not appropriate for children to do?
• Do you live in a nuclear family or an extended family?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of these types of family?
• What impact has divorce and/or modern day living had on the family?
• Is the nanny and/or the day-care centre the third parent?
• Where is the best place to raise a family?
• Where do you think the best place to raise a family is? Why?
• What can make you happy in the long term/ short term? Consider the following: job satisfaction, a loving family, good health, plenty of money, strong religious believes, …
• What do you think of your mother and your father?
• Which do you think is more important: following the dreams your parents want for you or following your own dreams?
• What’s the hardest thing you ever had to do?
• What was the most important thing your parents taught you?
• What’s the best thing about your mom?
• If you could have a different number of siblings, what would it be?
• Who should take care of old people?
• What is the perfect number of children to have?
• What’s the best thing about your grandparents?
• Should parents give their children an allowance?
• How often does your family eat dinner together?
• How should parents discipline their children?
• After you’re married, should your parents make decisions for you?
• What’s the best thing about your dad?
• Who is the breadwinner in your family
• How is nudity regarded in your family?
• Describe the perfect family.
• Do your parents get along with each other?
• If you are a mother or father, would you allow your son or daughter to listen heavy metal music?
• What was the saddest time in your family?
• Why do people get married
• What to look for in a life long mate
• What makes a person a good friend, a friend for life ,, a life mate
• What makes a person a bad, traits that irritate and confuse you
• What do you think of the budget, what is a budget and how do you make one work?
• How do you feel about your parents growing older? If they could no longer care for themselves, would you let them live with you or put them in a nursing home?
• Did you help your mother at home?
• What household chores do you do?
• Can you think of examples of countries that have different cultural values regarding the importance of family?
• Do you get along well with your family?
  • Do you get along well with your brothers and sisters?
  • Do you get along well with your in-laws?
• Do you have to clean your own room?
  • Does your mother make you clean your room?
• Do your parents let you stay out late?
  • What time do you have to be home?
  • Do you have a curfew?
• How did you get your name?
  • For whom are you named?
  • Who are you named after?
• What are the occupations of your family members?
  • What does your father do? What’s his job?
  • What does your mother do?
• Should children help with the housework?
  • How much or how often should they help?
  • What kinds of housework is not appropriate for children to do?
• Do you live in a nuclear family or an extended family?
  • What are the advantages and disadvantages of these types of family?
• Where is the best place to raise a family?
  • Where do you think the best place to raise a family is? Why?
• Do you think your parents understand you? Why or why not?
• Who does the household work, your father or your mother or both of them?
• Have you ever seen your mother (or father) cry? When was that and why?
• Who is the breadwinner in your family?
• Do your parents trust you?
• If you were offered an excellent job opportunity abroad, would you consider leaving your family for an indefinite period of time?
• Describe a typical family unit and the importance of family in your country.