{"id":46245,"date":"2016-11-24T02:50:58","date_gmt":"2016-11-24T07:50:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/spanish-conversation-topics-for-class\/"},"modified":"2025-02-25T00:08:39","modified_gmt":"2025-02-25T05:08:39","slug":"spanish-conversation-topics-for-class","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/educator-spanish\/spanish-conversation-topics-for-class\/","title":{"rendered":"Engaging Topics to Talk About in Spanish Class with Your Students"},"content":{"rendered":"

Traditional Spanish conversation practice often involves generic topics that bore students, but we can do better. With the right topics in hand, we have the power to keep students engaged and motivated.<\/p>\n

Keep reading for 12 topics to talk about in Spanish class that are actually relevant to your students\u2019 lives and interests, along with questions to guide the conversation. These can serve as conversation prompts for pairs or small groups.
\n[fluentu-toc]
\n<\/p>\n

1. Traveling\u00a0<\/h2>\n

\"woman-arriving-at-airport-with-suitcase\"<\/p>\n

As students\u2019 travel possibilities grow in line with their Spanish skills, being able to verbalize where they would like to travel, work or study is essential. To start a conversation about traveling, you can ask your students this question, or have them ask a partner:<\/p>\n

\u00bfA d\u00f3nde quisieras viajar y por qu\u00e9?<\/em><\/strong>
\n(Where would you like to travel and why?)<\/p>\n

You can have your students do a bit of research about where they’d like to visit and then have them talk about these more specific travel topics:<\/p>\n

El transporte<\/em> (Transportation)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00bfLa gente usa Uber o Lyft all\u00ed o prefiere el transporte p\u00fablico en medida de lo posible? \u00bfPor qu\u00e9?<\/em><\/strong>
\n(Do people use Uber or Lyft there, or do they prefer public transport whenever possible? Why?)<\/p>\n

Los precios<\/em> (Pricing)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00bfLa vida es cara por all\u00ed? Por lo general, \u00bfcu\u00e1nto necesitas ganar para vivir all\u00ed?\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
\n(Is life expensive around there? In general, how much do you need to make to live there?)<\/p>\n

El hospedaje <\/em>(Lodging)\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00bfQu\u00e9 \u00e1rea de la ciudad recomiendas para quedarse? \u00bfPor qu\u00e9?
\n<\/em><\/strong>(Which area in the city do you recommend to stay the night? Why?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfLa gente suele usar Airbnb all\u00ed? \u00bfEn cu\u00e1les partes de la ciudad?
\n<\/em><\/strong>(Do people tend to use Airbnb there? In what parts of the city?)<\/p>\n

2. The Weather<\/h2>\n

\"woman-holding-umbrella-on-city-street\"<\/p>\n

The weather is probably the safest, most common topic of conversation and small talk with strangers and acquaintances alike. Here are some questions that can get your students talking about the weather and seasons:\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00bfC\u00f3mo est\u00e1 el clima hoy?<\/em>
\n<\/strong>(How\u2019s the weather today?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfCu\u00e1l es tu estaci\u00f3n\u00a0favorita y por qu\u00e9?<\/em><\/strong>
\n(What’s your favorite season\u00a0and why?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfQu\u00e9 har\u00edas si las estaciones nunca cambiaran y todos los d\u00edas fueran verano?<\/em><\/strong>
\n(What would you do if the seasons never changed and every day was summer?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfSuele llover aqu\u00ed?<\/em>\u00a0\u00bfDeber\u00eda llevar paraguas a todas partes por si acaso?<\/em><\/strong>
\n(Is\u00a0it\u00a0often rainy here? Should I take\u00a0an umbrella\u00a0everywhere, just in case?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfQu\u00e9 deber\u00eda usar al salir?
\n<\/span><\/em><\/strong>(<\/span>How should I dress for a day out?)<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Food and Restaurants\u00a0<\/h2>\n

\"woman-eating-pizza-at-restaurant\"<\/p>\n

Food and restaurants are topics that are easy to talk about and can spark some passionate conversations. You could make this lesson even more enjoyable by asking students to bring in their favorite foods or snacks to share or by making a popular food from a Spanish-speaking country together.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00bfQu\u00e9 te gusta comer?<\/em>\u00a0
\n<\/strong>(What do\u00a0you like to eat?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfCu\u00e1les son tus platos favoritos? \u00bfY tus refrigerios favoritos?<\/em>
\n<\/strong>(What are your favorite dishes? What about your favorite snacks?<\/p>\n

\u00bfTiendes a tener antojos? \u00bfQu\u00e9 se te antoja ahora?
\n<\/span><\/em><\/strong>(Do you tend to get cravings? What are you in the mood for now?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfSabes c\u00f3mo cocinar? Si es as\u00ed, \u00bfc\u00f3mo aprendiste?<\/strong><\/em>
\n(Do you know how to cook? If so, how did you learn?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfQu\u00e9 te gusta cocinar y por qu\u00e9? <\/em><\/strong>
\n(What do you like to cook and why?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfCu\u00e1les son tus restaurantes favoritos y por qu\u00e9?<\/em><\/strong>
\n(What are your favorite restaurants and why?)<\/p>\n

4. Apps and Social Media<\/h2>\n

\"person-using-phone\"<\/p>\n

Most adolescents (and adults) are active on social media and spend a lot of time on their phones and other devices, so why not talk about it in Spanish class?\u00a0\u00a0Here are some questions you can ask to get the conversation started:\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00bfCu\u00e1les son tus redes sociales favoritas? \u00bfPor qu\u00e9?
\n<\/em><\/strong>(What are your favorite social networks? Why?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfCu\u00e1les son tus apps favoritas adem\u00e1s de las redes sociales?
\n<\/span><\/em><\/strong>(What are you favorite apps besides social media?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfUsas Siri? Si lo usas, \u00bfpara qu\u00e9 y cu\u00e1ndo?<\/em><\/strong>
\n(Do you use Siri? If so, for what and when?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfPrefieres Instagram o Facebook? \u00bfPor qu\u00e9?<\/i><\/strong>
\n(Do you prefer Instagram or Facebook? Why?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfUtilizas TikTok? \u00bfCu\u00e1les son las ventajas y <\/em>desventajas<\/em> <\/span>de TikTok?<\/em><\/strong>
\n(Do you use TikTok? What are the advantages and disadvantages of TikTok?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfQu\u00e9 tiendes a publicar en tus perfiles de redes sociales?<\/em><\/strong>
\n(What do you tend to publish on your social media profiles?)<\/p>\n

5. TV and Movies\u00a0<\/h2>\n

\"couple-on-couch-watching-Netflix\"<\/p>\n

Most people tend to love talking about what series they’re watching or the last movie they saw. Being able to talk about these topics will help your students connect with others and enjoy entertainment together. You could pair this conversation with one of these great movies for teaching Spanish<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u00bfCu\u00e1l es tu serie o pelicula favorita?<\/em> <\/strong>
\n(What\u2019s your favorite series or movie?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfQu\u00e9 g\u00e9neros te gusta ver?<\/em><\/strong>
\n<\/span>(Which genres do you like to watch?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfCu\u00e1l es tu actor o actriz favorito\/a y por qu\u00e9<\/em>?<\/strong>
\n(Who’s your favorite actor\/actress and why?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfQu\u00e9 actor o actriz podr\u00eda interpretarte en una pel\u00edcula sobre tu vida?<\/strong><\/em>
\n(Which actor or actress could play you in a movie about your life?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfTe gustan las telenovelas? \u00bfPor qu\u00e9 s\u00ed o por qu\u00e9 no? <\/em><\/strong>
\n(Do you like soap operas in Spanish? Why or why not?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfQu\u00e9 serie o pel\u00edcula has visto recientemente<\/em>? \u00bfTe gust\u00f3?<\/em><\/strong>
\n(What series or movie have you seen recently? Did you like it?)<\/p>\n

6. Music<\/h2>\n

\"woman-listening-to-music-in-bed\"<\/p>\n

Music is universally loved and easy to talk about. You could make a fun musical lesson by teaching your students a Spanish song<\/a> and pairing it with a conversation guided by these questions:\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00bfQu\u00e9 tipo de m\u00fasica te gusta m\u00e1s?<\/em><\/strong>
\n(What\u2019s your favorite kind of music?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfPrefieres Apple Music, Pandora o Spotify y por qu\u00e9?<\/em><\/strong>
\n(Do you prefer Apple music, Pandora or Spotify, and why?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfCu\u00e1les son tus canciones favoritas y por qu\u00e9?<\/em><\/strong>
\n(What are your favorite songs and why?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfCu\u00e1l m\u00fasica no te gusta y por qu\u00e9?<\/em><\/strong>
\n(What music don\u2019t you like and why?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfQuien es tu artista, cantante, banda o m\u00fasico favorito\/a y por qu\u00e9?
\n<\/em><\/strong>(Who\u2019s your favorite artist, singer, band or musician and why?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfHas ido a alg\u00fan buen concierto?
\n<\/span><\/em><\/strong>(Have you gone to any good concerts?)<\/p>\n

7. Hobbies and Interests<\/h2>\n

\"boys-playing-soccer\"<\/p>\n

To build meaningful relationships in Spanish, students must practice expressing themselves and describing their personal interests and hobbies. Here are some pertinent conversation prompts:<\/p>\n

\u00bfCu\u00e1les son tus principales intereses personales?\u00a0
\n<\/em><\/strong>(What are your main personal interests?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfQu\u00e9 haces los fines de semana?<\/em><\/strong>
\n(What do you do on weekends?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfCu\u00e1l es tu actividad favorita y por qu\u00e9<\/em>?<\/strong>
\n(What is your favorite activity and why?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfQu\u00e9 es lo que m\u00e1s te relaja y por qu\u00e9?<\/em><\/strong>
\n(What is it that most relaxes you and why?)<\/p>\n

8. Career and Studies\u00a0<\/h2>\n

\"young-woman-at-graduation\"<\/p>\n

If you’re teaching in a school or university, these questions will be relevant and easy to talk about. If you’re teaching older adults, you can turn these into past-tense questions about their studies and present-tense questions about their current jobs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00bfCu\u00e1l es tu carrera?<\/em><\/strong>
\n(What\u2019s your major?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfCu\u00e1l es tu clase favorita y por qu\u00e9<\/em>?<\/strong>
\n(What is your favorite class and why?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfQu\u00e9 tenemos de\u00a0tarea hoy<\/em>? \u00bfEs f\u00e1cil o dif\u00edcil? \u00bfPor qu\u00e9?<\/em><\/strong>
\n(What do we have for homework today? Is it easy or hard? Why?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfCu\u00e1les son tus metas profesionales<\/em>?<\/strong>
\n(What are your professional goals?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfQu\u00e9 profesor(a) te agrada m\u00e1s y por qu\u00e9?<\/em><\/strong>
\n(Which professor do you like the most and why?)<\/p>\n

9. Current Events<\/h2>\n

\"man-reading-newspaper-on-bench\"<\/p>\n

As many students learn Spanish to expand their travel options, it\u2019s particularly useful for them to be able to talk about what’s going on in other parts of the world. More advanced students should learn to have dialogues about current events and formulate their own opinions on local and global issues.<\/p>\n

\u00bfQu\u00e9 sali\u00f3 hoy o en esta semana en las noticias?<\/em><\/strong>
\n(What happened today or this week in the news?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfQu\u00e9 piensas de lo que pas\u00f3 en las noticias<\/em>?<\/strong>
\n(What do you think about what happened in the news?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfQu\u00e9 fuentes de noticias utilizas y por qu\u00e9?
\n<\/span><\/em><\/strong>(What news sources do you use and why?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfC\u00f3mo influye actualmente la pol\u00edtica en el pa\u00eds?<\/em> <\/strong>
\n(How do politics currently influence\u00a0the country?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfCu\u00e1les crees que son los mayores problemas que enfrenta el pa\u00eds o el mundo?
\n<\/span><\/em><\/strong>(What do you think are the biggest issues facing the country or world?)<\/p>\n

10. Religion<\/h2>\n

\"inside-of-church\"<\/p>\n

Religion and religious beliefs can be sensitive topics, so it\u2019s vital to establish mutual trust and respect before diving into this conversation. As long as they seem comfortable with it, it’s a good topic for older high school and university students and adults.<\/p>\n

\u00bfCu\u00e1l es tu religi\u00f3n?<\/em> <\/strong>\u00bfVas a la iglesia regularmente?<\/strong>\u00a0
\n<\/em>(What\u2019s your religion? Do you attend church regularly?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfTienes creencias religiosas<\/em>? Si tienes, \u00bfcu\u00e1les son?<\/em><\/strong>
\n(Do you have religious beliefs? If so, what are they?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfLa religi\u00f3n te ayuda a ser m\u00e1s fuerte y a superar los momentos dif\u00edciles?<\/em><\/strong>
\n(Does religion help you be stronger and overcome difficult times?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfEn tu ni\u00f1ez fuiste criado con alguna religi\u00f3n<\/em>?\u00a0\u00bf<\/em>C\u00f3mo fue?<\/em><\/strong>
\n(Were you raised with any religion in your childhood?\u00a0What was it like?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfEn qu\u00e9 se diferencian sus creencias y pr\u00e1cticas religiosas de las de sus padres?
\n<\/span><\/em><\/strong>(How are your religious beliefs and practices different from your parents’?)<\/p>\n

11. Family and Relationships<\/h2>\n

\"family-having-dinner-outside\"<\/p>\n

Students should be able to converse about their friendships and important relationships. They’ll likely enjoy getting the chance to talk about the people they spend time with the most. Here are some prompts:<\/p>\n

\u00bfQui\u00e9nes son tus mejores amigos? \u00bfTienes pareja?\u00a0<\/strong>
\n<\/em>(Who are your best friends? Are you in a relationship?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfC\u00f3mo son tus amigos<\/em>?<\/strong>
\n(What are your friends like?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfQu\u00e9 te gusta hacer con tus amigos<\/em>?<\/strong>
\n(What do you like to do with your friends?)<\/p>\n

Cuando se\u00a0re\u00fanen, \u00bfsuelen llegar a tiempo<\/em>? \u00bfQui\u00e9n no llega a tiempo? \u00bfPor qu\u00e9?<\/em><\/strong>
\n(When you and your friends meet, does everyone usually\u00a0arrive on time? Who doesn’t arrive on time? Why?)<\/p>\n

Students should also be able to converse about their own families and ask about others\u2019 families. This is a good opportunity to practice vocabulary related to family members. Among pertinent prompts are:<\/p>\n

\u00bfC\u00f3mo es tu familia?<\/em> <\/strong>
\n(What\u2019s your family like?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfT<\/em>u hermana\/o est\u00e1 casado\/a? Si s\u00ed, \u00bfc\u00f3mo es tu cu\u00f1ado\/a?
\n<\/em><\/strong>(Is your sibling married? If yes, what is your brother or sister-in-law like?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfQu\u00e9 es lo que m\u00e1s te gusta de tu familia?<\/em><\/strong>
\n(What do you like most about your family?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfCon qui\u00e9n m\u00e1s te llevas en tu familia y por qu\u00e9<\/em>?<\/strong>
\n(Who do you get along with best in your family and why?)<\/p>\n

12. Home Life<\/h2>\n

\"a-white-house-with-porch\"<\/p>\n

Where we live and who we live with are central to our lives. Students should be able to talk about their homes and neighborhoods, especially when meeting foreign Spanish speakers so they can get to know each other better. Here are a few prompts to guide this dialogue:<\/p>\n

\u00bfC\u00f3mo es tu casa y tu barrio?<\/em> <\/strong>
\n(What\u2019s your house and neighborhood like?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfVives solo\/a? Si no, \u00bfcon qui\u00e9n vives?<\/em><\/strong>
\n(Do you live alone? If not, who do you live with?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfQu\u00e9 tan cerca queda tu casa de la escuela o el centro<\/em>?<\/strong>
\n(How close is your home to school or downtown?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfC\u00f3mo es la sala de tu casa<\/em>?<\/strong>
\n(What\u2019s the living room like in your home?)<\/p>\n

\u00bfC\u00f3mo est\u00e1 decorado tu dormitorio?
\n<\/span><\/em><\/strong>(How is your bedroom decorated?)<\/p>\n

How to Use Conversation Topics in Spanish Class<\/h2>\n

As Spanish educators, we must find a delicate balance between challenging our students and also cultivating their self-confidence<\/strong>, especially regarding their comfort with speaking.<\/p>\n

I recommend emphasizing and rewarding their efforts and willingness to practice speaking. This often means temporarily placing grammatical correctness on the back burner <\/strong>(unless the errors are grave or repetitive, in which case you can gently correct them).<\/p>\n

One way to encourage conversation is by exposing your students to Spanish as native speakers use it in their daily lives. For this, you can use a video-based teaching program like FluentU<\/a>.

FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app<\/a> or Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\n

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a><\/i>\r\n<\/p> \r\n \"FluentU\r\n

\r\n