Business Conversation Topics +

Preparation and Reflection Activities

Overview
30-minutes conversations
● Review: Pre-conversation activities
○ This is very important for these conversations! The recommendation is that this is done
in groups and both outside and in class with an instructor helping to facilitate.
○ The additional question section is intended to help you prepare for your conversation
and to be a resource during your interaction. You might not get through all of the
questions and that is OK!
● Interact: Conversation outlines
○ The questions provided are meant as a means to get started and guide conversation.
Everyone should come prepared with at least 10 more questions. This should be a part
of preview process and can address topics more specifically/contextually.
● Reflect: Post-conversation activities
○ This is perhaps the most important step. What do students do with the information that
they learned during the conversation? What can be done in class to further learning
linguistically, culturally, and professionally (in the business field)?

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Wages/Salary - 30

Prepare (45 min)

● Schedule your conversation

○ Remember to schedule at least 36 hours in advance.

● Review
○ Review vocabulary relevant to conversations about wages and salaries and common
perceptions surrounding this theme.
○ Learn at least 10 new words about this topic as well.

● Plan
○ Research the country/region where your conversation partner lives and investigate the
basic salaries and wages for a range of different professions.
○ Using the Interact section as a guide:
■ Write a list of 10 questions you can ask your conversation partner about themself
(not necessarily related to the topic).
■ Write a list of 10 questions you can ask your conversation partner about their
thoughts on the topic. Follow up with additional questions to learn more about
similarities and differences across communities.
■ Write a list of 5 questions you can ask your conversation partner about any
related stories from the past, how their ideas have changed, and/or their ideas
about the future.
○ Avoid questions that elicit a simple one word (yes/no) answer.
○ Think about how you would respond to each of the questions if they were asked to you
(prepare for any vocabulary that you might not know).
○ Read through the Interact and Reflect portion of the sequence to help anticipate any
other questions you might need to ask of your partner.

● Practice
○ Practice asking and answering your questions out loud. If available, find a partner from
class and practice together.

● Consider
○ What are some places that you notice you are having trouble communicating? Are there
any new words or structures that you can learn before your conversation?
© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023
Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
○ What are some techniques to help navigate a conversation? What sort of phrases would
be helpful?

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Interact (30 min)

Remember, you are not the only one who needs to talk for the entire 30 minutes. It is a conversation!

● (10 minutes) Introduce yourself to your conversation partner and get to know some basic
information about each other. The easiest way to begin this conversation is to start by asking
about different jobs or professions and what they might typically make in a year. Ask your
conversation partner if this is true in different regions through the state/country. What types of
professions tend to earn higher salaries? What types of professions tend to earn lower salaries?
Share information about your community as well.
● (10 minutes) Ask your partner about the role of minimum wage in their community. Is there a
standard minimum wage? Who enforces this? Ask about whether or not your partner thinks
having a minimum wage could be helpful or hurtful to the economy. Share information about
your community as well.
● (10 minutes) How have wages and salaries contributed to the differentiation of classes in your
partner’s community? How does this compare to your community? Is the gap between the
classes large or small? What are the barriers to movement between economic classes?

● Tips
○ Try to think in the language of your conversation. Your ability to think in English is much
more complex right now, and often, problems arise when you think of something to say
in English that you are not able to say in the target language.
○ If there are words or major ideas that you don’t understand, please ask your partner to
help explain/elaborate.
○ Remember, the conversation will be recorded so you don’t have to understand 100% of
what your partner says during the conversation. You will have time later to look up
specific words.
○ If your conversation goes a bit off topic, that is ok! The important takeaway from this is
that you are building the ability and confidence to interact in the language.
○ When your partner answers a question, try to ask a related follow-up question instead of
moving directly to another prepared question that might not be related.

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Reflect (75 minutes)

● Review
○ Download and listen to the audio recording of your conversation.

● Write
○ Overall, how did your conversation go?
○ About what percentage of your partners' speech did you understand?
○ What are three things that you would phrase or say differently after having listened to
your conversation?
○ List three interesting things you learned about your conversation partner based on your
conversation.
○ List three interesting things you learned about the topic of your conversation based on
your conversation.
○ Choose the most interesting/relevant part of your conversation on the topic of the
discussion and transcribe (write in the target language) 8 minutes of the recording. This
will involve listening to the audio a few times. Focus on an area in which your partner
was speaking the majority of the time. Write down both what you and your partner said.
Be sure to indicate where this portion of the conversation is by indicating the time
elapsed at the beginning of your transcription (ie. [2:35] if the section begins 2 minutes
and thirty-five seconds into the conversation).
○ What sort of cultural inferences or comparisons can you make about your interaction
with your partner? If there is insufficient evidence, what comparisons can you start to
make? What information would you need to help draw a conclusion?
○ List five new words you learned from this conversation and provide the context
(sentence) where you encountered them.
○ Is there anything else about the language that you noticed?
○ What can you do to better prepare for your next conversation?

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Starting a Business - 30

Prepare (45 min)

● Schedule your conversation

○ Remember to schedule at least 36 hours in advance.

● Review
○ Review vocabulary relevant to conversations about the startup of businesses.
○ Learn at least 10 new words about this topic as well.

● Plan
○ Research the country where your conversation partner lives and try to find out if there
are resources to help start a business.
○ Using the Interact section as a guide:
■ Write a list of 10 questions you can ask your conversation partner about themself
(not necessarily related to the topic).
■ Write a list of 10 questions you can ask your conversation partner about their
thoughts on the topic. Follow up with additional questions to learn more about
similarities and differences across communities.
■ Write a list of 5 questions you can ask your conversation partner about any
related stories from the past, how their ideas have changed, and/or their ideas
about the future.
○ Avoid questions that elicit a simple one word (yes/no) answer.
○ Think about how you would respond to each of the questions if they were asked to you
(prepare for any vocabulary that you might not know).
○ Read through the Interact and Reflect portion of the sequence to help anticipate any
other questions you might need to ask of your partner.

● Practice
○ Practice asking and answering your questions out loud. If available, find a partner from
class and practice together.

● Consider
○ What are some places that you notice you are having trouble communicating? Are there
any new words or structures that you can learn before your conversation?

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
○ What are some techniques to help navigate a conversation? What sort of phrases would
be helpful?

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Interact (30 min)

Remember, you are not the only one who needs to talk for the entire 30 minutes. It is a conversation!

● (10 minutes) Introduce yourself to your conversation partner and get to know some basic
information about each other. Then, begin to shift to the topic. Have you or your partner ever
started a business? If not, do you or your partner know anyone who has started a business?
Share some of the basic first steps that are needed in order to get started.
● (10 minutes) Compare the process of starting a business in your community and in your
partner’s community. How does this change for starting different types and sizes of businesses?
How easy is it to secure funding? How easy is it to register with the government?
● (10 minutes) What types of businesses are the most successful in your partner’s community? In
your community? What businesses have the highest rate of failure? What contributes to the
volatility and success of new businesses?

● Tips
○ Try to think in the language of your conversation. Your ability to think in English is much
more complex right now, and often, problems arise when you think of something to say
in English that you are not able to say in the target language.
○ If there are words or major ideas that you don’t understand, please ask your partner to
help explain/elaborate.
○ Remember, the conversation will be recorded so you don’t have to understand 100% of
what your partner says during the conversation. You will have time later to look up
specific words.
○ If your conversation goes a bit off topic, that is ok! The important takeaway from this is
that you are building the ability and confidence to interact in the language.
○ When your partner answers a question, try to ask a related follow-up question instead of
moving directly to another prepared question that might not be related.

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Reflect (75 minutes)

● Review
○ Download and listen to the audio recording of your conversation.

● Write
○ Overall, how did your conversation go?
○ About what percentage of your partners' speech did you understand?
○ What are three things that you would phrase or say differently after having listened to
your conversation?
○ List three interesting things you learned about your conversation partner based on your
conversation.
○ List three interesting things you learned about the topic of your conversation based on
your conversation.
○ Choose the most interesting/relevant part of your conversation on the topic of the
discussion and transcribe (write in the target language) 8 minutes of the recording. This
will involve listening to the audio a few times. Focus on an area in which your partner
was speaking the majority of the time. Write down both what you and your partner said.
Be sure to indicate where this portion of the conversation is by indicating the time
elapsed at the beginning of your transcription (ie. [2:35] if the section begins 2 minutes
and thirty-five seconds into the conversation).
○ What sort of cultural inferences or comparisons can you make about your interaction
with your partner? If there is insufficient evidence, what comparisons can you start to
make? What information would you need to help draw a conclusion?
○ List five new words you learned from this conversation and provide the context
(sentence) where you encountered them.
○ Is there anything else about the language that you noticed?
○ What can you do to better prepare for your next conversation?

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Loans/Credit - 30

Prepare (45 min)

● Schedule your conversation

○ Remember to schedule at least 36 hours in advance.

● Review
○ Review vocabulary relevant to conversations about securing and repaying loans and
credit. Learn at least 10 new words about this topic as well.

● Plan
○ Research the country where your conversation partner lives and investigate some of the
statistics and resources surrounding the application for credit and loans.
○ Using the Interact section as a guide:
■ Write a list of 10 questions you can ask your conversation partner about themself
(not necessarily related to the topic).
■ Write a list of 10 questions you can ask your conversation partner about their
thoughts on the topic. Follow up with additional questions to learn more about
similarities and differences across communities.
■ Write a list of 5 questions you can ask your conversation partner about any
related stories from the past, how their ideas have changed, and/or their ideas
about the future.
○ Avoid questions that elicit a simple one word (yes/no) answer.
○ Think about how you would respond to each of the questions if they were asked to you
(prepare for any vocabulary that you might not know).
○ Read through the Interact and Reflect portion of the sequence to help anticipate any
other questions you might need to ask of your partner.

● Practice
○ Practice asking and answering your questions out loud. If available, find a partner from
class and practice together.

● Consider
○ What are some places that you notice you are having trouble communicating? Are there
any new words or structures that you can learn before your conversation?

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
○ What are some techniques to help navigate a conversation? What sort of phrases would
be helpful?

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Interact (30 min)

Remember, you do not have to talk for the entire 30 minutes. It is a conversation!

● (10 minutes) Introduce yourself to your conversation partner and get to know some basic
information about each other. Then, start with a general conversation around the topic. What
are the steps in your community and in your partner’s community to secure a loan or a line of
credit? Where can an individual go to apply? What are the typical terms of repayment? What
happens when payments are not made?
● (10 minutes) What is the general outlook of debt in your community? In your partner’s
community? Is this different between an individual and a business? How do credit card
payments work in your community? Do all businesses accept credit?
● (10 minutes) What are alternatives to secring traditional lines of credit? How do private and
public entities play a role in this process? How has access to credit changed the landscape of
business? Compare and contrast your answers to those of your partner.

● Tips
○ Try to think in the language of your conversation. Your ability to think in English is much
more complex right now, and often, problems arise when you think of something to say
in English that you are not able to say in the target language.
○ If there are words or major ideas that you don’t understand, please ask your partner to
help explain/elaborate.
○ Remember, the conversation will be recorded so you don’t have to understand 100% of
what your partner says during the conversation. You will have time later to look up
specific words.
○ If your conversation goes a bit off topic, that is ok! The important takeaway from this is
that you are building the ability and confidence to interact in the language.
○ When your partner answers a question, try to ask a related follow-up question instead of
moving directly to another prepared question that might not be related.

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Reflect (75 minutes)

● Review
○ Download and listen to the audio recording of your conversation.

● Write
○ Overall, how did your conversation go?
○ About what percentage of your partners' speech did you understand?
○ What are three things that you would phrase or say differently after having listened to
your conversation?
○ List three interesting things you learned about your conversation partner based on your
conversation.
○ List three interesting things you learned about the topic of your conversation based on
your conversation.
○ Choose the most interesting/relevant part of your conversation on the topic of the
discussion and transcribe (write in the target language) 8 minutes of the recording. This
will involve listening to the audio a few times. Focus on an area in which your partner
was speaking the majority of the time. Write down both what you and your partner said.
Be sure to indicate where this portion of the conversation is by indicating the time
elapsed at the beginning of your transcription (ie. [2:35] if the section begins 2 minutes
and thirty-five seconds into the conversation).
○ What sort of cultural inferences or comparisons can you make about your interaction
with your partner? If there is insufficient evidence, what comparisons can you start to
make? What information would you need to help draw a conclusion?
○ List five new words you learned from this conversation and provide the context
(sentence) where you encountered them.
○ Is there anything else about the language that you noticed?
○ What can you do to better prepare for your next conversation?

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
The Customer is Always Right - 30

Prepare (45 min)

● Schedule your conversation

○ Remember to schedule at least 36 hours in advance.

● Review
○ Review vocabulary relevant to conversations about customer rights and satisfaction
within business transactions.
○ Learn at least 10 new words about the topic as well.

● Plan
○ Research the country where your conversation partner lives and try to find out if there
are resources that speak to customer rights and satisfaction.
○ Using the Interact section as a guide:
■ Write a list of 10 questions you can ask your conversation partner about themself
(not necessarily related to the topic).
■ Write a list of 10 questions you can ask your conversation partner about their
thoughts on the topic. Follow up with additional questions to learn more about
similarities and differences across communities.
■ Write a list of 5 questions you can ask your conversation partner about any
related stories from the past, how their ideas have changed, and/or their ideas
about the future.
○ Avoid questions that elicit a simple one word (yes/no) answer.
○ Think about how you would respond to each of the questions if they were asked to you
(prepare for any vocabulary that you might not know).
○ Read through the Interact and Reflect portion of the sequence to help anticipate any
other questions you might need to ask of your partner.

● Practice
○ Practice asking and answering your questions out loud. If available, find a partner from
class and practice together.

● Consider
○ What are some places that you notice you are having trouble communicating? Are there
any new words or structures that you can learn before your conversation?
© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023
Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
○ What are some techniques to help navigate a conversation? What sort of phrases would
be helpful?

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Interact (30 min)

Remember, you are not the only one who needs to talk for the entire 30 minutes. It is a conversation!

● (10 minutes) Introduce yourself to your conversation partner and get to know some basic
information about each other. Then, start with a general conversation around the notions of
customers and businesses. There is a traditional saying that “the customer is always right.”
Does that represent how customers are seen in your partner’s community? In your community?
What do you and your partner understand this saying to mean?
● (10 minutes) When there is an issue in a business transaction, what resources do customers
have to help solve the issue? What resources do businesses have? How are these issues
resolved? How do your partner’s answers compare with yours? Is this true both in and outside
of your communities?
● (10 minutes) What role does litigation play in the dynamics between individuals and
businesses? What role do warranties play? Who is generally held responsible when issues
arise? What could lead to better resources and rights for both parties?

● Tips
○ Try to think in the language of your conversation. Your ability to think in English is much
more complex right now, and often, problems arise when you think of something to say
in English that you are not able to say in the target language.
○ If there are words or major ideas that you don’t understand, please ask your partner to
help explain/elaborate.
○ Remember, the conversation will be recorded so you don’t have to understand 100% of
what your partner says during the conversation. You will have time later to look up
specific words.
○ If your conversation goes a bit off topic, that is ok! The important takeaway from this is
that you are building the ability and confidence to interact in the language.
○ When your partner answers a question, try to ask a related follow-up question instead of
moving directly to another prepared question that might not be related.

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Reflect (75 minutes)

● Review
○ Download and listen to the audio recording of your conversation.

● Write
○ Overall, how did your conversation go?
○ About what percentage of your partners' speech did you understand?
○ What are three things that you would phrase or say differently after having listened to
your conversation?
○ List three interesting things you learned about your conversation partner based on your
conversation.
○ List three interesting things you learned about the topic of your conversation based on
your conversation.
○ Choose the most interesting/relevant part of your conversation on the topic of the
discussion and transcribe (write in the target language) 8 minutes of the recording. This
will involve listening to the audio a few times. Focus on an area in which your partner
was speaking the majority of the time. Write down both what you and your partner said.
Be sure to indicate where this portion of the conversation is by indicating the time
elapsed at the beginning of your transcription (ie. [2:35] if the section begins 2 minutes
and thirty-five seconds into the conversation).
○ What sort of cultural inferences or comparisons can you make about your interaction
with your partner? If there is insufficient evidence, what comparisons can you start to
make? What information would you need to help draw a conclusion?
○ List five new words you learned from this conversation and provide the context
(sentence) where you encountered them.
○ Is there anything else about the language that you noticed?
○ What can you do to better prepare for your next conversation?

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Marketing - 30

Prepare (45 min)

● Schedule your conversation

○ Remember to schedule at least 36 hours in advance.

● Review
○ Review vocabulary relevant to conversations about the use of marketing to promote
products and businesses.
○ Learn at least 10 new words about the topic as well.

● Plan
○ Research the country where your conversation partner lives and investigate some of the
popular marketing campaigns.
○ Using the Interact section as a guide:
■ Write a list of 10 questions you can ask your conversation partner about themself
(not necessarily related to the topic).
■ Write a list of 10 questions you can ask your conversation partner about their
thoughts on the topic. Follow up with additional questions to learn more about
similarities and differences across communities.
■ Write a list of 5 questions you can ask your conversation partner about any
related stories from the past, how their ideas have changed, and/or their ideas
about the future.
○ Avoid questions that elicit a simple one word (yes/no) answer.
○ Think about how you would respond to each of the questions if they were asked to you
(prepare for any vocabulary that you might not know).
○ Read through the Interact and Reflect portion of the sequence to help anticipate any
other questions you might need to ask of your partner.

● Practice
○ Practice asking and answering your questions out loud. If available, find a partner from
class and practice together.

● Consider
○ What are some places that you notice you are having trouble communicating? Are there
any new words or structures that you can learn before your conversation?

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
○ What are some techniques to help navigate a conversation? What sort of phrases would
be helpful?

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Interact (30 min)

Remember, you are not the only one who needs to talk for the entire 30 minutes. It is a conversation!

● (10 minutes) Introduce yourself to your conversation partner and get to know some basic
information about each other. Then, start with a general conversation around the use of
marketing campaigns. What are your favorite marketing campaigns? Maybe these are from your
childhood or maybe they are more recent. What are some memorable campaigns that your
partner can recall? Why do these particular campaigns stick out to you and to your partner?
● (10 minutes) What are the most effective types of marketing campaigns? How has this changed
over the last thirty years? What are some of the similarities and differences between campaigns
in your and your partner’s community? How do marketing strategies vary across different
demographics?
● (10 minutes) What does the future of marketing look like? How do the notions of personalization
and metrics play a role? How do companies continue to innovate marketing strategies? How will
they measure the effectiveness of their efforts? How does marketing respond to the larger
cultural trends? How does it drive those trends?

● Tips
○ Try to think in the language of your conversation. Your ability to think in English is much
more complex right now, and often, problems arise when you think of something to say
in English that you are not able to say in the target language.
○ If there are words or major ideas that you don’t understand, please ask your partner to
help explain/elaborate.
○ Remember, the conversation will be recorded so you don’t have to understand 100% of
what your partner says during the conversation. You will have time later to look up
specific words.
○ If your conversation goes a bit off topic, that is ok! The important takeaway from this is
that you are building the ability and confidence to interact in the language.
○ When your partner answers a question, try to ask a related follow-up question instead of
moving directly to another prepared question that might not be related.

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Reflect (75 minutes)

● Review
○ Download and listen to the audio recording of your conversation.

● Write
○ Overall, how did your conversation go?
○ About what percentage of your partners' speech did you understand?
○ What are three things that you would phrase or say differently after having listened to
your conversation?
○ List three interesting things you learned about your conversation partner based on your
conversation.
○ List three interesting things you learned about the topic of your conversation based on
your conversation.
○ Choose the most interesting/relevant part of your conversation on the topic of the
discussion and transcribe (write in the target language) 8 minutes of the recording. This
will involve listening to the audio a few times. Focus on an area in which your partner
was speaking the majority of the time. Write down both what you and your partner said.
Be sure to indicate where this portion of the conversation is by indicating the time
elapsed at the beginning of your transcription (ie. [2:35] if the section begins 2 minutes
and thirty-five seconds into the conversation).
○ What sort of cultural inferences or comparisons can you make about your interaction
with your partner? If there is insufficient evidence, what comparisons can you start to
make? What information would you need to help draw a conclusion?
○ List five new words you learned from this conversation and provide the context
(sentence) where you encountered them.
○ Is there anything else about the language that you noticed?
○ What can you do to better prepare for your next conversation?

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Innovation - 30

Prepare (45 min)

● Schedule your conversation

○ Remember to schedule at least 36 hours in advance.

● Review
○ Review vocabulary relevant to conversations about the innovation of business practices
and ideas.
○ Learn at least 10 new words about the topic as well.

● Plan
○ Research the country where your conversation partner lives and investigate some
innovative businesses and their practices.
○ Using the Interact section as a guide:
■ Write a list of 10 questions you can ask your conversation partner about themself
(not necessarily related to the topic).
■ Write a list of 10 questions you can ask your conversation partner about their
thoughts on the topic. Follow up with additional questions to learn more about
similarities and differences across communities.
■ Write a list of 5 questions you can ask your conversation partner about any
related stories from the past, how their ideas have changed, and/or their ideas
about the future.
○ Avoid questions that elicit a simple one word (yes/no) answer.
○ Think about how you would respond to each of the questions if they were asked to you
(prepare for any vocabulary that you might not know).
○ Read through the Interact and Reflect portion of the sequence to help anticipate any
other questions you might need to ask of your partner.

● Practice
○ Practice asking and answering your questions out loud. If available, find a partner from
class and practice together.

● Consider
○ What are some places that you notice you are having trouble communicating? Are there
any new words or structures that you can learn before your conversation?
© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023
Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
○ What are some techniques to help navigate a conversation? What sort of phrases would
be helpful?

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Interact (30 min)

Remember, you are not the only one who needs to talk for the entire 30 minutes. It is a conversation!

● (10 minutes) Introduce yourself to your conversation partner and get to know some basic
information about each other. Then, start with a general conversation around some of the
innovations that you and your partner have seen in businesses and business practices. What
makes a company innovative? In what fields do you and your partner see innovation
happening? Are there certain fields that seem resistant to innovation?
● (10 minutes) What is the intersection of risk and reward in terms of innovation? How must a
company play to both known and unknown markets? What if the market can be described as
more traditional and progressive? Does your partner view their community as more traditional or
progressive in regard to business practice? How does that compare to your community?
● (10 minutes) What drives innovation? Do changes happen as a reaction to customer desires or
does business create desire? How do both of these factors influence each other? Where does
your partner think the next big innovations will occur? What new products or ideas do you and
your partner think will define markets and businesses in the next 5 years? In the next 15 years?

● Tips
○ Try to think in the language of your conversation. Your ability to think in English is much
more complex right now, and often, problems arise when you think of something to say
in English that you are not able to say in the target language.
○ If there are words or major ideas that you don’t understand, please ask your partner to
help explain/elaborate.
○ Remember, the conversation will be recorded so you don’t have to understand 100% of
what your partner says during the conversation. You will have time later to look up
specific words.
○ If your conversation goes a bit off topic, that is ok! The important takeaway from this is
that you are building the ability and confidence to interact in the language.
○ When your partner answers a question, try to ask a related follow-up question instead of
moving directly to another prepared question that might not be related.

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Reflect (75 minutes)

● Review
○ Download and listen to the audio recording of your conversation.

● Write
○ Overall, how did your conversation go?
○ About what percentage of your partners' speech did you understand?
○ What are three things that you would phrase or say differently after having listened to
your conversation?
○ List three interesting things you learned about your conversation partner based on your
conversation.
○ List three interesting things you learned about the topic of your conversation based on
your conversation.
○ Choose the most interesting/relevant part of your conversation on the topic of the
discussion and transcribe (write in the target language) 8 minutes of the recording. This
will involve listening to the audio a few times. Focus on an area in which your partner
was speaking the majority of the time. Write down both what you and your partner said.
Be sure to indicate where this portion of the conversation is by indicating the time
elapsed at the beginning of your transcription (ie. [2:35] if the section begins 2 minutes
and thirty-five seconds into the conversation).
○ What sort of cultural inferences or comparisons can you make about your interaction
with your partner? If there is insufficient evidence, what comparisons can you start to
make? What information would you need to help draw a conclusion?
○ List five new words you learned from this conversation and provide the context
(sentence) where you encountered them.
○ Is there anything else about the language that you noticed?
○ What can you do to better prepare for your next conversation?

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
The Interview - 30

Prepare (45 min)

● Schedule your conversation

○ Remember to schedule at least 36 hours in advance.

● Review
○ Review vocabulary relevant to conversations about job interviews and interview
preparation.
○ Learn at least 10 new words about the topic as well.

● Plan
○ Research the country where your conversation partner lives and investigate some of the
practices surrounding job interviews and interview preparation.
○ Using the Interact section as a guide:
■ Write a list of 10 questions you can ask your conversation partner about themself
(not necessarily related to the topic).
■ Write a list of 10 questions you can ask your conversation partner about their
thoughts on the topic. Follow up with additional questions to learn more about
similarities and differences across communities.
■ Write a list of 5 questions you can ask your conversation partner about any
related stories from the past, how their ideas have changed, and/or their ideas
about the future.
○ Avoid questions that elicit a simple one-word (yes/no) answer.
○ Think about how you would respond to each of the questions if they were asked to you
(prepare for any vocabulary that you might not know).
○ Read through the Interact and Reflect portion of the sequence to help anticipate any
other questions you might need to ask of your partner.

● Practice
○ Practice asking and answering your questions out loud. If available, find a partner from
class and practice together.

● Consider
○ What are some places that you notice you are having trouble communicating? Are there
any new words or structures that you can learn before your conversation?
© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023
Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
○ What are some techniques to help navigate a conversation? What sort of phrases would
be helpful?

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Interact (30 min)

Remember, you are not the only one who needs to talk for the entire 30 minutes. It is a conversation!

● (10 minutes) Introduce yourself to your conversation partner and get to know some basic
information about each other. Then, start with a general conversation around the job interview
process. What is the typical etiquette surrounding the interview process in your partner’s
community? In your community? What steps need to happen before a person secures an
interview? What can help increase someone’s chances?
● (10 minutes) Ask your partner about different job interviews that they have had in their lifetime.
Share some of your experiences as well (if applicable). How did the interview process go? How
did you and your partner prepare for this interview? Were there any questions that were
unexpected? If you have never been in an interview situation, think about what you have done
to prepare for a first date or a TalkAbroad conversation! Additionally, How do cultural factors
contribute to the practice of job interviewing?
● (10 minutes) If you were to conduct a job interview, what types of questions would you and your
partner ask? What types of information are you looking for in an interview? What are some of
the limitations of the traditional interview format? How might a company work to mitigate those
limitations?

● Tips
○ Try to think in the language of your conversation. Your ability to think in English is much
more complex right now, and often, problems arise when you think of something to say
in English that you are not able to say in the target language.
○ If there are words or major ideas that you don’t understand, please ask your partner to
help explain/elaborate.
○ Remember, the conversation will be recorded so you don’t have to understand 100% of
what your partner says during the conversation. You will have time later to look up
specific words.
○ If your conversation goes a bit off topic, that is ok! The important takeaway from this is
that you are building the ability and confidence to interact in the language.
○ When your partner answers a question, try to ask a related follow-up question instead of
moving directly to another prepared question that might not be related.

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Reflect (75 minutes)

● Review
○ Download and listen to the audio recording of your conversation.

● Write
○ Overall, how did your conversation go?
○ About what percentage of your partners' speech did you understand?
○ What are three things that you would phrase or say differently after having listened to
your conversation?
○ List three interesting things you learned about your conversation partner based on your
conversation.
○ List three interesting things you learned about the topic of your conversation based on
your conversation.
○ Choose the most interesting/relevant part of your conversation on the topic of the
discussion and transcribe (write in the target language) 8 minutes of the recording. This
will involve listening to the audio a few times. Focus on an area in which your partner
was speaking the majority of the time. Write down both what you and your partner said.
Be sure to indicate where this portion of the conversation is by indicating the time
elapsed at the beginning of your transcription (ie. [2:35] if the section begins 2 minutes
and thirty-five seconds into the conversation).
○ What sort of cultural inferences or comparisons can you make about your interaction
with your partner? If there is insufficient evidence, what comparisons can you start to
make? What information would you need to help draw a conclusion?
○ List five new words you learned from this conversation and provide the context
(sentence) where you encountered them.
○ Is there anything else about the language that you noticed?
○ What can you do to better prepare for your next conversation?

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Office Culture - 30

Prepare (45 min)

● Schedule your conversation

○ Remember to schedule at least 36 hours in advance.

● Review
○ Review vocabulary relevant to conversations about office culture (i.e. dress code,
expectations, interactions, etc.).
○ Learn at least 10 new words about the topic as well.

● Plan
○ Research the country where your conversation partner lives and investigate some
businesses and what might reflect the culture of the business.
○ Using the Interact section as a guide:
■ Write a list of 10 questions you can ask your conversation partner about themself
(not necessarily related to the topic).
■ Write a list of 10 questions you can ask your conversation partner about their
thoughts on the topic. Follow up with additional questions to learn more about
similarities and differences across communities.
■ Write a list of 5 questions you can ask your conversation partner about any
related stories from the past, how their ideas have changed, and/or their ideas
about the future.
○ Avoid questions that elicit a simple one word (yes/no) answer.
○ Think about how you would respond to each of the questions if they were asked to you
(prepare for any vocabulary that you might not know).
○ Read through the Interact and Reflect portion of the sequence to help anticipate any
other questions you might need to ask of your partner.

● Practice
○ Practice asking and answering your questions out loud. If available, find a partner from
class and practice together.

● Consider
○ What are some places that you notice you are having trouble communicating? Are there
any new words or structures that you can learn before your conversation?
© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023
Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
○ What are some techniques to help navigate a conversation? What sort of phrases would
be helpful?

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Interact (30 min)

Remember, you are not the only one who needs to talk for the entire 30 minutes. It is a conversation!

● (10 minutes) Introduce yourself to your conversation partner and get to know some basic
information about each other. Then, start with a general conversation around the office and
business culture. What is the standard office dress code in your partner’s community? How
does this look in your community? How does this vary across different businesses? Is this
similar to non-business culture?
● (10 minutes) How is power distance observed in the office? Are junior employees encouraged to
interact with senior employees? How open is discussion to direct feedback? How is criticism
expressed and received? How might this differ between your community and the community of
your partner? Across different types of businesses? What is done to promote “healthy” office
life? How do cultural factors contribute to these ideas? How does the concept of “the water
cooler” contribute to office culture?
● (10 minutes) How has the notion of office culture changed in the advent of widespread remote
work? How has this benefitted the worker? How has this benefited the company? What do you
and your partner think that the future of office work will look like? How might the changes in
location affect other cultural interactions that are observed in the office? How might these affect
companies, employees and customers in the long term?

● Tips
○ Try to think in the language of your conversation. Your ability to think in English is much
more complex right now, and often, problems arise when you think of something to say
in English that you are not able to say in the target language.
○ If there are words or major ideas that you don’t understand, please ask your partner to
help explain/elaborate.
○ Remember, the conversation will be recorded so you don’t have to understand 100% of
what your partner says during the conversation. You will have time later to look up
specific words.
○ If your conversation goes a bit off topic, that is ok! The important takeaway from this is
that you are building the ability and confidence to interact in the language.
○ When your partner answers a question, try to ask a related follow-up question instead of
moving directly to another prepared question that might not be related.

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Reflect (75 minutes)

● Review
○ Download and listen to the audio recording of your conversation.

● Write
○ Overall, how did your conversation go?
○ About what percentage of your partners' speech did you understand?
○ What are three things that you would phrase or say differently after having listened to
your conversation?
○ List three interesting things you learned about your conversation partner based on your
conversation.
○ List three interesting things you learned about the topic of your conversation based on
your conversation.
○ Choose the most interesting/relevant part of your conversation on the topic of the
discussion and transcribe (write in the target language) 8 minutes of the recording. This
will involve listening to the audio a few times. Focus on an area in which your partner
was speaking the majority of the time. Write down both what you and your partner said.
Be sure to indicate where this portion of the conversation is by indicating the time
elapsed at the beginning of your transcription (ie. [2:35] if the section begins 2 minutes
and thirty-five seconds into the conversation).
○ What sort of cultural inferences or comparisons can you make about your interaction
with your partner? If there is insufficient evidence, what comparisons can you start to
make? What information would you need to help draw a conclusion?
○ List five new words you learned from this conversation and provide the context
(sentence) where you encountered them.
○ Is there anything else about the language that you noticed?
○ What can you do to better prepare for your next conversation?

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Regulation - 30

Prepare (45 min)

● Schedule your conversation

○ Remember to schedule at least 36 hours in advance.

● Review
○ Review vocabulary relevant to conversations about the role government plays in
business regulation.
○ Learn at least 10 new words about the topic as well.

● Plan
○ Research the country where your conversation partner lives and investigate some of the
business regulations in their country/region.
○ Using the Interact section as a guide:
■ Write a list of 10 questions you can ask your conversation partner about themself
(not necessarily related to the topic).
■ Write a list of 10 questions you can ask your conversation partner about their
thoughts on the topic. Follow up with additional questions to learn more about
similarities and differences across communities.
■ Write a list of 5 questions you can ask your conversation partner about any
related stories from the past, how their ideas have changed, and/or their ideas
about the future.
○ Avoid questions that elicit a simple one word (yes/no) answer.
○ Think about how you would respond to each of the questions if they were asked to you
(prepare for any vocabulary that you might not know).
○ Read through the Interact and Reflect portion of the sequence to help anticipate any
other questions you might need to ask of your partner.

● Practice
○ Practice asking and answering your questions out loud. If available, find a partner from
class and practice together.

● Consider
○ What are some places that you notice you are having trouble communicating? Are there
any new words or structures that you can learn before your conversation?
© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023
Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
○ What are some techniques to help navigate a conversation? What sort of phrases would
be helpful?

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Interact (30 min)

Remember, you are not the only one who needs to talk for the entire 30 minutes. It is a conversation!

● (10 minutes) Introduce yourself to your conversation partner and get to know some basic
information about each other. Then, start with a general conversation around the idea of
business regulation. What are some of the laws and regulations that are enforced on most
businesses? How do some of those regulations change depending on the size or scope of the
business?
● (10 minutes) How do regulations benefit the individual consumer? The community? The
environment? Compare and contrast answers between you and your partner. How do
regulations fail to help these stakeholders? Should businesses be in charge of taking all of
these stakeholder needs into account? How do cultural factors contribute to these ideas?
● (10 minutes) How involved should the government be in business regulation? What are some of
the benefits of more government involvement? What are some of the drawbacks of more
involvement? How might taxation be impacted by more or less regulation and government
involvement? What might be the impact of more or less government involvement when also
considering the reality of globalization, that is, cooperation and consumption happens across
national boundaries?

● Tips
○ Try to think in the language of your conversation. Your ability to think in English is much
more complex right now, and often, problems arise when you think of something to say
in English that you are not able to say in the target language.
○ If there are words or major ideas that you don’t understand, please ask your partner to
help explain/elaborate.
○ Remember, the conversation will be recorded so you don’t have to understand 100% of
what your partner says during the conversation. You will have time later to look up
specific words.
○ If your conversation goes a bit off topic, that is ok! The important takeaway from this is
that you are building the ability and confidence to interact in the language.
○ When your partner answers a question, try to ask a related follow-up question instead of
moving directly to another prepared question that might not be related.

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Reflect (75 minutes)

● Review
○ Download and listen to the audio recording of your conversation.

● Write
○ Overall, how did your conversation go?
○ About what percentage of your partners' speech did you understand?
○ What are three things that you would phrase or say differently after having listened to
your conversation?
○ List three interesting things you learned about your conversation partner based on your
conversation.
○ List three interesting things you learned about the topic of your conversation based on
your conversation.
○ Choose the most interesting/relevant part of your conversation on the topic of the
discussion and transcribe (write in the target language) 8 minutes of the recording. This
will involve listening to the audio a few times. Focus on an area in which your partner
was speaking the majority of the time. Write down both what you and your partner said.
Be sure to indicate where this portion of the conversation is by indicating the time
elapsed at the beginning of your transcription (ie. [2:35] if the section begins 2 minutes
and thirty-five seconds into the conversation).
○ What sort of cultural inferences or comparisons can you make about your interaction
with your partner? If there is insufficient evidence, what comparisons can you start to
make? What information would you need to help draw a conclusion?
○ List five new words you learned from this conversation and provide the context
(sentence) where you encountered them.
○ Is there anything else about the language that you noticed?
○ What can you do to better prepare for your next conversation?

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Negotiation - 30

Prepare (45 min)

● Schedule your conversation

○ Remember to schedule at least 36 hours in advance.

● Review
○ Review vocabulary relevant to conversations that explore practices and norms of
negotiation.
○ Learn at least 10 new words about the topic as well.

● Plan
○ Research the country where your conversation partner lives and investigate the types of
negotiation practices found in their country/region.
○ Using the Interact section as a guide:
■ Write a list of 10 questions you can ask your conversation partner about themself
(not necessarily related to the topic).
■ Write a list of 10 questions you can ask your conversation partner about their
thoughts on the topic. Follow up with additional questions to learn more about
similarities and differences across communities.
■ Write a list of 5 questions you can ask your conversation partner about any
related stories from the past, how their ideas have changed, and/or their ideas
about the future.
○ Avoid questions that elicit a simple one word (yes/no) answer.
○ Think about how you would respond to each of the questions if they were asked to you
(prepare for any vocabulary that you might not know).
○ Read through the Interact and Reflect portion of the sequence to help anticipate any
other questions you might need to ask of your partner.

● Practice
○ Practice asking and answering your questions out loud. If available, find a partner from
class and practice together.

● Consider
○ What are some places that you notice you are having trouble communicating? Are there
any new words or structures that you can learn before your conversation?
© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023
Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
○ What are some techniques to help navigate a conversation? What sort of phrases would
be helpful?

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Interact (30 min)

Remember, you are not the only one who needs to talk for the entire 30 minutes. It is a conversation!

● (10 minutes) Introduce yourself to your conversation partner and get to know some basic
information about each other. Then, start with a general conversation around the idea of
negotiation. What does a typical negotiation strategy involve? What types of deals are open to
negotiation vs closed deals? Does your partner like to negotiate? Do you? Why or why not?
● (10 minutes) What are the typical strategies for successful negotiation? How do you and your
partner measure success? Are there ways in which both parties can be successful at the same
time? What cultural norms influence the art and the practice of negotiation?
● (10 minutes) Share a story of a time that you had to negotiate a deal. How did it go? How did
you feel before, during and after the negotiation? Ask your partner to share a similar story.
Then, ask about the purpose of negotiation. Is it something that has to exist? Why? If not, what
should replace this practice? If it should exist, what are ways that it could be made better?

● Tips
○ Try to think in the language of your conversation. Your ability to think in English is much
more complex right now, and often, problems arise when you think of something to say
in English that you are not able to say in the target language.
○ If there are words or major ideas that you don’t understand, please ask your partner to
help explain/elaborate.
○ Remember, the conversation will be recorded so you don’t have to understand 100% of
what your partner says during the conversation. You will have time later to look up
specific words.
○ If your conversation goes a bit off topic, that is ok! The important takeaway from this is
that you are building the ability and confidence to interact in the language.
○ When your partner answers a question, try to ask a related follow-up question instead of
moving directly to another prepared question that might not be related.

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Reflect (75 minutes)

● Review
○ Download and listen to the audio recording of your conversation.

● Write
○ Overall, how did your conversation go?
○ About what percentage of your partners' speech did you understand?
○ What are three things that you would phrase or say differently after having listened to
your conversation?
○ List three interesting things you learned about your conversation partner based on your
conversation.
○ List three interesting things you learned about the topic of your conversation based on
your conversation.
○ Choose the most interesting/relevant part of your conversation on the topic of the
discussion and transcribe (write in the target language) 8 minutes of the recording. This
will involve listening to the audio a few times. Focus on an area in which your partner
was speaking the majority of the time. Write down both what you and your partner said.
Be sure to indicate where this portion of the conversation is by indicating the time
elapsed at the beginning of your transcription (ie. [2:35] if the section begins 2 minutes
and thirty-five seconds into the conversation).
○ What sort of cultural inferences or comparisons can you make about your interaction
with your partner? If there is insufficient evidence, what comparisons can you start to
make? What information would you need to help draw a conclusion?
○ List five new words you learned from this conversation and provide the context
(sentence) where you encountered them.
○ Is there anything else about the language that you noticed?
○ What can you do to better prepare for your next conversation?

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Real Estate- 30

Prepare (45 min)

● Schedule your conversation

○ Remember to schedule at least 36 hours in advance.

● Review
○ Review vocabulary relevant to conversations about real estate practices, including
renting and purchasing property.
○ Learn at least 10 new words about the topic as well.

● Plan
○ Research the country where your conversation partner lives and investigate different
practices surrounding the norms of property and rental agreements and prices.
○ Using the Interact section as a guide:
■ Write a list of 10 questions you can ask your conversation partner about themself
(not necessarily related to the topic).
■ Write a list of 10 questions you can ask your conversation partner about their
thoughts on the topic. Follow up with additional questions to learn more about
similarities and differences across communities.
■ Write a list of 5 questions you can ask your conversation partner about any
related stories from the past, how their ideas have changed, and/or their ideas
about the future.
○ Avoid questions that elicit a simple one word (yes/no) answer.
○ Think about how you would respond to each of the questions if they were asked to you
(prepare for any vocabulary that you might not know).
○ Read through the Interact and Reflect portion of the sequence to help anticipate any
other questions you might need to ask of your partner.

● Practice
○ Practice asking and answering your questions out loud. If available, find a partner from
class and practice together.

● Consider
○ What are some places that you notice you are having trouble communicating? Are there
any new words or structures that you can learn before your conversation?
© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023
Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
○ What are some techniques to help navigate a conversation? What sort of phrases would
be helpful?

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Interact (30 min)

Remember, you are not the only one who needs to talk for the entire 30 minutes. It is a conversation!

● (10 minutes) Introduce yourself to your conversation partner and get to know some basic
information about each other. Then, start with a general conversation around the idea of
purchasing and selling real estate, including renting. Ask your partner if they currently rent or
own the space in which they live. What is common in their community? Share your situation with
your partner. Do you and your partner like your current situations? How are your situations
similar or different to others in your community? What types of housing are available in your
communities?
● (10 minutes) What are the steps to sell and buy property in your partner’s community? How do
these compare to the steps in your community? Is it better to own a home or rent? How might a
foreigner purchase property in your community? In your partner's community? How affordable is
housing in your communities? What factors affect affordability?
● (10 minutes) How does the housing market affect the overall community? What are some ways
to improve housing in both your and your partner’s community? How has the market changed in
the past fifty years? Has the shift been towards or away from dense urban environments? Why
might this be? What changes do you think will revolutionize the housing market in the next fifty
years?

● Tips
○ Try to think in the language of your conversation. Your ability to think in English is much
more complex right now, and often, problems arise when you think of something to say
in English that you are not able to say in the target language.
○ If there are words or major ideas that you don’t understand, please ask your partner to
help explain/elaborate.
○ Remember, the conversation will be recorded so you don’t have to understand 100% of
what your partner says during the conversation. You will have time later to look up
specific words.
○ If your conversation goes a bit off topic, that is ok! The important takeaway from this is
that you are building the ability and confidence to interact in the language.
○ When your partner answers a question, try to ask a related follow-up question instead of
moving directly to another prepared question that might not be related.

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Reflect (75 minutes)

● Review
○ Download and listen to the audio recording of your conversation.

● Write
○ Overall, how did your conversation go?
○ About what percentage of your partners' speech did you understand?
○ What are three things that you would phrase or say differently after having listened to
your conversation?
○ List three interesting things you learned about your conversation partner based on your
conversation.
○ List three interesting things you learned about the topic of your conversation based on
your conversation.
○ Choose the most interesting/relevant part of your conversation on the topic of the
discussion and transcribe (write in the target language) 8 minutes of the recording. This
will involve listening to the audio a few times. Focus on an area in which your partner
was speaking the majority of the time. Write down both what you and your partner said.
Be sure to indicate where this portion of the conversation is by indicating the time
elapsed at the beginning of your transcription (ie. [2:35] if the section begins 2 minutes
and thirty-five seconds into the conversation).
○ What sort of cultural inferences or comparisons can you make about your interaction
with your partner? If there is insufficient evidence, what comparisons can you start to
make? What information would you need to help draw a conclusion?
○ List five new words you learned from this conversation and provide the context
(sentence) where you encountered them.
○ Is there anything else about the language that you noticed?
○ What can you do to better prepare for your next conversation?

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Taxes- 30

Prepare (45 min)

● Schedule your conversation

○ Remember to schedule at least 36 hours in advance.

● Review
○ Review vocabulary relevant to conversations about taxes.
○ Learn at least 10 new words about the topic as well.

● Plan
○ Research the country where your conversation partner lives and investigate some of the
regulations surrounding different types of taxation.
○ Using the Interact section as a guide:
■ Write a list of 10 questions you can ask your conversation partner about themself
(not necessarily related to the topic).
■ Write a list of 10 questions you can ask your conversation partner about their
thoughts on the topic. Follow up with additional questions to learn more about
similarities and differences across communities.
■ Write a list of 5 questions you can ask your conversation partner about any
related stories from the past, how their ideas have changed, and/or their ideas
about the future.
○ Avoid questions that elicit a simple one word (yes/no) answer.
○ Think about how you would respond to each of the questions if they were asked to you
(prepare for any vocabulary that you might not know).
○ Read through the Interact and Reflect portion of the sequence to help anticipate any
other questions you might need to ask of your partner.

● Practice
○ Practice asking and answering your questions out loud. If available, find a partner from
class and practice together.

● Consider
○ What are some places that you notice you are having trouble communicating? Are there
any new words or structures that you can learn before your conversation?

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
○ What are some techniques to help navigate a conversation? What sort of phrases would
be helpful?

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Interact (30 min)

Remember, you are not the only one who needs to talk for the entire 30 minutes. It is a conversation!

● (10 minutes) Introduce yourself to your conversation partner and get to know some basic
information about each other. Then, start with a general conversation around the idea of taxes.
What types of taxes are collected in your partner’s community? How does this compare with the
types of taxes in your community? How is tax collection decided upon? Who enforces
collection? What are the penalties for not paying taxes?
● (10 minutes) What strategies exist to help ease tax burdens? How does this compare between
individual and business taxes? What is the money collected by different types of tax used for?
How do taxes benefit the community? How does the collection of taxes potentially harm the
community?
● (10 minutes) What should the balance of taxation look like? How can the collection of taxes
create a more equitable society? How can the collection of taxes create a less equitable
society? What might a future look like where no taxes exist? How might governing authorities
continue to exist and function? How is society dependent on the distribution of collected taxes?

● Tips
○ Try to think in the language of your conversation. Your ability to think in English is much
more complex right now, and often, problems arise when you think of something to say
in English that you are not able to say in the target language.
○ If there are words or major ideas that you don’t understand, please ask your partner to
help explain/elaborate.
○ Remember, the conversation will be recorded so you don’t have to understand 100% of
what your partner says during the conversation. You will have time later to look up
specific words.
○ If your conversation goes a bit off topic, that is ok! The important takeaway from this is
that you are building the ability and confidence to interact in the language.
○ When your partner answers a question, try to ask a related follow-up question instead of
moving directly to another prepared question that might not be related.

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.
Reflect (75 minutes)

● Review
○ Download and listen to the audio recording of your conversation.

● Write
○ Overall, how did your conversation go?
○ About what percentage of your partners' speech did you understand?
○ What are three things that you would phrase or say differently after having listened to
your conversation?
○ List three interesting things you learned about your conversation partner based on your
conversation.
○ List three interesting things you learned about the topic of your conversation based on
your conversation.
○ Choose the most interesting/relevant part of your conversation on the topic of the
discussion and transcribe (write in the target language) 8 minutes of the recording. This
will involve listening to the audio a few times. Focus on an area in which your partner
was speaking the majority of the time. Write down both what you and your partner said.
Be sure to indicate where this portion of the conversation is by indicating the time
elapsed at the beginning of your transcription (ie. [2:35] if the section begins 2 minutes
and thirty-five seconds into the conversation).
○ What sort of cultural inferences or comparisons can you make about your interaction
with your partner? If there is insufficient evidence, what comparisons can you start to
make? What information would you need to help draw a conclusion?
○ List five new words you learned from this conversation and provide the context
(sentence) where you encountered them.
○ Is there anything else about the language that you noticed?
○ What can you do to better prepare for your next conversation?

© TalkAbroad. Last Updated 04-12-2023

Educators have permission to adapt this document for classroom purposes only.