400+ Language Exchange Topics (organized by language level & theme)

Language Exchange Topics

Life Story

These conversation topics are the most basic, but great for getting to know a new language exchange partner!

A1-A2 Exchange Topics

• How would you describe yourself in three words (adjectives)?
• Have you ever had a nickname? What was it?
• What gets worse and worse as you get older? What gets better and better?
• What do you like most about your personality?
• What’s the best thing about you?

B1-B2 Exchange Topics

• What was your silliest fear as a child?
• How old were you when you moved away from home? Why?
• Do you think your childhood was better than the average childhood in your country now? Why or why not?
• How old were you when you learned to cook? What motivated you?
• Do you have any siblings? How do you think being the youngest, oldest, middle, or only child affected you?
• How old were you when you got your first job? Why did you get that job?
• What’s one thing that someone has borrowed from you and never given back? Do you miss it?
• How old are people when they start school in your country? What do you think about that?
• How old are people when they get married in your country? What do you think about that?
• When someone retires in your culture, what does that look like now?
• What do you think is the most important thing you’ve done so far in your life? Why do you think it’s the most important?
• What’s the best decision you’ve ever made? Did you almost make a different decision? What do you think would have happened if you hadn’t made it?
• What’s the best piece of advice you ever got?
• What’s one thing you are so incredibly terrible at that you gave up doing it completely? Will you ever try it again?
• What’s one thing you’re incredibly terrible at but you still do anyway?
• What future thing in your life are you looking forward to?
• What’s one random compliment that someone gave you that really stuck in your memory?
• What’s the oldest possession you currently have? Why do you still have it?
• If your childhood had a smell, what would it smell like?
• Do you remember any big event or situation that everyone else in your life has forgotten about? What happened, and why do you think you remembered it?

C1-C2 Exchange Topics

• If you could tell your younger self one thing, what would that be?
• If you could go back and relive one day of your life but with all of the knowledge you have now, what day would you relive and why?
• If your life was a movie, what actor or actress would you want to play you and why?
• If you could be the same age forever, what would that age be and why?
• What are the biggest or most common misconceptions people have about you? Why?

B1-B2 Exchange Topics

• What was the best letter you ever got in the mail?
• What was the first package you remember receiving in the mail?
• Why (or why not) is a public post office important?
• Have you ever had a pen pal through your school, church, or any other phase in your life?
• Why do some people still write cards and letters?
• What are the different roles of emails and social media in your life? How are they different for you?
• Do you prefer phone calls or text messages when talking with your friends?
• Do you prefer phone calls or video calls when talking with family?
• Do you think the art of writing a beautiful letter is lost, or will be lost one day?

C1-C2 Exchange Topics

• Do you think the global popularity of online shopping has been positive or negative for small business owners?
• How can someone use cell phones and instant communication to be toxic? Has that ever happened to you?
• What do you think the future of the postal service will look like?
• When a company changes over to fully electronic communication (meaning they don’t send out bills or notifications in the mail anymore), who do you think wins the most: the company, the client, or the environment?
• Do you think future historians will cite Tweets like historians today cite letters as primary sources?

Daily Schedule

This topic might feel a bit small-talk, but the real reasoning for including it was to give beginner language students some interesting ways to use the vocabulary and grammar they’re learning, and force advanced students to brush up on some lesser-used daily routine vocabulary.

A1-A2 Exchange Topics

• What is a normal day for an adult in your culture?
• What does your normal day look like?
• What time do people normally wake up and go to bed?
• Do you work on weekends? Is it normal for people to work on weekends?
• Are you an organized person? Why or why not? Do you want to change that?

B1-B2 Exchange Topics

• What kind of schedule is valued in your society? (Early morning, 9-5, leisure, hard work, etc)
• Did you wear a uniform when you went to school? Are they common where you’re from?
• What is a common dress code for an office job where you live?
• Do you drink caffeinated drinks like coffee or tea in the morning? Why or why not?
• Is it valued in your culture to wake up early? Do you agree that people who wake up earlier are more productive or harder working?
• What’s the largest amount of people you’ve had to present in front of at work or school? How did it go?

C1-C2 Exchange Topics

• If you could pick your ideal daily schedule, what time would you get up or go to bed? How often would you eat?

Family

While “family” doesn’t always make it on the list of taboo topics to talk about, make sure the other person is interested in these before deciding to spend an entire exchange chat on it. (Adoptees, children who immigrated, and many other people might find certain questions painful, although I tried to be cognisant about that while writing these.)

A1-A2 Exchange Topics

• Who are you closest within your family?
• Do you have or want any children? Why or why not?
• What do you think the ideal family size is?
• How do last names work in your culture? If someone is married or a child is born, what last names do they have?

B1-B2 Exchange Topics

• What do you do when you get together with your family?
• What was the strangest or coolest object in your childhood home? Does it have a story?
• What is your favorite family tradition? Is it personal or cultural?
• In your country or culture, how important is family?
• Does your culture have set gender roles? What do you think about them?
• In your culture, is it normal for kids to hide things from their parents? What do you think of that?
• Can you share a good story your parents told you about their lives?
• Can you share a good story your grandparents or other family members told you about their lives?
• Can friends be family, or are those two different categories?

C1-C2 Exchange Topics

• If you could go back and talk to one ancestor, who would it be and why?
• If you had to change your name, what name would you change it to and why?
• Would you have been teenage friends with your parents if you all went to high school together and had the same age? Why or why not?

Jobs

Our weird relationships with jobs and work span cultures. This is a great one for practicing storytelling and polishing your ability to ask good follow-up questions!

A1-A2 Language Exchange Topics

• What is your job right now? What do you like about it?
• What do you dislike most about your current job?
• Do you think you’re good at your job? Why or why not?

B1-B2 Language Exchange Topics

• What was the first job you ever had?
• What was the most interesting job you ever had?
• What was the worst job you ever had?
• What did you want to be when you were little? Why?
• Did you get to choose your career path? Why or why not?
• What are the most valued jobs in your society? Why?
• What is one important job that is not valued in your society? Why?

C1-C2 Language Exchange Topics

• If you could have any job in the world, what would it be and why?
• What would be the worst job for you?
• If you could try any job for one day, without any training, what job would you want to try?

Education

The education questions here are a mix of personal and political, and could certainly be split up between two or more language exchanges. So again–ask great follow up questions and really enjoy this one!

A1-A2 Exchange Topics

• Do you think a university education is important? Why or why not?
• Do you want to go back to university one day? Why or why not?
• For how many years do most people go to school in your country?
• What are the most popular subjects to study in school?
• What do school students eat for lunch?

B1-B2 Exchange Topics

• What was your favorite subject in school? Why?
• What was your least favorite subject in school? Why?
• Who was your favorite teacher in middle school or high school? Why?
• What was the most boring class you ever took?
• What was the most surprising class you ever took?
• What do you think your country values in their students? (High test scores, critical thinking, practical skills, etc)
• What is the structure of university in your country? Do you have a credit system, just a focus, etc?
• What are high schools like in your country? What kind of schools exist at that level?
• What advice do you have for young people who want to go to university in your country?
• What do you think is the best way to measure if students are learning? Tests, writing, or something else?
• Are there divides in who can or cannot attend university in your country?
• Did you ever read a book in school or university that you really loved? What book?
• Did you have the option to take arts classes in high school? Why or why not?
• Do students have homework where you’re from? What is that like?
• What education did your grandparents receive? Was that common for their generation?
• Are graduations celebrated in your culture? If not, why not? If so, how do celebrations look like?

C1-C2 Exchange Topics

• What classes do you wish you would have taken?
• If you could go to an amazing university for free and be guaranteed any job after graduating, would you go back and study something else? Why or why not/
• Would you have changed your educational focus if you could?
• If you could change the university system in your country, what’s the first thing you would change?
• Would you ever want to be a teacher? What subject? Or why not?

Language Exchange Topics about… Languages!

Everyone’s favorite topic! These questions were a ton of fun to write, but if you have any other ideas leave them in the comments below so I can take a look and hopefully expand this section.

A1-A2 Exchange Topics

• What languages do you speak or study?
• What is your favorite language and why?
• What languages don’t interest you at all?
• What do you think about conlanguages? (Esperanto, Klingon, etc)
• Do you prefer to study multiple languages at lower levels or fewer languages to higher levels? Why?
• What do you think is the prettiest accent in the world?
• What do you think the most attractive accent in the world is?
• What do you think makes a good language teacher?
• Do you think spelling is important? Why or why not?
• If schools in your area could only teach a local sign language or an international language, which do you think they should teach and why?

B1-B2 Exchange Topics

• What languages did you grow up around?
• What language(s) did your ancestors speak? Do you speak it/them? Why or why not?
• What is the role of a dictionary in society? Do you have a favorite dictionary?
• What languages do you want to learn?
• What are your favorite words or phrases in one of your languages?
• What is the hardest part about the language you’re speaking right now?
• Why did you pick this language to learn or study?
• What motivates you to keep learning and improving your language?
• Did you study languages as a child in school? What was that like?
• What is one stereotype about the language we’re speaking right now? Do you agree with it?
• What is your all-time favorite language learning tool or resource?
• What do you do when you’re not motivated to study at all?
• How important do you think accents are?
• Can you share the first moment where you felt like you were making progress with your target language?
• Do you identify with the words monolingual, bilingual, multilingual, or polyglot? Why or why not?
• What’s the most important piece of advice you have for anyone who wants to learn a new language?
• Do you think everyone speaking the same second language (English or French for example) is a good thing for communication or a bad thing for linguistic diversity?

C1-C2 Exchange Topics

• Do you wish you had done anything differently during your language learning journey?
• If you could suddenly be instantly fluent in one language, what one language would that be?
• What languages do you wish you spoke?
• Do you think that language learning is really accessible to everyone? Why or why not?

Home Life

Our relationships with the people we live with and where we live are not only unique culture-to-culture but person-to-person. This is great for practicing or revisiting beginner vocab, especially if you go into a lot of detail about specific objects and how they’re used.

A1-A2 Exchange Topics

• Do you prefer the city or country, and why?
• Who do you live with? What is the hardest part of that arrangement?
• Do you have any pets? Why or why not?
• What are popular pets in your area?
• What are popular pet names in your country or region?
• What architecture is popular in your region or city? What does it look like?
• What do homes look like in your region? Size, bedrooms, etc?
• How many people normally live together in your culture?
• Do you like to clean? Why or why not?

B1-B2 Exchange Topics

• Have you moved around a lot? Why or why not?
• Where did you grow up? What was it like?
• How has your city or town changed over the past 20 years?
• Is gentrification a problem where you live? What’s your relationship to it?
• If you have pets, how did you pick their names? If not, what is your favorite pet name?
• Did you have any pets growing up? Why or why not?
• What do kitchens in your region normally have?
• What do bathrooms in your region normally look like?
• In your community, where do elderly people live? What do you think about that?
• Do many people own their homes in your town or city? Why or why not?
• Is the interior design of your house important to you? Why or why not?

C1-C2 Exchange Topics

• If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose?
• What would your dream apartment or house look like?
• If you could safely live with any animal of any species, what would that animal be?

Events & Parties

A1-A2 Language Exchange Questions

• What are the most important holidays in your culture? What events, parties, or dinners do people have to celebrate?
• What are some popular foods to have at a party?
• What does a birthday celebration look like where you’re from?
• When is alcohol appropriate or inappropriate to have at an event or party?
• If you’re invited to a party that begins at 7:00p, at what time is it polite to arrive?
• On a Friday night, would you rather go out with friends or relax at home alone?

B1-B2 Language Exchange Questions

• What makes a good party?
• What was the best party you’ve ever gone to?
• Can a wedding be boring? What would make a wedding fun or boring?
• What was the worst party or event you’ve ever gone to?
• When you get together with a small group of friends, what do you actually like to do?
• What is the most stressful part of having people over your house to celebrate something?
• What was the best event you’ve ever organized yourself?
• How do you decide what kind of gift you would bring to a given event?
• What is one type of holiday or event you are socially obligated to go to but always dread?
• What culture has the coolest events? (Parties, festivals, etc?)
• If you go to a party and you don’t know anyone there besides the host, what are your strategies for making friends?

C1-C2 Language Exchange Questions

• What life accomplishments or milestones are most celebrated in your culture? What life accomplishments/milestones are not celebrated that you wish were?
• If you had 100,000 euros to throw the best party ever, what would it look like?
• If you had to organize a party but had zero budget, what would that party look like?

Politeness

This section was absolutely inspired by all of the faux pas and groseros that have tripped me up before with friends from other countries. Again–if you have any other ideas for what else could go in this section, please leave the questions in the comments for consideration to be added!

A1-A2 Language Exchange Topics

• What are polite topics of conversations with strangers in your culture?
• When you are paying for food at a grocery store, is it polite to talk with the cashier or not? Why do you think that is? What do you think about that?
• In your culture, do the colors black, white, red, green, blue, pink, green, yellow, or purple represent anything important?

B1-B2 Language Exchange Topics

• Can you give a good example of how someone in your country should act with a waiter or taxi driver? What should tourists do or avoid in order to be polite?
• What is one thing that everyone in your culture really cares about that you don’t care about at all? (Ex: personal space, beauty, social obligations, politics, etc)
• What is one very rude thing that foreigners sometimes do when visiting your country?
• Who do you give tips to in your country? How much? Why or why not?
• Is it appropriate to touch friends or people you are talking to in your country? Can you explain when or why?
• Can you show some examples of non-verbal body language from your culture?
• What topics should be avoided when speaking with people you don’t know in your culture?
• What’s a rude question that someone from another country might ask you? How do you respond?
• When making plans in a group, should a person wait to be invited or invite themselves?
• Do you think people say things very directly in your culture, or very indirectly? (“That shirt doesn’t look good” vs “I think another shirt might be better”.) Do you think this is important?

C1-C2 Language Exchange Topics

• What’s one thing you wish you knew about language learning before you started?
• If you had a time machine but could only use it once, what is the one dormant language you would go back to learn?

History

A1-A2 Conversation Ideas

• Did you like history class growing up? Why or why not?
• Do you think it’s important to study history? Why or why not?
• Do you think ancient history or modern history is more important to know? Why?

B1-B2 Conversation Ideas

• What do you think the most interesting time period from your culture was? Why?
• What do you think the most boring time period from your culture was? Why?
• Without having to study, would you rather wake up and be able to read 10 historic languages (Latin, Ancient Greek, Old English, Ogunquit, Old Norse, etc) or 1 speak of today’s most-spoken languages (Hindi, Mandarin, English, Cantonese, etc)? Why?

C1-C2 Conversation Ideas

• If you could meet one historic figure, who would it be and why?
• If you could go back and see one event, what would you see and why?
• If you could go back in time and stop one single event from happening, what event would you stop and why? How would you stop it?
• You’re allowed to make one trip back in time for one of these trips, but are warned that because of the butterfly effect you might change all of human history. Do you take the risk? What do you do to make sure you don’t hurt history?

Friends and Dating

Who do we know outside of our families? And how important are those people to us?

A1-A2 Exchange Topics

• When you go out with friends, what do you like to do?
• What personality traits are most important in a new friend? What about in a romantic partner?
• Is it normal in your country to have friends and relationships from different religions or politics? Why or why not?
• How do you greet strangers in your culture? How do you greet friends?
• How important is community in your culture?
• What qualities do you value in a friend?
• In your group of friends, what social roll do you play?

B1-B2 Exchange Topics

• Who was your first celebrity, movie, or TV crush?
• Can you give anyone advice on flirting with someone in your culture?
• What is dating like in your culture?
• If someone moves to your country or city, how should they find new friends?
• What was the best date you ever went on?
• What was the worst date you ever went on?
• What kind of casual parties do you have in your country? (Dinners, birthdays, etc.) What do they look like?
• What do weddings look like in your culture?
• What was the best party you ever went to?
• How should people dress when they go to weddings in your country?
• How should people dress when they go to a friend’s house for a casual evening?
• Who is your longest friendship with? Have you both changed, or not?

C1-C2 Exchange Topics

• Is there anyone who’s no longer in your life who you wish you could reconnect with? Why?
• Is there anyone who you wish you had met earlier in life? Or had never met ever?

Food

Food vocabulary is often taught at lower language levels. But do you know how to name herbs, explain cooking instructions, or critique a dish? Hopefully you can get really expansive with these questions and your answers!

A1-A2 Language Exchange Questions

• What’s your favorite dish?
• What’s your favorite cuisine?
• What is one important cultural dish that everyone should try when visiting your region or city?
• What food is popular where you live?
• Does someone in your family have a special dish that they always cook? What is it?
• What is the worst food from your culture?
• What food do you eat the most? Why?
• What do people in your culture normally think about “foreign” cuisine? Are any foreign foods really popular? (Americans eating at Mexican restaurants; Germans eating different Turkish dishes.)
• Do you have any food restrictions? (Moral, allergies, religious, etc.) What do you have to do in your daily life to eat like that?

B1-B2 Language Exchange Questions

• What was the most interesting restaurant you’ve ever been to?
• What are your first memories of eating a “foreign” food? What was it, why did you try it, and what did you think?
• What was your favorite food when you were a small child? How do you feel about that now?
• What was the most interesting food you’ve ever eaten?
• What’s the spiciest food you’ve ever eaten? How did it go?
• What food do you really want to try that you haven’t yet?
• What was the one meal your parents made that you hated growing up?
• Are you a vegetarian or vegan? Why or why not?
• When you go out with a group of people to eat, who pays? How is it decided?
• Do you think you’re a good cook?
• What’s the best compliment you ever received for your cooking?
• If you eat out at a restaurant and the food is terrible, what do you do?
• Does your culture have any special beverage that you think everyone should try if they visit?
• What is the most common beverage in your culture? Tea, coffee, or something else? Do you like it? Why or why not?
• In your culture, what is the culture around alcohol use? Is it encouraged for business meetings? Is it normal to give to children? Is it illegal? Explain and talk about what you think.

C1-C2 Language Exchange Questions

• If you were a fruit or vegetable, what fruit or vegetable would you be?
• If caffeine became illegal, what would you do? What lengths would you resort to in order to continue to use it?
• If you could only ever eat one food for the rest of your life, what would that food be?

Religion and Politics

I tried to make these questions less about the individual and more about society as a whole. But if either you or your partner isn’t excited about these, you can skip this section of topics.

A1-A2 Exchange Topics

• How is your town or city run? (Mayor, council, village meeting, etc)
• How do people dress when going to a religious service?
• Do you vote? How and where do you vote?
• What are the language laws like where you live? What is taught, spoken in government, or used in businesses?

B1-B2 Exchange Topics

• What religion is most common where you live?
• Is religion viewed as important to daily life where you live?
• What is the relationship between religion and the government where you live?
• Is there any big problems in your local community or city right now? What are they?
• What do you think the biggest problem for all of humanity is right now?
• What do you think the most harmful law in your country is right now? Why?
• What’s one thing that is currently legal where you live, but you don’t think will be in 20 years?
• What has been the biggest political change in your lifetime been?
• You wake up one morning as Jeff Bezos, the richest man in the world who makes about 8,961,187 USD per hour and has 196 billion (a million million) dollars. You have 24hrs to do anything you want without it being reversible by Jeff the next day, but you can’t let it get traced to you. What do you do?

C1-C2 Exchange Topics

• If you could change one law in your country, what would it be and why?
• If you could make one international law that every country had to comply with, what would it be and why?

Holidays

Time for some nostalgia! Have fun explaining these to someone who’s maybe never heard of them before.

A1-A2 Exchange Topics

• What is your favorite holiday? Why?
• What is your least favorite holiday? Why?
• What holiday is most important in your culture? Why?
• What are birthday celebrations like in your culture?
• Is there one celebration that’s local to where you’re from, that no one else celebrates?
• What kind of festivals exist in your culture? Are they for any holiday, season, or occasion?
• When someone goes party in your city, what’s the 1 song everyone will know the words to?
• Do you prefer to get gifts or give gifts? Why?

B1-B2 Exchange Topics

• What kind of bank holidays / federal holidays do you have in your country? Do you think they’re important?
• Is there any holiday that you celebrate where you give gifts? What is the gift-giving like? (If not, why not?)
• What’s the best gift you’ve ever gotten?
• What’s the worst gift you ever gotten?
• What do you do with gifts you don’t want? Why?
• Does your culture have any unpopular or controversial holidays? What are they, and why?
• Is there any special food that you love, but that is only eaten for one certain holiday or celebration?
• If you go over to someone’s house for dinner, should you bring something with you? How do you decide what to bring?
• What are some common wedding gifts for adults?
• What kind of gifts do you get someone for their birthday? How should you pick one out?
• What would an example of a really bad gift be?

C1-C2 Exchange Topics

• If you could start your own holiday, what would it be?

Myths and Paranormal

Dig into some really culturally-relevant vocabulary and C-level grammar. Because of the difficult vocabulary, none of these questions are good for A-level students–but if you’re excited to talk about this hopefully you can use it as inspiration to improve the language you’re learning!

B1-B2 Exchange Topics

• Do you have a good luck charm? What is it, and why? Or why not?
• Do you have good luck in any one thing? Do you believe in luck?
• What’s one conspiracy theory that you actually believe in or think could be true?
• What is the worst, least probable, or most harmful conspiracy theory you know about?
• Do you believe in ghosts? Why or why not?
• Do you believe in aliens? Why or why not?
• What cultures have the coolest myths? Why?
• What book, movie, game, or series has the fictional universe you’d most like to live in? Why?
• If you had a familiar (a spirit animal or magical creature that is linked to you somehow), what would it be and how would it act?
• You’re transported into the last fantasy or science fiction book/movie/series/game you read. Are you going to survive? What will your life look like?
• Have you ever gone to a psychic, tried tarot cards, or had your palm read? If so, how was it? If not, are you interested in it?
• Do you think rituals like Ouiji boards or seances are dangerous? Why or why not?
• Have you ever seen something supernatural? (Bigfoot, an angel, a UFO, etc?)
• Do you think time travel will be possible one day? Why or why not?
• Does your culture believe in witches? What are the historic and current opinions?

C1-C2 Exchange Topics

• Does your culture have any mythical creatures? (Fairies, dragons, Big Foot, Moth Man, etc?)
• You encounter the exact opposite version of yourself. What would they be like?
• If you could level up your life in a video game, what ability would you level up next? (Health, intelligence, speed, strength, etc.)
• Time has stopped for everyone in the world except you for 24hrs. What would you do?
• If you could perfectly communicate with all animals, what would you do with that power?
• If you could trade one year of your life for a million dollars, how many years of your life would you trade?
• You drink a magic potion that makes you never have to sleep again. What would you do with the extra time every night?
• Do you have a myth or folktale you really like? Can you tell it?
• If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?
• If you could have one magical power, what would it be?
• What would the worst power be, and why?
• If aliens exist, what do you think they look like?

Pastimes and Hobbies

With the workday getting longer and longer, do people still have hobbies?

A1-A2 Language Exchange Questions

• What do people do outside on a nice day?
• What do people do when the weather is bad outside?
• Do you like to read? Why or why not?
• When you watch TV, you prefer movies or series? Why?
• Do you prefer to watch or play sports? Or neither? Why?
• Video game competitions are the fastest-growing category of sports in the world. Do you think they’re a sport? Why or why not?
• What popular games do small children play in your culture?
• Are there any seasonal activities that are popular in your region during one specific time of year?

B1-B2 Language Exchange Questions

• Did your parents’ generation have any hobbies that your generation doesn’t have?
• What was the first hobby or interest you remember as a child?
• What TV channel doesn’t exist but really should?
• Do you play board games? If so, what’s your favorite? If not, why not?
• Have you ever collected anything?
• Video games, social media, and TV steaming are incredibly addicting. Do you think they should come with warnings or government regulation? Why or why not?
• If you had to go onto a reality TV show for one season, what TV show would you pick and why?
• Do you care about any sports team rivalries? Or are there any in your local area?
• What do children do during school breaks in your region? Do you have any good memories?
• Do you think learning languages is a fun hobby or a chore you have to do so you can speak it?
• If time and money weren’t an issue, what’s one hobby you would pick up that you can’t right now?
• What do you think about “hustle culture”, ie: only having hobbies if you can make money off of them?

C1-C2 Language Exchange Questions

• Dressing up as your favorite video game, movie, or comic book character (“cosplay”) is becoming more and more popular with adults who attend media conventions. What do you think of this phenomenon? Who would you like to dress up as if you went to a fan convention?
• If you could cheat at a board game to guarantee that you won and not get caught, would you cheat? Why or why not?

Sports and the Outdoors

For this language exchange topic, please be sensitive to different physical abilities your partner may have. We’ve included questions for language learners who use wheel chairs, have had tramatic injuries, or who have any disability–but it’s best not to assume that everyone can do things as easily as you can!

A1-A2 Language Exchange Topics

• What do people do outside where you live?
• Are sports important to you? Why or why not?
• What’s your favorite season of the year to be outside? What do you do?
• What are the most important sports or teams where you live? What do you think of them?
• Do you watch the Olympics? Why or why not?
• Are parks and beaches where you live accessible to wheelchair users? What do you think about that?
• Have you ever played sports? What did you play, and how did it affect you?
• What is one sport that you hate hearing about? Why?
• Is auto racing a sport? (Nascar; Grand Prix; etc.) Why or why not?
• Are dancing or cheerleading sports? Why or why not?
• Do you know how to swim? If not, why not? If you do, when did you learn?
• Are indoor gyms popular where you live? What do you think of them?
• Do you work out regularly? What do you do, or why don’t you?
• Do you prefer calm exercise like yoga and walking or harder exercise like running or weight lifting? Why?

B1-B2 Language Exchange Topics

• What animal or plant species exist where you are, that are unique to your region? Can you describe them?
• Have you ever gone camping? What was it like, or why haven’t you gone?
• Have you ever slept outside? Where was it, and what was it like?
• Do you have parks where you live? What do they look like?
• What do you listen to when you exercise? Why?
• What is the most dangerous animal, plant, or weather condition near where you live? Does this impact your life at all?
• What sports were popular in your high school?
• Do you think hunting is a sport? Do you think it’s moral? Why or why not?

C1-C2 Language Exchange Topics

• If you could suddenly be amazing at one sport, what sport would you pick and why?
• If you could meet one sports icon, who would you pick and why?
• Do you think using steroids or other drugs should be allowed in sports competitions? Why or why not?
• What do you think the most useful outdoor skills are? (Making fires, building shelters, foraging for food, etc.) Do you know how to do this? Do you know anyone who does?

Health and Healthcare

Not only is health personal, but it’s also political. Remember not to ask questions that are too direct about someone else’s health unless they volunteer that information.

A1-A2 Language Exchange Topics

• How does someone find a doctor in your country? How do they make an appointment?
• What do you think of the use of things like magnets or crystals in healing?
• When someone goes to the doctor in your community, who pays for the visit?
• Do you do anything in your daily routine to stay healthy? What and why, or why not?
• What is your routine right before going to bed?
• How good do you think your country’s healthcare system is? Why do you think that?

B1-B2 Language Exchange Topics

• What kind of training to doctors need in your country? Who pays for that training?
• What do you think about the use of antibiotics in your society?
• Is it easy to become a doctor or nurse in your country? What do you think about that?
• What is your country’s policies towards marijuana use? What do you think about that?
• How do you see the future of healthcare in your country?
• What are some of the problems in healthcare in your country?
• What do you think about alcohol? Do you drink?

C1-C2 Language Exchange Topics

• If you could change one thing about your country’s healthcare system, what’s the one rule you would make?
• If you could change your country’s laws about drugs, what would you change and why? Or why wouldn’t you change it?

Climate, Geography, and Urban Life

Language learning often focuses on cultures. But what about that places we live? What do they look like, and how do we survive them?

A1-A2 Exchange Topics

• Is there anything outdoors for tourists to do if they visit your region?
• What is the biggest city near you? What are the buildings or architecture like?
• What kind of transportation is the most and least popular where you live?
• What are your favorite and least favorite modes of transport?
• What are your favorite and least favorite seasons, and why?
• During the coldest days where you live, what’s the best activity to do?
• During the hottest days where you live, what’s the best activity to do?

B1-B2 Exchange Topics

• What is the terrain like where you live? (Deserts, plains, forests, mountains, etc)
• What sort of bad weather do you have? (Blizzards, thunderstorms, monsoons, tornados, etc)
• Are public buildings, restaurants, public transport, and parks in your city accessible to wheel chairs? What do you think about this?
• If you could rename the street you live on, what would you rename it and why?
• Is your region known for anything important?
• What is your favorite climate type to visit? Why? (Desert, tropical, subarctic, etc.)
• Is there any natural phenomenon you haven’t seen yet but want to? (Snow, aurora borealis, the ocean, the rain forest, mountains, the arctic, etc)
• What was the worst disaster that’s affected your region in your lifetime? What do you remember?
• What are popular attitudes towards plastic bags or cups in your region?
• What is the garbage or recycling system like where you live? What do you think about it?
• If you could design your ideal city, what would it look like? (Describe housing, transportation, green spaces, shopping, industry, and anything else)
• At what age do you think children should be taught about climate change, and why?
• What is the coldest you’ve ever been? Where were you, and what was happening?
• If a micronation is badly affected by climate change, do you think larger governments who have contributed to climate change (the US, China, the EU) have any responsibility towards that smaller country? If so, what should they do? If not, why not?

C1-C2 Exchange Topics

• What are some urban planning problems in your city or region? What are the causes and solutions?
• Has the climate in your area changed in the past 10 years? If so, how?
• What do you think is the scariest part about climate change?
• If you could implement only one law to stop climate change, what would that law be and why?

Travel and Tourism

My goal with these questions was to make them as inclusive as possible. Remember to not assume your language partner’s passport has the same accessibility as yours, or that they’ve traveled as widely as you have.

A1-A2 Exchange Topics

• What places would you recommend tourists visit in your city?
• What places would you recommend tourists visit in your country?
• What is your favorite place you have visited?
• Are there any places in the world that are important to your family? (A town your grandparents grew up in, a favorite beach, a cemetery or church, etc)
• What do you think the most enjoyable mode of transportation is? Why?
• What’s one country you can name, but besides the name know almost nothing about? (Can anyone else in the group teach you something about it?)

B1-B2 Exchange Topics

• How is travel viewed in your culture? Why do you think that is?
• When you go somewhere new, do you prefer cities or the country?
• Do you go to museums? Why or why not?
• What was the most lost you’ve ever been? What happened, and how did you find your way back?
• What do you think about AirBNB, which converts apartment buildings into hotels and lodging? Has it affected any city or place in your life?
• What do you think about the phrase “open borders”? What does it mean to you, and how do you feel about it?
• Describe your first memorable encounter with another culture.

C1-C2 Exchange Topics

• If you could visit one planet, what planet would you visit?

Fashion and Style

This category of language exchange topics isn’t just for fashionistas! Plenty of nostalgia, politics, and culturally-interesting questions for anyone to enjoy.

A1-A2 Conversation Exchange Topics

• What do you normally wear every day?
• What is your favorite thing in your closet?
• How do you like to wear your hair or facial hair? Why?
• Do you think shopping is fun or a chore?
• What celebrity has the worst fan base?

B1-B2 Conversation Exchange Topics

• Do you check labels for ethical stickers? (Cruelty-free, Made in America, etc) Why or why not?
• Do you have a certain style?
• What do people near you normally wear when they go to the beach? Are there any laws about what you can or can’t wear where you live?
• What’s one trend that’s popular now but will be the most embarrassing thing in 5 years?
• Do you think it’s fair for employers to mandate uniforms if their employees have to pay for them? Why or why to?
• What’s the worst fashion trend you’ve seen in your lifetime?
• What is one fashion trend from history or your lifetime you wish would come back?
• What is the one piece in your closet you almost never wear (or have never worn)? Why?
• What do you think about makeup?
• What’s the best pair of shoes you ever owned? What made them “the best”?
• When you were in high school, what was the coolest accessory anyone could have?
• Can you name one traditional piece of clothing from you culture? How do you feel about it?
• Have you ever had a horrible hair cut? What did it look like?
• What do people think about shaving in your culture?
• What is a popular place to get clothing in your area? What’s it like? What do they sell?
• Are there any fashion brands or designers you really like? What is their clothing like?

C1-C2 Conversation Exchange Topics

• If you had to wear the same outfit every day, what outfit would that be?
• If you had endless money just for buying clothing, accessories, or grooming products, how would you dress?
• What do you think about animal testing? Why is it necessary, or what are some alternatives?
• Do you own products made from leather, wool, or other animal parts? Why or why not?
• If you could change your hair for one day, and after that, it would go back to normal, what hairstyle would you have?

Art and Music

Do you use music in your language learning routine? Do you know the history of the language you’re studying? You don’t have to be a professional artist to enjoy these questions!

A1-A2 Language Exchange Topics

• Do you have any art in your house? If so, talk about your favorite piece. If not, why not?
• What’s your favorite music genre?
• What genre of music do you hate and why?
• What do you think of modern art and why? (Examples: Jackson Pollack, Juan Mirro)
• What are some artists who make music in your language that you want to recommend to your exchange partner?

B1-B2 Language Exchange Topics

• Did you ever play any instruments growing up?
• Have you ever met or seen a celebrity? What was your reaction like?
• Have your music tastes changed since high school? How? Why or why not?
• What album have you listened to the most times in your life? Why that one? (If you have no specific album, what about a specific artist?)
• Have you ever done karaoke? Why, and do you have any good stories? Or why not?
• What are the 5 most popular songs at a wedding in your culture?
• What is your favorite style of art and why?
• What musician made the biggest impact on your life?
• Who was the most popular band when you were in high school, and how did you feel about them?
• What is one song that your parents played that makes you think of them? Can you talk about it a bit?
• Do you like to make visual art? If so, what do you like about it? If not, when did you stop liking it?
• Who do you think the most important visual artist (painter, sculpture, architect, designer, etc) is of all times? Why?
• Do you think fashion is art? Why or why not? Or under what circumstances?
• What do you think about elaborate nail art? (Google it if you need any pictures.)
• Is makeup art? When or when not, and where is that line?

C1-C2 Language Exchange Topics

• If you could master one musical instrument, what would you pick and why?
• If you could choose one famous painting to hang in your house, what would you pick?
• If you could meet one musician, who would you meet and why?
• If you could only listen to one album the rest of your life, what would that album be?
• If your life was a painting, what would the title be?
• If your life was a music album, what would the title be?

Books and Literature

This is another great list of topics to help you give and receive awesome recommendations, as well as deepen your understanding of other cultures.

A1-A2 Exchange Topics

• Do you like to read? Why or why not?
• What’s your favorite book genre?
• Do you prefer paper, digital, or audiobooks when reading in another language? Why?
• Do you like poetry? Do you read it often?
• What is your favorite poem and why? If you don’t have one, what about your favorite song lyrics?
• What genre of literature do you hate and why?
• Do you think song lyrics can be poetry? Under what conditions?

B1-B2 Exchange Topics

• Who’s the most important writer to come from your region, culture, or country? Why?
• What book protagonist do you have the most in common with and why?
• What is the one book in your language you think everyone should read?
• What is the most read book from your culture or country by students?
• What was the last book you read, and do you recommend it?
• What was your favorite book as a child? Why?
• What was the first book you ever remember reading or having read to you?
• Have you ever written a book, or wanted to write one?

C1-C2 Exchange Topics

• If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would that book be?
• If you could meet one writer, who would it be and why?
• If you could go to any book universe (Hogwarts, Hunger Games, the Shire etc) which would you go to and why?
• If you could have lunch with any character from any book, who would it be and why?

Movies and Shows

This is probably going to be the most beloved part of this list. Remember: don’t spoil a new show for your partner if they haven’t seen it!

A1-A2 Conversation Exchange Topics

• What is your all-time favorite series? Or top 5?
• What’s one movie you think is overrated?
• What’s one TV show you think is overrated?
• What is one movie from your culture or language that you think everyone should see?
• When do you use subtitles? What are your preferences, and what does it depend on?
• Do you like to watch films in languages you don’t understand or study? Why or why not?

B1-B2 Conversation Exchange Topics

• Did you have any film or TV crushes as a kid? Do you remember your first?
• What’s the most recent movie or show that you saw? Would you recommend it?
• What movie have you watched the most times in your life?
• What was your favorite show or movie as a child? Why?
• Do you feel represented in mainstream movies or shows? Why or why not?
• What’s the worst cliché in movies or TVs that you hate?
• What is your favorite movie or show that you’ve seen in the language we’re speaking right now?
• What country do you think makes the best movies and TV? Why?
• Do you prefer subtitles or dubs? When do you use them?
• Would you rather never watch a movie or series again, or never read a book again? Why?

C1-C2 Conversation Exchange Topics

• If you could have dinner with one character from any TV show or movie, who would it be and why?

Plants and Animals

Language learners tend to love people, but what about all of the other species we coexist with?

A1-A2 Exchange Topics

• Does your home have a garden, terrace, or yard? What does it look like, or why not?
• Do you keep any plants in your house? Why or why not?
• What are the world’s cutest and ugliest animals in your opinion?
• Do you have a lot of wild animals where you live? What are the most fun and most scary to see when you’re alone?
• What are your favorite local fruits and vegetables? What recipes does your region use them for?
• Do you have any poisonous plants or venomous animals where you live? Do you do anything to avoid them?

B1-B2 Exchange Topics

• What kind of plants or gardens are popular where you live? Can you describe them?
• Do you have a green thumb (a talent for growing plants) or a black thumb? What do you think the difference is?
• Do you eat any specific fruits, vegetables, herbs, or plants for a health benefit?
• What animals are you afraid of?
• What kinds of animals can you find in your region that are unique to where you live?
• Are there any plants that are significant to your culture or region? What are they and why?
• How does your culture view eating animals? Do you agree with that?
• Have you ever grown your own food? Is it common where you live?
• What is the most disgusting vegetable to eat, in your opinion? Why?

C1-C2 Exchange Topics

• If you were a flower, what flower would you be? Why?
• If you were an animal, what animal would you be? Why?
• If you could have any animal as a pet (and have it be safe for both you and the animal) what animal would you pick?

The Internet

Since you’re reading this online, you almost certainly have some opinions about cyberspace…

A1-A2 Language Exchange Topics

• What is your favorite app?
• Do you think Wikipedia is a reliable source? Why or why not?
• Are certain social media platforms more toxic than others? Why or why not?
• Do you follow any bloggers or vloggers? Why or why not? If so, who?
• Video game championships are now the most-watched sporting events on the planet. Do you consider them sports?

B1-B2 Language Exchange Topics

• What is your first memory of the internet?
• What was the first social media platform you used? Do you still use it?
• If you could add one rule that everyone must follow when they use the internet, what rule would that be?
• Could you turn off your phone for 24hrs without anxiety? What do you think about that?
• What’s the most annoying thing about smartphones?
• Do you think social media has been a good or bad thing for politics? Why?
• Do social media networks have any responsibility for political campaigns, protests, or even violent acts that are organized using the networks? Why or why not?
• Do you think your relationship with your phone is healthy? Why or why not?
• Can people you know from the internet be real friends, or are online friendships not real friendships?
• Have you ever met someone from the internet in real life? What was that like?
• Do you protect your online data? If so, how? If not, why not?
• Does learning new languages “unlock” new parts of the internet?
• Have you ever tried online dating? Why or why not?
• Do you think the Internet should be a human right? Why or why not?
• Have you ever had a blog or vlog? If so, what about? If not, would you want to one day?
• What are the most dangerous things about the Internet? Do you do anything to avoid these things or protect yourself?
• Who are the “unsung heroes” of the internet?

C1-C2 Language Exchange Topics

• If you were in charge of Facebook, what’s the one policy you would change?
• Who should be held responsible for fake news? How do you that should be enforced?

Technology

Since you’re reading this online, you almost certainly have some opinions about cyberspace…

A1-A2 Language Exchange Topics

• What piece of technology are you the most reliant on, and why?
• What is the most overrated tech product on the market? Why do you think it exists?
• Do you think smart houses (where computers control everything from the refrigerators to temperature) are a good idea? Why or why not?
• Does technology pamper modern humans? Why or why not?
• Do you ever wish you could go “off the grid” and live a life without any technology? Why or why not?

B1-B2 Language Exchange Topics

• Do you fear automation in your industry? Why or why not?
• What technology skills should be taught to young school children? (Elementary school / Years 1 – 6) What about in middle school? (Years 7-9) What about teenagers? (High school / Years 10-13)
• What would an artificially intelligent robot have to do or have in order for the robot to be considered a legal person with rights? Or is that impossible?
• At what age should children be allowed to use screens and/or computers? Why do you believe that?
• Do people believe more or less in science than they did 50 years ago? What do you think about that?

C1-C2 Language Exchange Topics

• Does artificial intelligence pose a security threat to humans? Why or why not?
• If you were in a foreign city and your phone stopped working, how would you get back home?
• Should politicians who don’t know how to troubleshoot their own computer problems be allowed to regulate technology? Why or why not?
• Have tech companies like Google, Microsoft, or Facebook shown us that they can be trusted? If yes, how and what should be done to protect their autonomy? If no, why not and who should regulate them?

Spaces and Physics

Language exchange topics about science are almost always reserved for B2+ level students. We added some for the A-level students, but don’t get frustrated if these end up too hard! They’re meant to be a challenge.

A1-A2 Exchange Themes

• Do you like science fiction movies, books, or TV shows? Why or why not?
• Do you think Pluto is a planet? Why or why not?
• What do you think aliens look like? (Describe what you think their appearance is like.)
• Does your government have a space program? What do people think about it?
• How important do you think science and maths courses are in school, in comparison with literature, technology, arts, history, or anything else?
• Are you curious about life on other planets? Why or why not?

B1-B2 Exchange Themes

• Pretend you are a scientist who just discovered a new planet and can now name it. What are you going to name it?
• Why do you think scientists are often stereotyped as dorky or weak in schools or in the media?
• Many countries spend billions of dollars a year on space research. Do you think this is a good use of the money? Why or why not?
• What do you think the most annoying part of living in zero gravity is for astronauts? (Food, hygiene, daily routine…)
• Why do you think some people still think the Earth is flat, or that we never landed on the moon?
• Space tourism may be a reality in our lifetimes. (A vacation in zero gravity; a resort on the moon; a trip to Mars.) Would you want to participate in it? Why or why not?
• American Billionaire Elon Musk wants to start a human colony on Mars, where he says the governments of Earth will have no control. What do you think?

C1-C2 Exchange Themes

• We know nothing about what would happen to a human baby conceived and birthed in space. Do you think scientists should be able to experiment to see what happens? Why or why not?
• Space debris is a growing problem for astronomy done from the Earth. Do you think the use of corporate satellites for things like cellphones and GPSs is so important that one day we might not be able to see the stars?
• As you read this, Earth is currently broadcasting lights and sounds into space to let anyone else know where we are. Do you think this is a good or bad idea?
• Why do you think we’ve never found any hard proof of alien life?
• If you were explaining human life to an alien, what do you think the hardest thing to explain would be?
• If humans found evidence of bacteria or plant life on a planet, would we have the right to move to that planet and claim it as our own? What about if we found animal life? What about if we found intelligent life? Where do you draw the line, if you have one?
• If you could travel in time, but could only go for one day, what would you do and where would you go?
• Light pollution from big cities may mean that astronomy (from Earth) becomes impossible in a few years. Would you be willing to have a midnight light curfew in your city so humans could continue to study space? Why or why not?

Self-care and Growth

To close off this list, let’s look to our future with some optimism.

A1-A2 Exchange Topics

• What do you do every day that makes you really happy?
• Name something nice that happened to you today.
• Do you look up to anyone? Who and why? Or why not?
• What makes a good role model?
• Do you like self-help genre books? Why or why not? What are some books you particularly like or dislike?
• What’s one good habit you have?
• What’s one bad habit you have?
• What are you most proud of in your life?

B1-B2 Exchange Topics

• How do you define “self-care”?
• What role does self-care play in your life?
• What do people in your culture think about therapy? Do you agree?
• What goals are you currently working towards? Why?
• Have you ever done meditation before? If so, what was your experience? If not, why not?
• What should be put inside a mental-health first aid kit?
• In your culture, is it polite to talk about your victories or pride? How can you do it politely?
• Are you good at accepting compliments?
• Who are the people that have taught you the most in life?
• How should success be measured? Is that how you currently measure your own success?
• What are you looking forward to most in the future?
• What was your biggest accomplishment of the past year?
• Where do you see yourself in a year?
• Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
• In what areas of your life do you have the highest hopes in the future? In what areas in your life do you have the lowest hopes for in the future?

C1-C2 Exchange Topics

• If you had an extra free hour every day, what would you do?
• If money were no issue, how would you spend your time?

Bonus: how to do a language exchange tips

Honestly, this list is going to change how you do language exchanges. But on top of using this menu, here are the biggest lessons I’ve taken away after two years of awesome (and terrible) language exchanges.

1. Ask a lot of people, but make sure you screen them. Many people you ask simply won’t reply, won’t have schedules that line up, or won’t have things in common with you. After that, plenty of people will drop off or just not be a great fit. So ask plenty of people, but make sure you want to talk about the same language exchange topics and have schedules that work well together.
2. Don’t put up with a bad conversation exchange partner. Is someone flaking on dates or always coming late? Has someone made uncomfortable comments? Or do you just have nothing in common, and spending time together is like pulling teeth?? If you don’t love your language exchange partner, you don’t have to stay with them. Another reason why asking a lot of people is a great idea!
3. Spend each lesson 50/50 between your languages. Doing Day 1 in Language 1 and Day 2 in Language 2 can be extremely frustrating if schedules changes or someone doesn’t show up. At the halfway point of your language exchange, just put on your biggest smile and announce that it’s time to switch into the other language. It might seem awkward at first, but it’ll feel normal really soon! (And it’s much, much better this way anyway.)
4. Don’t forget about non-native speakers. Most people want to trade conversation in their native language for a conversation with a native speaker of their target language. But advanced students of a language might have more linguistic understanding of that language than a native–and making friends who are studying the same language as you at the same level can mean more time speaking that language. So don’t discount fellow learners!
5. Communicate about corrections. I love to receive written corrections if one of my partners notices a mistake or knows the word I’m looking for. Do you prefer to just try your best without corrections? Or ONLY work with people who will give you notes? Or are afraid to get your self-esteem destroyed? If this is important to you, make sure you communicate!
6. Ask awesome follow up questions. “Why is that?” “How did that feel?” If someone seems shy to really elaborate on any of these questions, asking them questions is a great way to make your conversation go deeper and longer.
7. Consider a language exchange book club or film club. Another way to make your language exchanges more interesting is by using an extension to watch Netflix together in your target languages, or reading the same book together and coming together to discuss. I’ve done both, but you really need a reliable buddy–so make sure you find someone just as committed as you! (This also works best with someone who’s studying the same language as you when you’re both at B2-C2 levels.)

Do you have any questions or language exchange topics you think should go on this list? Let me know in the comments so I can consider adding them and making this list truly inexhaustible!