Questions · ESL kids
English speaking questions for kids that feel like a game
Young learners speak when they are imagining something. These questions hand them a giant toy, a new holiday or an island to explore, and let the English come along for the ride.
- 18 questions
- EN + TL on every card
- Free in the app
Kumustahan is a bilingual conversation card app: 1,200 questions in English and Filipino across 7 decks, with a short reflection on the back of every card.
Which toy would you want to make as tall as you?
Anong laruan ang gusto mong maging kasingtangkad mo?
You can choose a toy you know or invent one. What would you do with it?
Puwedeng laruan na kilala mo o sariling imbento. Ano ang gagawin mo rito?
The questions
18 speaking questions for children
Read the card aloud for children who are still learning to read. Most can be answered with a word and a gesture.
Pick one!
4 questions
Point, choose, then say it in English.
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Which toy would you want to make as tall as you?
Anong laruan ang gusto mong maging kasingtangkad mo?
Back of the card
You can choose a toy you know or invent one. What would you do with it?
Puwedeng laruan na kilala mo o sariling imbento. Ano ang gagawin mo rito?
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If you could understand one kind of animal, which would you choose?
Kung maiintindihan mo ang isang klase ng hayop, ano ang pipiliin mo?
Back of the card
Imagine the animal gets to ask you something too. What might it ask?
Isipin na may tanong din sa'yo ang hayop. Ano kaya iyon?
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Choose a safe tour: outer space or the bottom of the ocean.
Pumili ng ligtas na tour: outer space o ilalim ng dagat.
Back of the card
Choose one sight from the tour you would want as your phone wallpaper.
Pumili ng tanawin sa tour na gusto mong gawing wallpaper sa phone.
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What flavor of ice cream would you invent?
Anong lasa ng ice cream ang iimbentuhin mo?
Back of the card
Give your invented ice cream a name if you like.
Kung gusto mo, bigyan mo ng pangalan ang ice cream na inimbento mo.
Make it up
4 questions
Invent a holiday, a rule or a new way to travel.
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Invent a new way to travel that does not use wheels.
Mag-imbento ng bagong paraan ng pagbiyahe na walang gulong.
Back of the card
What would passengers call your ride?
Ano ang itatawag ng mga pasahero sa sasakyan mo?
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Create a new holiday that everyone gets to celebrate. What happens that day?
Gumawa ng bagong holiday na puwedeng i-celebrate ng lahat. Ano ang ginagawa sa araw na iyon?
Back of the card
What tradition would belong to your holiday?
Anong tradisyon ang bagay sa holiday mo?
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Make one harmless rule that the whole world follows for a day.
Kung may isang rule na susundin ng buong mundo nang isang araw, ano iyon? Dapat walang masasaktan.
Back of the card
Imagine everyone following it at once. What small scene would be funny or helpful to watch?
Isipin na sabay-sabay itong ginagawa ng lahat. Ano ang nakakatawa o helpful na makikita mo?
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Invent one silly rule everyone should follow for one day.
Gumawa ng silly rule na susundin ng lahat for one day.
Back of the card
Silly rules make ordinary life feel slightly remixed. One harmless rule can turn a normal day into a shared bit.
Yung silly rules, nire-remix lang nang konti ang normal na araw. Isang harmless rule, shared bit na agad.
All about me
7 questions
Easy questions about everyday kid life: games, snacks, helping out.
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Rate your normal-day clumsiness from 1 to 5, then share one example.
I-rate from 1 to 5 kung gaano ka ka-clumsy on a normal day, tapos mag-share ng isang example.
Back of the card
Clumsiness has a range, and honesty makes the rating better. One good example can turn any score into evidence.
May range ang clumsiness, at mas funny kapag honest. Isang good example lang, kahit anong score may ebidensya.
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Group photo starts. What is your automatic move?
May group photo na. Ano ang automatic move mo?
Back of the card
Group photos bring out instant instincts. Some people arrange everyone, some disappear behind others, and some are ready before the camera is.
May automatic instinct kapag group photo na. May taga-ayos, may nagtatago sa likod, may ready bago pa yung camera.
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You and a friend want different snacks. What would you do?
Magkaiba kayo ng friend mo ng gustong snack. Ano ang gagawin mo?
Back of the card
Same choice every time, or would it depend on the day?
Pareho ba ang gagawin mo palagi, o depende sa araw?
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When doing something with friends, which small job do you enjoy helping with?
Kapag may ginagawa kayo ng friends, anong parte ang gusto mong akuin para makatulong?
Back of the card
Would you still enjoy that job with a much bigger group?
Gusto mo pa rin ba ang gawaing iyon kung mas marami ang kasama?
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What food do you and a friend disagree about?
Sa anong pagkain magkaiba ang opinyon ninyo ng friend mo?
Back of the card
No need to settle this food debate. You can both keep your favorites.
Hindi kailangang matapos ang pagtatalo sa pagkain. Puwedeng pareho pa rin ninyong piliin ang gusto ninyo.
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What makes a game with friends fun even when no one wins?
Ano ang nagpapasaya sa laro kasama ang friends kahit walang nananalo?
Back of the card
What would be a funny prize just for joining?
Anong nakakatawang premyo ang puwedeng ibigay sa lahat ng sumali?
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What small task would you happily ask a friend to help with?
Sa anong simpleng gawain mo gustong magpatulong sa friend?
Back of the card
Would their help save time, make it more fun, or simply give you company?
Makakatipid ba ng oras ang tulong nila, mas magiging masaya, o magkakaroon ka lang ng kasama?
Adventure time
3 questions
Longer answers for older kids: what would you do there?
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You wake up on a peaceful island with food and shelter ready. What do you do first?
Nagising ka sa tahimik na isla na may pagkain at matutuluyan na. Ano ang una mong gagawin?
Back of the card
Imagine you find a path across the island. Would you follow it or stay where you are?
May nakita kang daan sa isla. Susundan mo ba ito o mananatili ka muna sa kinaroroonan mo?
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For one afternoon, would you explore a peaceful village, a future city, or a jungle with a guide?
Saan mo gustong magpalipas ng hapon: tahimik na village, siyudad sa future, o gubat na may guide?
Back of the card
Bring home an imaginary souvenir from your visit. What is it?
Mag-uwi ng souvenir mula sa pagbisitang iniisip mo. Ano iyon?
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In an adventure story, would you be the guide, cook, builder, storyteller, or someone else?
Sa adventure story, anong role ang pipiliin mo: guide, cook, builder, storyteller, o iba pa?
Back of the card
Your character has one familiar object in their bag. What is it?
May isang pamilyar na gamit sa bag ng tauhan mo. Ano iyon?
How to use them
Before you ask
ESL questions for kids should be about imagining, choosing and playing, because children speak most when the question feels like a game rather than a test.
Young learners often know more English than they show. What stops them is the fear of a wrong answer. Make-believe questions have no wrong answers: any animal, any toy, any silly rule is correct. That frees them to try the words.
With the youngest children, read the card aloud, show your own answer with a gesture, then go around the circle. With older kids, put them in pairs and give each pair a card to “interview” each other, then let them draw their answer and present it in one sentence.
Good for
Tips
- Model every card with your own silly answer first; kids copy the shape of what you say.
- Add drawing: answer, draw it, then say one sentence about the picture.
- Keep it to five or six cards per session. Short and fun beats long and tired.
- Clap for full sentences, not perfect ones.
- Use the “Adventure time” cards as a story starter for older kids’ writing.
Decks for this
ESL kids
Frequently asked questions
What questions can I ask kids learning English?
Simple choices and make-believe questions: which animal they would understand, what new holiday they would invent, which toy they would make giant. They are easy, fun and have no wrong answer.
How do I get shy children to speak English?
Let them point or draw first, then say one word, then a sentence. Pairs and small circles feel safer than speaking to the whole class.
What age are these questions for?
Most suit children from about six to twelve. The adventure questions work best with older children who can give longer answers.
Bring a better question to the table.
Free on iPhone and Android. 420 cards free, no account, works offline.