Questions · ESL travel

Travel questions for English class, near or far

Travel is the unit students look forward to. These questions cover the whole trip, from the thing you always pack to the place that stayed with you, so learners who have never flown can answer as well as the frequent travelers.

  • 17 questions
  • EN + TL on every card
  • Free in the app
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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.

Getting to know№ 22

Tell us about a place that left a memory or feeling you still carry.

Ikuwento yung lugar na may iniwang memory o feeling na dala mo pa rin.

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A note

Some places stay with us quietly. You may not notice it right away, but later you realize you carried something from there.

May mga lugar na tahimik lang ang iniiwan sa atin. Hindi mo agad napapansin, pero may dala ka pala mula roon.

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The questions

17 travel questions for English learners

Every question in English and Filipino/Tagalog, word for word from the Kumustahan decks. Open “Back of the card” for the reflection printed on the other side.

Planning the trip

7 questions

Dream tickets and travel preferences.

  1. You receive one free round-trip ticket. Where are you going first?

    May libre kang round-trip ticket. Saan ka pupunta?

    Back of the card

    Choose one thing you would want to do before flying home.

    Pumili ng isang gusto mong gawin bago bumiyahe pauwi.

  2. Pick one view for a quiet morning: a beach sunrise or city lights before dawn.

    Sa tahimik na umaga, alin ang gusto mong tanawin: pagsikat ng araw sa beach o city lights bago sumikat ang araw?

    Back of the card

    Picture the view. Which detail would you want to remember?

    Isipin ang tanawin. Anong detalye ang gusto mong maalala?

  3. 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.

  4. Imagine a place to stay: tiny with a great view or huge but far from everything. Which do you choose?

    Isipin ang titirhan mo: maliit pero maganda ang view o malaki pero malayo sa lahat. Alin ang pipiliin mo?

    Back of the card

    Put one favorite thing in your new place. What belongs there?

    Maglagay ng isang paborito mong bagay sa bagong titirhan mo. Ano iyon?

  5. 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?

  6. 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?

  7. Which language would you learn instantly if you woke up fluent tomorrow?

    Kung paggising mo bukas ay marunong ka na ng isang bagong language, ano ang pipiliin mo?

    Back of the card

    Choose the first person you would like to talk to in that language.

    Piliin ang unang taong gusto mong makausap gamit ang wikang iyon.

On the way

4 questions

Packing, waiting and getting around. Even a bus trip counts.

  1. Name the small thing you always bring, even for a quick errand.

    Sabihin yung small thing na lagi mong dala kahit quick errand lang.

    Back of the card

    The thing you always bring has earned its place. It may be small, but it clearly passed the trust test.

    Yung lagi mong dala, may reason yan. Maliit lang siya, pero clearly pasado sa trust test.

  2. While waiting for food, a ride, or someone late, how do you pass the time?

    Habang naghihintay ng pagkain, sasakyan, o late na tao, paano mo pinapalipas yung oras?

    Back of the card

    Waiting brings out our tiny survival styles. Some people scroll, some observe, and some start making stories in their head.

    Lumilitaw yung tiny survival style natin kapag naghihintay. May nag-scroll, may nag-oobserve, may gumagawa na ng kwento sa isip.

  3. When you enter a new place, what’s one small thing you notice right away?

    Kapag nasa bagong lugar ka, ano yung isang maliit na bagay na una mong napapansin?

    Back of the card

    What you notice first can hint at what makes a place feel interesting, calm, or welcoming to you.

    Minsan clue yung una mong napapansin kung ano ang nakaka-curious, nakakapagpakalma, o nagpapagaan ng pakiramdam mo.

  4. 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?

Places that stayed with you

6 questions

Past-tense stories, near or far, and the sound that makes you miss home.

  1. Tell us about a place that left a memory or feeling you still carry.

    Ikuwento yung lugar na may iniwang memory o feeling na dala mo pa rin.

    Back of the card

    Some places stay with us quietly. You may not notice it right away, but later you realize you carried something from there.

    May mga lugar na tahimik lang ang iniiwan sa atin. Hindi mo agad napapansin, pero may dala ka pala mula roon.

  2. Where do you feel like you can finally breathe a little?

    Saan mo nararamdaman na parang nakakahinga ka na ulit?

    Back of the card

    The place does not have to be special to anyone else. If your body softens there, it counts.

    Hindi kailangang special sa ibang tao yung lugar. Kung doon ka lumuluwag, counted yun.

  3. What helped you feel welcome in a new place?

    Ano ang nakatulong para maramdaman mong welcome ka sa isang bagong lugar?

    Back of the card

    Would you do something similar for someone new? You can also leave it as a good memory.

    Gagawin mo rin ba iyon para sa bagong dating? Puwede ring magandang alaala na lang muna ito.

  4. Recall the last time you tried something new just because you were curious.

    Ikuwento ang huling beses na sumubok ka ng bago dahil curious ka lang.

    Back of the card

    Would you try it again, or was once enough?

    Susubukan mo ba ulit, o sapat na ang minsan?

  5. Which everyday sound reminds you of home right away?

    Anong everyday sound ang nagpapaalala agad sa'yo ng home?

    Back of the card

    Home is not always a place first. Sometimes it is a sound you recognize before you even think about it.

    Hindi laging lugar agad ang home. Minsan sound siya na kilala mo na bago mo pa isipin.

  6. Choose a nearby place you would like to explore with a friend.

    Pumili ng malapit na lugar na gusto mong puntahan kasama ang friend.

    Back of the card

    Imagine finding an unexpected favorite corner there.

    Isipin na may makikita kang sulok doon na magiging paborito mo.

How to use them

Before you ask

The best ESL travel questions work for every student in the room, including the ones who have never been abroad: a nearby place, a bus ride or a new neighborhood count as travel too.

Many travel units assume a class of tourists: “Describe your last vacation abroad.” Some students go quiet, because their honest answer is that they haven’t had one. The cards here ask about noticing new places, waiting for a ride, the thing you always carry and a place that left a feeling. Everyone has those.

Start with the dream-ticket questions for energy, then move to the past-tense stories. A good extension is a “travel interview”: pairs interview each other with four cards and introduce their partner as a traveler to the class.

Good for

  • Travel and holiday units
  • Airport and transport vocabulary lessons
  • Students preparing to study or work abroad
  • Online classes with learners in different cities
  • Summer-term speaking practice

Tips

  1. Say clearly that a trip to the next town counts. It brings everyone in.
  2. Pre-teach transport and airport words before the “On the way” group.
  3. Ask students to bring a photo of a place they love and use it for the last group.
  4. Turn the dream ticket into a short presentation: where, why, what first.
  5. Avoid comparing who has traveled most; keep the focus on stories.

Decks for this

ESL travel questions

Frequently asked questions

What are good travel questions for ESL students?

Questions about dream trips, travel habits like packing and waiting, new places they noticed, and places that left a memory. They should work for students who rarely travel too.

How do I make a travel lesson work for students who haven’t traveled?

Include local trips, daily commutes and imaginary tickets. Questions about noticing a new place or waiting for a ride work for everyone.

What grammar fits travel conversation questions?

Past simple for trip stories, present perfect for “have you ever”, and would for dream trips.

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