Tips · ESL teachers
How to use conversation cards in an ESL class
Conversation cards are the most flexible speaking activity an English teacher can own. The trick is choosing the right card for the grammar and the level in front of you.
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.
How do you usually unwind after a long day?
Paano ka usually nagpapahinga pagkatapos ng mahabang araw?
Everyone has a different way of landing after a full day. It can be quiet, active, social, or very simple.
Iba-iba tayo ng paraan mag-settle after a long day. Puwedeng tahimik, active, may kasama, o simple lang.
In short
The idea
Conversation cards work in ESL because each one is a ready-made speaking task: short, clear and personal enough that students want to answer. Match the type of question to the grammar you’re practicing, pre-teach one or two key words, model an answer, then let pairs talk while you listen.
Kumustahan’s cards are written in short, plain English, so most work from upper-beginner level. The cards below are grouped by the grammar they naturally practice.
Good for
Tips
- Match the card type to the grammar you’re practicing.
- Pre-teach one or two words and model your own answer.
- Put a sentence frame on the board for lower levels.
- Require one follow-up question per card.
- Note errors while pairs talk; correct them afterward.
Decks for this
Choose cards by level
| Level | Card type | Support to give |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner (A1–A2) | This-or-that choices | A sentence frame: “I prefer… because…” |
| Pre-intermediate (A2–B1) | Daily routines and habits | Time words: usually, always, after work |
| Intermediate (B1) | Memories and past stories | Past simple; one follow-up question each |
| Upper-intermediate (B2+) | Hypotheticals and what-ifs | Second conditional: “If I could…, I would…” |
A ten-minute routine
- Pre-teach (1 minute): one or two words from the card that students might not know.
- Model (1 minute): answer the card yourself in two or three sentences, using the target grammar.
- Frame (on the board): a sentence starter for lower levels.
- Pairs (5 minutes): partners take turns answering and asking one follow-up question.
- Share (3 minutes): two or three students report their partner’s answer to the class.
Correct later, not during
Stopping a student mid-answer to fix a verb tense kills fluency practice. Walk around while pairs talk and note common errors. After the activity, put three or four on the board anonymously and fix them together. Students get accuracy practice without losing the nerve to speak.
Teach the follow-up question
The most useful conversation skill for learners is asking a second question. Give students a small toolkit: “Why?”, “What happened next?”, “How did you feel?”, “Can you give an example?” Require one follow-up per card. It doubles speaking time and makes it a real conversation.
Online and one-to-one lessons
In an online lesson, share your screen with a single card, or paste the question in the chat so students can read it again. In a one-to-one lesson, take turns: the student asks you the card first, which practices question intonation, then answers it themselves. More ideas in questions for online ESL classes.
The questions
ESL-friendly conversation questions
Real cards from the app in short, plain English, grouped by the grammar they practice.
Choices (beginner)
5 questions
Answer with “I prefer…” or “I would rather…”.
-
Which would you want free for life: breakfast or dessert?
Pumili ng libreng pagkain habambuhay: breakfast o dessert.
Back of the card
Make your first order. You can choose something familiar or invent a dish.
Piliin ang unang oorderin mo. Puwedeng paborito mo na o pagkaing iimbentuhin mo.
-
For one month, you can have music or movies, but not both. Which do you keep?
Kung isa lang ang puwede mong ma-enjoy sa loob ng isang buwan, music o movies ang pipiliin mo?
Back of the card
Name the first song or movie you would return to when the month ends.
Anong kanta o movie ang una mong babalikan pagkatapos ng buwan?
-
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.
-
Would you rather have one long vacation or several short ones?
Mas gusto mo ba ng isang mahabang bakasyon o ilang maiikli?
Back of the card
Give your break a title, as if it were a movie.
Bigyan ng pamagat ang break mo, na parang movie.
-
On a plane, would you choose a window seat or more room for your legs?
Sa eroplano, mas gusto mo ba ng upuan sa tabi ng bintana o mas maluwag para sa mga paa mo?
Back of the card
For this flight, would you rather chat, nap, or watch the view?
Sa biyaheng ito, mas gusto mo bang makipagkuwentuhan, umidlip, o tumingin sa tanawin?
Routines (present simple)
4 questions
Habits, with usually, always and sometimes.
-
When you get home, what’s the first thing you usually do?
Pag-uwi mo, ano yung unang bagay na usually mong ginagawa?
Back of the card
That first move can be funny, tired, quiet, or automatic. It can say something about how you settle in.
Yung first move na iyon pwedeng nakakatawa, pagod, tahimik, o automatic. May sinasabi rin siya kung paano ka nagse-settle.
-
How do you usually unwind after a long day?
Paano ka usually nagpapahinga pagkatapos ng mahabang araw?
Back of the card
Everyone has a different way of landing after a full day. It can be quiet, active, social, or very simple.
Iba-iba tayo ng paraan mag-settle after a long day. Puwedeng tahimik, active, may kasama, o simple lang.
-
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.
-
If you were too tired to think, what would you order?
Kapag pagod ka nang mag-isip, ano yung o-orderin mo?
Back of the card
The no-thinking order is its own kind of comfort. It is the choice that carries you when your brain is done.
May comfort din sa order na hindi mo na kailangang isipin. Siya yung choice kapag ubos na utak mo.
Memories (past simple)
4 questions
Short stories with a beginning and an end.
-
When was the last time a meal became a good memory?
Kailan huling naging magandang memory yung isang meal?
Back of the card
A good meal memory is rarely only about food. It can be the timing, the people, or the feeling around the table.
Hindi lang pagkain ang laman ng good meal memory. Pwedeng timing, kasama, o yung feeling sa paligid ng table.
-
What is a recent act of kindness that caught you by surprise?
Anong magandang ginawa sa'yo lately ang hindi mo inaasahan?
Back of the card
Keep names private if you like. Picture the instant you realized what they had done for you.
Puwedeng itago ang mga pangalan. Balikan ang sandaling naisip mo kung ano ang ginawa nila para sa'yo.
-
When you were younger, what got you excited quickly?
Nung bata ka, ano yung madaling maka-excite sa'yo?
Back of the card
Early excitement can be fun to remember. It can also show what kind of wonder came naturally to you.
Nakakatuwang balikan yung madaling ika-excite mo dati. Minsan pinapakita rin nito kung anong klaseng wonder ang natural sa'yo.
-
Recall a harmless mistake that became a good story later.
Anong pagkakamali ang nakakatawa nang balikan ngayon, na wala namang nasaktan?
Back of the card
What would the title of this story be?
Ano ang magiging pamagat ng kuwentong ito?
Imagine (conditionals)
4 questions
For upper-intermediate learners: “If I could…, I would…”.
-
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.
-
If you could pause time, when would you use it?
Kung kaya mong i-pause ang oras, kailan mo ito gagamitin?
Back of the card
During the pause, would you rush to do something or enjoy the quiet?
Habang naka-pause, may mamadaliin ka bang gawin o mae-enjoy mo ang katahimikan?
-
If you could spend a day as any animal, which would you choose?
Kung puwede kang maging hayop nang isang araw, anong hayop ang pipiliin mo?
Back of the card
Imagine your first meal as that animal. Where would you look for it?
Isipin ang unang pagkain mo bilang hayop na iyon. Saan mo ito hahanapin?
-
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?
Conversation cards for ESL classes
Frequently asked questions
How do you use conversation cards in an ESL class?
Choose cards that match the level and grammar, pre-teach key words, model an answer, then have pairs answer and ask a follow-up while you listen. Correct common errors afterward.
What conversation questions are good for ESL beginners?
Simple choice questions, like this or that, with a sentence frame such as “I prefer… because…”. They need little vocabulary and always have an answer.
Is there a conversation card app for English learners?
Kumustahan is a conversation card app with short, plain-English questions. 420 cards are free and it works offline, which helps in classrooms with poor Wi-Fi.
Bring a better question to the table.
Free on iPhone and Android. 420 cards free, no account, works offline.