25 new year conversation questions

25 New Year conversation questions

New Year conversation questions

New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are a time for celebration around the world. It is observed in many different ways and also at different times of the year depending on one’s culture. Use these New Year discussion questions to get your students, friends, and colleagues chatting about this important holiday.

The most challenging terms For English language learners in this discussion about New Year include – resolution, counting down or countdown, celebration, tradition, culture, achieve, and final.

The New Year conversation questions are –

 

1 – Do you enjoy the time of New Year celebrations? How would you describe this time?

2 – What do you plan to do this coming New Year’s Eve? Who will you spend it with?

3 – Did you make any New Year’s resolutions last year? What were they?

4 – Do you like counting down the final seconds when a new year is arriving?

5 – What kinds of things do you usually eat and drink during New Year’s celebrations?

6 – Do you know of any interesting New Year traditions in other countries and cultures?

7 – What was the best New Year’s Eve that you have ever had? What happened?

8 – In what ways do you expect your life to be different in the coming new year?

9 – What did you do last New Year’s Eve? What time did you go to sleep that night?

10 – Do you do anything to your home before New Year arrives? What do you do?

11 – What do most people do on New Year’s Day in your home country?

12 – What kind of things do you buy before New Year’s Eve? Why do you buy them?

13 – Can you remember the best fireworks that you have ever seen? Where were they?

14 – What is the weather like during the new year where you live now?

15 – Do people in your country often travel during the new year? Where do they go?

16 – What is something that you hope to achieve or learn in the coming year?

17 – How do you think the world will change next year? Do you have any hopes for it?

18 – What things do you usually do in the days between Christmas and New Year’s Day?

19 – Are there shopping sales after New Year’s Day where you live? What do people buy?

20 – Do you prefer to go out to busy places or stay home during New Year’s Eve?

21 – What kinds of things are on television during New Year’s Eve in your country?

22 – What is some good advice that you could give a friend for the coming new year?

23 – What was the best thing that happened to you last year? Why was it so good?

24 – How would you describe last year? Do you think that next year will be better?

25 – What things can you do to become a better person in the coming new year?

New Year's Eve fireworks

Further activity

Here is an interesting follow-up activity that you can do with ESL and English classes once you have completed the New Year conversation questions.

Ask students to do a research project about different New Year traditions around the world. This can later be presented as a speaking exercise or done as a writing task.

Students will find that many countries don’t celebrate New Year on January 1st. Many peculiar traditions are also carried around the globe at this time. Here are some examples – 

Thailand – The traditional Thai New Year, Songkran is held around the 13th of April. It is well known for its water fights.

Spain – In Spain people eat 12 grapes at midnight on New Year’s Eve, one to bring luck for each month of the year.

Brazil – At midnight in Brazil, people go and throw white flowers into the ocean. This is to gain blessing from an ocean goddess named Yemanjá.

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