What is a conversation question generator?

A conversation question generator picks speaking questions for you at random, so you don't have to write or hunt for them before each lesson. Ours draws 5 questions from 240 we wrote, by language (English or Spanish), level (A2 to B2+) and topic, and lets you print them as cards for free.

How do I print conversation question cards?

Press "Print cards" under the questions. Your browser opens its print window with only the 5 cards on the page, so you can print them or choose "Save as PDF". Cut along the dashed lines and keep each set in an envelope by level.

Can I use the question generator in online lessons?

Yes. Share your screen with the generator open, or copy the 5 questions into the chat of your video call. Asking the student to pick a number from 1 to 5 keeps the surprise of drawing a card.

Will my student get the same questions twice?

With one topic, yes: each topic has 5 questions per level, so a new set shows the same 5 in a different order. Choose "Any topic" to draw from all 8 topics at that level (40 questions), and note the ones you used in your lesson notes.

Guides

Conversation question generator: 5 random questions by level and topic

This conversation question generator gives you 5 random questions for your next speaking lesson, in English or Spanish. Pick the student's level and a topic, press "New questions" until you like the set and print them as cards. At SmartCookie we wrote all 240 questions ourselves: 120 in English and 120 in Spanish, from A2 to B2+.

By Martina Monreal, Language teacher since 2016

Updated 30th of October 2026

Painted illustration of a tutor cranking a vintage machine that pops out cards to a laughing student, on a cobalt blue background.

How does this conversation question generator work?

Choose English or Spanish, the student's level (A2, B1 or B2+) and a topic, and the generator shows 5 random conversation questions from our bank of 240. Press "New questions" for another set, or "Print cards" to cut them out for class. It's a free tool and needs no sign-up.

Questions: 240: 120 in English, 120 in Spanish
Levels: A2, B1 and B2+
Each time: 5 random questions
Price: Free tool, no sign-up

On this page

Tell me about a trip that didn't go as planned. What happened?
Would you rather travel alone or with friends? Why?
What's the most beautiful place you've ever visited?
How do you choose where to stay when you travel?
If you could live abroad for a year, where would you go and why?

How to use the conversation question generator

Pick the language, the level and a topic, then press "New questions" until you have a set you like. The questions change as soon as you change any option.

1
Choose the language
Pick English for your ESL students or Spanish for students learning Spanish. The questions are always in the language they're learning.
2
Choose the student's level
A2 asks about routines and recent events, B1 about experiences and plans, and B2+ about opinions and hypotheticals. If you're not sure, pick the lower one.
3
Pick a topic or leave it open
One topic keeps the vocabulary together. "Any topic" mixes all 8 topics at that level, so every set is different.
4
Draw until you like them
Press "New questions" for another 5. Skip any question that feels too personal for your student.
5
Print them as cards
"Print cards" prints only the questions, one card each. Choose "Save as PDF" in the print window to keep them or share them online.

What the questions ask at each level

Each level asks for a different kind of answer: daily life at A2, stories and plans at B1, opinions and hypotheticals at B2+. Here is one travel question per level in each language.

Conversation questions by CEFR level: what they ask for, with an English and a Spanish example (travel)
Level	What the questions ask for	English example	Spanish example
A2	Routines, likes and recent events, in simple present and past tenses.	Where did you go on your last holiday?	¿Cuál fue tu último viaje? ¿Adónde fuiste y con quién?
B1	Experiences, plans and reasons, usually followed by a "Why?".	Tell me about a trip that didn't go as planned. What happened?	Cuéntame el mejor viaje de tu vida. ¿Qué lo hizo especial?
B2+	Opinions, pros and cons and hypotheticals that need a point of view.	Does tourism do more good or harm to the places people visit?	¿Crees que el turismo masivo hace más daño que bien a las ciudades que lo reciben?

The levels follow the speaking descriptors in the CEFR self-assessment grid. For all 120 questions in each language, see the ESL conversation questions by level and the Spanish conversation topics.

Games with printed question cards

Cards turn a list of questions into a small game. These work with one student or a small group, in person or on screen.

Draw and answer: the student draws a card face down and talks about it for one minute without stopping.
Swap roles: after answering, the student asks you the same question. Most students rarely get to practise asking questions.
Choose 2 of 3: put three cards on the table and let the student pick two. Choosing gives them a moment to think before they speak.
One follow-up per card: before the next card, ask a follow-up like "Why?" or "What happened next?". Move on only when the answer runs out.
Online: share your screen with the generator, or paste the 5 questions into the call chat and let the student pick a number from 1 to 5.

Fit the questions into a full lesson

Use the set as the speaking part of the lesson, not the whole plan. Start with an easy question, keep the harder ones for the middle and leave time at the end for corrections.

For the rest of the lesson, our one-to-one lesson plan template shows where a speaking block fits next to the warm-up, practice and review.

Keep track of what each student has already answered

Save the questions you used and the corrections in each student's SmartCookie lesson notes, and plan the next conversation from there. Try it for 14 days, no card needed.