Impulse buys, online carts, retail therapy. Students know this world well.
A1 Level – Elementary
1. Do you like shopping?
2. Where do you go shopping?
3. Do you buy clothes?
4. What food do you buy?
5. Do you go to the supermarket?
6. Do you like shopping for shoes?
7. Do you use cash or a card?
8. Do you go shopping with your family?
9. What is your favorite store?
10. Do you like big shopping malls?
11. Do you buy things online?
12. How often do you go shopping for food?
13. Do you carry a shopping bag?
14. What did you buy last weekend?
15. Do you like window shopping (just looking)?
A2 Level – Pre-Intermediate
1. Do you prefer shopping online or in stores? Why?
2. What’s your favorite thing to shop for?
3. Do you try to save money when you shop?
4. How do you find good deals or sales?
5. What’s the difference between a market and a supermarket?
6. Do you ever buy second-hand (used) things?
7. Do you like shopping for gifts for other people?
8. What’s the worst thing about shopping?
9. Do you ever buy things you don’t need?
10. Have you ever returned something you bought?
11. Do you read reviews before buying something online?
12. What’s your favorite online store?
13. Do you make a shopping list before going to the supermarket?
14. Do you prefer small shops or big department stores?
15. What’s the most expensive thing you’ve ever bought?
B1 Level – Intermediate
1. Do you think you are a smart shopper? Why or why not?
2. Are you loyal to specific brands?
3. What are the pros and cons of online shopping?
4. Do you think advertising makes people buy things they don’t need?
5. Have you ever had a bad experience while shopping?
6. Do you think “Black Friday” sales are a good or bad thing?
7. What’s your opinion on fast fashion?
8. How do you feel about bargaining or haggling for a lower price?
9. Is it better to buy many cheap things or a few expensive, high-quality things?
10. Do you ever feel stressed when you go shopping?
11. What items do you think are always worth paying more for?
12. How has your shopping behavior changed in the last five years?
13. What do you think about “buy now, pay later” services?
14. How can you tell if an online store is safe?
15. Do you think shopping can be an addiction?
B2 Level – Upper-Intermediate
1. How does consumerism affect our society?
2. What is “impulse buying,” and why do people do it?
3. How do stores use psychology to make you buy more?
4. What do you think about “ethical shopping”? (e.g., Fair Trade, cruelty-free)
5. How important are brand names to you, and why?
6. Do you think materialism (valuing possessions) is a problem in your country?
7. What are the environmental impacts of our shopping habits?
8. Is it possible to live a good life without buying many new things?
9. What is “retail therapy”? Do you think it works?
10. How can we reduce packaging waste from shopping?
11. Should governments regulate advertising more strictly?
12. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a cashless society?
13. How do online reviews and influencers affect your purchasing decisions?
14. What are your thoughts on the “gig economy” for deliveries (like Uber Eats or Glovo)?
15. What rights do you have as a consumer?
C1 Level – Advanced
1. To what extent do our possessions define our identity?
2. What is the “planned obsolescence,” and how does it drive consumerism?
3. Discuss the pros and cons of minimalism as a lifestyle.
4. How can consumers make corporations more accountable for their supply chains?
5. Is the “sharing economy” (e.g., Airbnb, car-sharing) a sustainable alternative to ownership?
6. How does personal debt from consumer spending affect the wider economy?
7. Analyze the psychological difference between shopping for experiences versus shopping for goods.
8. What role should a government play in protecting consumers from predatory marketing?
9. How has e-commerce and globalization changed local economies?
10. Is it ethical to buy counterfeit (fake) luxury goods?
11. What is “greenwashing,” and how can consumers spot it?
12. How will augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) change the future of shopping?
13. Is the concept of “voting with your wallet” an effective way to bring about social change?
14. How does the collection of personal data by retailers impact consumer privacy?
15. Should there be a “right to repair” for electronics to reduce waste?
C2 Level – Proficiency
1. Evaluate the philosophical arguments for and against consumer capitalism.
2. To what extent is “ethical consumerism” a meaningful solution versus a marketing gimmick?
3. Discuss the socioeconomic and psychological roots of compulsive hoarding and shopping addiction.
4. How do global supply chains create ethical dilemmas for both consumers and corporations?
5. Debate the proposition: “The free market, left unregulated, will inevitably lead to consumer exploitation.”
6. What would a post-consumerist society look like, and is it a desirable goal?
7. Analyze the impact of algorithm-driven personalized advertising on free will and consumer choice.
8. What are the long-term consequences of a throwaway culture on planetary health and human values?
9. How does the design of our cities (e.g., suburbs vs. walkable cities) influence consumption patterns?
10. Should governments implement a “carbon tax” on products based on their environmental footprint?
11. Is the pursuit of economic growth, which is fueled by consumption, fundamentally sustainable?
12. How does the commodification of everyday life (e.g., monetizing hobbies) affect human well-being?
13. What moral responsibilities does a consumer in a wealthy nation have towards producers in developing nations?
14. Deconstruct the concept of “value.” What gives an object its value, and how has this been manipulated?
15. How will artificial intelligence and automation reshape the future of retail and consumer behavior?
