A1 Level – Elementary
1. What makes a good first impression?
2. What is your favorite color to wear?
3. Do you look at people’s shoes first?
4. Do you smile when you meet someone?
5. Is it important to be on time?
6. What makes someone seem trustworthy?
7. Do you talk loudly or quietly?
8. What is the difference between clean and messy hair?
9. What is the most important thing a person wears?
10. Do you like shaking hands?
11. What is a polite way to say goodbye?
12. Do you judge people by their clothing?
13. What makes a person seem nervous?
14. Do you check your appearance before leaving home?
15. What is the opposite of a good impression?
A2 Level – Pre-Intermediate
1. What are the key differences between a first impression in a formal setting and a casual one?
2. Describe how body language (e.g., posture, eye contact) creates a strong impression.
3. What are the pros and cons of meeting someone for the first time online versus in person?
4. What are the common cultural differences in greetings that can affect a first impression?
5. Have you ever quickly changed your mind about someone after a second meeting?
6. What kind of conversational topics help create a positive first impression?
7. What role does tone of voice play in forming an impression of intelligence or honesty?
8. What is the difference between making a genuine impression and putting on an act?
9. How does excessive use of a mobile phone affect a professional impression?
10. What are the most common things people judge others on in the first five minutes?
11. What is the importance of being well-groomed for a job interview?
12. Do you think people’s online profile pictures accurately reflect their real-life personality?
13. What are the challenges of making a good impression when you are feeling nervous?
14. What are the best ways to correct a bad first impression?
15. What is the difference between clothing that is fashionable and clothing that is professional?
B1 Level – Intermediate
1. Discuss the pressure that social media puts on people to maintain a flawless public image.
2. How can people learn to look beyond superficial impressions to find genuine connection?
3. What are the ethical issues surrounding manipulative techniques designed to create a false impression?
4. Do you agree that most people are judged unfairly based only on how they look?
5. Describe a time when your professional impression was damaged by a simple, accidental mistake.
6. To what extent should companies and public figures invest in managing their public perception?
7. What role do accessories (e.g., watches, glasses, jewelry) play in non-verbal signaling?
8. How do our own existing biases (e.g., stereotypes) influence the impressions we form of others?
9. Discuss the psychological phenomenon of the “halo effect”—assuming positive traits based on one good feature.
10. What are the challenges of managing your image when interacting with people of different age groups?
11. How does the type of profession (e.g., artist vs. banker) influence the expected dress code and mannerisms?
12. Should schools teach students practical skills for making good professional and social impressions?
13. What is the difference between a spontaneous, genuine reaction and a calculated performance?
14. Discuss the concept of “personal brand” and how it affects job interviews and social interactions.
15. What is the long-term impact of consistently living up to a false or exaggerated first impression?
B2 Level – Upper-Intermediate
1. How does the immediate nature of digital communication affect the complexity and depth of first impressions?
2. What are the ethical arguments about using advanced body language training to gain an unfair advantage in negotiations?
3. Should job interviews focus more on technical skills or on the interviewee’s ability to make a good personal impression?
4. What are the psychological reasons why the first few minutes of an interaction have such a powerful, lasting effect?
5. How has the rise of personal vlogging and online presence blurred the line between public and private identity?
6. Discuss the idea that a truly confident person does not need to worry about the impressions they make on others.
7. What is the role of voice projection and articulation in creating an impression of authority or expertise?
8. How do our perceptions of cleanliness and tidiness affect our judgment of someone’s overall competence?
9. What are the challenges of making a good impression when you are dealing with chronic stress or fatigue?
10. Discuss the concept of “impression management”—the conscious effort to influence the perceptions of others.
11. What is the difference between presenting yourself professionally and compromising your authenticity?
12. Should all professionals (e.g., doctors, teachers) be required to undergo training on cross-cultural impression-making?
13. What is the impact of cultural norms about formality and informality on the process of making friends abroad?
14. How does the history of etiquette and social customs reflect the changing rules of self-presentation?
15. Discuss the idea that our tendency to make quick judgments is an evolutionary necessity for social survival.
C1 Level – Advanced
1. Analyze the socioeconomic factors that influence which groups of people are predisposed to be perceived as “credible” or “competent.”
2. To what degree should the legal system regulate deceptive practices used in corporate branding and public relations?
3. Discuss the philosophical concept of “phenomenology”—how the world appears to us—in the context of subjective perception.
4. Evaluate the impact of new technologies (e.g., AI analysis of facial expressions) on the spontaneity of human interaction.
5. How does the strategic use of emotional appeals and visual aesthetics shape a political candidate’s public impression?
6. Examine the historical shift from impressions based on inherited status (nobility) to those based on self-made achievement.
7. What ethical guidelines should govern the use of subliminal messaging or psychological “tricks” in advertising and sales?
8. Discuss the concept of “cognitive load” and how complex social situations increase the probability of relying on simple, flawed impressions.
9. How do different legal traditions treat testimonial evidence that is based entirely on a witness’s subjective impression of an event?
10. Analyze the interplay between architecture, interior design, and the subtle impressions created by a corporate headquarters.
11. What ethical challenges arise when people use cosmetic procedures or digital filters to fundamentally alter their perceived appearance?
12. Debate whether a person can ever be truly authentic if they are constantly aware of the impressions they are making.
13. How does the concept of “mirroring” (subtly copying another person’s body language) facilitate rapport and good impressions?
14. Discuss the concept of “the self-fulfilling prophecy” and how first impressions can shape later behavior.
15. To what extent does the globalized media environment standardize or homogenize the “ideal” first impression?
C2 Level – Proficiency
1. How do you analyze the idea that all human social interaction is fundamentally a form of ritualized performance?
2. Formulate a critique of psychological theories that reduce the complexity of human personality to a simple set of measurable first impressions.
3. Analyze the intersection of power dynamics, social surveillance, and the complete loss of a private “unimpressed” self.
4. Discuss the philosophical distinction between “sincerity” (internal state) and “authenticity” (external presentation) in public life.
5. Critically evaluate the effectiveness of “diversity training” in overcoming deeply ingrained, implicit biases that fuel negative first impressions.
6. Propose a system for job interviewing that eliminates reliance on subjective first impressions and focuses purely on demonstrated competence.
7. Examine the psychological function of “default trust”—the unconscious decision to trust someone based on familiar cues.
8. How does the semiotics of clothing and personal grooming communicate immediate and complex information about social class and ideology?
9. Discuss the ethical responsibilities of media personalities to maintain a consistent, positive image, even in private life.
10. Analyze the historical relationship between the invention of the photograph and the subsequent industrialization of image management.
11. Articulate the inherent tension between the speed required for efficient social filtering and the ethical demand for non-judgmental patience.
12. Debate whether technology (e.g., VR avatars) will eventually allow people to completely control the complex impressions they make.
13. Assess the long-term societal effects of mandatory public transparency on the level of social risk-taking and self-expression.
14. Discuss the philosophical definition of ‘reputation’ and how it is constructed from a cumulative series of fleeting impressions.
15. How might the principles of effective presentation be used to model processes of scientific communication and public engagement?
