A1 Level – Elementary
1. Do you like going to the park?
2. What do you do in a park?
3. What is your favorite season to visit a park?
4. Are there big trees in your park?
5. Do you like watching children play?
6. What makes a park clean?
7. Do you like having picnics?
8. What is the difference between a park and a garden?
9. Do you think parks are important?
10. What color is the grass in the park?
11. Do you see animals in the park?
12. What makes a park quiet?
13. What is a rule for using the park?
14. Do you like sitting on a park bench?
15. What are some common park sports?
A2 Level – Pre-Intermediate
1. What are the key differences between a small neighborhood park and a large city park (e.g., Central Park)?
2. Describe one memory you have of playing in a park as a child.
3. What are the pros and cons of allowing dogs off-leash in public parks?
4. What role does a park play in improving the overall air quality of a city?
5. Have you ever seen an unusual or unexpected activity happening in a park?
6. What kind of facilities (e.g., sports fields, restrooms) should all large parks offer?
7. What is the difference between a park run by the city and a national park?
8. What are common challenges in maintaining safety and security in city parks after dark?
9. How does technology (e.g., free public WiFi) change the way people use park spaces?
10. What are the biggest challenges of encouraging city residents to visit parks regularly?
11. What is the importance of having benches, shade, and drinking fountains in a park?
12. Do you think parks should be commercialized (e.g., with paid concerts or vendors)?
13. What are the challenges of designing parks to be accessible to people with physical disabilities?
14. What are the best ways to ensure that people do not litter or damage park facilities?
15. What is the difference between a park and a nature reserve?
B1 Level – Intermediate
1. Discuss the conflict between the recreational use of parks and the need to protect their ecological function.
2. How can urban planning prioritize the creation of new parks in densely populated areas?
3. What are the ethical issues surrounding the displacement of people or wildlife to build new parks?
4. Do you agree that access to green spaces is a fundamental necessity for all city dwellers?
5. Describe a time when visiting a park helped you significantly relieve stress or anxiety.
6. To what extent should parks be used for large political protests or demonstrations?
7. What role do volunteers and local community groups play in the upkeep of neighborhood parks?
8. How do cultural norms about quietness and appropriate behavior affect the use of public parks?
9. Discuss the psychological phenomenon of feeling rejuvenated after spending time in a natural setting.
10. What are the challenges of managing different user groups (e.g., cyclists, dog walkers, sunbathers) in the same park?
11. How does the concept of “sense of place” apply to a cherished local park?
12. Should public funding prioritize large, central parks or a network of smaller, local green spaces?
13. What is the difference between a park that is highly structured and one that is left largely wild?
14. Discuss the concept of “forest bathing” (Shinrin-yoku) and its purported health benefits.
15. What is the long-term impact of consistent exposure to natural environments on children’s development?
B2 Level – Upper-Intermediate
1. How does the uneven distribution of parks in a city reflect underlying socioeconomic inequalities?
2. What are the ethical arguments about charging entry fees for access to historically free public parks?
3. Should zoning laws require a minimum ratio of green space per resident in all new urban developments?
4. What are the psychological reasons why natural shapes and organic textures are calming to the human mind?
5. How has climate change (e.g., extreme heat, water scarcity) complicated the maintenance of urban green spaces?
6. Discuss the idea that parks should be managed primarily for ecological health, even if it restricts human use.
7. What is the role of parks in creating a sense of local community and civic identity?
8. How do our perceptions of safety and risk change when we are in a secluded, less-populated park?
9. What are the challenges of retrofitting existing, dense urban areas with new green spaces?
10. Discuss the concept of “park equity”—the idea that park quality and access should be equal across all neighborhoods.
11. What is the difference between simply installing green space and creating a functional, biodiverse ecosystem?
12. Should major historical monuments in parks be removed or contextualized if they celebrate controversial figures?
13. What is the impact of excessive artificial lighting on the natural cycles of plants and animals in urban parks?
14. How does the history of public health movements relate to the initial creation of large city parks?
15. Discuss the idea that parks are the most vital communal spaces in a fragmented, individualistic city.
C1 Level – Advanced
1. Analyze the socioeconomic factors that link low-income areas to a lack of quality, well-maintained public parkland.
2. To what degree should the legal system restrict private development that infringes on or obscures public access to existing parks?
3. Discuss the philosophical concept of “the Commons” and the challenge of sustainably managing shared public park resources.
4. Evaluate the efficacy of “payments for ecosystem services” (e.g., clean air, reduced flooding) in justifying park investment.
5. How does the strategic use of park space (e.g., visible policing) influence the behavior and perceived freedom of visitors?
6. Examine the legal challenges regarding liability when a user is injured in a natural or semi-wild park setting.
7. What ethical guidelines should govern the use of pesticides or herbicides in park maintenance near residential areas?
8. Discuss the concept of “park diplomacy”—using parks and green spaces as neutral ground for social and political dialogue.
9. How do different national policies on land tenure and public domain affect the long-term protection of natural parks?
10. Analyze the interplay between urban heat island effects and the critical role of parks in mitigating city temperatures.
11. What ethical challenges arise when new park construction leads to the forced relocation of existing residents or small businesses?
12. Debate whether a technologically augmented park experience (e.g., interactive exhibits) enhances or diminishes the value of direct nature contact.
13. How does the architecture of park pavilions and entrances subtly communicate the intended social function of the space?
14. Discuss the concept of “landscape perception” and how different demographics interpret the value of a wild versus manicured space.
15. To what extent should parks be used as laboratories for urban ecology research and public scientific education?
C2 Level – Proficiency
1. How do you analyze the idea that the park is fundamentally an idealized, controlled expression of nature within the chaos of the city?
2. Formulate a critique of urban planning models that treat parks as aesthetic luxuries rather than essential social and ecological infrastructure.
3. Analyze the intersection of public health metrics, noise pollution, and the measurable long-term benefits of park access on chronic disease rates.
4. Discuss the philosophical distinction between “nature” (uncontrolled wilderness) and “landscape” (human-shaped outdoor space).
5. Critically evaluate the effectiveness of local governance models (e.g., conservancies) in sustainably managing large, complex city parks.
6. Propose a system for urban development that guarantees every citizen lives within a specific walking distance of high-quality green space.
7. Examine the psychological function of natural textures and fractal patterns in reducing cognitive load and promoting mental restoration.
8. How does the semiotics of park signage (rules, prohibitions) communicate authority and subtly regulate public behavior?
9. Discuss the ethical responsibilities of city governments to ensure that park enforcement does not disproportionately target marginalized communities.
10. Analyze the historical relationship between cycles of economic recession and the corresponding decline in maintenance and safety of public parks.
11. Articulate the inherent tension between the park manager’s need for control (to protect nature) and the public’s right to unconstrained enjoyment.
12. Debate whether future parks should be entirely biodiverse (allowing all species) or selectively manicured for maximum human comfort.
13. Assess the long-term societal effects of decreased childhood exposure to unstructured outdoor play on creativity and risk assessment skills.
14. Discuss the philosophical definition of ‘beauty’ as applied to the ecological health and functional complexity of an urban ecosystem.
15. How might the principles of park resource management be used to model processes of organizational knowledge sharing and preservation?
