A1 Level – Elementary
1. Do you know many rules?
2. What is a polite action?
3. Do you wait your turn?
4. What is a hidden message?
5. Do you watch how people act?
6. What is a small mistake?
7. Do you worry about being rude?
8. What is a good team?
9. Do you think unwritten rules are important?
10. What is a quiet room?
11. Do you feel embarrassed easily?
12. What is a different culture?
13. Do you like clear instructions?
14. What are three unwritten rules?
15. Do you think people should be taught all rules?
A2 Level – Pre-Intermediate
1. What is the difference between a written rule and an unwritten rule?
2. Why are unwritten rules often about showing respect?
3. What are the good things and bad things about relying on social cues?
4. How can a person learn the unwritten rules of a new culture?
5. Should all schools teach common social etiquette?
6. Why is it important to learn the unwritten rules of the workplace?
7. Do you think unwritten rules make life more complicated?
8. What is the purpose of waiting a few minutes before replying to an email?
9. How does technology (social media) create new unwritten rules?
10. What is the difference between an unwritten rule and a tradition?
11. Do you think unwritten rules are necessary for social harmony?
12. What are the problems when unwritten rules exclude certain groups?
13. When is the best time to ask a trusted friend about a confusing rule?
14. What are two unwritten rules about using public transport?
15. How does the confusion over unwritten rules affect newcomers to a country?
B1 Level – Intermediate
1. What are the rules for politely pointing out an unwritten rule to a stranger?
2. How does the adherence to unwritten rules affect social hierarchy?
3. Should the government provide guides on basic cultural etiquette for visitors?
4. What is the difference between unwritten rules in a large corporation and a small family business?
5. Do you believe that unwritten rules change faster now than in the past?
6. What are the challenges of managing a team with highly different cultural unwritten rules?
7. How does the focus on subtle cues affect communication clarity?
8. What is the idea of “social contract”?
9. Is it fair or unfair when some people are penalized for not knowing an unwritten rule?
10. How does a lack of cultural empathy make learning unwritten rules difficult?
11. What are the steps for properly creating a simple guide to your workplace’s unwritten rules?
12. What is the value of unwritten rules in maintaining respect and order?
13. Should public media criticize outdated or discriminatory unwritten rules?
14. What are the reasons why some people feel uncomfortable with ambiguous rules?
15. How does the concept of unwritten rules affect international negotiations?
B2 Level – Upper-Intermediate
1. What are the social pressures to conform instantly to a group’s unwritten norms?
2. What are the moral problems when unwritten rules are used to maintain power imbalances?
3. How does constant social media discussion of unwritten rules affect their longevity?
4. Should workplace guidelines be legally required to document all major expectations?
5. Analyze the psychological effect of constantly scanning for hidden social cues.
6. Who is responsible for promoting transparent communication over hidden rules?
7. What is your view on the practice of deliberately breaking minor unwritten rules?
8. Evaluate the role of cultural interpreters in explaining nuanced social rules.
9. How does the concept of “implicit bias” relate to the enforcement of unwritten rules?
10. Discuss the concept of a “faux pas” (social blunder).
11. What are the problems with having very different expectations for punctuality as an unwritten rule?
12. What are the legal differences between an unwritten employment rule and constructive dismissal?
13. Do you agree that the purpose of unwritten rules is mainly to create a comfortable, predictable environment?
14. What steps should be taken to ensure that unwritten rules are understood by people with communication difficulties?
15. How does the need for speed in the modern world challenge the subtle nature of unwritten rules?
C1 Level – Advanced
1. Is it fair that those who are skilled at navigating unwritten rules gain an advantage in life?
2. What is the right way to think about a leader’s moral duty to eliminate all exclusionary unwritten rules?
3. How do the platform’s algorithms influence which social norms are quickly adopted as global unwritten rules?
4. When should the government consider mandatory audits of official institutions for hidden biases in their unwritten rules?
5. What are the moral questions when we talk about using knowledge of unwritten rules to manipulate social situations?
6. How does the focus on quick cultural integration affect the long-term, necessary investment in understanding deep traditions?
7. Discuss the impact of major corporate mergers on the clash of different organizational unwritten rules.
8. How should leaders use knowledge about social norms to promote open and direct communication?
9. What is the idea of “high-context culture” and its reliance on unwritten rules?
10. What are the long-term effects on society when the collective knowledge of traditional unwritten rules is lost?
11. What are the difficulties when courts try to decide if a custom is a legally enforceable unwritten rule?
12. How does the search for total social efficiency conflict with the ethical need for cultural subtlety?
13. Do you agree that the most important thing is the unwritten rule of basic human respect?
14. What are the simple moral rules a person should follow when they benefit from a hidden social advantage?
15. Should the government set a legal minimum for the amount of clear communication required in all professional settings?
C2 Level – Proficiency
1. What is the real difference between a person’s intentional conformity and their unconscious adherence to social pressure?
2. Debate the idea: Should we completely eliminate all unwritten rules and formalize all social expectations?
3. How does the concept of “etiquette” change when technology removes face-to-face interaction?
4. What laws or rules are needed to control how technology platforms use algorithms to enforce social norms?
5. How do historical views of class, ritual, and exclusion affect modern unwritten rules?
6. How can communities maintain their social cohesion when unwritten rules are constantly challenged by newcomers?
7. Argue the point that humans should stop all attempts to document or formalize rules and allow social dynamics to evolve organically.
8. What protection should laws give to employees who are penalized for questioning an organizational unwritten rule?
9. How can we stop the problem of using the argument of “culture” to excuse harmful or discriminatory unwritten rules?
10. What did old thinkers say about custom, public virtue, and the moral requirement for compliance that is still relevant today?
11. What will happen to the need for human intuition if AI can perfectly predict and explain all unwritten rules?
12. How do people use the idea of “I didn’t know” to avoid discussing their deliberate non-conformity?
13. How does the experience of a major cultural misunderstanding improve a person’s social intelligence?
14. What is the power of a collective movement to demand that all social expectations are made explicit and fair?
15. If scientists could create a perfect, universal social operating manual, how would that fundamentally change human relationships?
