Free Conversation Ideas for Valentine's Day

Though it originated in the UK, Valentine's Day as we know it now has spread all around the world. Your student probably knows at least a little bit about it, so it should be a good topic to discuss if they've selected a free conversation lesson.

In this article, we'll introduce a small collection of Valentine's Day-related discussion points for you to use in your lessons. Similar to other lessons based on holidays, however, it's important to be respectful of our students' different cultural backgrounds. So as always, it's best to start the discussion by asking some general questions to learn what your student thinks and feels about the holiday.

Of course, if they aren't familiar with it, you've just been given an opportunity to explain it to them. Though try to leave some room for questions they can ask you to keep the rhythm of the conversation flowing.

Also, keep in mind that while it's a fun and romantic day for some students, Valentine's Day may be lonely or otherwise difficult for others. So it's a good idea to be sensitive when introducing these topics.

Speaking of which, now may be a good time to review the ways to avoid making students uncomfortable in your lessons.

Now that we've covered the basics, here are a few discussion points to help you get the most out of a lesson about Valentine's Day.

Discussion questions about Valentine's Day

Even if a student does not celebrate Valentine's Day in their country, it does not mean there are no other days that are similar to it. In Korea, for example, there are romance-themed celebrations on the 14th of each month!

Some holidays are able to spread outside of their original countries and cultures. For example, Halloween has become very popular in Japan in recent years. It's possible your student has noticed something similar with Valentine's Day. Maybe they've celebrated it their entire life, or perhaps it didn't even exist in their country when they were a child.

In Western countries, it is common for either person in a couple to give presents to the other. But it's not the same everywhere. For example, your Japanese students may mention that only women are expected to give gifts on Valentine's Day — men have a chance to give theirs a full month later on another special day called White Day.

Chocolate and flowers are the things most commonly connected to February 14 in many places, but is it the same where your student is from?

Many Western schoolchildren exchange handmade valentine cards in their younger years, but things usually shift to only romantic partners (or potential romantic partners!) as people mature. Japan has the custom of giving "giri-choco" or "obligation chocolate" to colleagues at work or school. Does your student's country have something similar? What do they think about it?

Let's face it: Valentine's Day has become a very commercialized event designed for us to spend money. But companies have realized that they can sell things to singles as well as couples. This has led to days like Singles' Day in China, which is on November 11 (11/11, get it?).

This can be a follow-up to the previous question. Since "commercialize" is a pretty high-level word, you may need to explain it: "focused on money and profit more than anything else."

Though some people dislike it, seeing couples kiss and behave affectionately in public is a very normal thing in Western cultures. But different countries can have very different attitudes toward "PDA," or public displays of affection. Is this type of activity accepted in your student's country?

Finally, you can ask them this for a bit of fun trivia. They may know "sweetheart" or "baby," but do they also know "darling," "boo" or "bae"?

Over to you

Like other celebrations, Valentine's Day has gradually moved beyond its birthplace and become popular in many different countries. As long as it is discussed carefully and respectfully, it has plenty to talk about that will hopefully motivate your students to speak up and share their opinions.

Also like other celebrations, we have some themed backgrounds and emojis especially for this day. Give them a try!