Free-Talk Discussion Questions for Students with Olympic Fever

Table of Contents

The 2024 Olympic Games are underway, and no doubt you have many students watching them with interest.

At this point, we're about halfway through, so a lot has already happened, but there is still more to come. Here are some questions to help stimulate some sports-related discussion in your upcoming free-talk lessons.

General questions

Were you interested in this year's Olympics before they began?
What did you think of the opening ceremony of the Paris Games?
If you were in charge of an opening/closing ceremony in your home country, what would you want to include?
What’s your favorite Olympic event?
Are there any events/sports you’ve seen for the first time during these Olympics? What did you think of them?
What sports would you like to see in a future Olympics?

Athletes

Do you have a favorite athlete?
Who are the “household name” athletes from your country? / Who’s the most famous athlete in your country? Are you a fan of theirs?
Do you feel your country’s team has performed or is performing well in these Olympics?
What has been your favorite moment of the 2024 Games so far?

Preferences and further discussion

Do you prefer the summer or winter Olympic Games?
Do you also watch the Paralympics?
Do you play any of the sports that are featured in the Olympics?
What do you think most Olympic athletes do when they retire?
Do you think the Olympics are still important in the modern era?
Do you have any opinions on the International Olympic Committee (IOC)?
Would you like your city/country to host an Olympics? Why or why not?
If your country has hosted major sporting events in the past, do you think it was mostly a good or bad thing for the country?
If you had to replace the gold, silver and bronze medals with some other kind of award, what would you choose?

Wrap-up

Basing discussions on recent events is a reliable strategy for free-talk lessons, and few events capture the attention of the world quite like the Olympics.

There have already been many exciting moments in this year's Games, so most students will have things to talk about. And if they're not watching the Olympics, talking about the reasons why is also a nice jumping-off point for discussion.