The problem with generating speaking activity materials from scratch is time. Writing 50 levelled discussion questions takes an hour. Creating scenario cards for 10 role plays takes two. Designing a debate topic list with arguments on both sides takes three. Most teachers simply don't have this time, so they reuse the same activities until students are bored by them.
AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini have genuinely changed this equation. A well-crafted prompt generates usable materials in under a minute. The challenge is knowing which prompts produce genuinely useful classroom content rather than generic, shallow output.
YapYapGo is a classroom speaking practice tool for ESL and EFL teachers that already includes thousands of levelled questions across six speaking modes - no prompting required. But for teachers who want to generate specific custom materials, these 30 prompts consistently produce high-quality classroom content.How to use these prompts
Copy and paste the prompt, replacing the bracketed variables with your specifics. Always check the output before using it in class - AI occasionally produces questions that are culturally insensitive, factually wrong, or inappropriately difficult for the stated level.
The most important variables to specify:- CEFR level (A2, B1, B2, or C1)
- Age group (teenagers 13-17, young adults 18-25, adults 25+)
- Topic (as specific as possible)
- Number of items
- Activity format (pair discussion, debate, role play, etc.)
Discussion question prompts (10 templates)
1. Standard levelled questions "Generate 10 ESL discussion questions about [TOPIC] for [CEFR LEVEL] students aged [AGE GROUP]. Questions should require a minimum 3-sentence answer and cannot be answered with yes/no. Include one question at each of these levels: concrete personal experience, opinion with reasoning, abstract or systemic thinking." 2. The opinion spectrum set "Create 5 controversial-but-classroom-safe statements about [TOPIC] for [CEFR LEVEL] ESL students. Each statement should have a genuinely defensible position on both sides. Format: 'Statement: [statement]. For: [strongest argument]. Against: [strongest counter-argument].'" 3. The IELTS Part 3 style "Write 8 IELTS Part 3-style abstract discussion questions related to [TOPIC]. Questions should begin with 'To what extent...', 'How far do you agree...', 'In what ways...' or similar analytical openers. Target band 7 responses." 4. The age-appropriate set "Generate 10 discussion questions about [TOPIC] specifically designed for [AGE GROUP] ESL students. Questions should reference contexts, experiences, and concerns relevant to this age group rather than generic adult situations." 5. The disagreement generator "Create 5 discussion scenarios about [TOPIC] where two people with different backgrounds or values would naturally see the situation differently. For each, describe the two perspectives without naming which is 'right'." 6. The follow-up chain "Write 1 main discussion question about [TOPIC] for B1 ESL students, plus 4 follow-up questions that progressively deepen the conversation from concrete to abstract." 7. The personalised set "Generate 8 discussion questions about [TOPIC] that require students to draw on their own direct experience rather than general knowledge. Questions should begin with 'Think about a time when...', 'In your experience...', or 'From what you've observed...'" 8. The real-world application "Create 6 speaking prompts about [TOPIC] that connect to situations [PROFESSION/CONTEXT] students will actually encounter in English at work. Format as mini-scenarios they might face." 9. The debate motion set "Write 8 debate motions on the theme of [TOPIC] for [CEFR LEVEL] ESL students. Each motion should: begin with 'This house believes...', have a defensible position on both sides, not require specialist knowledge to argue, and be appropriate for classroom discussion." 10. The week's news "Write 5 discussion questions inspired by the following news headline: [HEADLINE]. Questions should be accessible to [CEFR LEVEL] ESL students who have not read the full article. Include one question that only requires personal opinion, not knowledge of the event."Tool tip: YapYapGo generates AI Discussion Questions in real time during class - so you don't need to prepare them in advance. Open YapYapGo's AI Discussion mode, enter a topic, and questions appear instantly, levelled to your class. A conversation topic generator also works as a quick free alternative for warm-up topics.
Role play and scenario prompts (8 templates)
11. The professional scenario set "Create 5 role play scenarios for [PROFESSION/CONTEXT] ESL students at B1-B2 level. Each scenario should: involve two characters with different but legitimate goals, require negotiation or problem-solving, use realistic professional language, and have a clear situation that can be resolved in 3-4 minutes." 12. The asymmetric information scenario "Write a role play scenario about [TOPIC] where Student A knows [TYPE OF INFORMATION] and Student B knows [DIFFERENT INFORMATION]. Both students need the other's information to complete the task. Include role cards for each student." 13. The difficult conversation series "Generate 4 role play scenarios that practise delivering difficult professional news in English: [e.g., project delay, staff reduction, client complaint]. Each scenario should have a sender role card and a receiver role card with clear objectives for each." 14. The low-stakes icebreaker scenario "Create 6 lighthearted role play scenarios for A2-B1 ESL students that practise everyday social English. Scenarios should: be slightly absurd to reduce anxiety, require at least 2 minutes of conversation, use vocabulary accessible to A2 students."Warm-up and filler prompts (6 templates)
15. The this-or-that set "Generate 20 'would you rather' questions for [CEFR LEVEL] ESL [AGE GROUP] students. Questions should require at least one sentence of explanation (not just a choice), avoid being genuinely upsetting or offensive, and range from lighthearted to thoughtful." 16. The quick opinion round "Write 12 short opinion statements (maximum 10 words each) for a fast-paced ESL agree/disagree warm-up activity with [CEFR LEVEL] students. Statements should be easy to understand but not have an obvious right answer." 17. The prediction set "Create 8 prediction questions for [TOPIC] that [AGE GROUP] ESL students at [CEFR LEVEL] can discuss without specialist knowledge. Questions should ask what students think will happen rather than what they know has happened." 18. The ranking task "Generate 3 ranking tasks on the theme of [TOPIC] for [CEFR LEVEL] ESL students. Each task should provide 5-6 items to rank with a clear criterion, where there is no objectively correct answer. Include the ranking criterion and one suggested discussion question."Assessment and feedback prompts (6 templates)
19. The peer feedback form "Create a simple peer observation checklist for ESL students at [CEFR LEVEL] to use during pair speaking activities. The checklist should: have 3-4 yes/no criteria, include 1 open comment field, take under 2 minutes to complete, and focus on communicative effectiveness rather than grammar." 20. The self-assessment prompt "Write 5 self-reflection questions for ESL students at [CEFR LEVEL] to complete after a speaking activity. Questions should help students identify their specific fluency or vocabulary gaps, not just rate their general performance." 21. The feedback sentence starters "Generate 10 feedback sentence starters for ESL students at [CEFR LEVEL] to use when giving peer feedback on speaking. Starters should be genuinely useful for giving specific, constructive feedback rather than just positive comments."Checking AI output quality
Before using any AI-generated content in class, check for:
Cultural sensitivity. AI sometimes produces examples that assume Western cultural norms or that are inadvertently insensitive in certain cultural contexts. Level accuracy. AI frequently misjudges CEFR levels, especially at C1 where it often produces B2 content. Test the questions yourself first. Factual accuracy. For any question that references real statistics, historical facts, or current events, verify independently. Genuine discussibility. Some AI-generated questions have an obvious "correct" answer. A question with an obvious answer generates a short conversation. A question with genuine ambiguity generates a long one.For more on how AI is changing ESL teaching more broadly, see our post on how AI is changing ESL speaking practice. A classroom countdown timer and random student picker remain useful for managing whatever content you generate.
Sources:
- Nation, I.S.P. (2001). Learning Vocabulary in Another Language. Cambridge University Press. - Task design requirements for genuinely communicative speaking activities.
- Ur, P. (1981). Discussions That Work. Cambridge University Press. - Quality criteria for speaking activity design that apply equally to human-generated and AI-generated materials.