Useful Vocabulary
Instructions: Go through the vocabulary below with your students. Next, ask them to use this vocabulary in the conversation section below.
Useful Phrasal Verbs
- To deal with something/someone – to do something to make a situation work or to solve a problem.
Example Sentence: “She’s been dealing with a lot of stress lately, so she decided to take a vacation to relax and recharge.”
- To put up with something– to tolerate or accept it, even though you find it unpleasant or unsatisfactory.
Example Sentence: “I had to put up with a broken air conditioner all summer because it was too expensive to repair.”
- To hit it off with someone – to like someone and become friends immediately.
Example Sentence: “I met my neighbor at the park, and we hit it off immediately. We have so much in common!”
- To patch things up – to try to improve a relationship after there have been problems.
Example Sentence: “After a big argument, they decided to get a cup of coffee and try to patch things up.”
- To click with someone – To immediately like someone; to get along very well and very quickly with someone.
Example Sentence: “When I met her at the party, we instantly clicked and spent the whole evening laughing and talking.”
Useful Vocabulary Words
- Pet Peeve
- Irritating
- Bothersome
- Setbacks
- Provoke
- Feedback
- Patience
- Upset
Useful Idioms
- To rub someone the wrong way – to annoy someone.
Example Sentence: “He constantly interrupts me during conversations. It really rubs me the wrong way.”
- To rattle someone’s cage – to intentionally irritate or provoke someone.
Example Sentence: “He loves to rattle her cage by making sarcastic comments.”
ESL Conversation Questions
1. Tell me something about your biggest pet peeve.
2. Can you share a recent experience when someone’s pet peeve bothered you? How did you handle it?
3. How do you inform someone they are annoying?
4. Have you ever had to deal with a difficult or demanding boss?
5. How do you deal with change or uncertainty in your life?
6. How do you deal with feeling homesick or adjusting to a new environment?
7. How do you deal with criticism or feedback, both positive and negative?
8. How do you deal with setbacks or failures in your personal or professional life?
9. What strategies or techniques do you use to deal with procrastination?
10. Tell me about a situation where someone’s behavior rubbed you the wrong way. How did you handle it?
11. In your opinion, what are some common behaviors or habits that tend to rub people the wrong way in a professional setting?
12. Have you ever felt like someone did something on purpose in order to rattle your cage? How did you handle the situation?
13. How important do you think it is to patch things up with friends or family members after a disagreement or conflict? Why?
14. Have you ever had to patch things up with a coworker or colleague at your workplace? How did you approach the situation, and did it impact your working relationship?
15. Have you ever had a situation where you tried to patch things up with someone, but it didn’t work out? What did you learn from that experience?
16. Can you think of a time when you hit it off with someone you just met? What made the connection strong?
17. Have you ever hit it off with someone from a different culture or background? What challenges or benefits did you experience?
18. Can you think of a time when you hit it off with someone who became a long-term friend or significant other? What made the connection special?
19. How important is it for you to click with someone in order to build a friendship?
20. What factors do you think contribute to people clicking with each other? Is it mainly shared interests, similar personalities, or something else?
21. How do you feel about giving and receiving feedback? Do you find it helpful or challenging?
22. What is the most memorable piece of feedback you have received? How did it impact you and your development?
23. Can you think of a time when you gave feedback to a friend, and it positively influenced your relationship? What was the outcome?
24. Have you ever experienced a setback that turned out to be a blessing in disguise? Can you share the details of that situation?
25. Can setbacks sometimes reveal strengths or abilities that you were not aware of?
26. What advice would you give to someone who is currently facing a setback and feeling discouraged?
27. How do you differentiate between minor annoyances and pet peeves that significantly impact your daily life or well-being?
28. Have you ever had a pet peeve that you didn’t realize was bothering you until someone pointed it out?
29. Do you think pet peeves can change over time or vary depending on different life circumstances?
30. Can you think of any strategies or techniques that have helped you cope with or manage your pet peeves?
31. Do you think it’s important to have a sense of humor about pet peeves?
