
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
- Buy into – to buy stocks/shares.
Example Sentence: “Many investors bought into the tech company during its initial public offering.”
- Cash-out To sell an investment and convert it into cash.
Example Sentence: “He decided to cash out his stocks and use the money for a down payment on a house.
- Drive up – To cause the price or value of stocks to increase.
Example Sentence: “Positive earnings reports drove up the value of the company’s shares.”
- Drive down – To cause the price or value of stocks to decrease
Example Sentence: “News of a potential lawsuit drove down the stock prices of the pharmaceutical company.”
- Bail out – To sell investments at a loss to minimize further losses.
Example Sentence: “Many investors bailed out of the stock market during the financial crisis.”
- Bottom out – To reach the lowest point in a downward trend.
Example Sentence: “After months of decline, the stock finally bottomed out and started to recover.”
Useful Vocabulary Words
- Portfolio
- Short Selling
- Broker
- Investor
- Volatility
- Dividend
- Mutual funds
- Return
- Risk
- Diversification
- Exchange-Traded Funds
ESL Conversation Questions
- Have you ever invested in the stock market? If yes, what was your experience like? If no, why not?
- What do you think are the benefits of investing in the stock market?
- What are some common misconceptions people have about the stock market?
- What are some advantages and disadvantages of investing in stocks compared to other types of investments?
- How would you explain the concept of “stock” to someone who has never heard of it before?
- What factors do you consider when deciding which stocks to invest in?
- How do global economic events and trends influence investment decisions? Can you think of any recent examples?
- Do you think it’s better to invest in individual stocks or in mutual funds/ETFs? Why?
- How do you handle the risk associated with investing in the stock market?
- What do you think about the rise of cryptocurrency and its potential impact on the traditional stock market?
- What advice would you give to someone who is just starting to invest in the stock market?
- How do you determine when it’s the right time to buy or sell a stock?
- What are your thoughts on short-selling and its impact on the market?
- How do you think social media and online communities have influenced stock market trends and investing behaviors?
- Have you ever participated in an initial public offering (IPO)? If so, what was your experience like?
- How do you think the stock market will evolve in the future? Are there any trends or changes you anticipate?
- Do you think everyone should invest in the stock market? Why or why not?
- What are some factors that can drive up stock prices in the stock market?
- Have you ever witnessed a situation where panic led investors to bail out of the stock market? How did it impact the overall market?
- How do you think governments and central banks can intervene to prevent a complete bottom-out in the stock market during a financial crisis?
- In your opinion, what are some signs that indicate a stock market may be bottoming out and starting to recover?
- How do you think investor sentiment can drive up or drive down stock prices in the short term?
- Can you think of any historical examples where a government or financial institution had to bail out a failing company or sector in the stock market? What were the consequences?
- How do you think technology and instant access to market information have influenced the speed at which stock prices can drive up or bottom out?
- What precautions can individual investors take to avoid panic-driven decisions to bail out of the stock market during a downturn?
- Have you ever personally experienced a situation where a stock you owned hit bottom and then started to recover? How did you handle it?
- Can you think of any strategies that investors can use to identify potential buying opportunities when stocks bottom out?
- How can having a diversified portfolio help reduce risk and increase potential returns?
- What are some different types of assets that can be included in an investment portfolio?
- Have you ever engaged in short selling or know someone who has? What are your thoughts on this investment strategy?
- What are some potential risks and benefits of short selling in the stock market?
- How does a broker facilitate the buying and selling of stocks for individual investors?
- What qualities or characteristics do you think are important for a broker to have?
- Have you ever worked with a broker? How was your experience?
- What are some common investment strategies that investors use to manage volatility in the stock market?
- How comfortable are you with investing in volatile stocks or assets? What factors do you consider when deciding to invest in a volatile asset?
- Can you think of any examples of companies that regularly pay dividends to their shareholders? Why do you think some companies choose to pay dividends?
- How do dividends contribute to the overall return on an investment?
- Do you prefer investing in stocks that pay dividends or those that don’t? Why?
- How does the payment of dividends affect a company’s stock price?
- What are some potential risks and benefits of investing in dividend-paying stocks?