Self-Directed Interviews

Students write questions they would be happy to be asked, then exchange lists and interview each other — ensuring comfort while practising question forms.

Procedure

1. Each student writes down 5-10 questions they would like to be asked. The context can be left open or restricted to areas like personal likes/dislikes, opinions, personal life, recent lesson topics, current affairs, hobbies, etc.
2. Students choose partners, exchange question sheets, and interview each other using the questions.
3. (Optional) Whole-class discussion about what kinds of questions were asked and why they were chosen.

Tips

• Avoids embarrassment because nobody has to reveal anything they don't want to talk about.
• Excellent communicative practice of question forms.
• To focus on specific grammar, restrict the instructions: questions must relate to the past, the future, etc. Or provide question starters: Have you ever...? Would you like to...? When did you...? Why do you...?
• Simpler variation: instead of full questions, each student specifies 3-5 topics they'd like to be asked about (e.g., music, food, friends, sports).