# TESOL/English lesson topics
### Interactive or non-interactive

| Conversation (interactions between two or more people) | one person (newscaster talks) |
| Agreeing and disagreeing Agreeing and disagreeing in English | Expressing opinions Giving opinions in English |
| Making requests and persuading Requests in English Advice in English | Stating preferences Expressing preferences in English (homes) |
| Expressing displeasure Criticizing in English | Complaining about circumstances Complaining in English |
| Congratulations Congratulations in English | Things you are glad about or regret Reflecting on the past in English |
| Asking about people Meeting someone Talking about your job in English | Describing people Describing family members Talking about abilities Emotions in English Describing faces |
| Allocating responsibility | Responsibility Talking about responsibilities in English |
| Asking about objects | Describing objects Describing objects - elementary Shapes in English |
| Giving advice or recommendations, accepting them Recommending clothing Recommending places | Resolutions Making resolutions in English |
| Coordinating plans, such as meeting at a certain place Planning to meet | Hopes and goals, individual plans Talking about plans |
| Refusing or asking for help Asking for help in English | Expressing trust Talking about trust |
| Reactions Reactions in English Reacting with skepticism or belief | Talking about emotions Emotions in English Talking about fears Worrying about the future in English |
| Talking to a medical professional Talking to a doctor in English | Describing physical condition Talking about how you feel |
| Giving instructions Giving directions in English | Narratives, describing processes Describing a journey in English |
| Nostalgia Sharing nostalgia in English Nostalgia in English | Trends Trends in English |
| Thanks Thanking | Gratitude Gratitude in English |
| Apology Apologizing in English | Guilt and shame Guilt in English |
| Meetings and introductions Meeting someone | Self-introductions Introducing yourself in English |
| Discussing possibilities Probability in English | Speculating about the future Probability in English |
| Demanding an explanation | Expressing disbelief |
| Asking where and giving locations Locations in English | Giving locations Locations in English |
| Making accusations Accusations in English | Accepting, denying, and assigning blame Blame in English |

### Interactive only

* Goodbyes
* Saying goodbye in English
* Interrupting
* Interrupting in English
* Changing the subject and returning to a topic
* Changing the subject in English

## Cross-topic themes
### politeness and familiarity
#### Requests

| level of politeness | language |
| 25% | can I can you |
| 50% | could you could I may I |
| 75% | could you possibly could I possibly would you be able to would I be able to |
| 100% | I hate to ask, but could you possibly Would it be at all possible (for me) to for you to Is there any way that I might be able to that you might be able to could I persuade you to |

#### With "you"

Using "ma'am" or "sir" at the beginning or end of a sentence makes the sentence very formal and polite. Do not use it with friends because it is too polite. It would sound cold.

### Strength of language

In meaning, the difference between "freezing" and "cold" is that "freezing" is colder than "cold," but there is a grammatical difference as well. "Freezing" is a non-gradable word which behaves differently grammatically than a gradable word like "cold." For many adjectives there is a non-gradable word or expression which is stronger. Adjusting the strength of your message requires knowing these stronger words and expressions and knowing how to use them.

### Encouraging or discouraging conversation

To continue a conversation, use the method short answer + extra information. If you want to stop the conversation, give only a short answer.
Another usual way is the use of question tags.