Keep Talking! No-Prep Conversation Lessons for Students-On-The-Go

Ever prepared a beautiful interactive platform lesson… only to discover your student is walking to the metro, dodging traffic, and holding their phone at a weird angle?

Welcome to the life of online teaching in 2025.

If you teach adult learners — especially busy corporate professionals — you already know the struggle:

One day they’re at a desk. The next day they’re literally in motion.

And suddenly, the perfect slide deck you spent an hour creating becomes… let’s say… “less relevant.”

But don’t panic. You’re not alone — and you can absolutely survive (and thrive!) teaching students-on-the-go.

My Real-Life “Walking Lesson” Wake-Up Call

When I first started working with corporate Russian students online, most lessons were beautifully set up on the platform. Laptops open. Cameras steady. Slides ready.

Then reality kicked in:

• ❌ “Sorry, Henry, I’m on the bus. We can’t do slides today.”

• ❌ “I’m walking the dog. Let’s just talk.”

• ❌ “I’m driving… I will listen only.”

Cue internal panic.

Cue me thinking:

Okay, small talk… weather… weekend plans… what next?

In ten minutes, my list was finished — and I still had 40 minutes to fill.

Some learners? Ask one good question, and they will happily monologue for 50 minutes.

Others? You get…

“Yes.”
“No.”
“Normal.”

That’s when I learned:

Every online teacher needs an emergency question kit.
A ready-to-use, no-prep conversation bank you can pull out instantly.

This post gives you exactly that.

Why Students-On-The-Go Need a Different Approach

Teaching commuting learners means adapting fast:

✔ Short, clear questions
✔ Topics that are easy to visualize
✔ No reading-heavy tasks
✔ No reliance on screen sharing
✔ Minimal background noise issues

And most importantly:
Keep the conversation moving.

Your goal isn’t perfect grammar correction —
it’s keeping them speaking and thinking in English while their brain is multitasking.

How to Structure a Mobile Lesson (Quick Guide)

Use this easy pattern when your original plan falls apart:

1️⃣ Warm-Up Check-In (2–3 minutes)

• Where are you right now?

• What’s happening around you?

2️⃣ Micro-Topic Chat (15–20 minutes)

• Choose ONE topic

• Ask 5–7 open questions

• Use follow-up prompts to dig deeper

3️⃣ Quick Language Upgrade (5 minutes)

• Replace one phrase with a better option

• Praise effort — not perfection!

4️⃣ Nice Wrap-Up (2 minutes)

• Ask: “What’s one new word/phrase you used today?”

BOOM - A structured lesson without a desk.

🎤 The Ultimate No-Prep Conversation Question Bank

For Adult Online English Learners on the Go

Here are 40+ flexible, high-interest prompts across multiple topics — use anytime, anywhere:

🌍 Travel & Geography

1.  What’s the most interesting place you’ve ever visited?

2.  Mountains, ocean, or city — which gives you more energy?

3.  If you could live anywhere for 6 months, where would you go?

4.  What’s a tourist attraction you think is overrated?

5.  Where in your country should every visitor go at least once?

💼 Business, Work & Careers

6️. What’s the best part of your job?
7️. Should Fridays always be short workdays?
8️. What’s one skill every professional should learn?
9️. Do you prefer working from home or the office? Why?
10. Which job today do you think will disappear in the future?

🔬 Science, Tech & Future

11. What new technology will change our daily lives most?
12. Would you trust a robot doctor?
13. Is social media improving communication or harming it?
14. What futuristic invention do you wish existed already?
15. Would you go to space as a tourist?

📺 Media, Movies & Books

16. Which TV show or movie has made you think differently?
17. Do you like true stories or fantasy more? Why?
18. What’s a book you recommend to everyone?
19. Which actor would you want to play you in a movie?
20. Should films always have happy endings?

🌱 Lifestyle & Society

21. What’s one habit that changed your life for the better?
22. Are people more stressed today than 20 years ago?
23. Should cars be banned from city centers?
24. What’s one small thing that always makes your day better?
25. Do you prefer to save money or spend it on experiences?

🎨 Creativity & Imagination

26. If you could instantly master any art, what would it be?
27. Which innovation in history was the biggest game-changer?
28. Where do you get your best ideas — shower, walking, or late at night?
29. What creative hobby would you try if time and money were unlimited?
30. Do you think creativity can be taught?

🌐 News & Global Trends

31. Should governments fight fake news more strongly?
32. What global trend do you think is overrated?
33. Should all countries switch to only renewable energy?
34. Is cash disappearing too fast or too slowly?
35. Should influencers count as real professionals?

🧩 Quick “What If?” Questions

36. If aliens arrived tomorrow, what’s the first question you would ask?
37. If you could talk to your future self, what advice would they give you?
38. If you could pause time for one hour, what would you do?
39. If you were president for a day, what rule would you change?

🚶 Rapid-Fire Life Opinions

40. Text or phone call?
41. Cats or dogs?
42. Summer or winter?
43. Coffee or tea?
44. Early bird or night owl?
45. Plane, train, or road trip?
46. Big city or small town?
47. Work to live or live to work?

Short answers are welcome — the follow-ups keep the conversation alive and going with no awkward silences.

Follow-Up Prompts (Your New Best Friends)

Any answer can become five minutes of speaking with these:

• Why do you think so?

• What’s one example?

• How is that different in your country/company?

• Would your parents agree?

• What would you change if you could?

Write these on a sticky note near your screen.

Trust me — they save embarrassment.

You’ve Got This, Teacher!

Teaching adults is already a challenge.
Teaching adults while they:

• walk down escalators

• squeeze into metro trains

• grab take-away coffee

• multitask through real life

…well, that’s a different level of mastery.

But you are doing incredible work.

Every sentence your learner speaks out loud while commuting is one step closer to fluency — and you make that possible.

No chair? No slides? No problem. Keep talking.

Want More Resources for Teaching Online?

Check out my guides for online teachers — everything I’ve learned in 20+ years of TEFL, packed into practical roadmaps:

✅ Teaching Without Borders – The Online English Teaching Roadmap
✅ How to Get Hired by an Online Teaching Platform (OTP)
✅ How to Freelance on an Online Teaching Marketplace (OTM)
✅ How to Start Your Own Online Teaching Business (OTB)

👉 All available now at Henry English Hub

These books will help you build confidence, earn more, and support learners everywhere — even on the go.

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