Before getting together with the members of your conversation group, go over the questions below so that ideas flow more easily when you hold your talking session and you can work out vocabulary problems beforehand.
What's the idea underlying these two quotations?
- Winning isn't everything, it's the taking part.
- Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing.
What famous pioneers or famous 'firsts' in history can you think of?
For example, Christopher Columbus was the first person to set foot on America, or Reinhold Messner was the first climber to reach the summit of the Everest without oxygen.
What about your country?
How did their feats change the world?
What do you think motivates pioneers when they try to achieve these feats?
What made these people different from their contemporaries?
Have you ever attempted to do something risky?
Have you ever been the first to achieve something?
Have you ever won the first prize in something?
Do you remember any occasions when you did something for the first time?
What qualities do you have that are specially useful where you work/study, or in a team or club?
Have you ever held a special responsibility that made you feel important in a group or organisation?
To illustrate the topic, you can watch this short CNN video where Michelle Obama explains what being the First Lady involves.
You can read a full transcript for the CNN video clip here.
