Elementary level
What cultural activities are important in your country? (i.e. literature, music, dancing, reading, art, etc.)
Who are the great artists/writers/musicians in your country? Are they famous outside your
country? Why are they important?
Does the city/town where you live have: a museum (how many, what type?), a theatre, public
libraries, an art gallery, a cinema, concert venues, an opera hall, a ballet company? Which are the best ones? Which ones do you use (if any?)
How often do you: visit museums, go to an art gallery or an exhibition, go to the cinema, go to a concert (classical music, popular music?), go to the theatre, etc.?
How many books do you read each week/month/year? Do you buy them or borrow them from a library?
Do you have an Ipod/Mp3 player? What’s on it?
Do you buy CDs/DVDs? What was the last one that you bought?
Do you buy CDs/DVDs from a shop, or from the Internet? (Why?)
Intermediate level
Is the “culture” of your country important to your national identity? (Why? Why not?)
Do you think there are other countries where culture is more important? Have you visited other countries or other cities in your country for cultural reasons? (Paris for the art galleries)
Which countries/cities do you think have the most interesting cultural facilities? (Why?)
Which countries/cities would you like to visit in future for cultural reasons?
Do you prefer music/films/books from your own country, or from other countries?
Which authors/musicians/artists/poets/architects/film directors (etc.) do you most enjoy?
Did you study music/literature/art at school?
Have you ever done a course in dance/art/music (etc.)?
Have you ever: sung in a choir or pop group? acted in a play? produced a work of art? written a poem or story?
Do you read the “culture” section in the newspaper? (Which newspaper? Why? Why not?) Do you buy books/magazines about culture?
Advanced level
Would you prefer to live in a big city with a strong cultural life, or in a smaller town in which you were “nearer to nature”?
Do you think it’s important for children to learn about culture? (Why? Why not?)
Would you pay for your children to have music lessons? (Why? Which instrument?)
If you think there are more important things than culture, what are they? (i.e. Sport, technology, family – why??)
How do you feel about downloading music/films illegally from the Internet? (Is it OK, or something you would never do? Why?)
Do you agree that the state should pay for cultural facilities (theatres, galleries, etc.)?
If the state has financial problems, should they “cut” spending on culture, or should taxes increase to pay for it?
In many countries, sports people (i.e. football players) earn more money than important cultural figures (artists, writers, etc.). Why do you think this is?
If you could have one “cultural talent”, what would you like to be able to do? (i.e. draw, paint, play an instrument, write a book, etc.)
Which do you think was the most interesting period in history in terms of its culture?
How do you feel about your country’s culture “changing” because of immigration?