← All topics

Topic 15 of 60

Discussion picture Discussion questions Key words

Picture warm-up

1. What do you see in this picture?
2. Who are these people, and what are they doing?
3. Does this look like your life here, or in your home country? How is it the same or different?

Discussion questions

1. Do you live in a house or an apartment? Describe it.
2. How did you find your current home?
3. Is housing expensive where you live? How much is normal rent?
4. What was difficult about renting your first home in the U.S.?
5. Would you rather rent or buy a home? Why?
6. What should you check before you sign a lease?
7. What would you do if your landlord didn’t fix a problem?
8. What is your dream home like?
9. How are homes in your home country different from American homes?
10. Would you prefer to live in the city, the suburbs, or the countryside?
11. Have you ever had a roommate? How was it?
12. What makes a neighborhood a good place to live?
13. What utilities do you pay each month?
14. How often do people move in your culture compared to the U.S.?
15. What advice would you give someone looking for an apartment?

Key words

Say the word, then read the example sentence out loud.

• rent
  My rent is $1,200 a month.
• landlord
  I called the landlord because the heater is broken.
• tenant
  Tenants must pay rent on the first of the month.
• lease
  We signed a one-year lease.
• security deposit
  I got my security deposit back when I moved out.
• utilities
  Utilities include water, gas, and electricity.
• roommate
  My roommate and I share the kitchen.
• move in
  We move in next Saturday.
• maintenance
  Call maintenance if the sink leaks.
• mortgage
  They pay a mortgage on their house.
• furnished
  The apartment is furnished with a bed and a sofa.
• suburbs
  Many families live in the suburbs.
• affordable
  It’s hard to find affordable housing.
• evict
  The landlord cannot evict you without notice.
• repairs
  The landlord is responsible for major repairs.

Next topic: 16. Home & Household Chores

Topic chosen by comparing popular ESL conversation resources (see How these topics were chosen). Questions and example sentences are original to this collection. Translations are a guide and should be reviewed by a fluent speaker.