The Stock Market

man sitting in front of the laptop
Type: Vocabulary
Originally published on October 10, 2020 and last updated on February 4, 2023

Investing in stocks and shares is very common amongst those who have money that they want to invest in order to get some profit. When we talk about stocks and shares we use the verb to invest, however, if you are betting on the result of a football match, for example, we use the verb to gamble. Some say the difference is that investing is a skill whereas gambling is more about luck. However, others say there is no difference between the two, whether you invest or gamble you are still risking your money with the possibility of high returns and also the possibility of losing everything.

Instructions:
Go through the vocabulary below with your students and ask them to try and use this vocabaulry where possible when discussing the different conversation questions.

Useful Vocabulary

Try and use the following vocabulary when answering the question. Click to look up the definition in the dictionary

  • stocks (noun)
  • shares (noun)
  • bet (verb)
  • gamble (verb)
  • investment (noun)
  • risk (noun)
  • stock market (noun)
  • return (noun)

Conversation Questions

  • Is investing in stocks and shares the same as gambling?
  • Do you gamble?
  • Have you ever invested in stocks or shares?
  • What do you think is the difference between gambling and investing?
  • At what point does investing become gambling?
  • What type of businesses do you think are a good investment at the moment?
  • If you were given $100 to bet on something what would you bet on?
Gregory
This conversation topic was prepared by Gregory

Gregory is a qualified TEFL teacher who has been teaching English as a Foreign Language (ESL) for over a decade. He has taught in-person classes in Spain and to English learners around the world online.