Sweet Dreams

Type: Vocabulary
Originally published on September 26, 2022 and last updated on February 6, 2023

Dreaming is a complex process that works differently for everyone. Your dreams can be deeply personal, related to your current life, or they could be echoes of things that happened long ago. Some people even say that dreams are messages from our ancestors!

While the modern scientific community does not believe that dreams are messages from the gods, researchers do have several theories about their purpose. One theory is that dreams act as a form of rehearsal for real-life situations that we may encounter in our lives. Another theory suggests that they help us process emotions related to recent events in our lives. A third theory suggests that dreams allow us to practice problem-solving skills before we use them during waking hours.

Regardless of how dreams affect us physically or mentally, it is clear that they play an important role in our lives—and perhaps even more so than we realize!

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

  • subconcious (noun)
  • complex (adjective)
  • emotion (noun)
  • pointless (adjective)
  • wake up (phrasal verb)
  • theory (noun)
  • point of view (phrase)

Conversation Questions

  • Why do you think we dream?
  • Do you usually remember your dreams?
  • What was the last dream you had?
  • Can you remember a significant dream in your life?
  • Do you think dreams can tell us about the future?
  • Have you ever had a nightmare?
  • Why do you think most people can't remember their dreams?
  • Do you like dreaming?
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.