The Olympic Games

woman running competition
Type: Vocabulary
Originally published on October 6, 2020 and last updated on July 16, 2023

Exploring the topic of the Olympic Games is immensely beneficial for English learners as it offers a multitude of opportunities to enhance their language skills. Delving into this subject enables learners to expand their vocabulary related to sports, athletes and international competitions.

Additionally, discussing the history, traditions and values of the Olympics fosters cultural understanding and appreciation. Engaging with this topic equips learners with valuable knowledge and language proficiency relevant to the global sports community.

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.

The Olympic Games are a big international sports event where athletes from different countries compete. It happens every four years and has many sports like running, swimming and gymnastics. Athletes try their best to win medals for their countries. Most people have events that they prefer because they enjoy watching them more than others.

The Olympics bring people together and promote friendship, culture and doing well in sports. It’s a very exciting event that people all over the world look forward to.

Useful Vocabulary

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

  • sport (noun)
  • event (noun)
  • watch (verb)
  • favourite (adjective)
  • compete (verb)
  • amazing (adjective)
  • athletics (noun)

Conversation Questions

My Image
  • What's your favourite Olympic sport?
  • Do you like the Olympics?
  • Have you ever watched the Olympic Games on TV?
  • What events do you like watching?
  • What events don’t you like watching?
  • If you could compete in the Olympics what event would you choose?
  • What is your favourite Olympic sport to watch?
  • Do you know any famous Olympic athletes?
  • What do you think is the most difficult part of being an Olympic athlete?
  • Which country do you support during the Olympics?
  • What do you think makes the Olympic Games special and different from other sports events?
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.