Speaking calendar/National Ask a Stupid Question Day
September 28th · Education & Curiosity

National Ask a Stupid Question Day

Originally created by teachers in the 1980s, National Ask a Stupid Question Day was designed to encourage students to speak up without fear. The philosophy is simple: there are no stupid questions, only stupid answers. Today, we debate why adults become so terrified of asking basic questions, how a fear of looking foolish stunts our growth, and whether modern education systems actually discourage curiosity in favour of standardised answers.

SPEAKING LESSONB1 / B2Discussion · Vocabulary · Activities
01 / LET’S TALK

Speaking Discussion

  1. Have you ever sat in a meeting or a classroom totally confused, but didn't ask a question because you were afraid of looking stupid? Why?
  2. Do you agree with the phrase, 'The only stupid question is the one you don't ask'? Can you think of any exceptions?
  3. Why do children ask so many questions, while adults often stay silent? What happens to our curiosity as we grow up?
  4. In your opinion, how can a manager or a teacher make it safe for people to ask basic or silly questions?
  5. If you could ask a world-leading expert one completely random or basic question about their field, what would it be?
  6. Do you think that Google and AI are making us smarter because we can find answers instantly, or dumber because we stop asking why?
02 / PUT IT INTO PRACTICE

Activity 1: The basic Explanation

The Task: You are an Expert Scientist. You have to explain a complex topic (like the internet or gravity) to a 5-year-old child.

How do you explain it without using complex words?

Activity 2: Rapid Fire Sentences

Complete the sentence and justify it in 20 seconds.

  • "The most important part of learning is..."
  • "I think asking questions is..."
  • "In my opinion, curiosity is..."