What subject from school is most useful in your everyday life?
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I am a certified TEFL instructor and native English teacher with hands-on experience delivering English due to my experience abroad in Hong Kong. I specialize in creating inclusive, judgment-free classrooms that adapt to diverse learners, including SEN students, using CLT and task-based methods, and I am currently pursuing IELTS certification to further strengthen my qualifications. I enjoy connecting with students from all backgrounds and am committed to helping them build confidence and skills through engaging, supportive instruction.
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1-minute overview
When people ask which school subject is most useful, they often mean useful beyond exams: for managing money, understanding health information, communicating clearly, solving problems, or participating in society. Mathematics, language, science, history, arts, and physical education can all matter in everyday life, but their value may become visible at different stages of adulthood. A subject that seemed boring at fifteen may later help someone at work, at home, or as a citizen.
The debate is also about what school is for. Should it mainly provide broad knowledge and intellectual discipline, prepare students for employment, or teach practical life skills? Financial literacy, digital and media literacy, cooking, basic repair, mental health, and relationships are often proposed as essential additions. Yet there is limited time in the curriculum, and practical skills can quickly become outdated or may be learned outside school. A strong teacher may be just as important as the subject itself: they connect ideas to real life, create trust, and help students become independent learners.
The debate is also about what school is for. Should it mainly provide broad knowledge and intellectual discipline, prepare students for employment, or teach practical life skills? Financial literacy, digital and media literacy, cooking, basic repair, mental health, and relationships are often proposed as essential additions. Yet there is limited time in the curriculum, and practical skills can quickly become outdated or may be learned outside school. A strong teacher may be just as important as the subject itself: they connect ideas to real life, create trust, and help students become independent learners.
Useful vocabulary
Approx. CEFR · Topic relevance
financial literacy
The ability to understand and manage money, credit, saving, and financial risk.
Financial literacy would have helped me understand loans and budgeting much earlier.
media literacy
The ability to evaluate media messages and judge whether information is reliable.
Media literacy is essential when students see misleading content online.
transferable skills
Skills that are useful in many jobs and situations, such as communication or problem-solving.
History taught me transferable skills, especially how to evaluate evidence.
curriculum
/kəˈrɪkjələm/The subjects and content that a school plans for students to study.
I would add basic digital safety to the national curriculum.
rote learning
Learning by repeating and memorizing information, often without deep understanding.
Rote learning can be useful for vocabulary, but it should not be the whole lesson.
home economics
A school subject about practical home and family life, often including cooking and budgeting.
Home economics should include nutrition, rent, and how to read a contract.
Useful expressions
It depends on how we define usefulness.
Use this to question the assumption that practical value has only one meaning.
It depends on how we define usefulness: earning potential is not the same as living well.
The value of that subject is often indirect.
Use this to argue that a subject helps through broader skills or habits.
The value of that subject is often indirect, because it teaches patience and analytical thinking.
There is a trade-off between breadth and depth.
Use this when discussing whether schools should cover many areas or study fewer subjects in detail.
There is a trade-off between breadth and depth, so adding a new subject may mean reducing another one.
That assumes that schools can fill every gap.
Use this to challenge the idea that every practical skill belongs in formal education.
That assumes that schools can fill every gap; families and communities also have a role.
The real question is whether students can apply it.
Use this to shift the discussion from memorizing content to using knowledge in life.
The real question is whether students can apply it when they face a genuine problem.
Sources & further reading
Question list
- Ice breaking
- Main topic
- Free talk
| Q1. | What is the meaning of freedom for you? |
|---|---|
| Q2. | If you could travel back in time and witness any event in history, which event would you choose and why? |
| Q3. | Do you like to watch movies with subtitles or dubbed in another language? |
| Q4. | Have you ever found yourself lost in a creative project for hours? |
| Q5. | What are your views on the concept of 'survival of the fittest'? |
| Q6. | What’s an invention from a book or movie you wish was real? |
| Q7. | What is your most embarrassing guilty pleasure? |
| Q8. | What’s a tradition you’ve created with your friends or family? |
| Q1. | What are the most important subjects for children at school? |
|---|---|
| Q2. | What was your favorite subject at school? |
| Q3. | What was your least favorite subject at school? |
| Q4. | What makes someone a good teacher? |
| Q5. | Who was the best teacher you ever had? |
| Q6. | If you could require students to study a new subject, what would it be? |
| Q7. | Is home economics class still important to study? |
| Q8. | What subject from school is most useful in your everyday life? |
| Q1. | Which sound do you wish you could hear again? |
|---|---|
| Q2. | What are some things that define a culture? For example, music, language, ... |
| Q3. | In your view, what’s the most valuable thing a person can learn outside of school? |
| Q4. | What’s the best age to allow driving a car? |
| Q5. | What’s your favorite dessert or sweet treat? |
| Q6. | What is the role of resilience in overcoming adversity? |
| Q7. | What societal changes are fueling the rise of online activism? |
| Q8. | Physical spaces like libraries or parks often evoke nostalgia. What place holds such meaning for you? |
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