Разговорный клуб «Кошатники vs собачники»

Most of our students have pets. Even if they don’t, they must have heard such terms as “a cat person” or “a dog person”. If you want to find ways to connect with your students, discuss the topic that everyone has an opinion on: cats and dogs.

Organise a speaking club on this adventurous subject

We have prepared various questions, funny comics and involving activities to boost your students’ speaking skills.

Level: Intermediate and higher
Number of students: 1 to 7
Time: 50 minutes to an hour

1) Do you have a cat or a dog? Describe their appearance.
2) What is your dog’s/cat’s name? Why did you name it so?
3) What is its breed?
4) Do you believe in the notion of “a cat person” and “a dog person”? Who are you?
5) Do these people really have different personality traits? How different are they?
6) Do you consider yourself to be a cat person or a dog person?
7) Are your friends more cat people or dog people?
8) Have you ever had quarrels about who is a better pet: a dog or a cat?
9) If you have both a cat and a dog in your house, do they get along? What are their relationships like?
10) What does your cat like doing? What is special about their attitude?
11) Do you agree with the statement that pets are alike with their owners? Does your dog or cat have similar characteristics to you?
12) Recall the funniest story that happened to you and your pet.
13) What stereotypes do you know about cats and dogs? Are they actually true? Prove your point.
14) For a cat person: If you were a dog, how would you spend one day of your life? For a dog person: If you were a dog, how would you spend one day of your life?
15) Comment on the following quotes:

“Dogs believe they are human. Cats believe they are God,” Jeff Valdez

“Dogs will give you unconditional love until the day they die. Cats will make you pay for every mistake you’ve ever made since the day you were born,” Oliver Gaspirtz, A Treasury of Pet Humor

“Dogs kind of default to making friends unless provoked. Cats seem to default to making enemies unless convinced otherwise,” Perry Elisabeth Kirkpatrick, The 12 Cats of Christmas

“The trouble starts when cats don’t realize that dogs are different. Dogs think differently, and perceive the world differently, than cats do. I’m a dog. You’re a cat. And a dog knows better what it’s like to be a dog than a cat does,” Oliver Markus Malloy, Why Men And Women Can’t Be Friends: Honest Relationship Advice for Women

“Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen,” Orhan Pamuk

“I have studied many philosophers and many cats. The wisdom of cats is infinitely superior,” Hippolyte Taine

16) For a cat person, discuss what these comics illustrate:

For a dog-person:

More questions

17) What’s your pet’s favorite meal? How often do you give it to them?
18) Do you celebrate your cat’s/dog’s birthday? If yes, how do you celebrate it?
19) How old is your pet? Did their habits change over the years?
20) How is their behavior different now compared to the behavior they had when they started to live in your house?
21) Do you believe your pet can speak? Do you think they speak more than one language?
22) Do you ever think about what your pet’s opinion about you is? What do you guess they think of you? How does that make you feel?
23) What’s your favorite story about cats/dogs? Briefly retell it. Why is it your favorite? What’s the cat’s/dog’s image in this story? Is it similar to your pet?
24) Do you have any preference in a breed? Explain your choice.
25) Do you have a memorable photo of your pet? Describe it and the time when it was taken.
26) Describe the photo below.

—What do you think of the cat and dog’s characters?
—Are they friends?
—What feelings does this picture evoke in you?