How to Talk About Your Free Time and Hobbies in English - Spoken English Lesson
Education
Introduction
Hello, I’m Ali, and welcome to Oxford Online English! In this lesson, you'll learn how to talk about your free time and hobbies in English. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Do you have any interesting hobbies? Discussing free time activities is a great way to initiate a conversation in English and discover common interests with others. By the end of this lesson, you’ll be ready to articulate your free time activities and hobbies clearly and naturally in English.
Part 1: Free Time and Hobbies Vocabulary
What words do you know regarding free time activities in English? Some people prefer indoor activities such as watching TV, reading, or cooking, while others enjoy sports like playing football, basketball, tennis, swimming, jogging, or climbing. Perhaps you prefer social activities like hanging out with friends, relaxing with family, or going shopping. You might also enjoy creative pursuits like photography, painting, or writing stories and blogs.
Let’s reflect on your preferred free time activities—what do you like to do?
Part 2: How to Express Your Interests
When you want to express what you enjoy doing in your free time, you can use the following structure: “In my free time, I like [verb + -ing].” For example, you might say:
- In my free time, I like playing basketball.
- In my free time, I like relaxing with my family.
- In my free time, I like reading books.
Notice that after the verb “like,” we use the verb in the -ing form. Can you create a sentence using this structure?
Repetition can make your conversation dull, so consider using other verbs to express your enjoyment. For instance:
- I love going swimming.
- I enjoy watching TV.
- I hate going shopping.
Again, notice the pattern with the -ing form following these verbs. Strengthen your expressions further with words like really, sometimes, or absolutely:
- I really like taking photos.
- Sometimes, I enjoy going jogging.
- I absolutely hate playing football.
What can you say about your interests? Try creating your own sentences.
Adding Frequency and Details
To add more depth to your responses, you can mention how often you engage in your hobbies. For example:
- I play football every Tuesday evening.
- I only go shopping once or twice a year.
- I really like taking photos, but I don’t get the chance to do it often.
You can use phrases such as every [day/weekend/month], once or twice a [month/year], etc., to share your frequency.
Now, can you describe how often you do your hobbies?
Next, consider where you participate in these activities:
- I play football at the park near my house.
- We go to a café in the city center once or twice a week.
- I enjoy taking wildlife photos in the forest, but I don’t often have the chance.
Always try to embellish your answers with details like these to make your English more engaging.
Background and Motivation
When discussing hobbies, adding background information can be insightful, especially if your hobby is unique or interesting. Share when and why you began:
- I started playing tennis when I was ten.
- My French friend got me into climbing.
You might say things like:
- I started climbing when I was living in Russia.
- I’ve been climbing for about eight years.
- I recently started doing yoga for flexibility because I wanted to be healthier.
What background can you share about your hobbies?
Descriptive Words
You can add descriptive words to express why you enjoy or dislike certain activities. For example:
- I like climbing because it’s really exciting.
- I love yoga because it’s so relaxing.
- I don’t like going jogging because it's tiring.
- I hate watching TV because I find it boring.
Why do you enjoy your hobbies, or are there activities you dislike? Use adjectives to express your sentiments.
Putting It All Together
Now let’s create a longer answer using everything you’ve learned. For example:
"I really like playing tennis. I play every weekend at the park near my house. Sometimes, I play with my brother, and sometimes with a friend. My brother got me into it because he loves sports and needed someone to play with. I didn’t like it at first since it was hard and I kept losing, but now I really enjoy it, especially when I beat my brother!"
Can you share a similar account of your free time? Talk about what you enjoy doing, where you go, how often, when you started, and what you like (or dislike) about these activities. Aim to speak for at least 30 seconds, providing various details to enrich your response.
Thank you for joining me in this lesson! I hope you found it beneficial for learning how to discuss your free time in English. For more free lessons, visit our website at Oxford Online English. See you next time!
Keyword
- Free Time Activities
- Hobbies
- Vocabulary
- Likes
- Dislikes
- Frequency
- Details
- Descriptive Words
- Background Information
- Creative Activities
FAQ
1. What verbs can I use to talk about my hobbies?
You can use verbs like like, love, enjoy, and hate.
2. How do I structure my sentences about hobbies?
Use the format “In my free time, I like [verb + -ing]”.
3. What additional details should I include?
Include how often you do the activity and where you do it to make your answers more interesting.
4. How can I express why I enjoy or dislike a hobby?
Use descriptive words like exciting, relaxing, tiring, or boring.
5. Can you give an example of a longer answer about a hobby?
Sure! "I really like playing tennis. I play every weekend at the park near my house. Sometimes, I play with my brother, and it’s exciting!"