Recommended resources
The freely available resources this lesson will direct you to.
Hello again! Last lesson, you helped an unfamiliar listener picture where you live by choosing a few details that mattered. Today, you’ll use that same skill to talk about your interests. Instead of stopping at “I like photography,” you’ll add a brief reason and an example that gives someone something to respond to.
Allow 55–60 minutes: about 15 for listening and watching, 10 for shadowing, 10 for chunks and recall, 15–20 for conversation, and 5 for review. Speak aloud throughout. The aim is not to prepare a perfect description of yourself; it is to find words quickly enough to keep a real conversation moving.
Listen for the detail after the hobby
Start with Real Easy English: Talking about hobbies from BBC Learning English. Listen to the conversation on the page once before reading its transcript. You’ll hear speakers mention an activity, then make it more personal by saying how often they do it or why they enjoy it. Don’t worry if the name of an unfamiliar food catches your attention; listen for the speaker’s explanation of why making it is satisfying.
Real Easy English / Talking about hobbies
Read the BBC Learning English transcript after your first listen so you can check how the speakers turn short answers into a conversation.
In the “Transcript” section, find Georgie’s question about Neil’s hobbies, beginning “So, Neil, I go to choir.” Read the first exchange through Georgie’s explanation of why she likes singing. Then find her question beginning “Neil, what about unusual hobbies?” and read the later exchange through Neil’s reason for enjoying his unusual activity. Notice that neither speaker needs a long list of hobbies to make the answer interesting.
Now watch Oxford Online English’s How to Talk About Your Free Time and Hobbies in English. It builds a spoken answer one detail at a time. Give most of your attention to the examples of frequency, place, and reasons; you can choose details that fit your interests rather than copying the examples.
How to Talk About Your Free Time and Hobbies in English - Spoken English Lesson
Watch “How to Talk About Your Free Time and Hobbies in English” from Oxford Online English for clear models of short answers becoming fuller ones.
Watch likes and dislikes for ways to name an activity. In frequency and place, notice how a small detail makes an answer easier to picture. Getting started offers optional background if someone asks about the interest. Focus on giving reasons, then listen to full answers for how the details sound together in speech.
The Oxford Online English infographic shows the same idea visually. Treat its steps as options, not a checklist you must complete every time you speak.
Build an answer someone can respond to
A useful everyday answer often takes just three parts: an activity, a reason, and a small example. Frequency or place can help when it is relevant. If someone asks what you do in your free time, “I like taking photos because it makes me notice things. I usually take pictures when I go for a walk” gives them more to work with than a list such as “Photos, films, music.”
Here are 14 spoken chunks to keep available. Choose the ones that express something true; you do not need all of them in one answer.
| What you want to say | Chunks you can adapt |
|---|---|
| Name an interest | “I’m really into…” · “I like …ing.” · “I enjoy …ing.” · “I’m not really into…” |
| Say when or how often | “When I have time, I usually…” · “I do it once or twice a week.” · “I don’t get the chance to do it very often.” |
| Add a setting or background | “I usually do it at…” · “I got into it when…” · “A friend got me into it.” |
| Make it personal | “I like it because…” · “One thing I like about it is…” · “For example,…” · “It helps me…” |
Two small language choices are worth noticing. You can say “I like taking photos” or “I like to take photos.” After enjoy, use the activity form: “I enjoy taking photos,” not “I enjoy to take photos.” And “I’m into photography” means you’re interested in it; it does not claim you are an expert.
Here is an original practice dialogue:
A: What do you do when you have some free time?
B: I’m really into taking photos. When I have time, I usually go for a walk and look for interesting details. I do it once or twice a month.
A: What do you like about it?
B: I like it because it helps me slow down and notice things. For example, I recently photographed a building I’d walked past many times without really looking at it. I also enjoy playing board games with friends, though I don’t get the chance to do that very often.
The speaker gives one main interest a little space, then briefly mentions another. The example explains what “notice things” means in real life. If your free-time interest involves technology, the same approach works: say what you do for enjoyment, why you enjoy it, and give one concrete instance. You don’t need a technical explanation today; that will be useful in a later lesson.
Shadow the rhythm, then recall the ideas
Spend 10 minutes shadowing short pieces of the Oxford video. First listen to a passage, then pause and repeat it. Finally, speak along with it. Use the speaker’s pauses as a model, but keep your own clear pronunciation rather than trying to copy an accent.
Return to
For 10 minutes of active recall, hide the chunk table and dialogue. Say an answer aloud using only these four cues: interest; how often; why; one example. Do it again with a different interest, but change the order if that feels more natural. If a precise word does not come quickly, use a simpler description and keep speaking. The point is to retrieve useful phrases while talking, not to recite the table in order.
Have the conversation
We’ll use 15–20 minutes for a role-play. I’ll be a new online study partner getting to know you. I’ll ask one question at a time and follow what you actually say. Answer aloud before sending a voice message or typing your answer. I’ll correct a few important mistakes, offer a more natural phrasing where helpful, and ask the next question. If you type, I can assess your wording, but I can comment on pronunciation only if I can hear you.
After the role-play, give a 60–90-second speaking answer without looking at the chunks. Talk about one or two genuine interests. For at least one, include a reason and a specific example; add how often you do it if that helps the listener picture your life. Record it if you can. In the final five minutes, note one phrase you used easily, one hesitation you worked through, and one phrase you want to reuse. If you made a recording, also notice how long it took you to begin.
You can make an answer about free time feel natural without making it long: name something you enjoy, say why, and give one real detail. That gives the other person a reason to stay curious. Next lesson, you’ll use the same clear, listener-friendly approach to explain what you’re studying and what you hope to learn.
Let’s start the role-play. Answer aloud first, then send your answer: What do you like doing when you have some free time?