Talking about your hobbies — ESL lesson

This lesson plan is designed to help English language learners confidently talk about their hobbies and interests. By focusing on essential vocabulary, versatile phrases, and practical conversation practice, it equips learners with the tools to express themselves and engage in meaningful dialogues.

The structured approach combines visual aids, interactive activities, and personalized practice to make learning engaging and relevant. Suitable for beginners and intermediate learners, this plan fosters fluency while addressing common mistakes and cultural considerations, ensuring an inclusive and effective learning experience.

Basic vocabulary

Start with essential words related to hobbies. These should be simple, commonly used terms that learners can easily apply.

Vocabulary list

• Hobby: An activity you enjoy doing in your free time.
• Free time: Time when you are not working or studying.
• Play: To engage in an activity or sport (e.g., play soccer).
• Read: To look at and understand books, articles, etc.
• Watch: To view something, like movies or TV.
• Listen: To hear something, like music or podcasts.
• Sport: A physical activity or game (e.g., basketball, swimming).
• Music: Sounds or songs (e.g., pop, classical).
• Game: An activity with rules, often for fun (e.g., video games, board games).
• Draw/paint: To create pictures or art.
• Cook: To prepare food.
• Travel: To visit new places.
• Collect: To gather items, like stamps or coins.
• Fun: Enjoyable or entertaining.
• Relaxing: Something that helps you rest or feel calm.

Vocabulary for extension

1. Exercise: Physical activity to stay healthy (e.g., running, yoga).
2. Photography: Taking pictures with a camera.
3. Dance: Moving to music (e.g., salsa, ballet).
4. Write: Creating stories, poems, or journals.
5. Garden: Growing plants or flowers.
6. Hike: Walking in nature, often in mountains or forests.
7. Craft: Making things by hand (e.g., knitting, origami).
8. Sing: Performing songs with your voice.
9. Shop: Buying things as a leisure activity.
10. Volunteer: Helping others or a community in your free time.

Teaching tips

• Use visuals like pictures of people playing sports, reading books, or painting to connect vocabulary to real contexts.
• Practice pronunciation of terms like “hobby” (HOB-ee) or “relaxing” (re-LAX-ing).
• Create flashcards with words on one side and images or definitions on the other for quick recall.

Useful phrases

Teach simple sentence structures for discussing hobbies. These phrases should be versatile and easy to adapt.

Key phrases

1. Talking about hobbies
   • “My hobby is [activity].”
   • “I like to [activity] in my free time.”
   • “I enjoy [activity].”
   • “I’m interested in [activity].”
2. Describing hobbies
   • “It’s [fun/relaxing/exciting].”
   • “I do it [every day/once a week].”
   • “I started [activity] [when/how long ago].”
   • “I like it because [reason].”
3. Expressing preferences
   • “My favorite hobby is [activity].”
   • “I don’t like [activity] because [reason].”
   • “I prefer [activity] to [activity].”
   • “It’s a great way to [relax/meet people].”
4. Asking questions
   • “What’s your hobby?”
   • “What do you do in your free time?”
   • “Do you like to [activity]?”
   • “Why do you enjoy [activity]?”

Teaching tips

• Write phrases on a board or handout and model their use (e.g., “My hobby is reading. I like it because it’s relaxing.”).
• Have learners substitute their own hobbies into the phrases for practice.
• Practice question forms to encourage interactive conversations.

Example conversations

Provide short, realistic dialogues to model how to talk about hobbies. These examples progress from basic to more detailed.

Conversation 1: Basic exchange

Anna: Hi, Tom! What’s your hobby?
Tom: I like to play soccer.
Anna: Cool! Is it fun?
Tom: Yes, it’s very fun! Do you have a hobby?
Anna: Yes, I like to read books.
Tom: Nice! What kind of books?

Conversation 2: Adding details

Sara: Hey, Juan, what do you do in your free time?
Juan: I enjoy listening to music. I like pop and jazz.
Sara: That sounds relaxing! How often do you listen?
Juan: Almost every day. It’s a great way to relax.
Sara: Nice! My hobby is cooking. I make Italian food.
Juan: Wow, do you cook every weekend?

Conversation 3: More advanced

Mark: Hi, Lisa! What’s your favorite hobby?
Lisa: I love painting. I started it two years ago.
Mark: That’s cool! Why do you enjoy it?
Lisa: It’s relaxing, and I like creating new things. What about you?
Mark: I’m interested in traveling. I visit new places every year.
Lisa: That sounds exciting! Where did you go last?

Teaching tips

• Role-play these dialogues with the learner, switching roles to practice asking and answering.
• Encourage learners to adapt the dialogues using their own hobbies or interests.
• In group settings, pair students to practice, prompting them to ask at least one follow-up question.

Teaching strategy

Here’s a step-by-step lesson plan to teach this topic effectively (approximately 45 minutes):

Step 1: Warm-up (5 minutes)

• Ask: “What do you do for fun?” or “What’s one thing you enjoy in your free time?” to spark interest.
• Show pictures or a short video of people doing hobbies (e.g., playing guitar, hiking) to introduce the topic.

Step 2: Vocabulary introduction (10 minutes)

• Present the vocabulary list using visuals or a slideshow of hobby-related images.
• Practice pronunciation, especially for terms like “relaxing” or “collect.”
• Play a quick game: Say a hobby (e.g., “cooking”), and learners describe it with an adjective (e.g., “fun”).

Step 3: Phrase practice (10 minutes)

• Display key phrases and model them with your own example (e.g., “My hobby is drawing. I do it every weekend.”).
• Have learners practice by filling in the blanks (e.g., “My hobby is ____. I like it because ____.”).
• Correct pronunciation and grammar gently as they practice.

Step 4: Conversation practice (15 minutes)

• Read one example conversation aloud, emphasizing natural tone and flow.
• Pair learners (or role-play with them) to practice the dialogues, encouraging personalization.
• Ask learners to create their own short dialogue about their hobbies.

Step 5: Wrap-up and personalization (5 minutes)

• Have each learner share one or two sentences about their hobby (e.g., “My hobby is swimming. It’s exciting.”).
• Provide feedback on their use of vocabulary and phrases.
• Assign homework: Write 3-5 sentences about their favorite hobby or practice a dialogue with a friend.

Additional tips

• Cultural sensitivity: Be aware that hobbies may vary by culture or access (e.g., some learners may not have time for hobbies). Allow flexibility in responses.
• Visual aids: Use images, videos, or real objects (e.g., a soccer ball, a book) to make the lesson engaging.
• Listening practice: Play a short audio or video clip (e.g., from YouTube or ESL resources) of someone talking about their hobbies to expose learners to different accents.
• Adapt for level: For beginners, focus on simple phrases (e.g., “I like to play games.”). For intermediate learners, encourage details (e.g., “I started painting because I love art.”).
• Incorporate technology: If teaching online, share a screen with hobby-related images or use a virtual whiteboard to highlight vocabulary.

Common mistakes to address

• Grammar: Learners may say “I like play soccer” instead of “I like to play soccer.” Emphasize the use of “to” after “like.”
• Pronunciation: Words like “hobby” or “relaxing” may be mispronounced. Practice these explicitly.
• Word choice: Clarify differences like “play” (for sports/games) vs. “do” (for general activities like yoga).

Example activity: “Hobby match”

For group classes, try this interactive activity.

• Give each learner a card with a hobby (e.g., “painting,” “swimming”).
• Learners mingle and ask questions (e.g., “Is your hobby relaxing?”) to find someone with a similar hobby.
• Alternatively, create a “Find Someone Who” game (e.g., “Find someone who likes to read”).

Homework or follow-up

• Writing: Write a short paragraph (5 sentences) about your favorite hobby and why you enjoy it.
• Speaking: Record a 30-second audio or video describing your hobby and how often you do it.
• Research: Find a picture or video of your hobby online and describe it in 2-3 sentences in English.