Discussing Free Time Activities (Novice)

Practice on Your Own

• Practice words for various common hobbies: reading, swimming, dancing, watching movies or television, running, painting, sports, etc. You may want to look up related words, such as fun, relax, hobby, free time.
• Use each word in a simple sentence. Can you say “I read books” and “I like dancing”?
• Practice asking others what they do in their free time. This could be general (What are your hobbies?) as well as specific (Do you swim often?).
• Find out about any activities that are particularly popular in the country/ies where the language is spoken. Are there any national pastimes? What are the most popular sports?

Practice in Conversation Session

• With your conversation partner, take turns asking each other about your hobbies. Role play conversations that include the appropriate greetings and pleasantries, discussion of hobbies, and goodbyes. When talking about hobbies, be sure to practice asking questions as well as responding.
• Take turns talking about hobbies in the third person (She likes to dance, but he likes to watch television.). If your session has multiple students you can take turns talking about each other, or describe an imaginary individual’s activities.
• In conversation, remember to cover everything on your vocabulary list. Incorporate new words while repeating old ones to make them stick in your memory.