Easy English Conversation: Talk about interests and hobbies

Hello. My name is Emma, and in today's video, we are going to talk about fun things. We're going to talk about hobbies and what we like to do in our free time. So, in this video, I'm going to talk about some common interests and hobbies people have, and I'm also going to teach you how to ask people about their hobbies. So, this video is great for conversation because many learners of English sometimes think, "Okay, what can I talk about?" This is a great subject to talk to strangers about, or a

great subject for small talk. So, let's learn about some words we use when talking about hobbies, and then let's look at some ways to ask people about their hobbies in English. So, the first word that we're talking about is "hobby". What is a hobby? A hobby is something you do when you are not working and you are not at school. A hobby is something you can do for fun. You do a hobby to make you happy. So, there are many different kinds of hobbies. Some people like doing yoga. Some people like sp

orts. I like swimming. Some people like going on their bicycle. They like cycling or fishing or camping. Another popular hobby is reading. I personally love gardening. Exercise, many people like exercise. Another word for exercise is workout. Some people like watching Netflix or TV shows or movies. Some people love art. Maybe they like photography. So, here is a list of common hobbies. So, "hobby" we can use when we're talking about one. The plural of "hobby" is "hobbies". Okay? So, I have a hob

by. I have many hobbies. So, many of you probably know this word, but I'm now going to teach you a word that you might not know, and that is the word "interest". An interest is the same thing as a hobby. So, if you think about the word "interesting", that's an adjective. When we put this in the noun form, like "interest", it means the same thing as "hobby". I have many interests. These are all common interests. So, this is a great word to use, and it's a very common word to use in conversation.

I just wanted to tell you now how to pronounce this word. It is spelt a certain way, but the pronunciation is a little different. When we say it, "interest", it tends to be two syllables. Instead of "interest", we usually, as native speakers say, "interest". I have many different interests. These are some of them. So, now that we've talked about some of these words, like "hobbies" and "interests", let's now learn some questions we can ask people to talk about these things. The first question is

a question I love. I love, actually, all of these questions, because I like learning about other people and what people like to do. So, my first question is, "Do you have any hobbies?" I often ask people this question at parties, or when I meet somebody for the first time, "Do you have any hobbies?" You might want to ask somebody, "Do you have any interests?" Both of these questions have the same meaning, so they're a great conversation starter. Another way to say this is, "What do you do for fu

n?" What do you do for fun? This means what are your hobbies? What are your interests? So, it's another way to say the same thing. Now, I want you to be very careful with this, and the reason is many learners forget this word "do". So, "What do you do for fun?" Let's say it together just to practice this one. So, together, let's say this. "What do you do for fun?" Okay, and your answer might be, "There's a lot of things I do for fun. I like to cook. I like to garden. I like to go to parties. The

re's many things I like to do for fun." Okay, another way... So, again, we have many ways to say the same thing in English. It's important to learn these different questions because people might ask these questions to you, so it's good to know many different ways to say the same thing. So, the next question is, "How do you spend your free time?" This means what do you do when you're not working or you're not at school? What do you do in your free time? How do you spend your free time? So, if som

eone asks you this question, "How do you spend your free time?" you might say, "Well, I study English in my free time. It's a hobby." Or, "I play sports in my free time. I watch soccer in my free time." So, again, your free time is the time where you are not at work, you are not at school, you are... You have time to do what you enjoy. And, again, we have here our word "do", which many students forget. So, again, it's, "How do you spend your free time?" The next example means the same thing. The

difference is we've changed the "how" to a "what". "How do you spend your free time?" You can also ask, "What do you do do in your free time?" They have the exact same meanings. The difference is with "how", we usually use the word "spend", whereas "what do you do", we don't use the word "spend" here. And, again, I'm going to circle this word. I like to circle the word "do" because it's something many people forget. So, let's say this together. "What do you do in your free time?" All of these h

ave the same meaning, essentially. Another thing you might ask somebody that you meet for the first time is you might say, "Tell me about your hobbies." This is a great question to ask because it's an open question. This means that the person should respond with more information. "Tell me about your hobbies. Tell me about your interests." And, again, the person might say, "Oh, you know, I love gardening." "Oh, I love yoga." And then you can ask more questions on what their interest or hobby is.

Finally, the sixth expression or the sixth question I want to teach you is "What kind of things are you into?" So, the word "into" in English has different meanings. In conversation, we can say, "I am into something." That means I'm interested in it; it's my hobby. So, for example, I'm into reading. I'm into movies. I'm into swimming. I'm into basketball. I love basketball, so I'm into these things. So, we use this a lot when we talk about hobbies or interests. So, what kind of things are you in

to? So, again, same meaning as everything else we've written here. So, my recommendation to you, choose one question to memorize. Work on it, practice the pronunciation, practice asking this question, so then when you meet somebody, immediately, it comes out naturally. Okay? So, just memorize at least one of these. That's my tip for today. So, if you want more practice, I would love to hear what your hobbies and interests are. In the comments below, you can answer my question. What do you do for

fun? I'd love to hear what kinds of activities you do for fun. So, you can write in the comments below. You can also check out our website at www.engvid.com. There, you can actually find a quiz to practice what you learned in today's lesson. You can also subscribe to my YouTube channel. I have many different resources there on all sorts of different topics related to English. Just don't forget to ring the bell. When you ring the bell, you will receive notifications of new videos. Finally, you c

an check out my website at www.teacheremma.com. There, you can find more free resources on learning English. So, thank you so much for watching, and until next time, take care.