Talking about your hobbies is a great way to practice and improve your conversational English.
Hobby: an activity that someone does for pleasure when they are not working.
People find their particular hobby to be fun and interesting so they have a lot to say about it.
In my experience I have found that English learners are usually excited about this topic. They want to share their experiences of their hobby and are able to talk about it in a relaxed and confident way.
In this guide we will look at some popular hobbies while you learn useful expressions, especially Phrasal Verbs – these are phrases which consist of a verb plus another word or two that has a different meaning to the original verb.
A quick example of a phrasal verb is “get set” – which means to prepare yourself. I will use phrasal verbs throughout the article and they will be marked in bold text the first time they are used – at the end of each section you can find out what they mean. When I use them again they won’t be in bold, so see if you can spot them as you are reading!
So, get set and let’s begin.
Gardening and DIY Hobbies
Let’s start with Gardening or DIY at home (DIY is an abbreviation for “do it yourself”) To be honest with you I am hopeless at both. My partner on the other hand loves gardening and can talk about it for hours.
So do you enjoy working in the garden or fixing things in the house? If so, you are not alone; these are both hobbies that many others enjoy doing which means they are very popular topics online.
So you can read up on gardening tips in English or watch over someone doing a project on one of the many DIY focussed Youtube channels.
On BBC Radio 4 there is the weekly “Gardeners Question Time” if you listen to this you will come across lots of useful words like the English names for different plants or gardening tools.
Phrasal Verbs used
Read up on
Get information by reading.
Example: “He was interested in fishing so he read up on it’.
Watch over
Observe carefully.
Example: “She was careful to watch over the spaghetti as it was boiling so it didn’t get overcooked”.
Come across
Find something by chance.
Example: “Tim was on the way home from the gym when he came across a ten pound note on the pavement – he’s so lucky”.
English Challenge
As a fun exercise try and think of a way to fit all those phrasal verbs into a conversation. This is a great way to train your vocabulary and conversational skills. You can see mine below.
I was reading up online to find out how the new software works, then I noticed Greg was watching over me pretending to make a coffee, I wish our manager would come across him when he’s doing that, he’s such a pest.
1 of 1Reading as a Hobby
Maybe all this gardening and DIY sounds a bit energetic and you prefer a pastime that is more relaxing. In which case I will now look at Reading for Pleasure.
So if you are a Bookworm then your interest can be used to develop English skills. I would always advise people to avoid long novels at first. Instead read short stories or newspapers in English.
If you come across a new word you can look it up in a dictionary or write it down in a notebook to remember later.
Phrasal Verbs used
Pastime
Another word for “hobby”, meaning engaging in an activity that helps to ‘pass the time’.
Example: “My favorite pastime is gaming, time just flies by when I’m playing my favorite game”.
Bookworm
An informal term for someone who enjoys reading.
Example: “Karen is such a bookworm, whenever I see her she’s reading the latest novel”.
Look it up
Search for information.
Example: I didn’t know what ‘small talk‘ means in English so I looked it up in the dictionary”.
Write it down
Make a note.
Example: “When I come across a new exercise plan that looks interesting I always write it down for later”.
English Challenge
As a fun exercise try and think of a way to fit all those phrasal verbs into a conversation. This is a great way to train your small talk and conversational skills. You can see mine below.
Hiking is such a great pastime. I used to be a real bookworm, but then I looked up the benefits of walking and I was sold. Did you write down the best route back so we can see the waterfall?
1 of 1Food Related Hobbies
Now I want to look at something which is very dear to my heart which is Food or Cooking and Baking. I admit I prefer eating food to cooking it.
Fortunately for me there are lots of people who love preparing it. If you like cooking, try following a recipe in English. You can also watch out for cooking shows or online channels in English.
In these you will pick up useful phrases like chop up the onion or heat up the oven.
An excellent way to practice these phrases and also your English writing skills is to write down all the steps and ingredients in English.
Phrasal Verbs used
Dear to my heart
Something that I love. This could be an object, a person, an organization or almost anything else.
Example: “That photo of us together in Paris is very dear to my heart, I’d be so sad if I lost it”.
Watch out for
Be alert or notice something.
Example: “Watch out for cars when you are crossing the road”.
Pick up
Learn or become proficient in something.
Example: “She started to pick up the language so quickly when she tried a conversational English tutor“.
Chop up
Cut into small pieces.
Example: “She chopped up the Tofu into tiny squares before marinating it”.
Heat up
Make warm.
Example: “He turned on the thermostat as soon as he arrived home so the water would heat up for his bath”.
Additional meaning when used figuratively: A situation becoming more intense or lively, or the escalation of a conflict or competition.
Example: “The Manchester United vs Liverpool game is really heating up in the second half”.
English Challenge
As a fun exercise try and think of a way to fit all those phrasal verbs into a sentence that could be used in a conversation. This is a great way to expand your vocabulary and communication skills. You can see mine below.
Mary is so dear to my heart, but things always start to heat up when we are talking about work. She should really watch out for her temper. I hope she can pick up better manners or I might end up chopping her into little pieces next time!
1 of 1Exercise and Fitness Hobbies
Keeping fit covers many different activities. So if you are someone who enjoys a gentle walk or someone who likes an intense workout at the gym, let’s look at how you can use this time to learn more English.
People like to listen to music when they exercise. Why not replace your favorite tunes with an English podcast or simple audiobook.
This helps you get used to the sound of English. It doesn’t matter how you choose to keep fit there will be lots of Youtube videos offering advice on technique and training plans. Try watching these in English. They will improve your listening and you will pick up useful vocabulary.
Phrasal Verbs used Above
Keeping fit
Staying healthy and strong.
Example: “Sarah loves keeping fit, she goes to the gym five times a week”.
Workout
Vigorous physical exercise.
Example: “That workout today nearly killed me”.
Get used to
Become comfortable with.
Example: “I was always nervous about talking with native English speakers but I’m getting used to it now”.
English Challenge
As a fun exercise try and think of a way to fit all those phrasal verbs into a conversation. This is a great way to keep your brain fit and improve your English. You can see mine below.
I love keeping fit but this workout is insane, I don’t think I can get used to it my elbows ache every day!
1 of 1I hope I have given you some useful tips to help you along in your English learning journey.
If you would like to find out how much your English can improve with an english conversation tutor you can book an Intro English Lesson with me below.
