Learning how to talk about hobbies is one of the most practical skills you can build when speaking English. In this lesson, four colleagues — Veronica, Adam, Sandra, and Natalie — sit down over pizza and share what they enjoy doing in their free time. The conversation is casual, relaxed, and full of useful vocabulary you can start using right away.
What hobbies does each colleague mention?
The conversation begins with Veronica sharing her hobbies [0:30]. She says she really likes going to new restaurants and trying food. She also enjoys watching movies, reading, and doing puzzles. Notice how she uses different structures to express preferences: I really like going to…, I enjoy watching…, and I like to read. These three patterns — like + gerund, enjoy + gerund, and like + to infinitive — are all natural ways to talk about things you love doing.
Adam jumps in next [0:52] and says he likes puzzles too, but he prefers video games. He adds, I can play for hours and hours. The word prefer is key here because it shows a stronger choice between two options. The expression for hours and hours emphasizes how much time he spends on his favorite activity.
Natalie has a very different style [1:00]. She says, Not me. I like to stay active. Her hobbies include playing volleyball and going running with her dog, Max, especially on the weekends. The phrase stay active is a great way to describe someone who enjoys physical activities.
Finally, Sandra [1:12] shares that she loves traveling when she has time. She also enjoys photography and likes to go to concerts and museums. Her use of when I have time is a common expression to show that a hobby depends on your schedule.
How can you use these expressions in your own conversations?
Here are the main structures from the role play that you can practice:
- I really like + verb-ing: expresses enthusiasm about an activity.
- I enjoy + verb-ing: a slightly more formal alternative.
- I like to + verb: equally correct and very common.
- I prefer + noun or verb-ing: used to compare two options.
- I love to + verb: shows a strong positive feeling.
These patterns work with almost any hobby. For example: I really like cooking, I enjoy hiking, or I prefer reading to watching TV.
What vocabulary about hobbies should you remember?
The role play introduces a solid list of hobby-related words and phrases:
- Going to new restaurants.
- Trying food.
- Watching movies.
- Reading.
- Doing puzzles.
- Playing video games.
- Playing volleyball.
- Going running.
- Traveling.
- Photography.
- Going to concerts.
- Going to museums.
Practicing these words in sentences will help you feel more confident the next time someone asks, What are your hobbies?
Why is small talk about hobbies important at work?
Talking about hobbies is one of the easiest ways to build connections with colleagues. It keeps conversations light and friendly, just like sharing pizza and chatting about what you enjoy. Knowing how to ask What are some of your hobbies? or How about you? [1:08] opens the door to natural, comfortable dialogue in any professional setting.
Now it is your turn — grab your worksheet, answer the questions, and practice using these expressions with your own hobbies. What do you like to do in your free time? Share your answer and keep practicing!
