Shadowing Practice: How to Talk About Your Hobbies in English | Easy Conversation - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Hi everyone, and welcome back to the Chill English Channel.
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Hi everyone, and welcome back to the Chill English Channel.
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This is the place where you can relax,
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listen, and learn English in a natural and easy way.
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And before we start, please,
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please, please, subscribe and like this podcast if you enjoy learning with us.
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It really helps us grow and lets us bring you more fun English lessons.
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Yes, don't forget to subscribe and hit like.
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Now, today we have a fun and useful topic that you can use in many daily conversations,
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talking about your hobbies.
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Exactly.
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Hobbies are things we enjoy doing in our free time.
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They are not work, not homework,
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not something we must do,
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but something we want to do.
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They bring us joy and help us relax.
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And the great thing is,
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when you talk about hobbies,
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you can connect with people easily.
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For example, if you say,
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I like football, and the other person also likes football,
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you already have something to talk about.
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That's how simple it can be to start a conversation.
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Yes, it's a friendly way to share something about yourself.
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So today, we'll give you useful words and phrases, plus real examples.
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By the end, you'll know how to answer the question,
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what are your hobbies, with confidence.
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Let's begin.
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Jake, what hobbies do you have?
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Hmm.
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I think my biggest hobby is playing the guitar.
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I play both acoustic and electric guitar.
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Music helps me express my feelings.
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I also enjoy hiking in nature.
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On weekends, I sometimes go for long walks in the mountains.
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And one more.
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I really like cooking new recipes.
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That's amazing.
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Playing the guitar is a cool skill.
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Hiking sounds very healthy, and cooking is useful because you can eat delicious food.
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You really have many hobbies.
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Thanks.
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And what about you, Sophia?
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What are your hobbies?
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Well, I have a few.
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My favorite hobby is painting.
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I usually paint with watercolors,
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and it makes me feel relaxed and creative.
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I also enjoy gardening.
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Taking care of plants and flowers makes me feel peaceful.
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And, of course, I love reading novels in English.
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Wow, that's wonderful.
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Painting and gardening are very creative hobbies.
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They help you use your imagination and make something beautiful.
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Reading in English is also a perfect hobby because you can improve your language skills while enjoying a story.
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True.
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And I think hobbies are important because they make us happy.
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When you do something you love, you feel less stressed.
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Also, hobbies help us use our free time in a positive way.
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Instead of wasting hours, you can create something,
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learn something, or improve your skills.
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That's right.
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And hobbies can help you meet new people.
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For example, if you join a football team,
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a dance class, or even a book club,
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you can make friends who enjoy the same things.
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Yes.
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And hobbies can even teach you about yourself.
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When I started painting, I learned that I'm more patient than I thought.
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I discovered that I can focus for a long time when I really enjoy something.
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That's a really good point.
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For me, hiking teaches me to keep going even when I feel tired.
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It's like a life lesson.
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Don't give up too quickly,
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even if the path is hard.
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Exactly.
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So now, for our listeners, let's make this practical.
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How can someone talk about their hobbies in English?
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The simplest way is to use my hobby is or I like.
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For example, my hobby is swimming or I like swimming.
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Very easy and clear.
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Yes, and you can also say I enjoy or I love.
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For example, I enjoy cooking or I love reading.
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These are natural and friendly phrases.
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To give more detail, you can add when or how often you do your hobby.
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For example, I play the guitar every evening.
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Or, I go hiking twice a month.
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Exactly.
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And don't forget, you can also explain why you enjoy your hobby.
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For example, I love gardening because it helps me relax,
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or I enjoy reading because it helps me learn new things.
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Great.
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Let's try a short example.
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Sophia, ask me about my hobby.
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Sure.
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Jake, what's your favorite hobby?
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My favorite hobby is playing the guitar.
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I play almost every day because it helps me express my emotions.
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When I play music, I feel calm and happy.
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That's a nice answer.
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My favorite hobby is painting.
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I paint on weekends because it makes me creative and peaceful.
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Perfect.
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See how simple it is?
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Our listeners can use these patterns to talk about their own hobbies in English.
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Alright, everyone.
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We talked about what hobbies are,
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why they're important, and how to say simple sentences like,
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I like swimming, or my hobby is painting.
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Now we're going to go a little deeper.
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We'll learn how to ask others about their hobbies,
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give more details, and keep the conversation going.
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That's right.
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Because in real life, it's not only about answering questions,
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it's also about asking good questions and showing interest in other people's hobbies.
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That way the conversation doesn't stop after one sentence.
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Exactly.
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So let's begin with some simple questions you can ask.
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For example, you can say, what are your hobbies?
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That's the most common one.
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Yes.
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You can also ask, what do you like to do in your free time?
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Or what do you usually do on weekends?
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These questions are all friendly and natural.
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Right.
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And when someone answers, don't just say, oh, or nice.
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You can ask more.
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For example, if someone says,
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I like football, you can ask,
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how often do you play football?
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Or do you play in a Yes,
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and if someone says, I love reading,
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you can ask, what kind of books do you read,
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or who is your favorite writer?
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Exactly.
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Asking follow-up questions shows that you're interested,
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and it makes the other person want to talk more.
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That's how conversations grow.
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Let's practice a short example.
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Sophia, you tell me about a hobby,
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and I'll try to ask questions.
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Sure.
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I like gardening.
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Oh, that's nice.
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What do you usually grow in your garden?
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I usually grow flowers, like roses and tulips,
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but I also try to grow vegetables, like tomatoes.
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Cool.
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How often do you work in your garden?
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Almost every day.
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I water the plants in the morning,
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and on weekends I spend more time planting and cleaning.
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That's really interesting.
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Why do you enjoy gardening?
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Because it helps me relax.
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When I see the flowers and plants grow,
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I feel proud and happy.
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Perfect.
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See how the conversation keeps going?
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You can start with one short answer,
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and then it grows into a longer and more interesting conversation.
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Yes, and you can do this with any hobby.
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Let's try another one.
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Jake, tell me about one of your hobbies.
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Okay.
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I enjoy hiking.
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Nice!
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Where do you usually go hiking?
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I usually go hiking in the mountains near my city.
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Sometimes I go with friends and sometimes I go alone.
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And how often do you go?
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Maybe two times a month, usually on weekends.
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Why do you like hiking?
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Because I feel free when I walk in nature.
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I can breathe fresh air,
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listen to birds, and see beautiful views.
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It makes me feel peaceful.
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That's a wonderful answer.
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And again, it's very natural English.
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Listeners, remember this pattern.
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Say your hobby.
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Explain how often.
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Give details.
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Say why you like it.
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This is the key to making your answers interesting.
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Exactly.
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And don't worry if your answer is not long at first.
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You can start small, like,
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I like reading because it's fun.
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Then, with practice, you can add more details.
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For example, I like reading.
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I read every night before bed.
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My favorite books are adventure stories because they are exciting.
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That's a great example.
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You see, little by little,
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your English grows and your conversations become more natural.
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Another tip is to listen carefully to the other person's hobby.
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If they say something you don't know much about,
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it's okay to ask simple questions like, what is that?
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Or can you explain it to me?
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That way you can learn and keep talking.
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Yes, and people usually enjoy explaining their hobbies because they love what they do.
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So don't be afraid to ask.
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It makes the conversation friendly.
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So let's give our listeners some practice phrases they can use right away.
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Sophia, let's list some.
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Okay, here are some useful questions.
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What are your hobbies?
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What do you like doing in your free time?
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How often do you do your hobby?
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Why do you enjoy it?
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Do you do it alone or with friends?
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Perfect.
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And here are some useful answers.
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My hobby is cooking.
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I like playing football.
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I enjoy watching movies on weekends.
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I usually play the guitar every evening.
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I love it because it makes me feel relaxed.
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Excellent.
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If our listeners practice these questions and answers,
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they will feel ready to talk about hobbies in English anytime.
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Yes, and in the next part,
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we'll make it even more fun.
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We'll show you how to compare hobbies,
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talk about trying new ones,
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and share opinions about which hobbies are easy or difficult.
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That's going to be great.
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So don't go anywhere.
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Part 3 is coming up next.
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Welcome back, everyone!
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Now we'll learn how to compare hobbies,
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share opinions, and talk about trying new hobbies.
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This will make your English sound more natural and interesting.
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Yes, because when people talk about hobbies,
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they don't just say, I like swimming.
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They often compare hobbies or give opinions.
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For example, I think swimming is easier than running.
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Or, cooking is more relaxing than painting.
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These sentences make your conversation richer.
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Exactly.
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So let's start with comparisons.
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The easiest way to compare is to use er than.
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For example, football is more exciting than tennis.
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Or reading is easier than writing.
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Right.
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You can also say not as, as.
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For example, playing the piano is not as easy as playing the guitar.
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Or, watching movies is not as active as playing sports.
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Perfect.
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Let's try this in a mini-conversation.
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Sophia, which hobby do you think is easier, painting or gardening?
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Hmm, I think gardening is easier than painting.
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because in painting, you need a lot of creativity.
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But gardening is more about patience and care.
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Interesting.
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For me, painting is easier than gardening.
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When I garden, I don't always know how to make the plants grow.
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That's funny.
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Okay, let's try another one.
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Which is more relaxing, hiking or cooking?
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For me, hiking is more relaxing than cooking.
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Because when I hike, I breathe fresh air and enjoy the mountains.
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Cooking can be fun, but sometimes it's stressful if I make a mistake.
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I see.
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For me, cooking is more relaxing than hiking.
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When I cook, I listen to music and enjoy the smell of the food.
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Hiking makes me tired sometimes.
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Great!
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So, you see, listeners, when you compare hobbies,
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you can share different opinions,
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and that makes conversations more interesting.
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Yes.
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Now let's talk about sharing opinions.
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You can start with, I think, or in my opinion.
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For example, I think reading is the best hobby because it's cheap and easy,
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or in my opinion, football is more fun than basketball.
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Exactly.
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You can also use I prefer.
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For example, I prefer swimming to running,
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or I prefer watching movies to reading books.
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It's a simple way to show your choice.
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Let's give a short example.
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Jake, do you prefer cooking or painting?
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I prefer cooking to painting,
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because when I cook, I can eat what I make.
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Painting is fun, but I can't eat the picture.
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That's true.
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Okay, I prefer painting to cooking,
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because I love colors and I feel calm when I paint.
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cooking is nice, but sometimes it takes too long.
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Perfect.
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And now, let's talk about trying new hobbies.
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You can say, I would like to try.
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For example, I would like to try dancing.
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Or, I want to try playing the piano.
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Yes.
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And if you already tried something,
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you can say, I tried.
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For example, I tried yoga last year,
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or I tried fishing with my uncle.
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Let's give some examples.
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Sophia, is there a hobby you would like to try?
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Yes, I would like to try photography.
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I think taking pictures of nature would be amazing.
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And you, Jake?
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I would like to try surfing.
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I love the ocean, and surfing looks exciting,
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even if it's difficult at first.
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Nice choices.
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Now, listeners, remember this.
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When you talk about hobbies,
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you don't have to stop at, I like.
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You can compare hobbies, share your opinion,
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and talk about new hobbies you want to try.
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That way, your conversation becomes longer and more fun.
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Exactly.
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And before we finish, let's do one final practice conversation for our listeners.
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Sophia, let's imagine we're meeting for the first time.
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Good idea!
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Let's start.
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Hi, Jake.
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Nice to meet you.
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What do you like to do in your free time?
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Hi, Sophia.
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Nice to meet you, too.
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In my free time, I like hiking.
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I usually go hiking twice a month.
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I enjoy it because it makes me feel relaxed and healthy.
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What about you?
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I like painting.
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I usually paint on weekends.
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I love it because it helps me feel creative and calm.
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That's cool!
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I think hiking is more exciting than painting,
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but painting is more relaxing than hiking.
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Yes, true.
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And I would like to try hiking one day.
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It sounds fun.
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And I would like to try painting.
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Maybe you can teach me.
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Sure.
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And maybe you can take me hiking.
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Deal!
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See how simple that was?
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Listeners, you can do the same.
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Just use the questions and answers we practiced today.
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Exactly!
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And don't forget, practice is the key.
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The more you talk about your hobbies,
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the more confident you will become in English.
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That's right.
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And before we finish, one last reminder.
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Please subscribe and like this podcast.
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Your support helps us bring you more fun and useful English lessons.
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Thank you for listening, everyone.
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We hope you enjoyed this three-part series about hobbies.
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Keep practicing, keep smiling, and keep learning with us.
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See you in the next episode of the Chill English Channel.
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Bye for now.
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Bye.
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Why practice speaking with this video?
Engaging with this video is a fantastic way to practice speaking English, particularly focusing on discussing your hobbies. When you describe your interests, you not only share something personal but also make connections with others. This is essential for developing conversational skills. The context of hobbies makes conversations light and enjoyable, ideal for IELTS speaking practice. Through this video, you will learn not only to express yourself confidently but also to relate to others on shared interests. This can enhance your speaking fluency and make you feel more at ease in social situations. Plus, mastering the vocabulary related to hobbies can significantly boost your overall communication ability and open doors to new friendships.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
In the video, several key expressions and grammatical structures are used to effectively communicate one’s hobbies:
- "I like [activity]." – This simple structure is perfect for stating your preferences, such as "I like painting" or "I like hiking." It's a straightforward way to initiate conversations.
- "I enjoy [activity]." – Similar to "I like," this phrase adds a layer of enthusiasm, indicating that you actively partake in the hobby, e.g., "I enjoy cooking new recipes."
- "My favorite hobby is [activity]." – This phrase allows you to convey a deeper affection for your hobbies, making your conversations more engaging, like saying "My favorite hobby is reading novels."
- "On weekends, I sometimes [activity]." – This structure introduces routines and adds a temporal context, which could be helpful in discussing how you spend your time during leisure days.
These expressions not only aid in structuring your thoughts but also enhance your vocabulary and help you sound more natural in conversations. Use the shadowing technique by listening closely to how these phrases are used in the video, then repeating them to improve your speaking skills.
Common Pronunciation Traps
As you practice with this video, pay attention to a few tricky words and accents that learners often encounter:
- "Hobbies" – This word can be mispronounced as "hobbyies." Focus on the correct enunciation where it sounds like "hob-beez."
- "Guitar" – Make sure to pronounce it clearly as "guh-tahr," emphasizing the second syllable. Mispronunciations might lead to misunderstandings in conversations.
- "Cooking" – Some learners might say "cook-ing" too quickly. Slow it down to ensure clarity.
By practicing these terms using the shadowspeak technique, you can achieve greater fluency and confidence in your English conversations. Remember, regular practice will not only make you comfortable with speaking but also prepare you for tests and discussions, making your English learning journey enjoyable and productive.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.
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