Speaking practice
As well as describing what you like doing in your spare time, it’s worthwhile including extended opinions on all aspects of it, as well as using different tenses, for example, to talk about something you did or are planning to do in the future, or even what other people’s hobbies are.
Listen to these questions and think about how you would respond.
Question
Transcript:¿Qué te gusta hacer en tu tiempo libre?
Translation: What do you like doing in your spare time?
Question
How could you respond? Click for a sample answer.
Transcript:Bueno, tengo varios intereses. Soy una persona muy creativa y, por eso, me encanta dibujar y pintar. Mi madre dice que tengo mucho talento, pero no creo que sea verdad. A veces, si tengo un poco de tiempo libre, salgo con mis amigos. Nos gusta dar una vuelta por el barrio y, si tenemos dinero, ir al cine o a la bolera. Por la noche, antes de acostarme, me encanta leer. Me interesan los libros de fantasía porque son excitantes. Creo que la lectura es un buen pasatiempo si quieres relajarte. Me gusta bastante el deporte y juego al golf con mi padre todos los fines de semana. A mi madre no le gusta el golf, ella prefiere practicar el footing o jugar al tenis.
Translation: Well, I have got several interests. I am a very creative person and, therefore, I love drawing and painting. My mum says that I have a lot of talent, but I don’t believe it is true. Sometimes, if I have some spare time, I go out with my friends. We like going for a stroll around the area where we live and, if we have the money, go to the cinema or to the bowling alley. In the evening, before I go to bed, I love reading. I am interested in fantasy books because they are exciting. I think that reading is a good pastime if you want to relax. I quite like sport and I play golf with my father every weekend. My mother doesn’t like golf, she prefers to go jogging or to play tennis.
Question
Transcript:¿Qué te gustaba hacer cuando eras más joven?
Translation: What did you like doing when you were younger?
Question
How could you respond? Click for a sample answer.
Transcript:Cuando era pequeña me gustaba ir al campo y montar en bicicleta. Era muy divertido. A veces, visitábamos a mis abuelos y juntos íbamos al cine para ver películas infantiles. A mi hermano y a mí nos gustaba ir a la playa o a un parque acuático. Eran nuestros pasatiempos favoritos porque nos encantaba estar al aire libre todo el tiempo.
Translation: When I was younger, I liked to go to the countryside and ride my bike. It was good fun. Sometimes we went to visit my grandparents and, together, we used to go to the cinema to watch children’s films. My brother and I liked to go to the beach or to a water park. They were our favourite pastimes because we loved to be outside all the time.
Question
Transcript:¿Qué pasatiempos te gustaría tener en el futuro?
Translation: What pastimes would you like to have in the future?
Question
How could you respond? Click for a sample answer.
Transcript:Bien, me gusta mucho la música. Me encanta ir a conciertos cada vez que tengo dinero. Además, toco la guitarra y canto en el coro del colegio dos veces por semana. En el futuro, me gustaría cantar en un grupo pop. También me gusta mucho visitar lugares interesantes, así que, me gustaría viajar por todo el mundo.
Translation: Well, I like music a lot. I love going to concerts whenever I have money. Furthermore, I play the guitar and I sing at the school’s choir twice per week. In the future, I would like to sing in a professional choir or in a pop group. I also like visiting interesting places a lot and, therefore, I would like to travel around the world.
