…plays a musical instrument"Do you play an instrument?"
Name: ____________
Teacher Lesson Plan · CEFR A2
Hobbies & Leisure Activities
A complete two-session A2 lesson built around verbs of preference and the gerund (-ing) — so students can talk about what they love doing, with audio scripts, games, and answer keys.
Lesson Objectives
Can-Do Statements
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
- Talk about hobbies and free-time activities using a range of vocabulary.
- Express likes and dislikes with preference verbs + the gerund (I love playing, I don't mind cooking, I can't stand running).
- Form the -ing (gerund) correctly, including spelling changes (swim → swimming, dance → dancing).
- Ask and answer questions about interests: "What do you like doing?", "How often do you…?", "Are you good at…?"
- Understand the key details in a short text and audio about people's hobbies.
- Write a short paragraph about a favorite hobby and why they enjoy it.
Target Language
Vocabulary & Phrases
Vocabulary — Hobbies
Free-Time Activities
- playing video games · playing the guitar / piano
- reading · drawing · painting · cooking
- hiking · cycling · swimming · running
- playing soccer / basketball / tennis
- taking photos · gardening · dancing
- watching movies · listening to music
- collecting (stamps, cards) · doing puzzles
Useful Phrases
Talking About Interests
- What do you like doing in your free time?
- My favorite hobby is…
- I'm interested in… / I'm into…
- I'm (really) good at…
- How often do you…? — Once / twice a week.
- I'd rather… (than…)
Grammar Focus
The Engine of the Lesson
The grammar that lets A2 students say what they enjoy — and how much.
1. Preference Verbs + the Gerund (-ing)
After verbs of liking and disliking, we usually use the -ing form (the gerund), not the infinitive.
I love playing tennis. · She enjoys cooking. · They don't like running. · He can't stand waiting.
The preference scale (most to least positive):
| love | I love swimming. (favorite) |
| like / enjoy | I like reading. / I enjoy drawing. |
| don't mind | I don't mind cleaning. (it's OK) |
| don't like | I don't like cooking. |
| hate / can't stand | I hate running. / I can't stand waiting. (least) |
2. Spelling the -ing Form
| most verbs: + ing | read → reading, play → playing, cook → cooking |
| verb ends in -e: drop e + ing | dance → dancing, ride → riding, write → writing |
| short vowel + consonant: double it | swim → swimming, run → running, sit → sitting |
3. Good At & Interested In (+ -ing)
After a preposition (at, in), the verb also takes -ing.
I'm good at drawing. · She's interested in cooking. · They're into photography.
Common trap: "good at", not "good in"; and "interested in + -ing", not "interested to".
4. How Often? (spiral review)
Recycle frequency language from Daily Routines to say how often you do a hobby.
I go swimming twice a week. · She often paints. · We play tennis every weekend.
Before You Start
Materials Needed
Whiteboard and markers · Flashcards or images of hobbies · The student workbook (digital, opens on any phone or laptop) · Audio files made from the scripts below · Optional small pictures for the Pictionary game. No printing required — the student workbook is self-grading and mobile-friendly.
Step-by-Step Procedure
Timed Lesson Stages
Each stage lists timing, teacher instructions, and the interaction pattern.
Session 1 — Vocabulary, Grammar & Speaking (45 min)
5 min
1. Warm-Up — Free-Time Brainstorm
Ask: "What do you do in your free time?" Students call out activities. Write them on the board as a mind map. Add a few of your own to introduce new vocabulary.
Interaction: Teacher → whole class.
10 min
2. Vocabulary — Hobbies & Categories
Present hobby vocabulary with images. Sort the activities into categories (indoor / outdoor, alone / with people, sporty / creative). Drill pronunciation, especially the -ing endings.
- Quick check: students name one hobby for each category.
Interaction: Teacher → class.
12 min
3. Grammar — Preference Verbs + -ing
Guided discovery: write "I love play football." Ask: what's wrong? Elicit "playing." Build the preference scale (love → can't stand) on the board, then the three -ing spelling rules with quick examples.
- Concept check: "Do we say 'I enjoy to cook' or 'I enjoy cooking'?"
- Controlled drill: students make true sentences from a verb prompt ("read" → "I like reading").
Interaction: Guided discovery → class.
13 min
4. Speaking — "Find Someone Who" Mingle
The centerpiece speaking activity. Give each student the Find Someone Who grid (in the Mingle & Games section below, also built into the student workbook with a shuffle button).
- Students mingle and ask: "Do you like…?", "Are you good at…?", "How often do you…?"
- Rule: a full question and one follow-up before writing a name.
- Report back with the third-person -s: "Petra loves painting. She paints every weekend."
Interaction: Whole-class mingle → reporting back.
5 min
5. Wrap-Up
Volunteers share the most interesting hobby they found. Note any preference-verb or -ing errors to revisit in Session 2.
Session 2 — Reading, Listening & Writing (45 min)
5 min
1. Review Game — Hobby Pictionary
A student draws a hobby on the board (no words). The class guesses with a full sentence: "She likes painting!" Fast, fun recall of vocabulary and the -ing form.
Interaction: Whole class.
10 min
2. Reading — "Three Friends, Three Hobbies"
Students open the Student Workbook and read the text. They answer the comprehension and multiple-choice questions, which grade instantly.
- First read for gist: "Who is the most active?" Then read for detail.
- Pairs underline every preference verb + -ing in the text.
Interaction: Individual → pairs.
10 min
3. Listening — Emma & Jack Talk Hobbies
Play Audio 2 (script below). Students complete the fill-in-the-blank and multiple-choice listening task in the workbook. Play twice — once for gist, once for detail.
Interaction: Individual → class check.
15 min
4. Writing — My Favorite Hobby
Students complete the workbook's grammar exercises (gerund forms, word order, and the preference-ladder task), then write their own paragraph.
Model: "My favorite hobby is painting. I love painting because it helps me relax. I'm quite good at drawing animals. I paint twice a week, usually on weekends. I don't like sports, but I really enjoy being creative."
- Target: a favorite hobby, two preference verbs + -ing, one "good at / interested in", and how often.
- Students self-check against the writing checklist in the workbook.
Interaction: Individual.
5 min
5. Share, Score & Reflect
Students read their paragraph to a partner, who asks one follow-up question. Then they tap Show My Score in the workbook and show you the result on their phone.
Classroom Activities
Mingle & Game Bank
Ready-to-run speaking activities to keep all 90 minutes active and student-centered. The same mingle is built into the student workbook with a shuffle button.
"Find Someone Who…" Mingle Grid
Students walk around and ask questions to find one classmate for each square.
…loves cooking"Do you like cooking?"
Name: ____________
…goes to the gym every week"How often do you exercise?"
Name: ____________
…can't stand video games"What do you think of video games?"
Name: ____________
…is good at drawing"Are you good at drawing?"
Name: ____________
…reads books for fun"Do you enjoy reading?"
Name: ____________
…plays a team sport"Do you play any sports?"
Name: ____________
…watches movies every weekend"How often do you watch movies?"
Name: ____________
…has an unusual hobby"What's your most unusual hobby?"
Name: ____________
More Activities
8 min · pairs / teams
Hobby Taboo
One student describes a hobby without saying the word ("You use a brush and colors…"). The partner or team guesses with a full sentence: "Painting! You like painting." Builds fluency, paraphrasing, and the -ing form under light pressure.
8 min · small groups
Preference Lines
Read out a hobby ("running", "cooking"). Each student says where it sits on their scale: "I love running" / "I can't stand running." Then they find the person whose opinion is the opposite of theirs and ask why. Targets the full preference scale.
7 min · groups
Two Truths & a Hobby Lie
Each student says three hobby sentences — two true, one false ("I'm good at chess. I love hiking. I play the violin."). The group asks follow-up questions and guesses the lie.
8 min · whole class
Class Hobby Survey
Each student interviews three classmates ("What do you like doing? How often?") and notes the answers. Then build a class bar chart on the board: which hobby is the most popular? Practices questions and reporting in the third person.
Listening Resources
Audio & Transcripts
Tap a transcript to open it. Add your recording in the player, and use the same file in the student workbook's Listening task.
Audio 1My Free Time (model)+
Narrator: Listen to Maya talk about her free time.
Maya: In my free time, I love being creative. My favorite hobby is painting — I paint almost every day after school. I'm quite good at drawing animals. I also enjoy reading; I read about three books a month. I don't really like sports, but I don't mind going for a walk. And I can't stand video games — they're just boring for me! On weekends, I usually meet my friends and we go to the cinema. I'm really interested in photography too, so I always take my camera.
How to use: Play once with books closed and ask students to list Maya's hobbies. Play again to catch the preference verbs (love, enjoy, don't mind, can't stand) and how often she does each. A clear, natural pace works best.
Audio 2Emma & Jack Talk Hobbies (listening task)+
Emma: Hi Jack, what do you like doing in your free time?
Jack: I love playing the guitar. I practice every day. What about you?
Emma: I don't really like music. I prefer painting. I paint every weekend.
Jack: Are you good at it?
Emma: Yes, I think so! I also enjoy reading. I read about two books a month.
Jack: I can't stand reading. It's so boring for me! I'd rather watch movies.
How to use: This is the source audio for the workbook's Listening task. Two clear, contrasting people make the detail questions easy to score. Play for gist first ("Do they like the same things?"), then for detail.
Audio 3Pronunciation — the -ing ending (optional)+
Listen-and-repeat drill for the -ing sound /ŋ/. Pause after each word.
playing — reading — cooking — running — swimming
drawing — dancing — hiking — painting — cycling
I love playing. — She enjoys cooking. — They like running.
How to use: A2 learners often drop the final sound and say "readin'." Model the soft /ŋ/ at the back of the mouth. Have students hold the final sound for a second, then say it in a full sentence. Two minutes pays off all unit.
Answer Keys
Workbook Answers
These match the self-grading student workbook. The workbook grades automatically; keys are here for your reference and board correction.
Reading — Comprehension ("Three Friends, Three Hobbies")
- What does Tom love doing? — playing video games
- How often does Lucy go hiking? — every weekend
- What does Sam enjoy doing? — cooking
Reading — Multiple Choice
- On Saturdays, the three friends… — a) play basketball together
- "Lucy prefers being outside" means she likes… — b) outdoor activities
Listening — Fill in the Blank (Audio 2)
- Jack loves playing the guitar.
- Emma prefers painting.
- Emma reads about two books a month.
Listening — Multiple Choice (Audio 2)
- How often does Jack practice the guitar? — c) every day
- What does Jack think about reading? — b) He doesn't like it
Grammar — Gerunds (-ing form)
- I love swimming. (swim)
- She enjoys dancing. (dance)
- They like reading. (read)
- He is good at running. (run)
Grammar — Word Order
- I love playing tennis.
- She is good at drawing.
Preference Ladder — most to least positive
- love → like → don't mind → don't like → can't stand
Teacher Notes
Common Student Errors
Watch for these at A2 and correct gently in the moment.
| Typical Error | Correct Form | Why & How to Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "I like play football." | "I like playing football." | Missing -ing after a preference verb. The signature error of this unit — drill the gerund constantly. |
| "I enjoy to read." | "I enjoy reading." | enjoy / love / like + -ing, not the infinitive. Contrast with "I want to read." |
| "I'm interested in cook." | "I'm interested in cooking." | After a preposition (in / at), use -ing. |
| "I'm good in chess." | "I'm good at chess." | Fixed phrase: good at, never good in. |
| "I like very much painting." | "I like painting very much." | Word order — "very much" goes at the end. |
| "She don't like running." | "She doesn't like running." | Third-person doesn't (spiral from Daily Routines). |
| "I love swiming." | "I love swimming." | -ing spelling: double the consonant after a short vowel (swim → swimming). |
Going Further
Extension & Homework
Extension (Fast Finishers)
In-Class Options
- Design a "dream weekend" using five hobbies and how often you'd do each.
- Persuade a partner to try your favorite hobby — give three reasons with "because".
- Rank ten hobbies from favorite to least favorite and explain the top three.
Homework
At-Home Practice
- Try a new hobby this week and write a short journal entry: what you tried, did you enjoy it, would you do it again.
- Write five sentences using five different preference verbs + -ing.
- Finish any workbook tasks and bring your score to the next class.
Assessment
How to Measure Success
Speaking: accurate preference verbs + -ing in the mingle and games. · Reading: correct answers in the workbook comprehension and multiple-choice tasks. · Listening: accuracy on the Audio 2 fill-in-the-blank task. · Grammar: the gerund, word-order, and preference-ladder exercises in the workbook. · Writing: a clear paragraph with correct -ing forms, "good at / interested in", and how often. Students tap Show My Score so you can verify results instantly on their phones.
Ready to run the lesson?
Open the student workbook on any phone or laptop — no login, fully self-grading.
Open the Student WorkbookA2-Level: Hobbies and Leisure Activities
Objective
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
- Discuss hobbies and interests confidently.
- Use vocabulary related to hobbies and leisure activities accurately.
- Comprehend texts and audio about different hobbies.
- Engage in meaningful conversations about hobbies and interests.
- Write descriptive paragraphs about their favorite hobbies and explain why they enjoy them.
Lesson Duration
90 minutes (divided into two 45-minute sessions)
Materials Needed
- Whiteboard and markers
- Handouts with short texts or dialogues about hobbies
- Audio recordings of conversations about hobbies
- Flashcards or visuals for vocabulary practice
- Writing materials for students
Session 1: Introduction and Speaking Practice (45 minutes)
Warm-Up (5 minutes)
- Begin with an open question: “What do you usually do in your free time?”
- Encourage a few students to share their hobbies and explain briefly why they enjoy them.
Vocabulary Introduction (10 minutes)
- Present a list of common hobbies and leisure activities on the whiteboard (e.g., reading, hiking, painting, playing video games, gardening).
- Discuss and practice pronunciation of unfamiliar words.
- Introduce key phrases like:
- “I enjoy…”
- “I’m interested in…”
- “My favorite hobby is…”
- Use visuals or flashcards to support understanding.
Guided Pair Discussion (15 minutes)
- Demonstrate how to ask and answer questions about hobbies (e.g., “What’s your favorite hobby?” “Why do you enjoy it?”).
- Pair students to practice asking about and discussing hobbies.
- Rotate pairs to maximize speaking opportunities.
Reading Activity (10 minutes)
- Distribute a short text or article about various hobbies.
- Students read individually and underline the hobbies and activities mentioned.
- Follow up with comprehension questions (e.g., “Which hobby is described as relaxing?”).
Listening Activity (5 minutes)
- Play an audio recording of people discussing their hobbies.
- Students listen and write down the hobbies they hear.
- Review as a class to confirm answers.
Session 2: Vocabulary, Writing, and Review (45 minutes)
Vocabulary Review Game (10 minutes)
- Use a game like Taboo or Pictionary to reinforce vocabulary from Session 1.
- For example, one student describes a hobby without naming it, and others guess.
Writing Task (20 minutes)
- Provide a model paragraph about a favorite hobby.
- Assign students to write their own paragraph describing their favorite hobby, using vocabulary and phrases learned.
- Encourage them to include:
- Why they enjoy it
- How often they do it
- Any memorable experiences related to the hobby
Peer Sharing and Feedback (10 minutes)
- Students pair up to share their written paragraphs.
- Provide a checklist for peer feedback, focusing on clarity, vocabulary use, and descriptive details.
Wrap-Up and Reflection (5 minutes)
- Reflect as a class by discussing new hobbies they learned about and any they might try in the future.
- Review key vocabulary and phrases one last time.
Homework
- Exploration Task: Encourage students to try a new hobby or activity before the next class.
- Assign students to write a short journal entry about their experience:
- What did they try?
- Did they enjoy it? Why or why not?
- Would they continue this activity?
Assessment
- Monitor speaking activities to evaluate students’ ability to discuss hobbies and use target vocabulary.
- Review written paragraphs for vocabulary accuracy, clarity, and descriptive detail.
- Use informal assessments such as observation, peer feedback, and group discussions to gauge engagement and progress.