‫In this, I am speaking test to cue card lesson, we are going to look at two similar but slightly different
‫topics and that is, of course, hobbies and sport.
‫So the first cue card we will look at is for hobbies.
‫And here it is.
‫Describe a hobby that you particularly enjoy.
‫You should say what the hobby is when you started doing it.
‫Where you do this and explain why it is important to you.
‫So we're looking at the topic of hobbies and there's a really good chance that this could also come
‫up in TASC one part, one of the aout speaking test.
‫So we're going to describe a hobby we enjoy.
‫We need to say what it is when we started doing it, where we do it and why it is important to us.
‫And let's take a look at the model answer.
‫Well, one of my favorite activities that I enjoy in my free time is running, actually, at first I
‫hated it, but after some time and sticking at it, I really love it now.
‫I suppose it's like coffee.
‫You don't like everything the first time you try it.
‫I took up running two years ago after a friend encouraged me to give it a go.
‫At first, I thought it seemed so boring and strenuous, I suppose I was actually right about that.
‫It takes some time to get used to it, but once you're fit enough, it's pretty fun.
‫This year, I finished my first full marathon.
‫I had such an adrenaline rush when I finished, I think I was shaking for an hour.
‫Apart from keeping fit, it's great to take part in outdoor activities and be around nature.
‫It keeps me calm and when I run, I can really shut down and not stress out over simple things that
‫are annoying me at that time.
‫Also, I'm really into collecting medals from different races so far.
‫I've got 13 medals and I'm hoping to add a lot more to that in the upcoming months.
‫I get a lot of satisfaction from running.
‫So, yes, I'd say it's one of my favorite pastimes.
‫OK, a great answer, discussing a hobby that turns out actually to be something of a sport.
‫Let's take a look at the focus language in this model answer.
‫So the first piece of really interesting language that we use for hobbies is free time, so free time
‫is another way to talk about a time in the day when you can enjoy a hobby.
‫It's when you aren't working, you're not studying.
‫You can enjoy something, an activity such as a hobby.
‫So in my free time, I like running and this phrase here sticking at it.
‫So it's kind of like an idiomatic expression because we're not actually sticking to anything, but it
‫means to not give up.
‫For example, I found running difficult, but after sticking at it, I really love it now.
‫A really great native expression.
‫Next we have give it a go.
‫So it's a collocation.
‫Give it a go.
‫It's a phrase native speakers used to say, try something.
‫Give it a go.
‫Here we have just a piece of vocabulary strenuous.
‫So if something is hard work, it makes you tired.
‫You can describe it as being strenuous.
‫And I suppose running would be a good activity to describe a strenuous because it can be quite tiring.
‫Next up, we have this phrase get used to it, so if you find an activity or something you're doing
‫difficult, at first it could be you can't understand an accent, but you find it easier later.
‫You can say get used to it.
‫In this example, we're saying we find something easier.
‫So running was difficult at first, but after some time I got used to it and then I enjoyed it.
‫So it means adapting to something that you find difficult and then finding it easier.
‫Here we have sort of the phrase adrenaline rush.
‫So adrenaline is a naturally occurring hormone in our bodies.
‫And when we do something really exciting, such as snowboarding or skiing, we can often say we get
‫an adrenaline rush.
‫Here we have the collocation and keeping fit so we can say, I like keeping fit, I didn't use to keep
‫fit, that would be one way of using it in a different tent.
‫And here take part so we can say we take part in activities and here we have outdoor activities.
‫For some of you that enjoy doing all sorts of activities out in nature, we can say this expression,
‫be around nature.
‫For example, a hobby of mine is fishing because I can be around nature, which is calming collocation
‫here.
‫And Natally native used expression.
‫And of course, collecting this is topic specific vocabulary, but used in many different ways.
‫And part of hobbies can be collecting medals or collecting games or collecting newspapers or books.
‫Here we have satisfaction.
‫So this is a feeling that we have an abstract noun.
‫So I get satisfaction from my hobby.
‫And finally, we have past time.
‫So pastimes is simply a synonym for hobby.
‫My favorite pastimes are sports.
‫My favorite hobbies are sports.
‫Okay.
‫And that's all for this language, all about the task to cue kind of hobbies.
‫Let's take a look at sports now.
‫So onto the topic of sports and exercise, here is our cue card.
‫Describe something you do to keep fit.
‫You should say what it is when you do it, how long you have done it for and explain if you enjoy doing
‫it.
‫So it doesn't actually use the word sports in the cue card.
‫But this is around a very similar topic of exercise.
‫It may be that the thing you describe is actually a sport or maybe some things such as weightlifting
‫or just working out aren't actually considered sports mostly anyway.
‫So we're going to talk about some kind of exercise, what it is when we do it, how long we've been
‫doing it for and if we enjoy it.
‫So let's take a look at the model answer.
‫I love visiting my local sports center in town.
‫It's where I go at least three or four times a week to play football, work out or just hang around.
‫Really attached to the main building is also a gym.
‫So the place has a lot of sports facilities there.
‫I even got into squash recently, though, I've got to be honest and say I've not really taken to it.
‫In my opinion, it's important to stay in shape and try and eat healthy foods.
‫I mean, to say I'm not that old, but now I'm not a young kid anymore.
‫It's important to look after myself.
‫I joined the sports club a few months back, I used to have a membership at a different gym, but it
‫was more expensive and to be honest, the facilities were a little dated.
‫One of the best benefits of my new gym is that once a week they throw in a free personal trainer.
‫Usually they cost a fortune.
‫So I've got to say, I'm really satisfied with the new sports center.
‫Other than exercising and playing different sports, they're also a great group of people who work and
‫go to train there.
‫So it's a really fun place to be around.
‫So a really well developed model answer around that cue card of keeping fit a type of exercise you enjoy
‫or which could also be a sport.
‫Now, there's some really good topic, specific vocabulary in this lesson.
‫So let's take a look at that now.
‫And we'll begin with this topic, specific vocabulary, a sports center, a sports center is usually
‫a place where people pay an amount of money to go to one, two or three times a week.
‫And in a sports center, there may be a few different areas that you can go to play sports, whether
‫it's football or basketball, possibly a swimming pool.
‫And there may also be some classes that you can join in.
‫So a sports center, a great part of most towns and villages.
‫OK, so moving on and we have the expression to work out.
‫Working out generally means to do exercise, to either build muscle or to lose weight and get fit work
‫out.
‫Here we have the expression hang around, so if you're going to hang around, it means that you are
‫staying somewhere with little to do in this example, hang around at a sports center.
‫So we're not really working out or exercising.
‫We're going to socialize and speak to people.
‫Next up is sports facilities, so sport facilities means the different kind of resources and equipment
‫that somewhere has to provide you with the opportunity to play sports.
‫For example, a gym may have a lot of sports facilities, such as running machines and weights.
‫A sports center may have great sports facilities like a swimming pool and basketballs.
‫And these kinds of things got into.
‫So, again, if you begin enjoying a sport or an activity, you can say, I really got into it.
‫I started to enjoy it.
‫And here we've got this expression, I've not taken to it, I have not taken to it, it means that we
‫did not find it very easy at all.
‫In this example.
‫The person has just started playing squash.
‫They enjoyed it.
‫They got into squash, but they've not really taken to it.
‫They they don't think they are very good at it yet.
‫And next up, it's important to stay in shape.
‫This is a common expression that we use when we say trying to remain pleasing in terms of the looks
‫of our body.
‫So often it might be losing weight or building more muscles.
‫Many people join a gym to stay in shape.
‫And in a similar way, this next phrase, look after myself, can also be used as look after yourself.
‫It means to make sure you are staying fit and healthy, whether through the way you eat or exercise.
‫So here we've got it's important to look after myself, which I partly do agree with.
‫And much like a sports center, we have a sports club.
‫And really you can use these two phrases changed in between that they're very similar in meaning a sports
‫center and a sports club.
‫Here we have facilities again, which is a piece of vocabulary, a synonym for equipment.
‫And if you say something is dated or a little dated, it means that the facilities are not new.
‫They are well used.
‫Here we have the expression to throw in, we can use it when we sign up for something, whether it's
‫a membership.
‫So I signed up to the local sports center and they throw in they threw in a free personal trainer.
‫And a personal trainer is someone that works just with you to help you at the gym and get fit.
‫Finally, we've got this really native expression.
‫To say something costs a fortune, or usually it does cost a fortune.
‫If you say something costs a fortune, it means it's very expensive.
‫And in this example, we're saying personal trainers cost a fortune.
‫They are very expensive.
‫OK, so I hope you enjoyed looking at some of this vocabulary for hobbies and sports.
‫And of course, I'll see you in the next lesson.