Likes/Dislikes, Interests and Hobbies Brainstorming, Listening and Speaking Activities

Elementary English language listening and speaking activities generally focus on likes/dislikes, hobbies, interests and routines. These topics allow students to get used to practicing the present simple tense with topics that relate to their daily lives.

1  Likes and dislikes speaking activity (pre-intermediate)

This is a pre-intermediate listening/ speaking activity. Students listen and complete each person’s likes and dislikes.

Likes/dislikes speaking activity (PDF)

See the YouTube video

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2 Likes and dislikes speaking activity (with audio, video and  answers)

This is a great  listening/speaking activity to get an elementary language class speaking and practicing the present simple tense. Students have to be able describe each person’s likes and dislikes in the pictures. Or listen to the audio and write their answers.

Elementary likes/dislikes speaking activity (PDF)

(View as Youtube video mp4)

3 Basic gerunds for likes/dislikes (answers and audio)

Basic gerunds vocabulary and listening/speaking exercise for talking about likes and dislikes. Students write sentences about the pictures and then answer questions using gerunds.  It can also be a listening activity. Students listen to the audio and match Item (A/B/C….) to the pictures.

Basic gerunds likes/dislikes (PDF)

(Basic gerunds video on YouTube)

Related Resources:

4 Short dialogues discussing hobbies worksheet (with audio and answers)

This is an English speaking skills and fluency exercise . Students try to complete the short dialogues using the speech bubbles. Or they can listen to the audio and complete the speech bubbles with the answers that they hear.

Discussing hobbies (PDF)

5 Common conversations

This is an elementary ESL exercise for practicing and reviewing basic questions and answers necessary for basic socializing. Students look at the pictures and fill in appropriate questions and answers.

Common conversations (PDF)

5 Movie likes/dislikes brainstorm and speaking

Movies usually (in my experience) get students motivated. Students have to match movie genres to the pictures and then think of movie titles for each genre. Then they can ask their partners the questions at the bottom of the page.

(Download PDF)

6 Music likes/dislikes brainstorm and speaking

This exercise explores genres of music and asks students about their musical preferences. Similar to the speaking activity above, it is a great way to start off a class.

(Download PDF)

Related resources

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ESL Listening Activities Guide

 7 Free time activities speaking lesson

This is an elementary ESL speaking exercise for talking about free time activities. Students match the vocabulary to the pictures and then interview a classmate about their favorite free time activity.

Free time activities speaking lesson (PDF)

 8 Things I like to do

Another good icebreaker and  elementary ESL exercise for getting an elementary ESL class started by brainstorming language  for the things students like to do on a daily basis.

“Things I like to  do” graphic organizer (PDF)