Talking point: Looking after yourself

This week's talking point is looking after yourself. Before getting together with the members of your conversation group, go over the questions below so that ideas flow more easily when you meet up with your friends and you can work out vocabulary problems beforehand.

How important are these things if you want to look after yourself?

• Keeping fit: doing exercise (where?, who with?, how often?); walking; doing sport
• Beauty: Looking after your skin, face, hair, teeth, feet; using beauty products and treatments
• Wellbeing: Having a healthy diet; cutting down on some food and drink (vg. red meat); cutting out some food and drink (alcohol); having regular check-ups at the doctor's or dentist's
• Boosting your brain power: reading; doing puzzles; playing computer games; learning new things

Have you ever been to a spa? What is their appeal to some people? Are they good value?
If money was no object, would you hire the services of a stylist and a personal shopper?
If you could design your ideal way of keeping fit and you had no time/money restrictions, what would it be?

INTERACTION

Rank the following activities from the one which would give you the most pleasure (1) to the one which you would least like to do (8). Then discuss your choices with the members of your conversation group and agree on an activity to do together and try to agree on the most unpopular activity. Remember to always give reasons for your choices.

• a day in a health spa
• a few hours in a gym
• a long walk in the countryside
• a lazy day at home
• a clothes-shopping expedition
• a day on a hot, sunny beach
• a competitive sporting activity
• a meal in a posh restaurant

 Photo: Ruschi under Creative Commons

To illustrate the point you can listen to BBC's 6 Minute English episode Men's Body Image.

Talking point: Hobbies and passions

In this week's talking point we are discussing hobbies. Before getting together with the members of your conversation group, think about the questions below so that ideas flow more easily when you get together with your friends and you can work out vocabulary issues beforehand.

• Do you have an unusual hobby? What does it involve? How often do you do it? What equipment do you need? How did you get interested in it?
• What's the most enjoyable hobby you've ever tried?
• What's the most unusual hobby you have ever heard of?
• Do you know anyone with a strange or unusual hobby?
• Why do some people take up unusual hobbies?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of spending time and money on a hobby?
• Can you imagine any of your hobbies becoming so important that you earn your living from it?
• Do you know anyone who earns their living from their hobby?

INTERACTION

• Talk about the hobbies below. Do they appeal to you? Would you like to try them to see what they are like? Try to agree with the members of your conversation group on a hobby to do together.

Collecting memorabilia from the Star Wars or the Lord of the Rings films
Following your favourite football team in their away matches
Collecting autographs from famous people
Fishing
Learning ball dances (salsa, merengue, tango, waltz, cha cha, paso doble, foxtrot)

To illustrate the topic, you can listen to Darren and Dai from Elllo discussing the benefits of fishing as a pastime.