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Interview with the Blazers' Nicolas Batum: 'Slam Dunk'

Interview with the Blazers' Nicolas Batum: 'Slam Dunk' English, baby! Video Lesson

Date: Jan 23 2009

Themes: Sports

Grammar: Modal Verbs

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Basketball was invented in North America, and the US almost always wins the gold at the Olympics. But every year, more international players are drafted into the NBA.

Currently, the Portland Trail Blazers have three foreign players. The youngest is Nicolas Batum, who just came over from France for his first season in the NBA. Jason recently went to the Blazers’ practice facility to talk to Batum about what it’s like to play pro basketball in your second language.

3. Watch - Watch the video without reading the dialog.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

Log in to Listen

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Jason

Jason

Nicolas

Nicolas

Jason:  Welcome to English, baby! I’m Jason, here with Nicolas Batum of the Portland Trail Blazers. How old are you and where are you from, Nicolas?

Nicolas:  I’m twenty. I’m from France.

Jason:  When did you learn all the terms for basketball?

Nicolas:  I know the terms in basketball because in France the coach speaks English almost all the time.

Jason:  Has there ever been a time, though, where there’s been, like, a funny misunderstanding?

Nicolas:  Sometimes I don’t understand what he’s saying during the game. Yeah.

Jason:  You’re new to the team this year. Have the guys teased you for being from another country or anything?

Nicolas:  Yeah. They joke about if you can play basketball in France. “They play basketball in France? You sure?”

Jason:  They do play basketball in France, but you play a lot more games here. How’s that goin’ for you?

Nicolas:  Yeah. It’s tough. I’ve played almost thirty-four, thirty-five games in two months. In France I played thirty-five games in six or seven months, so…Yeah.

Jason:  Is it OK though?

Nicolas:  It’s tough, but I’m good. Yeah.

Jason:  We were wondering if you could explain what a slum dunk is now?

Nicolas:  Slam dunk?

Jason:  Yeah.

Nicolas:  You just go to the rim, and crush...crush the ball in the rim. That’s all. Yeah.

Jason:  Can you show us one?

Nicolas:  OK.

Jason:  Sweet.

 

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Discussion

When Jason arrives at the practice, Nicolas was running drills and practicing his jump shot. He learned terms like that early on because his coach in France usually spoke English. So Nicolas can easily explain what slam dunk means in a basketball game. But did you know that you can use slam dunk in your daily life, even if you don’t play or watch sports?

Since when a player dunks the ball almost always goes in the basket, you can call any sure success a slam dunk. If your job interview goes really well, you could tell your friends, “It was a slam dunk. I’m sure I got the job.” Or if you want to convince your friends to go into business with you, you could say, “We have such a good idea. It will be a slam dunk. We’ll make lots of money!”

Is there anything coming up in your life that you hope will be a slam dunk? Is there an NBA player from your country?

For more with Batum, watch another video of him dunking, check out this YouTube fan channel or visit the Portland Trailblazers’ website.

 

Comments

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Nkjones19

Nkjones19

United States

hi

06:14 PM Jan 25 2009 |

Nkjones19

Nkjones19

United States

wow. That's funny. I like basketball, I know. I'm learning english.  How do I improve my english?

06:11 PM Jan 25 2009 |

Rova

Australia

Pretty good
Naomi1010 Can we be friends?

02:42 AM Jan 25 2009 |

tatuka

tatuka

Georgia

I like the interview.Now my answer about the question asked above: Yes,there is an NBA player from my country,from Georgia.He's name is Zaza Pachulia.:)

10:26 PM Jan 24 2009 |

pequeñatraviesa

Mexico

  I like basketball even if I don't know Nicolas. In fact, I prefere play it, not watch it.

06:15 PM Jan 24 2009 |

nogadiga

nogadiga

Turkey

Mehmet Okur and Hedo Turkoglu are from my country Turkey and both of them are very successful players.Mehmet is a allstar player and Hedo got "the most improved player award" last year.In my opinion he deserved being Allstar but he couldn't.

 

09:03 AM Jan 24 2009 |

Mr Shaluunge

United States

LOl it's so nice to play NB

07:51 AM Jan 24 2009 |

Josè Manuel Cervantes G.

Mexico

 In Mexico everybody loves basketball, specially NBA games, I think he`s a very good playes and he will be a good reason the people want to watch television transmissions  and enjoy the basketball games.

bye.

11:16 PM Jan 23 2009 |

N1col@y

N1col@y

Russian Federation

I know one Russian player who play in NBA)))
Andrei Kirilenko is player of the Utah Jazz

09:17 PM Jan 23 2009 |

morkon

morkon

Germany

To first, thank to the team "English baby". It is aktuell and like for beginning with English.
I think so, Dirk Nowitzki is in the US-Profiliga NBA and mast valuable Player. He had a very good coach and Mentor. This is a very good point for the development. :)

07:28 PM Jan 23 2009 |

Margaret

Margaret

United Arab Emirates

I love the anime of slum dunk, lol

06:55 PM Jan 23 2009 |

plasma

plasma

Ukraine

nice lessonSmile

11:40 AM Jan 23 2009 |

romeo0555

romeo0555

Ukraine

Ukrainian player Kirill Fesenko now plays in NBA, to be more specific in Utah Jazz.By the way some players from National Basketball Association play in Ukraine    

09:23 AM Jan 23 2009 |

nad1a

nad1a

Greece

Yeah, Jason, beleive it or not, there IS basketball outside the US :-P

09:11 AM Jan 23 2009 |

miffoo

miffoo

Slovakia

cool, I love this game:)

08:58 AM Jan 23 2009 |

shyqj

shyqj

China

wow!

i likw NBA,i know he is 2.03meters tall,

 

08:39 AM Jan 23 2009 |

lanekey

lanekey

China

just do it. oh yeah.

08:00 AM Jan 23 2009 |

lanekey

lanekey

China

just do it. oh yeah.

08:00 AM Jan 23 2009 |

guobingyou

guobingyou

China

I love this game!

07:10 AM Jan 23 2009 |

lulu6151

lulu6151

China

bingo. yeah.

06:45 AM Jan 23 2009 |

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