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.
Shortly after arriving in the NBA, it was clear that Carmelo Anthony would be one of the best players of his generation. He’s been an All-Star three times and led his team to the playoffs each of the last six years.
Carmelo Anthony is a basketball superstar, and despite his big fame and big numbers, he’s generally a pretty calm and collected guy. People call him “Melo” which is both his first name shortened and a play on the word “mellow,” which means relaxed. Watch our interview with Melo to learn about his upcoming film, and how he likes to mellow out.
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.
2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.
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![]() Carmelo |
Jason: Welcome to English, baby! I’m Jason, here with Carmelo Anthony. This summer, you made a movie called Amazing. Can you tell me about that?
Carmelo: I can’t really give you all the details, but we shot it in Beijing and Shanghai. So I was in China for about a week and a half doing that. It was great. Me and Dwight Howard have two roles in there, two pretty important roles, big roles. It was fun, it was my first time acting in a movie. You know, I do a lot of commercials, and I come up with my own ideas for my commercials, but acting in a movie is tough. I respect that profession.
Jason: Your nickname is “Melo,” you know, and a lot of people in China are learning English. So I was wondering if you could help them understand what does the phrase “mellow out” mean?
Carmelo: I know in China it means “sweet melon” or something like that, my name means “sweet melon.” But I don’t like that name. But…you know, over here, man…
Jason: It just means “relax” and stuff, right?
Carmelo: Yeah, I mean, not so much just lazy, just relaxed, but, you know, just always calm. You know, stand composed. You know, just free! Free minded. I’m a pretty laid-back type of guy, I like to have fun. I think that name is perfect for me.
Jason: But you’re a real busy guy, I mean you made a movie, you’re a father, you’re having a scavenger hunt on Twitter today, you know? What do you do to mellow out whenever you get free time? How do you relax?
Carmelo: I watch movies a lot, man. I watch TV, mostly, like, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, and, you know, A&E, TV shows like that. For the most part when I’m in the house, I play with my family, watch…I watch a lot of movies though.
Jason: Looking forward to seeing yours when it comes out, man!
Carmelo: Yeah, me too!
Jason: Can I get you to give me a high five and say “English, baby!”
Carmelo: English, baby!
Grammar Point
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Discussion
Over the summer, Carmelo Anthony filmed a movie called Amazing in China. It comes out next year, and while he can’t say much about it, he says that he and Dwight Howard have major roles in the film and that it was a lot of fun, as well as a lot of work, to make.
Carmelo says that in China, his nickname is Tian Gua (甜瓜), which means “sweet melon.” He says he likes his English nickname better, Melo. It’s both short for his name and describes his personality. To “mellow out” is slang for relax or be calm and laid-back. Melo is very mellow, which helps him focus on the court and makes him a great player.
As a basketball superstar, a father and now a movie star, Carmelo is a busy man. He likes to mellow out by watching TV and movies with his family. How do you mellow out? Are you a mellow person?
To learn more about Melo, visit his website or the Ebaby! blog.
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