English, baby!

Skateboarding

Date: Nov 06 2009

Themes: Sports

Grammar: You're vs. Your

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Intro

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

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bro
X Games

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

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Skateboarding can be an easy and convenient way to zip across campus or over to a friend’s house. But skateboarding is more than just a mode of transportation. It’s also a look, a sport, and a subculture. Skaters even have their own slang, some of which has become common outside of the skateboarding world as well. Know what I’m saying, dude?

Skaters are typically seen as reckless rebels and punks. But some skaters are serious athletes, who perform amazing tricks in major competitions like the X Games. Others are just ordinary guys and girls looking for a cheap, easy way way to get around. Ella thinks skaters are sexy. Find out if Jason will impress her with his moves.

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.

Ella

Jason

Ella: Skateboarders are pretty hot.

Jason: Yeah?

Ella: Yeah. Don’t know much about actual skateboarding, but the whole look is pretty attractive.

Jason: Is it just the look, or is it the fact that they actually skateboard, get out there, do some 360s…

Ella: Yeah, I mean the moves are impressive too, just by name. Ollie, that just sounds fun, you know? A half-pipe? Like, hello!

Jason: Totally. I mean, I was a skater when I was like 15…

Ella: Oh wow.

Jason: I just didn’t think it would still be around. You know, like I had baggy pants and skate shoes and I could do a kickflip, but I kinda thought it was a fad.

Ella: I don’t know. I still see people using it more as a sport, but also as a mode of transportation. It’s just easy to get around like on campus in college. It’s a little faster, but not quite the bike. You can just haul it right in your book bag.

Jason: And you get to feel like you’re in your favorite video game, right?

Ella: Exactly.

Jason: I think that’s why it’s so huge right now.

Ella: It’s really “bro” and “dude”-ish now, though.

Jason: Yeah, the skateboarder lingo has totally infiltrated our normal speech, bro.

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Ella likes the skateboarding look, which usually includes shaggy hair and skate shoes. It sounds like she’s more impressed by guys who get the style right than guys who know how to land the tricks.

Jason used to be a skater in high school, and he thought it was just a passing fad. But it seems like skating is here to stay. It’s become more legitimate as a sport since the X Games started in the 1990s, and it’s also an easy and cheap mode of transportation for a lot of young people. Skating video games like the Tony Hawk series have also helped keep it popular.

Do you like to skateboard? Have you ever seen the X Games? Is skate culture big in your country?

Comments

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Sun Mi

South Korea

I like skate boardingzzz

Chorok

France

Cool :)

徐慧

China

In our college, I saw several skateboarding teams , most are boys, most of the most are frosh and sophomore students, yes,they are very cool, I like their look and the tricks they plays, youthful and energy. They gather timely to practice in some squares, often I would like to stop by and show my admiration to them

wolf child

China

I have never saw skater palying in the park in my eyes.but no chance.if I got a chance , I do try it .

paulilla

Colombia

brizzard

Thailand

It's good idea to send the letter instead the car

I think that it's too fast

TTA

Germany

I like seeing people who can do some tricks with a skateboard…it's very impressive.Especially X-Games skateboarder are amazing..it looks so easy when they do tricks, but I surely know that it took a lot of hart training. In Germany skate is popular, I think, but I didn't see many skaterboarder on street or campus for example.

neoerol

Turkey

it is great. I want to do it. But there is not straight way here. so I can't ride skateboard

http://historyofturkey.blospot.com

BELLA

Taiwan

I've ever saw skater playing in the park, it's really exciting sport. I also try it too, it's really hard to control but very interesting, if I got a chance next time, I do try it again.

m2i9n

Thailand

I do like watching X games on tv and always think the players must be very brave. I also want to check it out but never have a chance. It looks like to be dangerous game, but if you wear personal protective equipments properly it will be less dangerous.

Manyax

Japan

i cant skateboarding.

ive never touched the skateboard!

in Japan, skateboarding is not so popular.

almost all young people are more interested in TV games, PSP…and so on!

))~~#~~RO$E~~%~~((

Saudi Arabia

Yeah I like skateboarding although it is very risky but so intresting especially its amazing moves, I always watch x-games on Tv, In my country we have many guys who play skateboarding at streets or around big malls but they do it as a hobby not in a professional way:)

DigitalStorm

Mexico

i used to play skateboard back in the days.my used to be a freestyle skateboarder like rodney mullen and did some extreme moves to break some of my body parts :P

Skateboarding is one of the coolest sport!

sun-riyadh

Saudi Arabia

i like skateboarding, some young guys play it at street in my country

they play it with amazing show

adabracadan

Turkey

it is a nice sport but very risky. i would like to learn it 1 day. i am sure that it will be a good innovation in istanbul as we are dying with everyday traffic jam. i can use it to travel around this crowded city heheheheheheheheh!!!!!