Learn English with English, baby!

Join for FREE!

Social_nav_masthead_logged_in
 
Coast To Coast - Rip Hamilton of the Detroit Pistons
Coast To Coast - Rip Hamilton of the Detroit Pistons English, baby! Video Lesson

NBA star gives English lesson

Date: Jan 07 2011

Themes: Sports

Grammar: Past Progressive Tense

Intro

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

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

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

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

Like most sports, speed is important in basketball. Richard “Rip” Hamilton is a fast guy. It’s no wonder that he is one of the best players in the history of his team, the Detroit Pistons. He helped them win the NBA Championship in 2004 and has been named an All-Star three times.

After injuring his nose, Rip began wearing a mask during games. The mask, along with his skills on the court, make him seem like a superhero. Never is he more heroic on the court than when he gets a rebound at one end and takes the ball all the way to the other and scores. That’s called going coast to coast, and even though Detroit is no where near the ocean, Rip knows a lot about it. We discussed this and more with him at a recent practice.

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

Rip

Rip

Jason:  Alright, welcome to English, baby! We’re here at the Detroit Pistons practice. I understand you were recently in China?

Rip:  Yes, I was.

Jason:  And how was that?

Rip:  It was awesome. I love it, man.

Jason:  What did you do over there?

Rip:  I was just out doing an appearance, you know, did some basketball clinics. I was in Hong Kong. I was in Macau. You know, it was a great place for me.

Jason:  How’s the game over there? What do people think of it?

Rip:  The game is definitely evolved. You’ve got a lot of kids playing the game of basketball. A lot of people don’t know that there’s a lot of taller players over there. You get over there and you see kids fourteen years old and 6’8”, 6’9”, and you would never think that.

Jason:  One of the things we do here is help people learn basketball slang. And so I was hoping you could give us a lesson. How about going coast to coast? What does that mean?

Rip:  Going coast to coast just means going from one end all the way to the other and getting to the basket. Getting your team a bucket.

Jason:  You’re a fast guy, could you tell us what it means to run the floor?

Rip:  It means a lot to run the floor. It makes the game easy. You know, nobody wants to chase somebody running all around the floor. It’s hard to guard. Especially coming off screens and things like that.

Jason:  Cool, man! Thanks so much for talking to us! Can I get you to give me a high five and say “English, baby!”

Rip:  English, baby!

 

Grammar Point

Go Super to learn "Past Progressive Tense" from this lesson Go Super!

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz Go Super!

 

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3 Go Super!

The iTEP® test

  • Schedule an iTEP® test and take the official English Practice Test.

    Take Now >

Discussion

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

Recently, Rip was in China. He likes it there. He thinks the Chinese athletes are good, and often taller than he expected.

Since Rip is a fast player, Jason asks him to teach the meaning of the phrase “coast to coast.” Rip explains that when you go coast to coast, you get the ball on one end of the court and take it all the way to the other and score. When you go coast to coast, you score a basket for your team all by yourself.

Rip says that running the floor is important in basketball because it makes you harder to defend. You can also help your teammates by setting screens and getting in the way of the defenders.

Are you fast? Do you like to run?

For more with Rip, visit our blog.

 

Comments

Log in to Comment

Marcelolic

Marcelolic

Brazil

Oh yes I was…Before time,I liked to run to decrease my time,then now I just run for fun and lose a litlle fat and keep my conditioning,not more hehe…

10:35 AM Jan 25 2012 |

careygold

Germany

I love to play basketball..i really enjoy this game with  my friends!!!

12:47 PM Jul 18 2011 |

gustavo arias

Venezuela

basketball is a good sport…. i’ve never played that one before….. but i think it’s a good one…...  

06:04 PM Jul 01 2011 |

FRT77

Bangladesh

i am a new Student for this site

I am very  week about English.

 

04:07 PM Feb 07 2011 |

Abmunavir.123

India

I like

10:00 AM Feb 03 2011 |

zafirah.abmuin

Malaysia

i dont play basketball at all,but i love to watch that game where people become so energetic, run n jump freely. i really enjoy to see some skills!

03:44 AM Jan 23 2011 |

Eydo

Eydo

Turkey

Hey guys/gals!.......liking baskeball or not? it is not important. The most important thinnk is the idiom/slang of going coast to coast? we learn new slangs rom EBABY so thanks to all who spent effort to make this for usSmile

12:10 PM Jan 13 2011 |

rsalas

Costa Rica

I don't like to watch basketball, I rather prefer to play it!!

11:19 PM Jan 11 2011 |

ddith

Philippines

yes, basketball takes a lot of running on the floor like frisbee..i can't play basketball because i'm too skinny to be smashed LOL

...just an hour ago i played frisbee (flying disc) with my classmates in p.e., it's a tiring game but it was fun indeed..

take care  

11:35 AM Jan 11 2011 |

Zambuka

Zambuka

United States

loved basketball when i was in school) i 'm not into watching it, but i like playin basketball))) 

07:42 PM Jan 10 2011 |

Romio79

Romio79

Russian Federation

I don't play basketball but I like jogging especialy in the forest.

04:34 PM Jan 09 2011 |

fikas

fikas

Azerbaijan

Ooo this is very interesting game i like basketball very much.but i am not fast.
This is very interesting and beautiful site to learn english well.Thank you Jason.

11:26 AM Jan 09 2011 |

zy1981619

China

i like basketball too. where did you see him? may i talk with you using QQ? my number is 55522351.

10:29 AM Jan 09 2011 |

luosijie203

Taiwan

I like basketall and I also know that speed is very important in sport, if you can run very fast in the whole of match, I'm sure you can get high score, nobody can follow the kind of guy!  So if you like to do sport, I recommend you should exercise your strength first!

02:20 AM Jan 09 2011 |

Likes (11):

See all >

Share this lesson:

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Bebo
  • Share on Myspace
  • Share on Twitter
  • Email this to a friend
  • Share on Sina

Post Ebaby! lessons on your blog:

Ebaby! Cast