English with Jo

This is the preparation material for an English conversation lesson about sports. Learn common slang and idioms that we use when discussing sports, find out how to use verbs and collocations in the context of sports and learn how to answer conversation questions relating to this topic.

Slang and Idioms we might using when talking about sports

• To be a good sport – to take lost game well and to respect the opposing team
• Get the ball rolling – To get started
• Take it on the chin - To suffer misfortune or defeat.
• Win by a nose - To succeed by a very narrow margin.

 A video about ‘Baby Sports’ 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Olu0C15rOJE 

• What is your opinion about baby sports? Do you think it is a good thing or a bad thing?
• What are the advantages of starting children in sports at such a young age?
• What might be the disadvantages? 

Conversation Questions about Sports

• Do you play any sports?
• Are you good at sports?
• What’s your favourite sport?
• Do you think everybody should practice sports?
• Do you think playing sports helps people work better as a team at work?
• Do you think that parents are too involved in their children's sports activities?
• Have you ever been to watch a professional sporting event?
• Is it good that professional sports are so commercial nowadays?
• What do you think is the most popular sport in the world?
• What is the most popular sport in your country?
• What new sports would you like to try?
• What sports do you like to watch on TV?
• What's a sport that you don't like?
• Who is your favourite professional athlete? Why?
• How do you feel about extreme sports?
• If you had the opportunity to do away with any sport, what sport would you do away with? Why?
• Do you think professional athletes earn too much money? Why or why not? Which sport's athletes do you think earn the money money?
• What are some of the benefits of sports?
• Do you prefer playing or watching sports?
• What do you think of the famous quote: “Sports do not build character, they reveal it.”?

Test your knowledge? 

Do you know which sports these places are associated with:

1. Court
2. Course
3. Ring
4. Pitch
5. Rink
6. Alley
7. Piste 

Verbs and their collocations in the context of sport 

• Our team won by 3 goals
• Our team lost by 5 points
• She broke the Olympic record last year
• He holds the record for the 50 metres sprint.
• How many points have you scored this season?
• I think I’ll take up tennis next spring.
• I’ve decided to give up hockey.