Home >Unlabelled > NBA stars, celebs help fans learn English on website - GMA News
NBA stars, celebs help fans learn English on website - GMA News
Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2012 by NBA Playoff Schedule 2012
Rising New York Knicks star Jeremy Lin has not only sparked NBA basketball interest in Taiwan, he may also inspire fans to learn English, according to people at the website "English, baby!"
With 1.6 million registered members and about a million hits a month, the educational website (www.englishbaby.com) has been using National Basketball Association players and celebrities to draw visitors to their English lessons, taught by guest stars who explain idioms associated with their work.
"We're really excited about that," Jason Simms, of English, baby!, said in a telephone interview from his Portland, Oregon office about the emergence of Lin on the NBA stage.
"There are lots of businesses out there that are tied to the enthusiasm for the NBA in Asia. We, like many people, were very disappointed when Yao [Ming] retired. It seemed like that might put a damper on that trajectory," he said about the Chinese star who played for the Houston Rockets.
But thanks to Lin, the 23-year-old Taiwanese-American sports sensation and media darling who propelled the struggling Knicks to several victories and sparked a craze dubbed "Linsanity," the trajectory may continue.
"We're really excited that Jeremy Lin is back to connecting the conversation between Taiwan and China and the United States about basketball."
China makes up the biggest audience for the service, comprising about 25 percent of the site's members, followed by Turkey at 7.1 percent and India, Brazil, Egypt and the United States. Taiwan is No.7 on the list at 2.2 percent.
John Hayden, who taught English in Japan and decided students advanced faster armed with cultural, as well as language fluency, started the company 10 years ago.
At first actors were used to stage conversations. But about three years ago he got the idea to tap into the Asian interest in basketball by inviting players to participate in an impromptu lesson, explaining a basketball term and engaging in a chat, which is accompanied by sub-titles on the screen.
NBA players including All-Stars Dwight Howard, of the Orlando Magic, and the New York Nicks' Carmelo Anthony, and Shane Battier, of the Miami Heat, and Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks have participated along with singer Sheryl Crow, DJ Girl Talk, and rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.
"A lot of players just perk up at the mention of China because they do interviews every day at media sessions during the season, but they don't get a lot of chances to speak directly to the fans in China," said Simms, who catches players at practice when their teams are in Portland to play the Trail Blazers.
"A lot of these players do tours and promotional events in China in the summer, but during the season they are mostly speaking to the American audience. This gives them a chance to reach out internationally."
The strategy seems to be a hit with teachers and students. The website receives lots of emails and comments, according to Simms.
"People say, 'Thank you for teaching us the real English. This is awesome. To know what this stuff means, I feel more confident I can talk like a real basketball fan,'" he explained.
"Sometimes we get stuff from teachers saying, 'I brought this video into the class and they really liked it.' As an educational outlet, our goal is to be complementary to a classroom experience." - Reuters
23 Feb, 2012
-
Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNGKfkpAlCHRuyLaoDZgGsHzYSCjUw&url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/249163/sports/basketball/nba-stars-celebs-help-fans-learn-english-on-website
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com
Blog Archive
-
▼
2012
(2069)
-
▼
February
(971)
- Power Rankings, Vol. IV
- Previewing WSU opponents: Loyola
- It's Halftime
- R.I.P. Dunk-Contest...ein Nachruf
- NBA All-Star Weekend Review
- Miami Heat: LeBron James no substance just talent!
- Video: All-Star Weekend
- Gerüchteküche (All-Star Edition)
- Stern pleased despite condensed NBA schedule - Was...
- NBA All-Star Game: Live updates from Amway Center ...
- NBA All-Star Game 2012: Kevin Love Representing Ti...
- 2012 NBA All-Star Game: LeBron James The Odds-On F...
- NBA All-Star Chat: Will Kobe Bryant get his 5th Al...
- 2012 NBA All-Star Game: East Roster Features LeBro...
- Sacramento, Maloofs meeting on Kings - USA TODAY
- Dwight Howard saga dominates NBA's second half - N...
- NBA All-Star Weekend 2012: All-Star Game, Three-Po...
- VIDEO: Kevin Love beats out Kevin Durant to win 3-...
- Daytona 500, Oscars, NBA All-Star Game may bump up...
- 2012 NBA All-Star Game: Knicks' Carmelo Anthony St...
- 2012 NBA All-Star Game Time, TV Schedule And More ...
- NBA commish talks about Seattle, Sacramento - KING...
- NBA All-Star Weekend: Flo Rida Performs A 'Good Fe...
- NBA Analysis: Miami Heat Midseason Review - Opposi...
- Magic Johnson's 1992 NBA All-Star appearance a def...
- NBA Standings 2012: Can The Mavericks Climb The St...
- David Stern: Adam Silver worthy successor as NBA c...
- Great expectations in NBA's second half - ESPN
- Previewing WSU opponents: Youngstown
- The 2012 NBA All-Star game, the L.A. story - Exami...
- Fake NBA All-Star gear leads to arrests in Orlando...
- NBA All-Star Saturday: No. 1 in Orlando ratings - ...
- NBA All-Star Weekend: Slam dunk contest and three-...
- NBA All-Star Game 2012: TV Info, Time, Anthem/Half...
- NBA All Star Basketball - KENS 5 TV
- NBA All-Star Game 2012: 5 All-Stars You Don't Want...
- David Stern says Adam Silver is ready - ESPN
- West All-Stars-East All-Stars Preview - ESPN
- NBA All-Star Game Rare Shootout Involving Iguodala...
- Is Dwyane Wade the Best Player in the NBA? - NESN.com
- 2012 NBA All-Star Game Time, TV Schedule And More ...
- NBA Slam Dunk Contest | 02.26.12 - News & Observer
- 2012 NBA All-Star Game Time, TV Schedule And More ...
- NBA commissioner David Stern has no sympathy for D...
- NBA's focus back on Howard - Bryan College Station...
- NBA Power Rankings 2012: Bulls And 76ers Boast Bes...
- Kyrie Irving talks about return of 'NBA Live 13' -...
- NBA Capsules: Utah's Evans wins Slam Dunk Contest ...
- NBA All-Star Game Live Blog: LeBron James, Kobe Br...
- NBA All-Star Game rosters - Columbus Dispatch
- NBA teams already looking beyond this year - San F...
- 2012 NBA All-Star Saturday Night - San Antonio Exp...
- 2012 NBA All-Star Skills Challenge: Celtics' Rajon...
- NBA All-Star Weekend: Slams, skills and shootout -...
- Heat, Thunder prepared to take NBA All-Star Game b...
- NBA All-Stars Shine In Skills Contests - KERO-TV 23
- NBA All-Star Game back in SLC? Not anytime soon, J...
- Stern: Silver worthy successor as NBA commissioner...
- Stern: Silver worthy successor as NBA commissioner...
- NBA Slam Dunk Contest 2012: All-Star Game Warmup B...
- NBA's David Stern: No deal yet on new arena for Sa...
- Kevin Durant, the NBA's unassuming superstar, reme...
- Celebrities at NBA All-Star Weekend - SI.com
- Tennis player Michael Chang has given advice to NB...
- For one night, Lakers and Clippers will work toget...
- All Star Weekend LeBron James still Don't Understand-
- Handing out NBA midseason awards: LeBron James loo...
- Phoenix Suns' Steve Nash, at NBA all-star game, do...
- Jerry Zgoda's Sunday Insider: There was one Magica...
- Lakers' Darvin Ham unenthusiastic about 2012 NBA d...
- NBA All-Star Weekend: Three Point Shootout, Slam D...
- NBA Trade Rumors: Suns Are Foolish Not to Trade St...
- Johnson: 'Linsanity' might bring change to NBA nar...
- NBA Trade Rumors: Lakers interested in trading for...
- NBA Four Quarters | All-Star edition - Kansas City...
- No one seems to notice, but the Spurs are a threat...
- NBA Slam Dunk Contest: Competition Has Long Histor...
- Previewing WSU players: Vaughn Duggins
- Women's Basketball
- Men's Basketball
- NBA All-Star Game a social media bonanza worldwide...
- Monroe 'steals' show at NBA Rising Stars (with vid...
- 2012 NBA Skills Challenge: Four PGs Compete In ......
- 2012 NBA Three-Point Contest: James Jones Seeks Re...
- NBA All-Star Weekend: Three-Point Contest Includes...
- NBA All-Star Weekend: Jeremy Lin Not Main Event Bu...
- Jeremy Lin humbled, humorous during All-Star weeke...
- NBA Rising Stars Game 2012: Kyrie Irving Showed Us...
- NBA All-Star Saturday Night 2012 Time, TV Schedule...
- NBA Debate: Why David Stern Should Shorten Season ...
- Not an All-Star, but Lin stars in Orlando - Atlant...
- NBA All-Stars showcase skills leading up to big ga...
- NBA All-Stars and more pitch in for charity - Orla...
- 2012 NBA Dunk Contest: Jeremy Evans Could Surprise...
- 2012 NBA All-Star Saturday: Schedule, TV Info And ...
- Syracuse vs UConn: Future NBA Studs to Watch in Bi...
- NBA All-Star Weekend: Rising Stars and the Celebri...
- Vic's Picks: NBA, Dwight Howard, Missouri-Kansas -...
- NBA Rumors: Suns Shouldn't Wait for Steve Nash's B...
- NBA: Lights, camera & stars - Daily News & Analysis
-
▼
February
(971)