This story is about beach volleyball.
First, listen to Raisa talking about playing the game:
So tonight's volleyball event will be a challenge for me I guess because like, well, I mean
like I've hit a volleyball but I've never actually tried playing it.
And playing it is a lot, well, you know, a whole different thing because like you have
to actually aim for it to go over the net and you know, go within certain boundaries
and stuff and I don't even know the rules of volleyball.
Raisa uses a lot of words that don't mean very much:
I guess
like
well and
you know
Listen again:
So tonight's volleyball event will be a challenge for me I guess because like, well, I mean
like I've hit a volleyball but I've never actually tried playing it.
And playing it is a lot, well, you know, a whole different thing because like you have
to actually aim for it to go over the net
and you know, go within certain boundaries and stuff and I don't even know the rules
of volleyball.
Words such as like and you know are called fillers.
Using them can help you sound more fluent and give you time to think.
They're a part of natural speech, but try not to use them too much.
Now listen to Noelene explaining the rules:
Ok Raisa, when we start the game we always have to stand behind the line here.
Behind the line?
Behind the line and it's always on the right hand side, okay
and then the umpire will blow the whistle and then that's when you'll serve it.
Raisa makes sure she understands by repeating what she's just heard:
We always have to stand behind the line here.
Behind the line?
Behind the line.
Now listen as Noelene explains the sequence of events using and then:
And then the umpire will blow the whistle and then that's when you'll serve it.
"And then the umpire will blow the whistle and then you serve."
and then links things that happen one after the other.
Now listen as Raisa makes sure she knows what to do:
Normally a serve is the punch behind the ball.
A punch like one hand?
Yes, the ball in one hand and punch.
Punch like that?
Yes, absolutely and then that will take it over the net.
Now listen to how Noelene uses the word onc':
Once it goes over the net for the first serve, they'll retaliate so they'll hit it back
and then that's when we run closest to the net and try and hit it back with our arms.
"Once it goes over the net, they'll retaliate."
Here once means when or after.
Listen again:
Once it goes over the net for the first serve, they'll retaliate so they'll hit it back
and then that's when we run closest to the net and try and hit it back with our arms.
So how did Raisa go?
Well, when I first started I was pretty much clueless
like I didn't really get the hang of it and that you could get three hits before you know.
If I had knew that from the beginning like I would have reacted more sort of because
like when I thought that the ball was going to go down then I just left it because I didn't
know that you could get three shots.
She said she was pretty much clueless and didn't get the hang of it.
To be clueless is to not understand and to get the hang of something is to learn how
to do it.
We'll finish with Raisa enjoying herself after the game and exchanging chit-chat or talking
to her new friends:
Yeah, the night was extremely fun like we had drinks and stuff at this wonderful place
and yeah, it was really nice to end the night with a drink and you know, just chit chat
with these people
and like they're just really welcoming me, like they invite me to come next Wednesday
for another game and stuff.
So yeah it's really nice today and the weather's really nice and everything so it's a great
end
to everything.