What Is March Madness? Learn About American Basketball (B2 English)

🏀In this episode of the Learn English Podcast, you will learn about “March Madness,” one of the most famous sports traditions in the United States. This episode explains how the college basketball tournament works and why millions of Americans follow it every year.

You will hear useful vocabulary connected to sports, competition, and American culture, such as “bracket,” “underdog,” “Final Four,” and “national championship.” These words are explained in a clear and natural way for B2 English learners who want to improve listening skills and real-life vocabulary.

This episode is perfect for anyone who wants to understand American culture better while practicing English in context.

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📜 SOURCES

https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2025-01-17/how-fill-out-march-madness-bracket-if-youve-never-done-it-and-thats-ok

https://time.com/7269620/how-sports-betting-took-over-march-madness/

📝 Vocabulary list:

1) Madness – Extreme excitement or chaos

2) Tournament – A series of games or competitions to determine a winner.

3) Oversee – To manage or supervise something.

4) Bracket – A diagram showing teams in a tournament and their matchup

5) Seed – To rank teams in a competition based on skill or performance.

6) Giveaway – A free prize or reward.

7) Wager – A bet or gamble.

8) Turn pro – To become a professional athlete.

9) Blue Bloods – A term used for traditionally strong college basketball teams.

10) Cinderella team – An underdog team that performs much better than expected.

11) Underdog – A person or team that is expected to lose.

12) Upset – When a weaker team unexpectedly beats a stronger one.

13) Sweet 16 – The round in a tournament where 16 teams remain.

14) Elite Eight – The round in a tournament where 8 teams remain.

15) Final Four – The round in a tournament where 4 teams remain.