A few years ago, with the UEFA Euro Championship well underway, Gary Lineker tweeted about politicians who were suddenly jumping on the football bandwagon. His followers were quick to comment on who they considered to be genuine football fans and who they thought were simply political point scoring.
I'm not in a position to judge, but I couldn't help feeling a tinge of guilt as I remembered how we language teachers, who might usually have little interest in watching a match or hearing the score, start talking about matches and players, in the hope that it will get more mileage out of their lessons,
Footballers who speak Spanish
The guilt doesn't last long, as I soon remember that Gary himself seems to encourage this approach for language teaching. Go to BBC iplayer and you will find he features on Celebrity Supply Teacher, encouraging children to learn a language, offering tips for remembering words.
It turns out that Gary had three Spanish lessons a week for two years when he started playing for FC Barcelona. Understandably, he wanted to integrate with his team mates and connect with local culture, and this seems to have worked well. You can find out more watching Match of the Day (Partido de dia) in Spanish here https://youtu.be/pypY0sjQMhg. Or you may prefer to see David Beckham's humble and heart warming interview in Spanish here https://youtu.be/H4LJOVS6xxA
And then of course there are the many football legends from Francophone and Hispanic countries who are an inspiration for young people. Language learners are not only learning to communicate, but are also piecing together their world view. So clips about the different countries where footballers grew up, or where they currently play, are also an invaluable part of jumping on the football bandwagon in a learning situation. This year the Afcon is popular. As one of my languages is French, I try to steer students towards the francophone African countries . As the winner, the Ivory Coast was a great example to highlight, along with players such as Yahia Fofana and Ibrahim Sangere.
Footballers and football teams are definitely a language teaching success story and a real life example of the benefits of language learning, but this can go further. With football spread across the world, it can become a wider, cultural and geographical experience. The stadiums are important and they link in with capital cities. Also the flags, the kit, even the prematch snacks.
So if you are a teacher don't feel guilty. If you are a student, make the most of this foray away from grammar and complex vocabulary. Jump on the bandwagon. See where it takes you.
Comentarios