| "body"> | | | | on game plays and goals using active or passive |
| Use the Soccer World Cup in Germany as an English | | | | voiceo Making predictions using future tenses "going |
| Language Teaching Tool? | | | | to" or "will"o Using discourse markers or modals to |
| No, I'm not kidding. Using popular events like the soccer | | | | express uncertainty (perhaps, possibly, maybe, might, |
| world cup in Germany to teach English is in fact, | | | | could, may, etc.) |
| practical. The learners' Affective Filter (Krashen and | | | | The learners are free to work up whatever formats |
| Terrell, 1983) is so low using events like these to teach | | | | they wish as long as they stay active and involved in |
| English, "a cockroach could leap over it". | | | | the process. Some games are recorded with highlights |
| Can you imagine the reactions of my learners when I | | | | reviewed / discussed in class. A few games are |
| announced, "For English class everybody has to watch | | | | watched during class hours via multi-media facilities |
| the world cup matches"? | | | | available at the university. |
| "That's great!" "Teacher, you're the best!" "Oh man, | | | | Other activity possibilities are:o Reportso Developing |
| we've never had an English assignment like that | | | | vocabulary lists in context based on vocabulary |
| before!" | | | | elements (Thornbury, 2002)o Discussion / descriptions |
| Although not a huge soccer fan myself, I did think it | | | | of cities where games are playedo Local architectureo |
| would be interesting to see matches between teams | | | | Regional foodso Holidayso Clothingo almost any |
| you know never get to play each other during a | | | | cultural aspect learners may find new and interesting |
| regular season. Italy vs. Ghana? The USA vs. the | | | | At the end (gasp!) of it all, learners will have compiled |
| Czech Republic? Holland vs. Ivory Coast? Awesome! | | | | an extensive "portfolio" of written and multi-media |
| To work the games in to English language practice, | | | | materials that have allowed them exhaustive practice |
| learners must use their skills in a number of different | | | | in the four English language basic skills. Written practice |
| ways by applying Task-Based Learning (J. Willis, 1998) | | | | can be either Process-based (White, 1987) or |
| in addition to some Content-Based Instruction (Richards | | | | Product-based (Fowler, 1988) Learners have also had |
| and Rogers, 1993). Do Ghana and Italy do business | | | | extensive listening comprehension practice in English. |
| together? If so, what kinds of products or services? | | | | With different sports moderators and commentators |
| Useful activities for learners include ones such as:o | | | | from different countries speaking English with a variety |
| Preparing and giving profiles of the competing | | | | of accents, elements of listening and their associated |
| countries including economics, geography, capitol cities, | | | | difficulties can be examined. (Brown and Yule, 1983) |
| etc.o Being able to locate the countries on a world | | | | So, these activities are turning the soccer world cup in |
| map and give bordering countries and geographic | | | | Germany into a marvelous English language teaching |
| featureso Talking about key players on each team or | | | | tool. The process could be rolled over and used with |
| dialogues between players / coaches / fanso | | | | other international sporting events as well, like the |
| Describing aspects of key players on each team - | | | | Olympics, Baseball World Series, American football |
| age, height, weight, hair, looks, marital status and other | | | | Super Bowl or numerous other world regional events. |
| features like bald, braces, glasses, tattoos, etc.o | | | | Think about sports or other types of events where |
| Soccer match elements like player positions, scoring, | | | | you live. How might you effectively exploit them to |
| and even how to play the gameo Giving commentary | | | | teach your English EFL or ESL learners? |