I read a very interesting book a while a go called Bamboo Goalposts by Rowan Simons. It’s a true, unique and entertaining story about the author’s love of football, its universal appeal, and how - as a foreigner - he overcame incredible political and cultural obstacles to set up amateur football in China.
In the book, he mentions how he had travelled in different countries, often visibly carrying a football when walking around, to deflect any negative attention in parts of cities where he felt vulnerable. The theory goes, if you wander into the wrong area but you’re carrying a football, you don’t look like a threat. Quite the opposite, in fact. You look more like someone looking for a harmless game of football! I’ve never tried it, but the author proved that it works and he made friends not enemies. And the common language, of course, was football. The Beautiful Game.
Like English, football has become an accepted global phenomenon. It unites people. It unites boys. More and more today, it unites girls. World United! Wherever you go in the world, people make a connection through football. Whether it’s a group of children kicking a ball about in a park, or men and women in a high-profile business meeting, football has a special way of bringing people together regardless of age, nationality, race or language. Even if you don’t like football, there’s no denying its key position in society.
As the Euro 2012 tournament reaches the knockout stages, we thought it would also be a good idea to add some extra material around this, to bring the theme right up to date, including using some usueful video links. You can download materials for free here www.northstarelt.co.uk/football
So we are not teaching the language of football (though there are some nice lessons for the real fans!) but the language of English through football, and so that’s what we called it: English Through Football.
Good luck, and remember to take a football with you wherever you go, as well as your English dictionary!
Free download materials
About the book:
