Classroom ideas for using football podcasts, transcripts and authentic football language.
About our Teaching Resources
Authentic Listening
Students listen to authentic football language to develop their confidence with English.
Full Transcripts
Every podcast includes a transcript for reading, vocabulary work and language analysis.
Football in Context
Football provides a meaningful context for developing vocabulary, communication and cultural awareness.
Using English Football Language in Your Classroom
Below are simple, flexible techniques you can apply to any episode of our podcasts. You can choose what you use and how depending on your class level and time available. A typical lesson can move from preparing learners for the topic, to listening, then exploring language in more detail before producing their own football-related language.
Before Listening
Activate learners’ knowledge of the football topic and prepare them for the listening.
- Discuss the football context
- Predict vocabulary
- Introduce key expressions
While Listening
Our podcasts can be used in different ways depending on your learners and your lesson aims. Students can listen for the overall meaning first, then listen again for specific information and useful language.
- Listen for general ideas (gist): What is the podcast about? What match, player or football event is being discussed?
- Listen for specific information/detail:: Find key information such as teams, scores, opinions or examples.
- Identify key expressions
- Listen for language: Identify football expressions, useful phrases and repeated vocabulary. Compare answers and discuss what learners heard.
Working with the Transcript
Developing vocabulary awareness and noticing how football language is used in context.
- Developing vocabulary:
- Highlight new football vocabulary and expressions.
- Find words with similar meanings.
- Explore collocations and common phrases.
- Notice grammar patterns in real examples.
- Compare formal and informal football language.
Using the Language
Giving learners opportunities to communicate using new football English. After listening and exploring the transcript, students can use the language in speaking and writing activities.
- Discuss football matches and give opinions.
- Explain football expressions to classmates.
- Create headlines or match reports.
- Predict results or debate football topics.
- Compare football language in English with other languages.
Example Lesson
The following example shows how one of our World Cup language podcasts can be adapted into a classroom lesson. Teachers can use the ideas below as they are or adapt them to suit their learners and teaching context.
2026 World Cup Language Podcast – Day 32 [Sink an opponent]
In this podcast, learners explore the expression to sink an opponent, along with several other ways of describing one team defeating another. The transcript also includes an authentic newspaper headline, providing opportunities to compare spoken and written football English.
Before Listening
Begin by activating learners’ existing football vocabulary and introducing the match context. Suggested activities:
- Ask learners which teams played in the World Cup semi-final.
- Ask: How many other ways can you say “beat” in football?
- Ask learners to predict what today’s football expression might be.
Listening
First listening: Play the podcast once without the transcript so learners focus on the overall meaning.
- Which match is discussed?
- What is today’s football expression?
- Did Spain win comfortably or narrowly?
Second listening: Ask learners to listen again and write down:
- expressions meaning to defeat
- the newspaper headline
- why the presenter explains the word sink
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