We have written several articles about language learning programs connected with sports, this is our second article related with soccer and foreign languages. Football (which is also known as soccer in some parts of the world) is one of the most popular sports on the planet and it has a wide following of fans. One of the most popular teams in the world today is Arsenal of the English Premier League.

Arsenal has an innovative educational and football program, the Arsenal Double Club. It offers a range of subjects to the youth together with football coaching. The Double Club programs are presented in schools as after school clubs and during lesson time. The aim is to raise the ability and confidence levels in various school and education subjects.

The Arsenal Double Club has a language program set with primary schools that teaches children modern languages such as Spanish, French and German. The basis of the language lessons is football; children learn languages through songs, interactive DVDs, workbooks, memory games and even Arsenal top trumps with the details in the foreign language the children are learning.

The foreign language learning module goes like this: forty-five minutes is allotted for language learning, afterwards the children have a forty-five minute football coaching session. Upon completion of the module which lasts for six to eight weeks, the pupils are invited to take a tour of the Emirates Stadium which is the home of the Arsenal Football Club.

The British government is set to make foreign languages a compulsory part of the curriculum in the next few years. Language learning has been neglected recently but programs such as this one may change all that. The earlier children learn languages, the easier it is for them to absorb them. Arsene Wenger, the manager of the football club, has said that “the more you learn about the language, the more you can understand and penetrate the soul and roots of a culture.” Well said from a man who is fluent in French, English and German and also speaks some Spanish, Italian, and Japanese.

The children love the program since they get to learn languages and play football at the same time-and the coaches and players of the football club are also part of the process! The project has helped language teachers develop their skills in a cross-curricular approach by learning languages with their pupils. Then the football stars teach the children football skills but in order to do that, the children must speak the target languages with them while playing football exercises and games.

This program is very helpful in promoting language learning and sports among the youth. If other football clubs and sports teams create programs such as this in various parts of the planet, there’s a better chance that more children will be able to learn languages and communicate with more people.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009 at 1:51 pm and is filed under Learning Abroad, Learning in holidays. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.