Upper-intermediate65 min · 55-min trimTeacher talk < 1/3
Why this lesson
Millions of people love football. But why do we care so much about a game with a ball? It is really about belonging, feelings, and being part of something bigger.
MY NOTE — personal reminders and in-the-moment cuesThis is the upper-intermediate edition. Vocabulary and prompts are simpler than the advanced version; it’s anticipated that students will speak more freely when the language load is lighter, so plan to step back and let pairs run.
1Warm-up: scan the survey5 minTTT low
Hand out (or display) the opinion survey. Students read the statements quietly and tick their first reactions. No talking yet — this primes the topic and the target vocabulary.
MY NOTE — personal reminders and in-the-moment cuesIt’s anticipated that a few words will be new here; that’s fine. Tell students they will learn them next, so they should just guess for now.
2Vocabulary input (two sets)10 minTTT med
Set 1 — core words:
teamnoun
a group of players who play together
fannoun
a person who loves a team or sport
matchnoun
a game between two teams
scoreverb/noun
to get a goal / the number of goals
winverb
to be the best in a game
loseverb
to not win a game
Set 2 — build on it:
supportverb
to follow and help a team
proudadj
feeling happy about something you or your team did
celebrateverb
to show you are happy after success
defeatnoun/verb
a loss / to beat another team
rivalnoun
a team or person you always compete against
competeverb
to try to win against others
MY NOTE — personal reminders and in-the-moment cuesStudents will likely already know one or two of these. Drill only the trickier items chorally, then move on — don’t over-explain easy words.
3Video / input stimulus8 minTTT low
A short clip of fans celebrating a goal, or a national team singing before a match. Play it twice. First time: just watch. Second time: students note one thing they see and one thing they feel.
No video? Read-aloud fallback
Read aloud: “When the ball goes into the net, thousands of people jump up together. Strangers hug each other. For 90 minutes, they are not strangers — they are one team, one city, one country.”
4Pair discussion + Interaction Toolkit10 minTTT low
Pairs discuss the questions below. The toolkit gives them ready phrases so they keep talking instead of stopping to translate.
- Do you like football? Why or why not?
- Is there a team or a sport that you support? Tell your partner about it.
- How do you feel when a team you like wins? And when it loses?
- Do many people in your country watch football? When?
MY NOTE — personal reminders and in-the-moment cuesIt’s anticipated that early finishers will go quiet. Have a follow-up ready: ‘Tell me one more reason.’ Circulate and collect errors for the next phase.
5Language Clinic 15 minTTT med
Anticipated focus: present simple for habits and routines (I watch every weekend; they play on Sundays). It’s likely some students will drop the third-person ‘s’ (he play → he plays).
Put 3–4 real student sentences on the board (no names). The class fixes them together.
6Jigsaw: different points of view10 minTTT low
Question for the group: Is winning the most important thing in sport?
Give each student one role card. They read it, then explain that person’s opinion to the group in their own words.
A PLAYERI train hard every day. For me, winning is everything.
A FANI just love watching with my friends. The result is not so important.
A COACHI want my team to play well and respect the other team, win or lose.
A PARENTI want my children to have fun and stay healthy, not only to win.
7Likert debate8 minTTT low
Read each statement. Students move or raise hands to show agree / not sure / disagree, then defend their choice with one reason.
Football is more than just a game.
Winning is the most important thing in sport.
Football brings the people of a country together.
Top players are paid too much money.
It is okay to feel very sad when your team loses.
8Language Clinic 24 minTTT med
Anticipated focus: adjectives of feeling vs verbs (I’m excited / it excites me; I’m disappointed / it disappoints me). Students will probably mix ‘bored’ and ‘boring’.
9Output task (choose one)7 minTTT low
Choose ONE way to share your ideas about football:
- Describe a match or a sports moment you will never forget.
- Write about your favourite player or team, and say why you like them.
- Design your own team: a name, colours, and one rule for the players.
MY NOTE — personal reminders and in-the-moment cuesFor the 55-minute trim: set the output task as homework and end after the debate.
10One-word close2 minTTT low
Go round the room: Say one word for how football (or sport) makes you feel. No explaining — just one word each.