SpeakUp: More Than Just Talking About Football
The FIFA 2026 Final was the theme of our latest SpeakUp Youth English Conversation Club meeting. This time, however, football was just the starting point. We began by discovering some interesting facts about the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the final match between Argentina and Spain.
Like any athletes, we started with a warm-up. Everyone formed their own team of cat lovers, pizza fans, night owls, or bookworms. The challenge was to come up with a team name and introduce it to the group. That's how teams like Servants, Crazy Birds, and Reading Racers came to life.
We unusually explored football vocabulary. Instead of reading or translating new words, we drew them, acted them out with gestures, and used them in sentences. Along the way, we learned what a penalty kick is and refreshed our knowledge of a few basic rules of the game.
Our round-table discussion focused on the following questions:
- Which sport would you never try?
- Is e-sport a real sport?
- Do people take sports too seriously?
- Is watching sport as exciting as playing it?
- Should schools spend more time on sports?
The answers were diverse, and sometimes opposite. That became especially clear during our active «Agree or Disagree?» game. Different corners of the room were marked ✅Agree, ❓ Not sure, and ❌Disagree. After hearing each statement, participants chose their position, moved to the corresponding corner, and explained their opinions in English.
Congratulations to Spain on winning the FIFA 2026 World Cup! And congratulations to our participants on taking another confident step forward in their English-learning journey. See you at the next SpeakUp meeting!
