OK, I admit it. What I know about World Cup Soccer could fit in a teacup. My kids grew up before soccer became a big sport in our suburb. I never did learn the rules. And when FIFA became well known, it took me a while to learn that FIFA actually stands for the Federation Internationale de Football Association. So when my husband asked me why I hadn’t blogged about the world’s most popular sport, my defense was that I know nothing about it.
Aha! Don’t we ask kids to do that all the time? They know little about a topic, yet we teach facts to them once or twice and expect them to retrieve the information. They need to understand first, then retrieve. So we need a dual-focussed vocabulary approach. We need to teach what the words mean AND how to retrieve the words.
Without explaining the intricacies of the game, what are some terms unique to soccer that a child needs to retrieve? Shinguard, forwards, defenders, midfielders, and goalkeepers. The field is a “pitch.” Ask your client to say the words ALOUD 5 times and use them in a meaningful sentence.
As the World Cup proceeds, we will probably hear a lot about Spartak Stadium in Moscow. Apparently it has been known as Otkrytiye Arena, but will be known as Spartak Stadium during the World Cup. Otkrytiye Holding is a private holding company which holds the rights to the arena’s name until 2019, but Spartak is the name of the local football (AKA soccer) club, named for the Roman Gladiator Spartacus.
To remember Spartak, how about “Sky Trek” as a cue? And Otkrytiye (ot KRIT ee uh) sounds like “pretty.” Full disclosure: I had to google that to know how to pronounce it. I have made no attempt to develop cues for the names of the various countries in the tournament; they change almost daily. Find out your client’s favorite team and develop cues for him or her. Just hope it’s an easy name to pronounce!