Breaking News English ESL Lesson Plan on World Cup Football

The soccer World Cup saga involving France and Ireland goes on. The striker at the centre of the controversy has said a replay between the two nations would be fair. Henry broke Irish hearts in the second leg of the World Cup qualification match. He clearly handled the ball to keep it in play, then crossed it for his compatriot William Gallas to head into the back of the net. This put France into the Finals in South Africa in 2010. Ireland was the better team on the night and looked like causing a shock in Paris. Instead, the Irish players sat on the pitch at the end of the game in tears and disbelief. Henry’s celebrations were muted. He sat with Irish player Richard Dunne in the centre of the field and admitted the handball.

The Irish prime minister and foreign secretary have asked FIFA for a replay. The sport’s governing body, however, said this was out of the question. The French Football Federation also said they do not think there should be a rematch. Henry is being compared with Argentine striker Diego Maradona, who handled the ball into the goal to send England crashing out of the Finals in 1986. Maradona famously told the world it was not a handball but the “hand of God”. Henry said in a press conference he did not handle the ball on purpose. He also believes a replay of the World Cup play-off would "be the fairest solution" but said it was out of his control. Irish captain Robbie Keane welcomed the Frenchman’s comments.

WARM-UPS

1. FOOTBALL: Walk around the class and talk to other students about football. Change partners often. Sit with your first partner(s) and share your findings.

2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words from the article are most interesting and which are most boring.

soccer / World Cup / broken hearts / handball / shocks / celebrations / admitting stuff / replays / out of the question / strikers / doing things on purpose / fairest solution

Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.

3. NOT FAIR: What isn’t fair? Complete this table. Talk about what you wrote to your partner(s). Change partners and share what you heard.

Unfairness about…	What’s not fair?	Why?	How you feel?
sport
English
my family
the world
my friends
computers

4. REPLAY: Students A strongly believe the France / Ireland game should be replayed; Students B strongly believe the result should stand, with France going to the World Cup in 2010. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.

5. BREAKING HEARTS: What can break your heart? Rate these and share your ratings with your partner: 10 = this totally breaks my heart; 1 = who cares? Change partners and share your ratings again.

_____ your sports team losing

_____ watching sad news stories

_____ losing stuff on your computer

_____ splitting up with someone

_____ losing money

_____ not getting that job

_____ finding out you put on weight

_____ someone lying to you

6. FAIR: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word ‘fair’. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F).

a.	French soccer player Thierry Henry supports a France/Ireland rematch.	T / F
b.	The match was a one-off to see who goes to the World Cup Finals.	T / F
c.	The winning goal came off the boot of a player called William Gallas.	T / F
d.	Thierry Henry couldn’t speak to the Irish players after the match.	T / F
e.	The Irish government said it wants the match to be replayed.	T / F
f.	The French soccer authority has agreed to a rematch.	T / F
g.	Henry told reporters he did not intentionally handle the ball.	T / F
h.	The Irish captain was happy with Thierry Henry’s comments.	T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

1.	saga	a.	intentionally
2	goes on	b.	confessed
3.	controversy	c.	long story
4.	compatriot	d.	impossible
5.	admitted	e.	fellow countryman
6.	governing	f.	exiting
7.	out of the question	g.	answer
8.	crashing out	h.	ruling
9.	on purpose	i.	continues
10.	solution	j.	war of words

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

1.	The soccer World Cup saga involving France	a.	keep it in play
2	The striker at the centre of	b.	his control
3.	Henry broke	c.	of the question
4.	He clearly handled the ball to	d.	Irish hearts
5.	Henry’s celebrations	e.	Finals in 1986
6.	this was out	f.	and Ireland goes on
7.	send England crashing out of the	g.	comments
8.	he did not handle the ball on	h.	were muted
9.	it was out of	i.	the controversy
10.	Keane welcomed the Frenchman’s	j.	purpose

WHILE READING / LISTENING

GAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text.

The soccer World Cup ____________ involving France and Ireland goes ____________. The striker at the centre of the controversy has said a replay between the two nations ____________ be fair. Henry broke Irish hearts in the second leg of the World Cup qualification match. He clearly handled the ball to keep it in play, then ____________ it for his compatriot William Gallas to head into the back of the net. This ____________ France into the Finals in South Africa in 2010. Ireland was the better team on the night and looked like ____________ a shock in Paris. Instead, the Irish players sat on the pitch at the end of the game in tears and ____________. Henry’s celebrations were muted. He sat with Irish player Richard Dunne in the centre of the field and ____________ the handball.

put
crossed
on
disbelief
saga
admitted
would
causing

The Irish prime minister and foreign secretary have asked FIFA for a ____________. The sport’s governing body, however, said this was out of the ____________. The French Football Federation also said they do not think there should be a rematch. Henry is being ____________ with Argentine striker Diego Maradona, who handled the ball into the goal to send England crashing ____________ of the Finals in 1986. Maradona famously told the world it was not a handball but the “____________ of God”. Henry said in a press conference he did not handle the ball on ____________. He also believes a replay of the World Cup play-off would "be the ____________ solution" but said it was out of his control. Irish captain Robbie Keane ____________ the Frenchman’s comments.

purpose
compared
welcomed
replay
out
fairest
question
hand

LISTENING – Listen and fill in the gaps

The soccer World Cup _________________ France and Ireland goes on. The striker at the centre of the controversy has said a _________________ two nations would be fair. Henry broke Irish hearts in the second leg of the World Cup qualification match. He clearly handled the ball _________________, then crossed it for his compatriot William Gallas to head into the back of the net. This put France _________________ South Africa in 2010. Ireland was the better team on the night and looked like ___________________ Paris. Instead, the Irish players sat on the pitch at the end of the game in tears and disbelief. Henry’s ___________________. He sat with Irish player Richard Dunne in the centre of the field and admitted the handball.

The Irish prime minister and foreign secretary have asked FIFA for a replay. The sport’s _________________, however, said this was _________________. The French Football Federation also said they do not think there should be a rematch. Henry _________________ with Argentine striker Diego Maradona, who handled the ball _________________ send England crashing out of the Finals in 1986. Maradona famously told the world it was not a handball but the “hand of God”. Henry said in a press conference he did not handle _________________. He also believes a replay of the World Cup play-off would "be the fairest solution" but said it ___________________. Irish captain Robbie Keane welcomed the Frenchman’s comments.

AFTER READING / LISTENING

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words ‘world’ and ‘cup’.

world

cup

Share your findings with your partners.

Make questions using the words you found.
Ask your partner / group your questions.

2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

Share your questions with other classmates / groups.
Ask your partner / group your questions.

3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

involving
broke
keep
causing
muted
centre

secretary
question
compared
crashing
purpose
welcomed

STUDENT FOOTBALL SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about football in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	STUDENT 1 _____________	STUDENT 2 _____________	STUDENT 3 _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.

Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.
Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

FOOTBALL DISCUSSION

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

a)	What did you think when you read the headline?
b)	What springs to mind when you hear the word ‘soccer’?
c)	Which word do you prefer, soccer or football?
d)	Do you think the France-Ireland game should be replayed?
e)	Did you see the handball? What did you think?
f)	Do you think Thierry Henry is a cheat?
g)	Do you respect Thierry Henry for admitting to the handball?
h)	Has a sporting occasion ever broken your heart?
i)	When was the last time you were in disbelief?
j)	Is football (soccer) the greatest sport in the world?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

a)	Did you like reading this article?
b)	Is it right the Irish government should get involved in a football match?
c)	Why do you think FIFA will not allow a replay?
d)	Do you think football (soccer) referees need video to help them make decisions?
e)	Is the French Football Federation being unsporting in not agreeing to a rematch?
f)	Do you think French players care they got to the finals unfairly?
g)	Do you understand what all the fuss is about?
h)	The Irish players aren’t angry with Henry. Why not?
i)	A famous football manager (coach) once said football wasn’t a life and death matter – it was more important. What do you think of this?
j)	What questions would you like to ask Thierry Henry?

LANGUAGE – MULTIPLE CHOICE

The soccer World Cup saga (1) ____ France and Ireland goes on. The striker at the centre of the controversy has said a replay between the two nations would be fair. Henry (2) ____ Irish hearts in the second leg of the World Cup qualification match. He clearly handled the ball (3) ____ keep it in play, then crossed it for his compatriot William Gallas to head into the back of the net. This (4) ____ France into the Finals in South Africa in 2010. Ireland was the better team on the night and looked like causing a shock in Paris. Instead, the Irish players sat on the pitch at the end of the game (5) ____ tears and disbelief. Henry’s celebrations were muted. He sat with Irish player Richard Dunne in the centre of the field and (6) ____ the handball.

The Irish prime minister and foreign secretary have asked FIFA for a replay. The sport’s (7) ____ body, however, said this was out of the question. The French Football Federation also said they do not think there should be a rematch. Henry is (8) ____ compared with Argentine striker Diego Maradona, who handled the ball into the goal to send England crashing out of the Finals in 1986. Maradona (9) ____ told the world it was not a handball but the “hand of God”. Henry said in a press conference he did not (10) ____ the ball on purpose. He also believes a replay of the World Cup play-off would "be the fairest solution" but said it was (11) ____ of his control. Irish captain Robbie Keane (12) ____ the Frenchman’s comments.

Put the correct words from the table below in the above article.

1.	(a)	involving	(b)	involved	(c)	involves	(d)	involvement
2.	(a)	broken	(b)	breaks	(c)	broke	(d)	breaking
3.	(a)	by	(b)	to	(c)	for	(d)	so
4.	(a)	played	(b)	made	(c)	did	(d)	put
5.	(a)	on	(b)	at	(c)	in	(d)	by
6.	(a)	admitted	(b)	admit	(c)	admission	(d)	admired
7.	(a)	governs	(b)	government	(c)	governor	(d)	governing
8.	(a)	be	(b)	being	(c)	was	(d)	been
9.	(a)	infamous	(b)	famous	(c)	famously	(d)	fame
10.	(a)	handle	(b)	hand	(c)	handed	(d)	hands
11.	(a)	up	(b)	out	(c)	in	(d)	on
12.	(a)	told	(b)	said	(c)	greeted	(d)	welcomed

WRITING

Write about football (soccer) for 10 minutes. Correct your partner’s paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about the Thierry Henry handball incident. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. FOOTBALL: Make a poster about football. Why is it so popular around the world? Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?

4. FAIR: Write a magazine article about the France-Ireland game. Should there be a replay? Include imaginary interviews with a France supporter and an Irish fan.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).

5. LETTER: Write a letter to Thierry Henry. Ask him three questions about the handball. Give him three opinions on how he should handle the media pressure. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE:

SYNONYM MATCH:

1.	saga	a.	long story
2	goes on	b.	continues
3.	controversy	c.	war of words
4.	compatriot	d.	fellow countryman
5.	admitted	e.	confessed
6.	governing	f.	ruling
7.	out of the question	g.	impossible
8.	crashing out	h.	exiting
9.	on purpose	i.	intentionally
10.	solution	j.	answer

PHRASE MATCH:

1.	The soccer World Cup saga involving France	a.	and Ireland goes on
2	The striker at the centre of	b.	the controversy
3.	Henry broke	c.	Irish hearts
4.	He clearly handled the ball to	d.	keep it in play
5.	Henry’s celebrations	e.	were muted
6.	this was out	f.	of the question
7.	send England crashing out of the	g.	Finals in 1986
8.	he did not handle the ball on	h.	purpose
9.	it was out of	i.	his control
10.	Keane welcomed the Frenchman’s	j.	comments

GAP FILL:

Henry admits replay with Ireland fairest

The soccer World Cup saga involving France and Ireland goes on. The striker at the centre of the controversy has said a replay between the two nations would be fair. Henry broke Irish hearts in the second leg of the World Cup qualification match. He clearly handled the ball to keep it in play, then crossed it for his compatriot William Gallas to head into the back of the net. This put France into the Finals in South Africa in 2010. Ireland was the better team on the night and looked like causing a shock in Paris. Instead, the Irish players sat on the pitch at the end of the game in tears and disbelief. Henry’s celebrations were muted. He sat with Irish player Richard Dunne in the centre of the field and admitted the handball.

The Irish prime minister and foreign secretary have asked FIFA for a replay. The sport’s governing body, however, said this was out of the question. The French Football Federation also said they do not think there should be a rematch. Henry is being compared with Argentine striker Diego Maradona, who handled the ball into the goal to send England crashing out of the Finals in 1986. Maradona famously told the world it was not a handball but the “hand of God”. Henry said in a press conference he did not handle the ball on purpose. He also believes a replay of the World Cup play-off would "be the fairest solution" but said it was out of his control. Irish captain Robbie Keane welcomed the Frenchman’s comments.

LANGUAGE WORK:

1 - a

2 - c

3 - b

4 - d

5 - c

6 - a

7 - d

8 - b

9 - c

10 - a

11 - b

12 - d

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Breaking News English

November 21, 2009

Thierry Henry Admits Replay with Ireland Fairest