Archive for June, 2009

A busy week in football saw Brazil reach the Confederation Cup final where they will meet outsiders, the USA after they ended Spain’s amazing unbeaten run in the semi-final 2-0. I think you’ll find one of our correspondents here at languagecaster tipped the US side to make the final! Meanwhile, Estudiantes and Gremio hold the advantage after the first legs of the Copa Libertadores semi-finals and transfer gossip continues as clubs in Europe prepare for the new season.

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Check out this week’s featured post – The Copa Libertadores semi-finals

And listen to something from our back catalogue – Review of last year’s European Championship finals

Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking on the icon

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PREDICTION

Last week we both went for a Tunisian home win in the World Cup qualifiers from the African zone. The game, however, finished 0-0 which will have pleased the away team’s fans but not those who rely on the tipping team here at languagecaster.

This week’s prediction features the Confederations Cup final between Brazil and the USA

Damon: Brazil 1 – 0 USA (Brazil won’t let the US pull off another upset)

Damian: Brazil 1-1 USA (America to win on penalties)

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FOOTBALL CLICHE

This week’s featured cliche is  football is a funny old game and it means football is unpredictable: that we just don’t know what is going to happen, or that anything could happen in football. In Spain they use the expression ‘El Futbol Es Asi‘ which means football is like that, i.e. there is nothing you can do about it, while in American football, commentators often use the expression ‘that’s why we play the game’ to convey the same meaning.

Click here for more football cliches

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This week’s QUIZ QUESTION:

Michael Jackson passed away this week but do you know what English football team he famously turned up to see with friend Uri Geller a couple of years ago?

a) Leicester City

b) Manchester City

c) Exeter City

d) Bristol City

Answer next week.

The answer to last week’s question about when North Korea last qualified for the World Cup final – 1966.

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This week’s POLL

This week’s poll asks which team do you think will win the 2009 Confederations Cup that is taking place in South Africa? Brazil or the USA? Go to the site, click on your choice in the side bar and leave a comment.

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Write to us at admin@languagecaster.com if you want to have your say on our weekly podcast.

You can also follow us at Twitter

Come along to our online shop and browse books and DVDs related to football and English language teaching and learning.

For all students of the beautiful game

 Print This Post | Teaching Ideas

Last week we looked at South Africa, this week we visit South America and the continent’s biggest club competition the Copa Libertadores. As you read the post, look at the names of countries and the nationality adjectives. Then try the quiz to check your knowledge.

The semi-final places were decided this week, and it’s an all Brazilian semi final on one side with Gremio taking on Cruzeiro. the other semi sees Argentina‘s Estudiantes take on Nacional from Uruguay. It’s the first time for twenty years since a Uruguayan team has been in the semi-finals of the Copa, but it will be difficult for them to beat the Argentinian team Estudiantes, who haven’t conceded a goal since the knockout stage began. As for the teams from Brazil, Gremio qualified for the knockout rounds as top seeds and will be quietly confident of beating Cruzeiro, who are struggling in the domestic league, and perhaps lifting the trophy for the third time in their history.

My money is on Estudiantes vs Gremio in the final.

Focus on language

In this post there are several country names and nationality adjectives (nationality adjectives are often the same as nationality nouns – used with people from the country).

Country names:
Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil

Nationality adjectives:
Argentinian team, Uruguayan team, Brazilian semi-final

Do you know the country names and nationality adjectives for the other countries in South America?

Download the Nationality Adjectives Worksheet pdf.

Try the ONLINE QUIZ with audio

As Real Madrid continue to build their new dream team, other teams are beginning to make moves in the transfer market, World Cup qualifiers continue – good news for North Korea (a 0-0 draw against saudi Arabia sees them through to the World Cup), not so good for Argentina (they lie fourth in the South America table after losing 2-0 away to Ecuador), and of course, in South Africa, the Confederations Cup is in full swing. In other news, politics and football get mixed up as some of Iran’s football team wear green wrist bands in support of Mir Hossein Mousavi who recently lost an election in Iran in controversial circumstances.

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Check out this week’s featured post – The Confederations Cup

And listen to something from our back catalogue -The Copa Libertadores

Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking on the icon

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PREDICTION

Last week, we looked at a game from the Confederation Cup, South Africa v Iraq:

Damian’s prediction: S. Africa 2-0 Iraq – a home banker
Damon’s prediction: S. Africa 1-1 Iraq – a return to Asian-Championship winning form

The result – South Africa 0 – 0 Iraq – Damon 1 – 0 – Damian

This week, we turn our eyes to the World Cup qualifier between Tunisia and Nigeria.

Damian’s prediction: Tunisia 2-0 Nigeria – Tunisia on fire
Damon’s prediction: Tunisia 1-0 Nigeria – Tunisia to win comfortably but unspectacularly

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FOOTBALL CLICHE

This week’s featured cliche is ‘it was a game of two halves’ which is one of the biggest football clichés. Of course football is a game of two halves! The first half and the second half. But sometimes this cliché is true. For example, in the Confederations Cup, Spain beat New Zealand 5-0. Four goals came in the first half, while in the second, New Zealand tightened their defence and only conceded one goal. A game of two halves – the first full – fantastic goals from Spain, and the second – good defence from New Zealand.

Click here for more football cliches and football phrases.

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This week’s QUIZ QUESTION:

This week, North Korea qualified for the World Cup in South Africa. When was the last time this country went to a World Cup?

a) 1962

b) 1966

c) 1990

d) 2002

Answer next week.

The answer to last week’s question about which country won the first ever FIFA Confederations Cup in 1997? was – Brazil.

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This week’s POLL

This week’s poll asks which team do you think will win the 2009 Confederations Cup that is taking place in South Africa? Go to the site, click on your choice in the side bar and leave a comment.

_________________________________________________________________________

Write to us at admin@languagecaster.com if you want to have your say on our weekly podcast.

You can also follow us at Twitter

Come along to our online shop and browse books and DVDs related to football and English language teaching and learning.

For all students of the beautiful game

 Print This Post |  Teaching Ideas

In this teaching ideas post we look at the FIFA Confederations Cup which is taking place at the moment in South Africa. You can find a short reading about the tournament below along with a printable worksheet (with answers) here. There is also a short vocabulary list at the foot of this post.

The FIFA Confederations Cup kicks off in South Africa this week with eight teams taking part in a warm-up for the 2010 World Cup finals. The eight sides include the six conference winners – the teams that have won the international tournaments in their respective regions – as well as the hosts, South Africa and the current world champions, Italy. So, New Zealand represent Oceania, Egypt are the current African Nations Cup holders, Spain won the Euro title in 2008, continue

Languagecaster’s season may have come to an end but football continues and this week has been a busy one with lots of World Cup Qualifiers, the Confederations Cup in South Africa and Real Madrid signing Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo. The fact that these two players have won the last two Ballon d’Or awards means that on this week’s featured podcast from our back catalogue, we take a look at the European Player of the Year Award.

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Download this week’s featured podcast – The Ballon d’Or

Download the latest podcast – A look back at the 2008-9 season

Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking on the icon

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PREDICTION

Though the predictions battle between Damon and Damian is over we will be featuring one big game a week over the summer period in order to offer you our expert views. The Confederation Cup starts this weekend and hosts South Africa take on Asian champions Iraq.
Damian’s prediction: S. Africa 2-0 Iraq – a home banker
Damon’s prediction: S. Africa 1-1 Iraq – a return to Asian-Championship winning form

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FOOTBALL CLICHE

This week’s featured cliche is to be over the moon which means to be overjoyed; elated; very, very happy – especially after scoring or winning. This cliché is not as popular as it used to be in the 1970s when it seemed that every player mentioned it at least once when being interviewed. The opposite is, of course, to be as sick as a parrot.

Click here for more football cliches

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This week’s QUIZ QUESTION:

Which country won the first ever FIFA Confederations Cup in 1997?

a) Mexico

b) Brazil

c) France

d) Germany

Answer next week.

The answer to last week’s question about which was the first team to qualify for the 2010 World Cup was – Japan.

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This week’s POLL

This week’s poll asks which team do you think will win the 2009 Confederations Cup that is taking place in South Africa? Go to the site, click on your choice in the side bar and leave a comment.

_________________________________________________________________________

Write to us at admin@languagecaster.com if you want to have your say on our weekly podcast.

You can also follow us at Twitter

Come along to our online shop and browse books and DVDs related to football and English language teaching and learning.

For all students of the beautiful game

Languagecaster is getting ready for the upcoming World Cup season by launching a weekly newsletter. Below is a list of 8 good reasons why you and your friends should subscribe to languagecaster’s newsletter. 

Subscribe to the newsletter by Email

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1. Win an international football top

Simply by signing up for languagecaster’s free newsletter you will automatically be entered into a draw to win a fantastic prize. Choose from either a Brazilian or England football top (as seen above) and we will post it on to the winner wherever she or he may be. For free. This offer will run until the start of September and the winner will be announced in our first podcast of next season. If you want to know more about the jerseys – both of which are UK L size – then read the review here.

continue

In the final podcast of the 2008-2009 season, Damon and Damian take a look back at the good, the bad and the ugly moments of another great footballing year. The next languagecaster.com season starts in August 2009 and it should be a great one with the World Cup in 2010 to look forward to.

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Download the latest podcast – A look back at the 2008-9 season

Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking on the icon

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Check out our weekly football phrase - English for Football

Click here for more football expressions and football cliches

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This week’s QUIZ QUESTION:

Which Asian nation was the first team to qualify for the South Africa 2010 World Cup?

a) Australia

b) S. Korea

c) N. Korea

d) Japan

Answer next week.

The answer to last week’s question about which was the last team to retain the European Cup / Champions League was a) AC Milan.

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Write to us at admin@languagecaster.com if you want to have your say on our weekly podcast.

You can also follow us at Twitter

Come along to our online shop and browse books and DVDs related to football and English language teaching and learning.

For all students of the beautiful game

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The final podcast of the 2008-2009 season. Damon and Damian take a look back at the good, the bad and the ugly moments of another great footballing year. The next languagecaster.com season starts in August 2009 and it should be a great one with the World Cup in 2010. Subscribe to our Newsletter in the sidebar to keep up with what’s happening.

Transcript

Damian’s Good

Well, it was good for German side Wolfsburg who won their first ever Bundesliga title, while in Brazil, it was great for Sao Paolo who in February retained the Brazilian league title but the big news there was that soon afterwards it was announced that former Brazil number 9 Ronaldo would be joining Corinthians after continue