Lesson 5: Football English Blog
Lesson 5: Football English Blog
Our weekly Football English Blog is when we write about something connected to the world of football and teach you lots of football English. This week we are discussing films about football and footballers in the movies. Do you know any good football movies? Do footballers make good actors?
In all of our Football English blogs, we look at something connected to the world of football and ask you to do three things:
- Read the article and look at the words in red. Think about what these words mean.
- Do the quiz at the end of the article. This quiz checks your understanding of the football English in the article.
- Answer the questions and give your opinion in the comments section.
This is our latest Football English Blog and this week we're talking about the connection between football and films.
Football and the Movies!
Football and films have a lot in common. In lesson three, our weekly podcast, we asked you to connect football and films and we’ve already had lots of interesting answers on these pages. Pacosaez from Spain said that players are like actors and the pitch is like the scenery, Ahmed Adam Mamado from Sudan said both footballers and actors are superstars and both football and film is a popular topic to speak about. But, our favourite comment was from Baktislam from Indonesia. Baktislam said that both football and films are created for our entertainment, but both can disappoint you, both can make you cry and both can make you very, very happy!
Footballers in films
The most famous example of a footballer who became an actor is probably Vinnie Jones. Jones played nearly four hundred times in the top division for Wimbledon, Chelsea, Sheffield United and Leeds United. However, he is probably more famous for his acting career. Jones was known as a tough-tackling midfielder in his playing days and he successfully moved this image to the big screen where he is often typecast as a hard man, playing the roles of criminals, henchmen and thugs. Jones has often starred in gangster films some notable examples are Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch with Brad Pitt. More surprisingly, Jones was also the voice of Freddie the Dog in Madagascar 3! Jones has nearly 100 film and TV credits in total.
Vinnie Jones is not the only ex-footballer to make the step from the pitch to the screen. The ex-Manchester Utd star, Eric Cantona, was the topic of a feature-length movie called Looking for Eric which was directed by Ken Loach, one of the UK’s most famous directors. Cantona also starred alongside Cate Blanchett in the period drama, Elizabeth and has starred in many more movies in both English and French. David Beckham is another footballer who has had his name in the title of a film. Bend it Like Beckham is a romantic-comedy, but Beckham does not star in the film; he just has a bit part near the end.
Football Films
There have been many films about football. The Goal! trilogy follows a Mexican immigrant living in the USA to the Premier League, Real Madrid and the World Cup! However, film critics didn’t enjoy the film and it only got 44% on the film review website Rotten Tomatoes. The website stated that the first instalment of the trilogy was:
A run-of-the-mill story which invokes every known sports movie cliché.
A more popular film with the critics was The Two Escobars which is a film that football fans and non-football fans will enjoy. A documentary that tells a true story about football, drugs, crime and politics in Colombia in the early 1990s. One reviewer on the IMDb review website said:
Simply a perfect and compelling documentary.
Do you know any good or bad films about football?
Quiz
Please login to take this quiz.
Comment
What do you think?
Can you think of any other footballers that have starred in films? Do you like films about football or sports?
Do you understand all the words in red?
Look at the comments from the movie websites above. Write one sentence about a film that you like and one sentence about a film that you didn't like. The film doesn't have to be about football!
Look at the movie websites Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb to help you!
Write your answers in the comments section below and try to write a reply to at least one other learner!
When you have finished, mark the page complete on the side of this page and go to lesson six.
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Comments
10/08/2018
points
good quiz and very interesting.
10/08/2018 04:24
Manchester City
348
good quiz and very interesting.
10/08/2018
points
Good test.
10/08/2018 04:07
West Ham United
367
Good test.
10/08/2018
points
I love sports movies and they call my attention because they are the ones that motivate us to do sports and generate healthy living habits. On the other hand, sometimes it goes from being a great image to a stereotype of a single physical image. superficial.
10/08/2018 03:47
Chelsea
-729
I love sports movies and they call my attention because they are the ones that motivate us to do sports and generate healthy living habits. On the other hand, sometimes it goes from being a great image to a stereotype of a single physical image. superficial.
10/08/2018
points
Good quiz.
10/08/2018 03:39
Chelsea
520
Good quiz.
10/08/2018
points
I do not know of any other footballer who has starred in a movie; I am struck by the films of this type because they almost always show us a sense of enormous improvement.
Yes, I understand all the words in red.
10/08/2018 03:25
Manchester United
864
I do not know of any other footballer who has starred in a movie; I am struck by the films of this type because they almost always show us a sense of enormous improvement.
Yes, I understand all the words in red.
10/08/2018
points
good quiz
10/08/2018 03:18
Manchester United
567
good quiz
10/08/2018
points
I don't know about other players who have become actors. Sports films are a motivation to fight for dreams and overcome the obstacles of life.
Yes, I can understand the words in red
10/08/2018 02:57
Arsenal
822
I don't know about other players who have become actors. Sports films are a motivation to fight for dreams and overcome the obstacles of life.
Yes, I can understand the words in red
10/08/2018
points
No, I do not know any player who is an actor and I do not like that kind of movies
yes, if I understood all the words
10/08/2018 02:55
Manchester United
-890
No, I do not know any player who is an actor and I do not like that kind of movies
yes, if I understood all the words
10/08/2018
points
Other footballer is Pelé in the film "evasion or victory" and i don´t like films about football or sports, i not understand all the words in red.
10/08/2018 02:31
Manchester United
722
Other footballer is Pelé in the film "evasion or victory" and i don´t like films about football or sports, i not understand all the words in red.
10/08/2018
points
Do you like movies about football or sports?
- I do not like them, I like the romantic genre more
Do you understand all the words in red?
- some do not understand them, I started to investigate and I realized that they were things that appear in everyday life as documentaries
10/08/2018 02:21
Newcastle United
208
Do you like movies about football or sports?
- I do not like them, I like the romantic genre more
Do you understand all the words in red?
- some do not understand them, I started to investigate and I realized that they were things that appear in everyday life as documentaries
10/08/2018
points
I do not remember seeing any movie about footballers.
10/08/2018 02:12
Manchester United
781
I do not remember seeing any movie about footballers.
10/08/2018
points
i do not remember seeing any movie about footballers
10/08/2018 02:05
Manchester United
725
i do not remember seeing any movie about footballers
10/08/2018
points
I do not know about the world of football, so I have no idea if other players have starred in films. I like movies, but I do not like football or sports.
10/08/2018 01:08
Manchester United
61
I do not know about the world of football, so I have no idea if other players have starred in films. I like movies, but I do not like football or sports.
09/08/2018
points
I like movies about accion, i understand all the words In red.
I do not remember any other players who are actors.
09/08/2018 19:40
Manchester United
439
I like movies about accion, i understand all the words In red.
I do not remember any other players who are actors.
09/08/2018
points
Yes, I love movies related to football. I had seen Green Street Hooligans, and I think it's a good movie for football fans. This film shows the groups of English hooligans and specifically the followers of West Ham, and their "daily life".
09/08/2018 19:32
Chelsea
151
Yes, I love movies related to football. I had seen Green Street Hooligans, and I think it's a good movie for football fans. This film shows the groups of English hooligans and specifically the followers of West Ham, and their "daily life".
09/08/2018
points
I love sports movies and they call my attention because they are the ones that motivate us to do sports and generate healthy living habits. On the other hand, sometimes it goes from being a great image to a stereotype of a single physical image. superficial.
09/08/2018 16:58
Chelsea
717
I love sports movies and they call my attention because they are the ones that motivate us to do sports and generate healthy living habits. On the other hand, sometimes it goes from being a great image to a stereotype of a single physical image. superficial.
09/08/2018
points
I don't know about other players who have become actors. Sports films are a motivation to fight for dreams and overcome the obstacles of life.
Yes, I can understand the words in red.
09/08/2018 04:13
Arsenal
833
I don't know about other players who have become actors. Sports films are a motivation to fight for dreams and overcome the obstacles of life.
Yes, I can understand the words in red.
09/08/2018
points
I love sports movies and they call my attention because they are the ones that motivate us to do sports and generate healthy living habits. On the other hand, sometimes it goes from being a great image to a stereotype of a single physical image. superficial.
09/08/2018 03:07
Chelsea
796
I love sports movies and they call my attention because they are the ones that motivate us to do sports and generate healthy living habits. On the other hand, sometimes it goes from being a great image to a stereotype of a single physical image. superficial.
09/08/2018
points
I like movies about sports, i understand all the words In red.
About a sport movie, i like that the people tried hard to get what they wanted.
09/08/2018 02:25
Liverpool
570
I like movies about sports, i understand all the words In red.
About a sport movie, i like that the people tried hard to get what they wanted.
09/08/2018
points
I do not remember seeing any movie about footballers.
09/08/2018 02:04
Manchester City
759
I do not remember seeing any movie about footballers.
09/08/2018
points
Jeremy Renner, Antonio Banderas and Tom Cruise. If I like movies about sports.
Most, but there are some that I do not understand very well and I found it difficult to understand them within the text.
09/08/2018 00:26
Chelsea
212
Jeremy Renner, Antonio Banderas and Tom Cruise. If I like movies about sports.
Most, but there are some that I do not understand very well and I found it difficult to understand them within the text.
09/08/2018
points
I do not know about other players who have become actors. Sports films are a motivation to fight for dreams and overcome the obstacles of life.
Yes, I can understand the words that are underlined with red and I learned in this test a new genre of film that I did not know.
09/08/2018 00:10
Manchester City
-569
I do not know about other players who have become actors. Sports films are a motivation to fight for dreams and overcome the obstacles of life.
Yes, I can understand the words that are underlined with red and I learned in this test a new genre of film that I did not know.
08/08/2018
points
I do not remember any other players who are actors. More or less depends on the type of sport.
08/08/2018 05:11
Chelsea
889
I do not remember any other players who are actors. More or less depends on the type of sport.
08/08/2018
points
I don't know about other players who have become actors. Sports films are a motivation to fight for dreams and overcome the obstacles of life.
Yes, I can understand the words in red.
08/08/2018 00:14
Chelsea
660
I don't know about other players who have become actors. Sports films are a motivation to fight for dreams and overcome the obstacles of life.
Yes, I can understand the words in red.
07/08/2018
points
I do not remember any actor football player. Yes, I like this type of films.
Some of these words are new to me.
07/08/2018 22:10
Liverpool
779
I do not remember any actor football player. Yes, I like this type of films.
Some of these words are new to me.
07/08/2018
points
good quiz
07/08/2018 18:58
Chelsea
442
good quiz
07/08/2018
points
good quiz
07/08/2018 18:06
Chelsea
362
good quiz
07/08/2018
points
The truth is that I do not know much about football, so I do not know about other players who have starred in films.
I understan some words, not all, but most.
07/08/2018 17:32
Arsenal
754
The truth is that I do not know much about football, so I do not know about other players who have starred in films.
I understan some words, not all, but most.
07/08/2018
points
I don't know about other players who have become actors. Sports films are a motivation to fight for dreams and overcome the obstacles of life.
Yes, I can understand the words in red.
07/08/2018 17:07
Manchester City
664
I don't know about other players who have become actors. Sports films are a motivation to fight for dreams and overcome the obstacles of life.
Yes, I can understand the words in red.
06/08/2018
points
1. No and yes sometimes.
2. Yes
I love all this theme of the movies, it's very interesting.
06/08/2018 02:57
Manchester United
732
1. No and yes sometimes.
2. Yes
I love all this theme of the movies, it's very interesting.
06/08/2018
points
The truth is that I do not know much about football, so I do not know about other players who have starred in films.
I understan some words, not all, but most.
06/08/2018 00:15
Leicester City
627
The truth is that I do not know much about football, so I do not know about other players who have starred in films.
I understan some words, not all, but most.
05/08/2018
points
I really do not like sports movies.
I understand some words but not all.
05/08/2018 23:02
Liverpool
795
I really do not like sports movies.
I understand some words but not all.
10/08/2018
points
I agree, they are not very interesting for me.
10/08/2018 05:10
Arsenal
1152
I agree, they are not very interesting for me.
05/08/2018
points
I'm not a lot of football, I like to watch a lot of movies, but to see a football player acting nop I have seen or do not remember.
I understood some words.
05/08/2018 22:24
Manchester United
800
I'm not a lot of football, I like to watch a lot of movies, but to see a football player acting nop I have seen or do not remember.
I understood some words.
05/08/2018
points
I'm not much interested in football movies, but my favorite documentary is; ALMIGHTY BIG TEAM (TODO PODEROSO TIMAO) a brasilian production that tells the story of the corinthians football club in its centenary.
Yes, I understand all the words
05/08/2018 02:33
Arsenal
61
I'm not much interested in football movies, but my favorite documentary is; ALMIGHTY BIG TEAM (TODO PODEROSO TIMAO) a brasilian production that tells the story of the corinthians football club in its centenary.
Yes, I understand all the words
05/08/2018
points
I do not like movies about sports or football.
05/08/2018 01:26
Crystal Palace
875
I do not like movies about sports or football.
05/08/2018
points
I don't have the idea if other footballers have starred in films and I don't like the football or sports films.
I understood all the words in red.
05/08/2018 00:57
Manchester United
198
I don't have the idea if other footballers have starred in films and I don't like the football or sports films.
I understood all the words in red.
10/08/2018
points
Hello, Majo!
Good to share with you the learning of this course that will leave us valuable teachings.
bye
10/08/2018 06:13
Chelsea
778
Hello, Majo!
Good to share with you the learning of this course that will leave us valuable teachings.
bye
05/08/2018
points
I know there are many but at this moment I do not have any to mind.
I really like the movies on soccer and have a lot more about sports.
05/08/2018 00:15
Manchester United
36
I know there are many but at this moment I do not have any to mind.
I really like the movies on soccer and have a lot more about sports.
05/08/2018
points
I do not know more movies of soccer players, I know series, I understood most of the words in red, but not all.
05/08/2018 00:15
Chelsea
533
I do not know more movies of soccer players, I know series, I understood most of the words in red, but not all.
04/08/2018
points
I don't know too much about footballers films. Sometimes i loke it, it dependes the history .
yes, I understood all the words
04/08/2018 19:37
Chelsea
742
I don't know too much about footballers films. Sometimes i loke it, it dependes the history .
yes, I understood all the words
04/08/2018
points
I do not know about other players who have become actors. Sports films are a motivation to fight for dreams and overcome the obstacles of life. Yes, I can understand the words in red.
04/08/2018 18:11
Arsenal
921
I do not know about other players who have become actors. Sports films are a motivation to fight for dreams and overcome the obstacles of life. Yes, I can understand the words in red.
04/08/2018
points
1. Of course there are other footballers who have been in films such as Cristiano Ronaldo, which is about the life of the film, like Lionel Messi.
2. Of course I like football and other sports movies but especially soccer since it is the sport I practice.
3. Of course I understand all the words in red but it should be noted that there were already some that I was forgetting those words and especially the text helped me to remember them well.
04/08/2018 03:28
Manchester United
924
1. Of course there are other footballers who have been in films such as Cristiano Ronaldo, which is about the life of the film, like Lionel Messi.
2. Of course I like football and other sports movies but especially soccer since it is the sport I practice.
3. Of course I understand all the words in red but it should be noted that there were already some that I was forgetting those words and especially the text helped me to remember them well.
04/08/2018
points
I like football and I like films but I haven´t watched act a footballer in a film and i like the films about football
Yes, i understand all the words
04/08/2018 01:11
Manchester United
523
I like football and I like films but I haven´t watched act a footballer in a film and i like the films about football
Yes, i understand all the words
04/08/2018
points
I like football and I like films but I haven´t watched act a footballer in a film and i like the films about football
Yes, i understand all the words
04/08/2018 01:10
Manchester United
523
I like football and I like films but I haven´t watched act a footballer in a film and i like the films about football
Yes, i understand all the words
04/08/2018
points
1) No I can't think about another foorballer that have been started in the world of the films and about sports films I prefer other type of films but the films about sports are really bored for me.
2) No, I don't understand all of them but I understand some ones.
04/08/2018 00:01
Manchester United
709
1) No I can't think about another foorballer that have been started in the world of the films and about sports films I prefer other type of films but the films about sports are really bored for me.
2) No, I don't understand all of them but I understand some ones.
04/08/2018
points
I like football and I like films but I haven´t watched act a footballer in a film and i like the films about football
Yes, i understand all the words
04/08/2018 00:01
Manchester United
896
I like football and I like films but I haven´t watched act a footballer in a film and i like the films about football
Yes, i understand all the words
03/08/2018
points
do not
Yes, sometimes
not all
03/08/2018 22:08
Manchester United
707
do not
Yes, sometimes
not all
03/08/2018
points
I like football and I like films but I haven´t watched act a footballer in a film and i like the films about football
Yes, i understand all the words
03/08/2018 03:46
Manchester United
568
I like football and I like films but I haven´t watched act a footballer in a film and i like the films about football
Yes, i understand all the words
03/08/2018
points
1) No I can't think about another foorballer that have been started in the world of the films and about sports films I prefer other type of films but the films about sports are really bored for me.
2) No, I don't understand all of them but I understand some ones.
03/08/2018 02:38
Manchester United
687
1) No I can't think about another foorballer that have been started in the world of the films and about sports films I prefer other type of films but the films about sports are really bored for me.
2) No, I don't understand all of them but I understand some ones.