Easy: Whistle

Premier Vocabulary is a mini-podcast for you to learn football English one word at a time. We have three different levels for you: easy, medium and hard.

This episode is easy so we’re looking at common football words and phrases. Things you use and need to know to play the game.

Summary

Learn more football vocabulary with Premier Skills English. Each lesson in our Premier Vocabulary section looks at one football word or phrase. This lesson looks at the word whistle. Can you whistle? When does the referee blow the whistle? Why is it important to play to the whistle?

You can find more lessons on the side of this page.

Transcript

Rich: Hello my name’s Rich and welcome to Premier Skills English - Premier Vocabulary.

Jack: Hi there! I’m Jack. We’re here to help you with your football English. Premier Vocabulary is a mini-podcast for you to learn football English one word at a time. 

Rich: We have three different levels for you: easy, medium and hard.

Jack: This episode is easy so we’re looking at common football words and phrases. Things you use and need to know to play the game.

...

Rich: The word we are looking at in this episode is whistle. Can you whistle Jack?

Jack: Yes, but not very well.

Rich: It’s good that the referee doesn’t have to do that. Nobody would ever hear it!

Jack: That’s why the referee doesn’t need to whistle. The referee carries a whistle and blows the whistle at different times of a match.

Rich: Ah yes, the metal object the referee uses is also called a whistle.

Jack: The referee blows the whistle to start a match and to stop the game for example when there is a foul.

Rich: And the referee blows the final whistle at the end of the match.

Jack: So to whistle, the verb, means to make a sound by blowing air through your lips.

Rich: A whistle, the noun, is the little instrument the referee uses to stop and start a match. 

Jack: You blow a whistle to make a sound.

Rich: And the final whistle is when the referee blows his or her whistle to end the game.

...

Jack: Whistle - it’s a very difficult word to spell. Let’s challenge our listeners to spell it. 

Rich: Good idea. I’m going to blow a whistle and you all have five seconds to spell it. Ready?

Jack: Did you spell it? The correct spelling is W - H - I - S - T - L - E

Rich: You have to remember those silent letters. It can be difficult to remember that H and the T.

...

Jack: The referee blows a whistle. The referee blows the final whistle at the end of the match. Can we think of another phrase that our learners need to know?

Rich: What about play to the whistle.

Jack: Good. Footballers should always play to the whistle. We are taught this at school and when we’re first learning the game.

Rich: To play to the whistle means to not stop until the referee blows his whistle. 

Jack: That’s right. It doesn’t matter if you think the ball has gone out of play or there was a foul. The only thing that matters is the referee’s whistle.

...

Rich: There is the final whistle!

Jack: We’ll be back soon with more Premier Vocabulary from Premier Skills English.

Rich: Bye for now and enjoy your football.

Discuss

• Can you whistle?
• Why should you always play to the whistle?

Write your answers in the comments section below.