Talking about your favorite sports — ESL lesson

Engaging English language learners with the topic of sports is an effective way to build vocabulary, practice conversational skills, and foster enthusiasm in the classroom. Sports are universally relatable, offering a dynamic context for learners to connect language to real-world experiences.

This lesson plan introduces essential sports-related vocabulary, versatile phrases, and example conversations to help learners confidently discuss their favorite sports. Designed for beginner to intermediate learners, the plan incorporates interactive activities, visual aids, and practical teaching strategies to ensure engagement and retention. By focusing on simple, commonly used terms and adaptable sentence structures, learners will develop the skills to express preferences, describe sports, and engage in meaningful dialogues.

The following sections provide a structured approach to teaching this topic, complete with tips, activities, and strategies to address common learner challenges.

Basic vocabulary

Start with essential words related to discussing sports. These should be simple, commonly used terms that learners can easily apply.

Vocabulary list

• Sport: An athletic activity (e.g., soccer, basketball).
• Team: A group of players (e.g., a soccer team).
• Player: A person who plays a sport.
• Game/match: A single event of a sport (e.g., a soccer match).
• Score: The points in a game (e.g., 2-1).
• Win/lose: To succeed or fail in a game (e.g., our team won).
• Practice: Training to improve skills (e.g., soccer practice).
• Equipment: Items used in a sport (e.g., ball, racket).
• Field/court: The place where a sport is played (e.g., soccer field, basketball court).
• Coach: A person who trains the team or player.
• Fan: A person who supports a team
• Goal: The aim of scoring (e.g., scoring a goal in soccer).
• Tournament: A series of games to determine a winner.
• Skill: An ability in a sport (e.g., kicking, dribbling).

Vocabulary words for extension

• Athlete: A person who competes in sports (e.g., a professional athlete).
• Referee: The official who enforces the rules in a game (e.g., a soccer referee).
• Goalpost: The structure where points are scored in some sports (e.g., soccer goalpost).
• Jersey: The shirt worn by players (e.g., a basketball jersey).
• Warm-up: Exercises done before playing to prepare (e.g., stretching before a game).
• Opponent: The team or player you compete against (e.g., our opponent scored).
• Stadium: A large place where sports are played (e.g., a football stadium).
• Pass: To give the ball to a teammate (e.g., pass the ball in soccer).
• Injury: A physical harm during a sport (e.g., a knee injury).
• Championship: A major tournament to decide the best team or player (e.g., the World Cup championship).

Teaching tips

• Use visuals like pictures of sports equipment or game scenes to connect vocabulary to real contexts.
• Practice pronunciation of terms like “tournament” (TOOR-nuh-ment) or “equipment” (i-KWIP-ment).
• Create flashcards with words on one side and images or definitions on the other for quick recall.

Useful phrases

Teach simple sentence structures for discussing favorite sports. These phrases should be versatile and easy to adapt.

Key phrases

1. Talking about favorite sports
   • “My favorite sport is [sport].”
   • “I like to play [sport].”
   • “I watch [sport] on TV.”
   • “I’m a fan of [team/player].”
2. Describing the sport
   • “It’s a [fast/exciting/fun] sport.”
   • “You need a [ball/racket] to play it.”
   • “It’s played on a [field/court/pool].”
   • “The goal is to [score goals/win points].”
3. Expressing opinions
   • “I like it because it’s [reason].”
   • “It’s better than [sport] because [reason].”
   • “I don’t like [sport] because it’s [reason].”
   • “My favorite player is [name].”
4. Asking questions
   • “Do you like sports?”
   • “What’s your favorite sport?”
   • “Do you play [sport]?”
   • “Who’s your favorite team?”

Teaching tips

• Write phrases on a board or handout and model their use (e.g., “My favorite sport is soccer. It’s exciting!”).
• Have learners substitute their own favorite sports or teams into the phrases.
• Practice question forms to encourage interactive conversations.

Example conversations

Provide short, realistic dialogues to model how to talk about favorite sports. These examples progress from basic to more detailed.

Conversation 1: Basic exchange

Anna: Do you like sports, Tom?
Tom: Yes, I love soccer!
Anna: Cool! Do you play it?
Tom: Yes, I play with my friends. It’s fun.
Anna: Nice! What team do you like?
Tom: I’m a fan of Manchester United.

Conversation 2: Adding details

Sara: What’s your favorite sport, Juan?
Juan: It’s basketball. I play it at school.
Sara: Oh, nice! Why do you like it?
Juan: It’s fast and exciting. You need a ball and a court.
Sara: Do you have a favorite player?
Juan: Yes, LeBron James! He’s amazing.

Conversation 3: More advanced

Mark: Hey, Lisa, do you like sports?
Lisa: Yes, I love tennis! I watch it and play it.
Mark: That’s cool! What’s it like?
Lisa: It’s a fun sport. You hit a ball with a racket on a court.
Mark: Who’s your favorite player?
Lisa: Serena Williams. She’s so strong and skillful!

Teaching tips

• Role-play these dialogues with the learner, switching roles to practice asking and answering.
• Encourage learners to adapt the dialogues using their own favorite sports or players.
• In group settings, pair students to practice, prompting them to ask at least one follow-up question.

Teaching strategy

Here’s a step-by-step lesson plan to teach this topic effectively (approximately 45 minutes):

Step 1: Warm-up (5 minutes)

• Ask: “What sports do you like to play or watch?” to spark interest.
• Show a picture or short video clip of a popular sport (e.g., a soccer match) and describe it briefly (e.g., “This is soccer. It’s played on a field with a ball.”).

Step 2: Vocabulary introduction (10 minutes)

• Present the vocabulary list using visuals or a slideshow of sports scenes.
• Practice pronunciation, especially for terms like “score” or “tournament.”
• Play a quick game: Say a sport (e.g., “tennis”), and learners name a piece of equipment (e.g., “racket”) or a related word.

Step 3: Phrase practice (10 minutes)

• Display key phrases and model them with your own example (e.g., “My favorite sport is swimming. It’s relaxing.”).
• Have learners practice by filling in the blanks (e.g., “My favorite sport is ____. It’s ____.”).
• Correct pronunciation and grammar gently, emphasizing natural phrasing.

Step 4: Conversation practice (15 minutes)

• Read one example conversation aloud, emphasizing natural tone and enthusiasm.
• Pair learners (or role-play with them) to practice the dialogues, encouraging personalization.
• Ask learners to create their own short dialogue about their favorite sport.

Step 5: Wrap-up and personalization (5 minutes)

• Have each learner share one or two sentences about their favorite sport (e.g., “My favorite sport is soccer. It’s exciting because it’s fast.”).
• Provide feedback on their use of vocabulary and phrases.
• Assign homework: Write 3-5 sentences about their favorite sport or practice a dialogue with a friend.

Additional tips

• Cultural sensitivity: Be aware that some learners may not be familiar with certain sports due to cultural or regional differences. Encourage them to discuss local sports if applicable.
• Visual aids: Use images or videos of sports fields, equipment, or famous athletes to make the lesson engaging.
• Listening practice: Play a short audio or video clip (e.g., from YouTube or ESL resources) of someone talking about a sport to expose learners to different accents.
• Adapt for level: For beginners, focus on simple phrases (e.g., “I like soccer.”). For intermediate learners, encourage details (e.g., “I like soccer because it’s fast and teamwork is important.”).
• Incorporate technology: If teaching online, share a screen with sports images or use a virtual whiteboard to highlight vocabulary.

Common mistakes to address

• Grammar: Learners may say “I like play soccer” instead of “I like to play soccer.” Emphasize the use of “to” with verbs.
• Pronunciation: Terms like “goal” or “coach” may be mispronounced. Practice these explicitly.
• Word choice: Clarify differences like “game” (a single event) vs. “sport” (the activity in general).

Example activity: “Sports match-up”

For group classes, try this interactive activity:

• Give each learner a card with a sport, piece of equipment, or player name.
• Learners mingle and find others whose cards match their sport (e.g., “soccer” pairs with “ball” and “Messi”).
• They discuss their cards (e.g., “I have soccer. It’s my favorite sport because it’s exciting.”).

Homework or follow-up

• Writing: Write a short paragraph (5 sentences) about your favorite sport or team.
• Speaking: Record a 30-second audio or video describing your favorite sport and why you like it.
• Research: Find a picture or video of your favorite sport online and describe it in 2-3 sentences in English.