Vive le football at West Norfolk schools

Football and foreign languages came together when West Norfolk students took part in a programme led by a former Arsenal outreach worker.

Steve Eadon, who spent 11 years at the Premier League club, visited Year 9 students at schools across the West Norfolk Academies Trust (WNAT) to put them through their footballing paces, while also honing their foreign language skills.

Visiting each of the Trust’s four secondary schools in turn over a two-day period, Mr Eadon first held an assembly to promote foreign language learning before leading a football coaching session in French, German or Spanish.

“Steve visited to talk about his experiences in language learning and how it has influenced his coaching career at Arsenal, as well as talking to our students about how language learning can improve and enhance their career prospects in the future,” said event organiser Leah Hawkins, who is WNAT Lead for Modern Foreign Languages.

“He then ran coaching sessions in each school where instructions and key information were given in the foreign language to the students.”

The series ‘kicked off’ at Smithdon High School in Hunstanton, where the coaching was in French, then headed to Springwood High School in King’s Lynn, where the students practised their German. 

The next day saw Mr Eadon, who is also a modern foreign languages teacher, visit St Clement’s High School in Terrington St Clement, where the football session was again conducted in French, followed by Marshland High School in West Walton, where the group focused on Spanish.

At each school, the entire Year 9 cohort attended the assembly, while 30 students were selected to take part in the football coaching.

“The assembly covered Steve’s experiences at school, university and working for Arsenal as a coach within the community outreach team, his travel opportunities, and community work,” continued Mrs Hawkins. “

“He then spoke about how learning languages can open up opportunities in the students’ future that they may not yet be aware of. He has used his language skills to interview many foreign players on behalf of Arsenal – a job which, without his language skills learnt at school and beyond, would not have been possible.

“The coaching session involved football skills and drills using the target language to give instructions and complete tasks, and then play a mini game of football, calling to teammates and giving instructions in the language of the session.”

The event was arranged through Mr Eadon’s company Mingalaba (a Burmese greeting), which uses the global appeal of football to teach and promote languages.

“This event has been thought-provoking for our students in terms of opening their eyes to the possibilities which may be opened up through the continued learning of foreign languages,” added Mrs Hawkins. 

“Although Steve has a footballing background, he was able to show the students all the different types of jobs linked, whatever field they may be in, where your opportunities might be broadened in the future if you are able to also link in language skills to support you as an applicant.”