Sports and culture

Sports are often an integral part of any culture. Children grow up playing or watching sports at home with their family from a very young age. Apart from the immediate family environment, schools also promote the benefits of an active lifestyle with Physical Education (PE) being an essential part of the school curriculum and a process that uses bodily movement to promote learning while playing a variety of sports games (Peter, 2015).

Eventually, sports end up being strongly associated with (and embedded within) different cultures, and sports events can be a great opportunity to help EAL learners develop intercultural competence through playing games from around the world (Puente-Maxera, F, et.al., 2020). Intercultural competence is also associated with a better understanding of the culture in which EAL learners live and operate, which helps them become more effective members of the community and future citizens. Meaningful engagement with sports activities can help EAL learners, from new arrivals to bilingual learners, develop cultural understanding and a sense of belonging to a community.

Can sports events also enhance language learning?

According to Tian & Xiu (2024), sports activities require a certain level of interaction and cooperation, which occurs through speaking, listening, and following instructions. These skills are essential for – and promote –  language acquisition. Also, collaboration in a sports setting not only enhances language learning through practical language use but also strengthens the social bonds created amongst members of a team (Bailey, Almusharraf & Hatcher, 2021), as well as increasing motivation, and reducing anxiety (Tian & Xiu, 2024). When learners experience less anxiety, while trying to achieve a common goal as members of a team, language learning becomes an easier process(Hiver, et.al, 2024).

Any sports event can be a great opportunity for learning, but here are a few examples and ideas that can spark conversations and instigate learning:

1. The Olympic Games: A multicultural showcase of different sports, countries, athletes, and sports values.
2. Football World Cup: A chance to explore geography and national flags or discuss football rules.
3. Local sports events: School sports days are an opportunity for enjoyment and connection with the local cultural while taking a break from using language in the classroom.
4. Other national sports events: Learners can explore and learn about sports traditions from their own countries.

For more ideas on how families can use sports events as opportunities for learning, you can download our resource ‘My Sports Day Adventure’ by clicking on the buttons at the top and bottom of this article.

Sports have a variety of functions for different parts of society, carrying values that add to our culture and identity (Peter, 2015). EAL learners can gain valuable language practice and understanding of different cultures through sports, and multilingual families will eventually feel more included in the community if they make the wise choice of investing part of their time in sports activities (Oranje & Feryok, 2013).

References

Bailey, D, Almusharraf, N. & Hatcher, R. (2021). Finding satisfaction: Intrinsic motivation for synchronous and asynchronous communication in the online language learning context. Education and Information Technologies, 26(3): 2563-2583.

Hiver, P., Al Hoorie, A. H., Vitta, J. P. & Wu, J. (2024). Engagement in Language Learning: A systematic review of 20 years of research methods and definitions. Language Teaching Research. 28(1): 201-230.

Peter, V.F. (2015). Relationship between Culture, Education and Sports. International Research Journal of Management, IT & Social Sciences. 2(11): 38-42.

Puente-Maxera, F., Méndez-Giménez, A. & Martínez de Ojeda, D. (2020). Games from around the world: Promoting intercultural competence through sport education in secondary school students. International Journal of Intercultural Relations. 75: 23-33.

Oranje, J. & Feryok, A. (2013). The Role of Culture in EAL Students’ Lessons at a New Zealand Primary School: A case study. New Zealand Studies in Applied Linguistics. 19(2): 5-20.

Tian, D. & Xiu, H. (2024). The Role of Sports Activities in Enhancing English Language Learning Motivation: Analysing the Impact. Journal of Sport Psychology. 33:(3): 334-340.

Author: Martha Giannakaki, EAL Specialist