Football at LSE

On Wednesday afternoons at our Westcroft Square school some of the teachers and students play football. We play on an Astroturf pitch in Ravenscourt Park which is a 5 minute walk from the school. How many players we have, depends on the time of year and the British weather of course, but we usually have between 8 and 15 from the school, sometimes more. We often play if it's raining a little, but we sometimes call it off when it's pouring down. We play against native English people from the local college and if we have a lot of players we play on an 11 aside pitch. When there are less people however we play smaller games of 5 or 7 aside on a smaller pitch. We have players of all different nationalities and abilities and we've even had a few female players. Sometimes when the weather's nice, some students just come along to watch and cheer us on.

It's a great way to relax and unwind after class by letting out some energy, as well as, it being really good exercise. Most of the courses at Westcroft Square finish at 12.45pm on Wednesdays so we start playing at about 1.00pm. Everyone enjoys playing and it provides an excellent opportunity for students to interact with native speakers in a fun and informal situation. Not only do students get to interact with teachers, they also get the chance to meet native English people. It's a natural way to practise English because communication is one of the keys skills in football. If you don't know how to tell a teammate to pass, you won't receive the ball and your team could miss a good opportunity to score. There is also some fun competitive banter between the different nationalities at times which adds to the enjoyment. So, if you plan to study at our Westcroft Square school and you enjoy football, don't forget to bring your kit!

Glossary

• it's pouring down – (exp.) it's raining heavily
• a pitch – (n) where football is played
• Astroturf – (n) false grass
• banter – (n) light joking talk
• kit – (n) the clothes and shoes you need to play football

By Ben