Footballogy: Elements of American Football for Non-Native Speakers of English

American football, more than just a game, is an experience that connects many Americans and Footballogy: Elements of American Football for Non-Native Speakers of English connects us with this experience.This book is a self-paced starter guide on America’s number-one sports pastime, its heritage, and traditions from the view of a fan. Engaging readings and fun activities in comprehension, vocabulary, grammar and usage help us speak more skillfully and confidently about the sport and follow the action at the stadium, in print, broadcast or digital media. And, of course, to make friends. People to most benefit include high-intermediate and above English-language learners as well as proficient speakers of English who learned English by way of study, not birth. Students, business people, and travelers are the core of this group. To achieve its purpose, Footballogy recognizes the importance of “small talk.” The metaphor, or symbol, for such casual discussions is the water cooler, where people meet and talk about matters not related to work. Whether the chat is in the break-room, around a coffee pot, or an actual water cooler, casual conversations join us on a personal level. Dale Carnegie, the well-regarded motivational expert, observed that the way to make friends and influence people is to show genuine interest in matters of concern to others. To many Americans, one of those matters is football. Since 1985, football has been America’s most preferred game. It should be no surprise that the season of autumn, when the game is played, is celebrated as “football season.” Users of Footballogy will not only come to know the concepts and language of American football but will become fluent with the knowledge and confidence to broaden their own experiences of American football.