Children inspired by football and languages 

Local schoolchildren are being invited to explore today’s ‘world without borders’ as part of a new community project that mixes football, languages and culture.
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Goole AFC and EITI, the Howden-based interpreting and translation company, have developed an educational workshop that introduces children to the ‘global village’ of the 21st century, as exemplified by the multilingual, multiracial world of soccer.

The project was launched on Monday 24 January at Carlton-in-Snaith Community Primary School by Goole AFC’s first-team manager Paul Marshall and EITI’s operations manager Dawn Bowes.

“Children love learning about other languages and other cultures, and football is a great way to introduce the subject,” said Dawn.

“For example, we all had lots of fun trying to match well-known Premiership footballers with the language they speak, and then placing them on a huge world map to show where they are from.”

Paul rounded off the workshop with a football skills session, including warm-up exercises, dribbling practice and a penalty shoot out.

The ‘football and languages workshop’ is the latest in a series of joint-projects between Goole AFC and EITI. The language company became Goole AFC’s main sponsor in July 2004 with the aim of helping the club develop its community-based activities.

The workshop is available free of charge to primary schools in Yorkshire and the Humber. More information is available from Dawn Bowes on 0800 731 7878.

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Paul Marshall and Dawn Bowes launch the ‘football and languages workshop’ at Carlton-in-Snaith Community Primary School



Notes

Paul Marshall, Goole AFC Manager:
Paul was appointed manager of Goole AFC in 2003. He was previously in charge at Harrogate Railway, where he led the team on an improbable, fairy-tale FA Cup run that culminated in a famous match against Bristol City on Sky TV. Paul firmly believes that football clubs can - and should - be a source of inspiration for everyone in the local community.

Dawn Bowes, EITI Operations Manager:
Dawn, who joined EITI in 2001, manages the company’s interpreting and translation operations. In 2004, she was appointed to the steering group for the government-sponsored review of the National Standards in Interpreting. Dawn is a regular guest at local schools, where her fun and interactive language workshops are a big hit with children of all ages.