How to help employees adjust to life in the UK – English for footballers and others

The life of a professional sportsman is busy and stressful, beginning at a young age and ending early. Players are under pressure to make as much money from the sport as they can before their careers are over.  It is this that brings an increasing number of footballers from overseas to the Premiership and Championship in particular.

The Premier League kicked off in 1992, with 13 overseas players in the opening matches; now 95 nationalities, not including English players, have represented a Premier league team. In addition many clubs have recruited foreign managers, coaches and other staff, who are expected to learn English fast to communicate with the press and their teams. Multiple languages is the norm in all Premier League dressing rooms.

Some clubs have a tradition of recruiting players from particular nations or language group – Arsenal with French and French-speaking African players for example. Having colleagues who speak the same language can help a new player settle in to the many environments where he now has to use English – training sessions, press conferences, commercial work for the club or other sponsors, and of course in everyday life.

La Academia has worked with a number of teams and individual players and their families to help them adjust to daily life in the UK, and to develop their language skills to assist with this.

Many companies in other industries face the same challenge with colleagues from overseas being posted to the UK office. La Academia can help with English tutors and English courses for these staff.  ESOL tuition can be at your location, or ours, or via Skype in a quiet moment.  The la Academia team is discreet and used to providing English training to high net worth individuals, so complete discretion is assured.

Contact us for more details of our ESOL tutoring across the North West and ESOL courses in Manchester.