Speak the language of the Beautiful Game.
Welcome to english4footballers—the dedicated online hub helping professional footballers (soccer players) master English for career success in the UK and top European leagues. We help elevate your career through clear, confident speaking skills and communication for press interviews, team-talks, and life off the pitch.
English4footballers Inclusivity Statement
We believe in making professional English language coaching accessible to everyone in football. Our courses are designed to be inclusive of all players, regardless of their nationality, gender, age, or skill level. Whether you're a young academy player, a seasoned professional, or somewhere in between, our goal is to help you communicate effectively on and off the pitch.
Benefits of taking english4footballers lessons
You will learn the terminology of:
The Rules and Laws of the Game:
You will better understand every referee call, every decision, and every nuance of the official laws of the game, simply explained.
Player Skills & On-Field Communication:
Learn the precise terms for every move, from a "nutmeg" to a "rabona", and communicate effectively with your teammates during the heat of the match.
Team & Individual Tactics:
Discuss formations, strategies, and player roles with your coaches and teammates with complete clarity.
Injuries & Medical Terminology:
Understand and accurately describe injuries and follow the medical advice to ensure a swift and safe recovery.
Contracts & Negotiations:
Navigate the complexities in some contract terms and transfers, and benefit from endorsements with confidence.
Football statistics and metrics:
Coaches and analysts use these metrics to assess match strategies, players’ effectiveness and team performance.
Football idioms, cliches and slang:
English idioms and slang add humour to live commentary, opinions, and help express emotions and thoughts accurately.
Media Speaking Skills Training
Post-match interview coaching through role plays to help connect with the fans.
Football culture, banter and terminology:
Anthems, singing and chanting for support, jeers and boos at the opposition, referee and officials, and players.
On the training ground:
All the equipment terminology, as well as where all training and fitness exercises, drills, and tactics, such as set pieces, are practised.
Settling in, moving and relocation:
Players feel better and can perform to the best of their ability when they settle into their new club and local surroundings.
About our services
The core of our service is founded upon absolute trust and a sense of professional responsibility. What we promise is confidentiality and an engaging, supportive learning experience. Elite athletes require not merely English fluency, but practical public speaking skills, business maturity and the utmost discretion. To guarantee a secure learning environment, privacy protection is our fundamental policy; what happens in the lesson stays in the lesson. Athletes' identities, affiliated clubs, and progress are never disclosed beyond authorised administrators, guaranteeing this service remains a professional support tool.
All lessons utilise up-to-date football-specific vocabulary, combining technical terms, media terminology and general English to provide a systematic curriculum tailored to your level. Through football-focused lessons, podcasts, original dialogues, webcomics, videos and free conversation, we rapidly build the conversational skills needed for pitchside communication, locker room banter and media engagements. Your personalised curriculum begins with a complimentary trial lesson. We discuss your specific needs and create a bespoke learning plan just for you.
Courses
Choose the right course for your goals
English for Footballers
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Master the football terminology you need to truly understand the beautiful game and succeed in a new country.
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Improve communication skills to engage with coaches, teammates, deal with the media, and connect with the fans.
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Our comprehensive speaking skills programmes include specialised media training for high-stakes interviews.
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Learn and adapt to a new culture off the pitch
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Build social circles and make new associates
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Feel comfortable establishing your personal brand
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Smoother relocation and settling-in period
General English
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Online conversational lessons for coaching staff and footballer family members at flexible and convenient times.
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Conversation skills from role-plays, describing things, hypothetical questions, and agree/disagree.
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Analyse daily news for pronunciation, new vocabulary, and discussion.
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IELTS speaking preparation and practice tests, expertly delivered.
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Special Purpose English: Business, Travel and Culture, Health & Well Being.
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Vocabulary expansion and improvement (phrasal verbs and idiomatic expressions).
Testimonials
Success Stories
"I achieved a high level of satisfaction with the training; the course was well-organised and delivered effectively. My primary goal was to improve my spoken English, and I now feel significantly more confident engaging in conversations on a range of topics. Alvin motivated me to study business-related themes and gain insights into the UK job market. I now feel I’m ready to start my job search."
Anton, K. Surrey, May 25
"Thanks for everything. I know you are an excellent teacher, and I already miss your elegant British accent… 😂 "
Chika Nikumura, Kyoto, Japan
" We've received some feedback from your course with Anton K., which we'd like to share with you. The student has expressed a high level of satisfaction with the training, describing their overall experience as excellent. They felt that the course was well-organised and delivered effectively. Their primary goal was to improve their English speaking skills, and they now feel significantly more confident engaging in conversations on a range of topics. They also aimed to explore business-related themes and gain insights into the UK job market. According to their feedback, the materials you selected were engaging and relevant, and they feel better prepared for both their professional and personal life in the UK. We hope you find this feedback encouraging. Thank you for your continued dedication and for delivering such impactful lessons."
Bruno, Michigan, US, May 2025
"I was very pleased having lessons with Alvin Baker for 1 year, he has perfect English (as a native), with a traditional, very clear London accent (that you might hear on any BBC TV show). Never had any problem understanding him. Besides, he has quite a logical and intelligent mind, which makes it easy to follow his lessons. He has a brilliant sense of English humour that helped a lot to get along much quicker and make our lessons more entertaining, at the same time, it brings a sense of British culture, if you would like to understand natives not only verbally but mentally as well. Must admit Alvin has a lot of nice hobbies, which could help to widen the range of topics during learning sessions. I would say, if your goal isn't only the English language, but also cultural and intellectual, mind-provoking conversations, Alvin would definitely challenge your mind."
Alexander Lyubov, Birmingham, UK, Sep 15 2025
"Alvin is an outstanding teacher who combines his experience as an editor with his passion for English and football. He doesn’t just teach “basic English” but helps learners use accurate, natural expressions that are essential in real-life situations. For athletes, especially football players aiming to play abroad, his lessons are practical and motivating. At the same time, for everyday learners—whether for travel, work, or daily communication—he provides clear, engaging lessons tailored to each goal. Learning with Alvin means gaining both confidence and real progress in English. Best regards, Harumi. "
Harumi, Tokyo, August 2025
"I have been taking lessons with Alvin for half a year, usually once or twice a week. He is consistently punctual, yet flexible when needed, and always approaches our sessions with kindness and friendliness. His mastery of the language, as a native Briton, makes every lesson highly valuable. Our focus has been on improving my conversational skills, and he ensures that we always find engaging and interesting topics to discuss. The exchange is both effective and enjoyable, and I believe it has been mutually rewarding."
Burak Sen, Kuwait-Istanbul, Sep 1
"I take English conversation classes with Alvin, who is not only a great teacher but also a wonderful conversationalist. The lessons are relaxed, enjoyable, and often filled with humor, which makes learning feel natural and fun. I always feel comfortable speaking, and our conversations help me improve my listening and sskills and fluency without pressure. Each class is like a friendly exchange, and I can clearly notice the progress I’m making."
Laura Garcia, Madrid-Hyderabad. Sep 2, 2025.
FAQ's
With an extensive bank of football terminology and podcasts, English4footballers creates dynamic, personalised lessons with realistic dialogues and role-plays. You will truly understand every part of the game. Our method focuses on immediate application: understanding tactical commands, handling media scripts, and social conversation in English. For example, mastering terms like "nutmeg" and "dribble" allows for clear communication with your teammates and detailed discussions with your coach. The result is a highly relevant, focused learning experience that professional footballers want to complete.
We offer support in areas vital to a player's life and career, including media performance and cultural integration. Our comprehensive English for Footballers programme includes high-stakes media training to help you overcome the fear of camera and microphone interviews after a disappointing performance. We’ll help you better understand football culture—the slang, jokes, and customs—which will make you feel more like a part of the team and the club. This accelerated integration and improved communication will also support you in making smarter, informed career choices.
All classes are delivered online using secure platforms like Google Meet, Teams, Zoom, and LINE. This structure is specifically designed to eliminate privacy and travel concerns, allowing you to learn from anywhere. This makes it easy to fit lessons into your demanding and often unpredictable training schedule. The lessons are always scheduled at mutually convenient times to suit your specific needs, ensuring maximum flexibility.
Absolutely. We believe that learning General English together is the best way to support your successful family integration. We offer comprehensive lessons for both players and their family members. Lessons are flexible, ranging from free-flowing, open conversations on any topic to structured sessions featuring fun role-play dialogues and engaging grammar exercises. We also cover essential language skills, including idioms, common phrasal verbs, sentence structure, and pronunciation practice. We can also include test preparation, such as IELTS speaking exam practice, upon request.
My lifelong passion for football is the driving force behind this programme. My journey began as a fan, through years of school and post-senior high school, playing with former schoolmates in a regional amateur league as a DM. I became passionate about the game and recognised the importance of communication between players, and could resonate with the challenges faced by talented international players. I saw a significant gap where generic English language training simply didn't provide the specialised, unique on-the-pitch terminology, such as 'man-on,' 'time', or 'hoof it' or many other terms that are still used today. The creation of English for Footballers was inspired by the desire to fill that gap, ensuring every player can maximise their talent, integrate smoothly, and feel confident both in the dressing room and during media interactions. It's a commitment to supporting the whole professional footballer.
