English lesson "Oliver Kahn".

OLIVER KAHN, A GOALKEEPING LEGEND ⚽

Level: B2–C1

Topic: Football, achievement, leadership, legacy

1. WARM-UP

WHAT MAKES A SPORTS LEGEND?

2. PRE-LISTENING: VOCABULARY

Match the words with their definitions.

Quick challenge

Choose three words and make sentences about a successful athlete.

3. BEFORE WATCHING | 5 min

OLIVER KAHN: A GOALKEEPING LEGEND

What information do you expect to hear?

☐ childhood

☐ first club

☐ international career

☐ trophies

☐ family life

☐ World Cup

☐ retirement

☐ career after football

☐ personality

4. LISTENING 1: GENERAL UNDERSTANDING | 5 min

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98fEbL1YwG4

Choose the best summary.

A. A German goalkeeper explains how he trained to become a professional footballer.

B. A short biography describing Oliver Kahn's career, achievements and lasting influence on football.

C. A detailed analysis of Germany's performance at the 2002 World Cup.

D. A comparison between Oliver Kahn and other famous goalkeepers.

What makes the video sound more like a celebration of a legend than a simple biography?

Descriptive words

fierce, focused, unbreakable, hero, sublime, guardian, warrior, legend

5. LISTENING 2: CAREER TIMELINE

Play the video again.

Put the events in chronological order.

A. Kahn won the Golden Ball at the World Cup.

B. He joined Bayern Munich.

C. He retired from professional football.

D. He made his Bundesliga debut.

E. Germany won Euro 1996.

F. He helped Bayern win the Champions League.

G. He became a Bayern executive.

H. He began his career at his hometown club.

6. LISTENING 3: DETAIL

Answer the questions

Where was Kahn born?

Which club did he start his career with?

How old was he when he made his Bundesliga debut?

When did he move to Bayern Munich?

Approximately how many appearances did he make for Bayern?

How many times did he win the Bundesliga?

What happened during the 2001 Champions League final?

How many international caps did he earn for Germany?

What happened at the 2002 World Cup?

What did Kahn do after retiring?

7. VOCABULARY: DESCRIBING A LEGEND

A. Find expressions in the video that mean:

extremely determined and aggressive

impossible to defeat

to collect a large number of achievements

the person who saves the team in a crucial moment

extremely impressive

lasting influence on future generations

B. Which words are positive? Which can have negative meanings depending on context?

fierce • warrior • aggressive • focused • unbreakable • dominant • determined

8. LANGUAGE FOCUS: NARRATING A CAREER

The video uses different narrative tenses.

Past Simple

For completed events:

He joined Bayern Munich in 1994.

Past Continuous

For an action in progress:

He was leading Germany towards the final.

Past Perfect

For an event that happened before another past event:

By the time he retired, he had won numerous trophies.

Present Perfect

For achievements connected with the present:

He has inspired generations of goalkeepers.

Practice

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb.

Kahn ________ (start) his career at Karlsruher SC.

By 1994, he ________ (establish) himself as a professional goalkeeper.

While Germany ________ (play) in the tournament, Kahn became one of its key players.

He ________ (win) the Golden Ball at the 2002 World Cup.

Since his retirement, he ________ (remain) an influential figure in German football.

Answers

started

had established

was playing

won

has remained

9. SPEAKING: WHAT MAKES A LEGEND?

Put students into groups of 3–4.

Choose five qualities that you think are important for an elite athlete.

talent

discipline

confidence

resilience

leadership

physical ability

experience

teamwork

ambition

mental strength

Which qualities can be developed, and which depend mainly on natural ability? Explain your choice.

Useful expressions:

I would prioritise...

The reason I've chosen this is...

I wouldn't underestimate...

This is particularly important when...

Without X, an athlete might struggle to...

I see your point, but...

10. C1 CHALLENGE: LEGEND OR IMAGE?

“A sporting legend is created not only by achievements, but by the story people tell about those achievements.”

Discuss:

Do you agree?

How does the language of the video create Kahn's image?

Why does the narrator use words such as warrior, guardian, and legend?

Would the biography sound different if it used only factual information?

Where is the difference between fact and dramatic description?

11. FINAL TASK: MINI BIOGRAPHY

Choose a famous athlete and prepare a 60–90 second spoken biography.

Possible plan

-early life

-first professional opportunity

-major achievements

-one important challenge

-personality/playing style

-legacy