EXPLORING THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF FOOTBALL COACHING BY A PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL COACH: TOWARD THE DEVELOPMENT OF ENGLISH PEDAGOGICAL RESOURCES FOR SPORTS

Abstract

Globalization has had a significant impact on the field of sports. In Japan, an increasing number of football coaches are looking overseas for career opportunities; however, they face numerous obstacles when attempting to accomplish their goals, including language barriers, cultural adaptation, and competition-specific misalignments. This study aimed to develop language teaching materials specifically designed for football coaches interested in pursuing professional careers abroad in the future. For this purpose, this study conducted a preliminary investigation of how a Japanese football coach interacted in English with players in an academy team of an Australian professional football club. The coaching behavior was analyzed using a qualitative data analysis method called the modified grounded theory approach (M-GTA). The results revealed the coach’s training process, which began with an explanation of the purpose and procedure of the training, followed by feedback on the training and temporarily suspending the training to correct the players’ errors. The coach’s unique technique involved using repeated initiation, response, evaluation, and clarification (IRE-C) interactions with the players, primarily questioning them to elicit consideration of methods to enhance their performance, followed by gentle guidance toward a solution.The findings had several pedagogical implications. First, the repeated generic structure and linguistic features identified in the coaching process could form foundational resources for developing ESP materials. Second, rich contextual information surrounding the obtained linguistic data, such as the coach’s mindset and coaching philosophy, could reveal how language is used and help construct meaning in authentic football coaching situations.