The Language of Sport:
* looks in detail at the language of sports-talk including commentary and 'new sportswriting'
* explores linguistic representation of related issues such as gender, national/regional identity
* examines the way sport sells itself as an agent of social cohesion and as a way to sell other products
* includes BBC, ITV and radio transcripts of such sporting events as Euro '96

Unit one: This sporting life; It's not cricket; Fields of dreams; Advertising and sport Unit two: Sporting figures Anyone for tennis? Running commentaries; Leading ladies Unit three: The state of the game The sporting battlefield; Olympic ideals; Sporting legends; Unit four: Sporting codes; The level playing field Unit five: Sportstalk I Spot the balls up 61 What does it feel like? Unit six: Sportstalk II Television commentary 1 Television commentary 2 Radio commentary Unit seven: Sportswriting I Framework for looking at texts; The comic hero; How to play; The fans' view; Telling it like it is Unit eight: Sportswriting II Writing documentary

Adrian Beard is Head of English at Gosforth High School in Newcastle­upon-Tyne. He is Principal Moderator at the Northern Examining and Assessment Board for A-Level English Literature Coursework.