This accessible textbook is unique in offering students hands-on, practical experience of textual analysis focused on the language of sport. It combines activities with texts, accompanied by commentaries and further activity suggestions.

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.

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