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English · Year 4e · Learning Journey 4 · Theme 1 Sport and society · A2+

Cricket: a game for the whole Commonwealth

Matches that last five days, a tiny urn of ashes, a billion fans in India: I discover cricket and I compare with all kinds of comparatives and superlatives.

A2+comparatives · superlativesadverbs of degree
Yellow card · March · 6 lessons

Comparing: more, the most, as… as

To compare, I choose the right form for the length of the adjective, and I add adverbs of degree. Tap the cards.

Cricket is one of the most popular sports in the world. In India, it is much more popular than football. A Test match is the longest game in sport: it can last five days! T20 matches are shorter and extremely exciting. For me, cricket is quite difficult to understand, but it is as fascinating as rugby.
more popular than
Long adjective: more… than.
Cricket is more popular than football in India.
the longest
Short superlative: the + adjective-est.
It's the longest game.
as… as
The same: as + adjective + as.
It's as fascinating as rugby.
much more
To make a comparative stronger: much, far, a lot.
It's much more exciting.

My words → tap a card: it turns over and I hear the word

Culture → cricket, a Commonwealth sport

A cricket match on green grass, players in white, stands
A match at Lord's cricket ground, London · DncnH from Melton Mowbray, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Cricket was born in England in the 16th century and spread across the British Empire. Today, it is played in most of the 56 countries of the Commonwealth: India, Pakistan, Australia, South Africa, the West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh…

Lord's cricket ground, in London, is called “the home of cricket”. Since 1882, England and Australia have played for the Ashes: a tiny urn which may contain the ashes of a burnt wicket after an English defeat.

In India, cricket is a real national passion: hundreds of millions of people watch the big matches on TV. Since 2008, the Indian Premier League, a short format (Twenty20), has been one of the richest sports competitions in the world.

Did you know? → tap a card

I listen → cricket, a world sport

Listen. Write down three comparisons and the speaker's opinion. Then listen again at normal speed.

I watch

Video: “What Is Cricket? Get to know the sport” · channel ICC (International Cricket Council) · watch on YouTube. The video only loads when you tap (youtube-nocookie player).

My mission during the video
  1. Write down the names of three players or roles.
  2. Write down two rules you understood.
  3. Write a comparison between cricket and a sport you know.
The lessons in this learning journey (6)
  1. Sports around the English-speaking world: map.
  2. What is cricket? The basic rules (ICC video).
  3. Lord's, the home of cricket, and the Ashes.
  4. Cricket in India: the most popular sport in the country.
  5. Grammar: comparing sports and countries.
  6. Final task: present and compare two national sports.
Sentence starters → for my final task
  • “In…, the national sport is…”
  • “Cricket is more… than…”
  • “… is as popular as…”
  • “The best players…”
  • “I prefer… because…”
For the teacher → goals and official curriculum
  • Theme 1 “Sport and society” → topic: cricket in the Commonwealth countries. 2020 theme: meeting other cultures.
  • Understand the simple rules of a sport and an official video; compare sports and countries.
  • Grammar: all kinds of comparatives and superlatives (more popular than, the most famous, the longest ever); as… as; adverbs of degree (extremely, quite, so much).
  • Final task: present and compare two national sports.

Texts and materials: An official video by the International Cricket Council (ICC); a photo of Lord's cricket ground; a map of the Commonwealth.

Theme 1 “Sport and society”. Source: French national curriculum for modern languages, cycle 4, BO no. 31 of 30 July 2020 (in force in 4e in 2026-2027); matching theme of the English curriculum, BO no. 22 of 29 May 2025, which will apply in 4e from September 2027.

Worksheet to fill in (paper or ENT)

The same learning journey, to print or to put on the ENT. For a PDF, choose “Save as PDF” in the print window.