A man named Tom Kelsey, who is 26 years old, stopped working at his job to play a computer game called Football Manager all the time. He made a YouTube channel about this game when he was still in school and now lots of people watch his videos. Tom makes more money now than he did at his old job and he works from his mom and dad’s house. He likes being able to do what he wants for work and wants to keep playing the game for a long time.

Football Manager is a game that many people like to play since it came out in 2004. Tom’s videos on YouTube got popular and he started making money from ads. This made him decide to quit his job and play the game as his main job. He plays the game and makes videos for about 50 to 60 hours every week. Tom’s family and friends think what he’s doing is good, and he wants to make his YouTube channel even bigger.

Tom’s YouTube channel has 118,000 people who follow it and his videos are watched a million times every month. He really likes being able to make his own choices and make money from something he enjoys. Tom’s story shows that playing games can be a real job and that eSports are getting more popular. He wants to keep making his YouTube channel better and keep making money from playing Football Manager for as long as he can.

Original news source: I left my job to play Football Manager full time’ (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Headline Creation
Instructions: Divide students into small groups and ask each group to create a catchy newspaper headline for the article. Encourage them to use new vocabulary they learned from the text and to make it as engaging as possible. Afterward, have each group present their headline to the class and vote for the best one.

– Speed Summarizing
Instructions: Set a timer for 2 minutes and challenge the students to summarize the article as quickly and accurately as they can. They can work individually or in pairs. After the time is up, each student or pair shares their summary with the class, and the teacher can provide feedback on the content and language used.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Conduct a class poll by asking students their opinion on whether playing a computer game can be considered a real job. Students can move to different corners of the room to represent ‘Yes’, ‘No’, or ‘Not sure’. Then, select students from each corner to explain their reasoning to the rest of the class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary words from the article on separate pieces of paper (e.g., “eSports,” “YouTube channel,” “followers”). Students take turns drawing a word without speaking or writing any letters or numbers, while the rest of the class tries to guess the word. Each correct guess earns a point for the student’s team.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Ask students to imagine what Tom’s life and YouTube channel might look like in 5 years. Students write down their predictions and then share them with a partner. Partners discuss the likelihood of these predictions coming true and why, using language structures for future tense and expressing probability (e.g., “will,” “might,” “could”).

Comprehension Questions:

1. What is the name of the man who stopped working to play a computer game?
2. What is the name of the computer game that Tom plays all the time?
3. Where does Tom work from now?
4. How does Tom make money from his YouTube channel?
5. How many hours a week does Tom spend playing the game and making videos?
6. How many people follow Tom’s YouTube channel?
7. What does Tom like about his job playing Football Manager?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A man (1)______ Tom (2)______, who is 26 years old, stopped working at his job to play a (3)______ game called Football Manager all the time. He made a YouTube channel about this game when he was still in school and now lots of people watch his videos. Tom makes more money now than he did at his old job and he works from his mom and dad’s house. He likes being able to do what he wants for (4)______ and wants to keep playing the (5)______ for a long time.

Football Manager is a game that many people like to play since it came out in 2004. Tom’s (6)______ on YouTube got popular and he started making money from ads. This made him decide to quit his job and play the game as his (7)______ job. He plays the game and makes videos for about 50 to 60 hours every week. Tom’s family and friends think what he’s doing is good, and he wants to make his YouTube channel even bigger.

Tom’s YouTube channel has 118,000 (8)______ who (9)______ it and his videos are watched a million times every month. He really likes being able to (10)______ his own choices and make money from something he enjoys. Tom’s story shows that playing games can be a real job and that eSports are getting more (11)______. He wants to keep making his YouTube channel better and keep making money from playing Football (12)______ for as long as he can.

Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is your favorite computer game to play?
2. How would you feel if you could make money by playing games?
3. Do you like watching videos on YouTube? Why or why not?
4. Do you think playing games can be a real job? Why?
5. Have you ever thought about making your own YouTube channel? What would it be about?
6. How many hours a week do you spend playing games or watching games online?
7. What does it mean to make your own choices at work?
8. Would you like to work from home like Tom does? Why or why not?
9. If you could, would you want to stop going to school or work to do something fun? What would it be?
10. What do your family and friends think about playing games as a job?
11. Do you know what eSports are? Can you explain it?
12. Do you think it’s important to do a job that you enjoy? Why?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. job
2. YouTube
3. money
4. play
5. videos
6. popular
7. choices
8. eSports

Meanings:
(a) Decisions that you can make
(b) To have fun with a game or activity
(c) A website where people can watch videos
(d) Competitive video gaming as a profession
(e) Something you do to earn a living
(f) Short movies that you can watch online
(g) Something you use to buy things
(h) Liked by many people
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. How old is Tom Kelsey?
(a) 30 years old
(b) 20 years old
(c) 26 years old
(d) 40 years old

2. What game does Tom Kelsey play all the time?
(a) Minecraft
(b) Fortnite
(c) Candy Crush
(d) Football Manager

3. Where does Tom Kelsey work from?
(a) His mom and dad’s house
(b) A coffee shop
(c) His office
(d) A gaming studio

4. How did Tom Kelsey start making money from playing video games?
(a) By winning tournaments
(b) Through ads on his YouTube channel
(c) By selling video game merchandise
(d) By streaming on Twitch

5. How many people follow Tom Kelsey’s YouTube channel?
(a) 1 million people
(b) 10,000 people
(c) 118,000 people
(d) 50,000 people

6. How many hours does Tom Kelsey spend playing the game and making videos every week?
(a) 20 to 30 hours
(b) 10 to 20 hours
(c) 70 to 80 hours
(d) 50 to 60 hours

7. What does Tom Kelsey want to do with his YouTube channel?
(a) Delete it
(b) Make it even bigger
(c) Stop making videos
(d) Sell it

8. What does Tom Kelsey’s story show about playing games?
(a) It can be a real job
(b) It’s a waste of time
(c) It’s only for kids
(d) It’s not popular anymore

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. Tom Kelsey got fired from his job for playing a computer game called Football Manager all the time.
2. Tom works from his mom and dad’s house.
3. Tom now makes less money playing Football Manager than he did at his old job.
4. Tom wants to keep making his YouTube channel better and keep making money from playing Football Manager.
5. Tom’s videos on YouTube are watched a thousand times every month.
6. Tom’s YouTube channel has 118 followers.
7. Tom’s family and friends think what he’s doing is good.
8. Tom started a YouTube channel about Football Manager when he was in school.
Go to answers ⇩

Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What did Tom Kelsey do instead of his old job?
2. Where does Tom work from now?
3. How many hours a week does Tom play Football Manager and make videos?
4. How many people follow Tom’s YouTube channel?
5. What does Tom’s story tell us about playing games for work?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What is the name of the man who stopped working to play a computer game?
The man’s name is Tom Kelsey.

2. What is the name of the computer game that Tom plays all the time?
The computer game is called Football Manager.

3. Where does Tom work from now?
Tom works from his mom and dad’s house.

4. How does Tom make money from his YouTube channel?
Tom makes money from ads on his YouTube channel.

5. How many hours a week does Tom spend playing the game and making videos?
Tom spends about 50 to 60 hours every week playing the game and making videos.

6. How many people follow Tom’s YouTube channel?
There are 118,000 people who follow Tom’s YouTube channel.

7. What does Tom like about his job playing Football Manager?
Tom likes being able to make his own choices and making money from something he enjoys.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) named
(2) Kelsey
(3) computer
(4) work
(5) game
(6) videos
(7) main
(8) people
(9) follow
(10) make
(11) popular
(12) Manager
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. job
Answer: (e) Something you do to earn a living

2. YouTube
Answer: (c) A website where people can watch videos

3. money
Answer: (g) Something you use to buy things

4. play
Answer: (b) To have fun with a game or activity

5. videos
Answer: (f) Short movies that you can watch online

6. popular
Answer: (h) Liked by many people

7. choices
Answer: (a) Decisions that you can make

8. eSports
Answer: (d) Competitive video gaming as a profession
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. How old is Tom Kelsey?
Answer: (c) 26 years old

2. What game does Tom Kelsey play all the time?
Answer: (d) Football Manager

3. Where does Tom Kelsey work from?
Answer: (a) His mom and dad’s house

4. How did Tom Kelsey start making money from playing video games?
Answer: (b) Through ads on his YouTube channel

5. How many people follow Tom Kelsey’s YouTube channel?
Answer: (c) 118,000 people

6. How many hours does Tom Kelsey spend playing the game and making videos every week?
Answer: (d) 50 to 60 hours

7. What does Tom Kelsey want to do with his YouTube channel?
Answer: (b) Make it even bigger

8. What does Tom Kelsey’s story show about playing games?
Answer: (a) It can be a real job
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. Tom Kelsey got fired from his job for playing a computer game called Football Manager all the time. (Answer: False)
2. Tom works from his mom and dad’s house. (Answer: True)
3. Tom now makes less money playing Football Manager than he did at his old job. (Answer: False)
4. Tom wants to keep making his YouTube channel better and keep making money from playing Football Manager. (Answer: True)
5. Tom’s videos on YouTube are watched a thousand times every month. (Answer: False)
6. Tom’s YouTube channel has 118 followers. (Answer: False)
7. Tom’s family and friends think what he’s doing is good. (Answer: True)
8. Tom started a YouTube channel about Football Manager when he was in school. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧