Click here for the PDF handout or try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Armani. Click on the links below or see the activities below this article:
READ
Armani is known all across the world for being a leader in style. The Italian fashion house was founded by legendary designer Giorgio Armani in 1975. It is today one of the fashion world’s most prestigious names. It produces a wide range of clothes, accessories, glasses and cosmetics. All of these are carefully branded as ‘sub-labels’ to target different markets. The Giorgio Armani collection is one of the most expensive in the world. For the not-so-rich, there is the Armani Exchange, which has more moderately priced items. The company operates several hundred stores around the world. Armani is branching out into luxury tourism by opening a chain of stylish, 5-star boutique hotels and resorts in the world’s trendiest cities. The first opened in Dubai in 2010 in Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest building.
SEE A SAMPLE Mail this business English lesson to friends and teachers. Click the @ below.
WORKSHEET ACTIVITIES
WARM-UPS
1. BRAINSTORM: Write all the words you can think of about Armani on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about these words with your partner(s).
2. ARMANI MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of Armani. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.
3. RUMOURS:Each student writes down a pretend rumour about Armani. They then walk around the class and talk to other students about their rumour.
4. GOOD AND BAD:Brainstorm good and bad things about Armani and write them on the board. Students talk about these in pairs.
5. TRUE OR FALSE:Students find out several facts about Armani. They write these down and add the same number of things about the company that are false. Students test each other on which of their points are true or false.
6. FACTS:In groups, students write down as many facts as they can about Armani. The winner is the group with the most facts. Teacher may wish to have groups share their facts to make sure they are real.
LISTENING / READING GAP FILL
Armani is __________________ world for being a leader in style. The Italian fashion house was founded by __________________ Giorgio Armani in 1975. It is today one of the fashion world’s most prestigious names. It produces __________________ clothes, accessories, glasses and cosmetics. All of these are carefully branded as ‘sub-labels’ __________________ markets. The Giorgio Armani collection __________________ expensive in the world. For the not-so-rich, there is the Armani Exchange, which has more __________________ items. The company operates several hundred stores around the world. Armani is __________________ luxury tourism by opening a chain of stylish, 5-star boutique hotels __________________ world’s trendiest cities. The first opened in Dubai in 2010 in Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest building.
CORRECT THE SPELLING
Armani is known all across the world for being a dlaeer in style. The Italian fashion house was ednodfu by legendary designer Giorgio Armani in 1975. It is today one of the fashion world’s most tugsiresipo names. It produces a wide range of clothes, accessories, glasses and cosmetics. All of these are carefully edndrab as ‘sub-labels’ to target different markets. The Giorgio Armani otnlilceco is one of the most expensive in the world. For the not-so-rich, there is the Armani Exchange, which has more yordemlaet priced items. The company aesetpro several hundred stores around the world. Armani is bngarnchi out into luxury tourism by opening a chain of stylish, 5-star etuquibo hotels and resorts in the world’s desinetrt cities. The first opened in Dubai in 2010 in Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest building.
UNJUMBLE THE WORDS
Armani is all known a being for world the across leader in style. The Italian fashion house was founded by legendary designer Giorgio Armani in 1975. It is today the world’s prestigious of fashion most one names. It produces a wide range of clothes, accessories, glasses and cosmetics. are branded All these carefully as of ‘sub-markets different target to labels’. The Giorgio Armani expensive of collection the is most one in the world. For the not-so-rich, there is the Armani Exchange, which has more moderately priced items. The company operates several world the around stores hundred. Armani is branching luxury into out chain a opening by tourism of stylish, 5-star in world’s hotels resorts the boutique and trendiest cities. The first opened in Dubai in 2010 in Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest building.
armani is known all across the world for being a leader in style the italian fashion house was founded by legendary designer giorgio armani in 1975 it is today one of the fashion world’s most prestigious names it produces a wide range of clothes accessories glasses and cosmetics all of these are carefully branded as ‘sub-labels’ to target different markets the giorgio armani collection is one of the most expensive in the world for the not-so-rich there is the armani exchange which has more moderately priced items the company operates several hundred stores around the world armani is branching out into luxury tourism by opening a chain of stylish 5-star boutique hotels and resorts in the world’s trendiest cities the first opened in dubai in 2010 in burj khalifa – the world’s tallest building
CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE
Armani is .......... (know) all across the world for being a leader in style. The Italian fashion house was .......... (found) by legendary designer Giorgio Armani in 1975. It .......... (be) today one of the fashion world’s most prestigious names. It .......... (produce) a wide range of clothes, accessories, glasses and cosmetics. All of these are carefully .......... (brand) as ‘sub-labels’ to target different markets. The Giorgio Armani collection .......... (be) one of the most expensive in the world. For the not-so-rich, there is the Armani Exchange, which .......... (have) more moderately priced items. The company .......... (operate) several hundred stores around the world. Armani is .......... (branch) out into luxury tourism by opening a chain of stylish, 5-star boutique hotels and resorts in the world’s trendiest cities. The first .......... (open) in Dubai in 2010 in Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest building.
Armani is known all across the world for being a ____________ in style. The Italian fashion house was founded by ____________ designer Giorgio Armani in 1975. It is today one of the fashion world’s most ____________ names. It produces a wide range of clothes, accessories, glasses and cosmetics. All of these are carefully ____________ as ‘sub-labels’ to ____________ different markets. The Giorgio Armani collection is one of the most expensive in the world. For the not-so-rich, there is the Armani Exchange, which has more ____________ priced items. The company operates several hundred stores around the world. Armani is ____________ out into luxury tourism by opening a chain of ____________, 5-star boutique hotels and ____________ in the world’s ____________ cities. The first opened in Dubai in 2010 in Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest building.
Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of Armani. Complete this table with your project partner(s):
Main products
How to improve them
A brand new ‘killer’ product
How Armani is better than the competition
How to beat the competition
Part 2. Change partners and look at their project. Suggest improvements. Ask for advice on your project:
Part 3. Make a presentation on your project. Give it to the class. Vote the best projects.
ARMANI – ROLE PLAY 1
Role A – Armani CEO
You believe your company is the best in the world. It pays its workers very well and working conditions are great. Your company is very green – it cares about the environment. You think your levels of customer service are great. Disagree with person B, C and D.
Role B – Armani worker
You think it’s a bad company to work for. You’re very unhappy with pay, raises and bonuses. You are very unhappy with the working environment. You don’t like the company’s policy on the environment. You keep hearing profits are more important than customers. Disagree with A and C. Tell D the truth.
Role C – Armani customer
You are a customer of Armani. You used to think it was great, but not now. Its workers are always very rude. No one ever answers the phone. You are shocked about its policy on the environment. You think all staff should get less pay. You disagree with person A and B. Tell D the truth.
Role D – A journalist
You keep hearing bad things about Armani. You want to tell the world in your newspaper. You heard the CEO gets a huge bonus every year. You found a company memo saying profits are more important than the environment. You want to know why so many staff are ill. Find the truth.
ARMANI – ROLE PLAY 2
Role A – Armani New Products Director
You have created a new product for Armani. You believe the new product will be the company’s best ever. It will be a bestseller. There are people who do not agree with you. You need B, C and D on your side. Tell them why this is a product that will bring great things to Armani.
Role B – Armani Marketing Director
You think the company’s new product is a really bad idea. It will give your company a really bad name. You think the New Products Director is trying to destroy the company. Try to get him/her to understand there’s no way the new product will sell. Try to get person C and D on your side.
Role C – Armani Market Researcher
You have interviewed thousands of people about the new product. They don’t like it or hate it. You think it will be successful if they make many changes. Tell the New Products Director he/she needs to change the product. You neither like nor trust person B. Disagree will him/her.
Role D – Armani Shareholder
You know a lot about Armani’s new product. You are worried it will not sell and share prices will go down. You think A is crazy and must find a new job. You agree with everything B says. You don’t agree with C. The new product should not go on the market.
Write a letter of apology to the customer. Explain why you cannot give a refund. Show your partner your letter. Correct each other’s work.
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
HOMEWORK
1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
2. INTERNET INFO: Search the Internet and find more information about Armani. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE:Write a magazine article about Armani. What have they done recently? What are their plans? Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
4. ARMANI POSTERMake a poster about Armani. Make sure you sell the company to the public. Show it to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your posters.
5. MY ARMANI LESSON:Make your own English lesson on Armani. Make sure there is a good mix of things to do. Find some good online activities. Teach the class / another group when you have finished.
6. ONLINE SHARING:Use your blog, wiki, Facebook page, MySpace page, Twitter stream, Del-icio-us / StumbleUpon account, or any other social media tool to get opinions on Armani. Share your findings with the class.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in the article at the top of this page.
