Click here for the PDF handout or try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Blackberry. Click on the links below or see the activities below this article:
READ
BlackBerry is one of the world’s leading smart phone and e-mail devices. It currently enjoys a 20% market share of mobile phone sales, but that is under pressure from Apple’s iPhone and similar phones. The BlackBerry is developed by the Canadian IT company RIM (Research In Motion). It started out life in 1999 as a pager but quickly developed into a more communicative tool that exploited Internet capabilities. It soon grew to be the number one choice for business people in the USA. Barack Obama famously was rarely unattached to his device during the 2008 presidential campaign. Today, more than 40 million Blackberries a year are shipped worldwide. The addictive nature of the device means it has picked up the nickname “CrackBerry”, a term borrowed from “crack” cocaine.
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WORKSHEET ACTIVITIES
WARM-UPS
1. BRAINSTORM: Write all the words you can think of about Blackberry on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about these words with your partner(s).
2. BLACKBERRY MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of Blackberry. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.
3. RUMOURS:Each student writes down a pretend rumour about Blackberry. They then walk around the class and talk to other students about their rumour.
4. GOOD AND BAD:Brainstorm good and bad things about Blackberry and write them on the board. Students talk about these in pairs.
5. TRUE OR FALSE:Students find out several facts about Blackberry. 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 Blackberry. 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
BlackBerry ____________________ leading smart phone and e-mail devices. It currently enjoys a 20% market share of mobile phone sales, but ____________________ from Apple’s iPhone and similar phones. The BlackBerry is developed by the Canadian IT company RIM (Research In Motion). ____________________ 1999 as a pager but quickly ____________________ communicative tool that exploited Internet capabilities. ____________________ number one choice for business people in the USA. Barack Obama famously ____________________ to his device during the 2008 presidential campaign. Today, more than 40 million Blackberries ____________________ worldwide. The addictive nature of the ____________________ picked up the nickname “CrackBerry”, a term borrowed from “crack” cocaine.
CORRECT THE SPELLING
BlackBerry is one of the world’s aeldign smart phone and e-mail devices. It currently enjoys a 20% market share of mobile phone sales, but that is under erprseus from Apple’s iPhone and similar phones. The BlackBerry is oeepdlved by the Canadian IT company RIM (Research In Motion). It started out life in 1999 as a pager but quickly developed into a more communicative tool that edoexitpl Internet btpaliecsiai. It soon grew to be the number one choice for business people in the USA. Barack Obama asflmoyu was rarely unattached to his diveec during the 2008 presidential campaign. Today, more than 40 million Blackberries a year are ehipspd worldwide. The addictive nature of the device means it has picked up the aknmncei “CrackBerry”, a term wbreordo from “crack” cocaine.
UNJUMBLE THE WORDS
BlackBerry leading world’s the of one is phone smart and e-mail devices. It currently enjoys a 20% market share of mobile that but , sales phone pressure under is from Apple’s iPhone and similar phones. The BlackBerry is company IT Canadian the by developed RIM (Research In Motion). It life out started pager a as 1999 in but quickly developed into a more communicative tool that exploited Internet capabilities. soon It one number the be to grew choice for business people in the USA. Barack Obama unattached rarely was famously his to device during the 2008 presidential campaign. Today, more than 40 million worldwide shipped are year a Blackberries. The addictive nature of it means device the the up picked has nickname “CrackBerry”, a term borrowed from “crack” cocaine.
blackberry is one of the world’s leading smart phone and e-mail devices it currently enjoys a 20% market share of mobile phone sales but that is under pressure from apple’s iphone and similar phones the blackberry is developed by the canadian it company rim (research in motion) it started out life in 1999 as a pager but quickly developed into a more communicative tool that exploited internet capabilities it soon grew to be the number one choice for business people in the usa barack obama famously was rarely unattached to his device during the 2008 presidential campaign today more than 40 million blackberries a year are shipped worldwide the addictive nature of the device means it has picked up the nickname “crackberry” a term borrowed from “crack” cocaine
CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE
BlackBerry .......... (be) one of the world’s leading smart phone and e-mail devices. It currently .......... (enjoy) a 20% market share of mobile phone sales, but that is under pressure from Apple’s iPhone and similar phones. The BlackBerry is .......... (develop) by the Canadian IT company RIM (Research In Motion). It .......... (start) out life in 1999 as a pager but quickly .......... (develop) into a more communicative tool that exploited Internet capabilities. It soon .......... (grow) to be the number one choice for business people in the USA. Barack Obama famously was rarely .......... (unattach) to his device during the 2008 presidential campaign. Today, more than 40 million Blackberries a year are .......... (ship) worldwide. The addictive nature of the device .......... (mean) it has picked up the nickname “CrackBerry”, a term .......... (borrow) from “crack” cocaine.
BlackBerry is one of the world’s leading ____________ phone and e-mail ____________. It currently enjoys a 20% market share of mobile phone sales, but that is under ____________ from Apple’s iPhone and similar phones. The BlackBerry is developed by the Canadian IT company RIM (Research In Motion). It started out ____________ in 1999 as a pager but quickly developed into a more communicative ____________ that exploited Internet capabilities. It soon grew to be the number one ____________ for business people in the USA. Barack Obama famously was ____________ unattached to his device during the 2008 presidential campaign. Today, more than 40 million Blackberries a year are ____________ worldwide. The addictive ____________ of the device means it has picked up the nickname “CrackBerry”, a term ____________ from “crack” cocaine.
life rarely tool
shipped
devices
borrowed
smart
nature
pressure
choice
PROJECT BLACKBERRY
Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of Blackberry. Complete this table with your project partner(s):
Main products
How to improve them
A brand new ‘killer’ product
How Blackberry 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.
BLACKBERRY – ROLE PLAY 1
Role A – Blackberry 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 – Blackberry 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 – Blackberry customer
You are a customer of Blackberry. 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 Blackberry. 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.
BLACKBERRY – ROLE PLAY 2
Role A – Blackberry New Products Director
You have created a new product for Blackberry. 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 Blackberry.
Role B – Blackberry 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 – Blackberry 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 – Blackberry Shareholder
You know a lot about Blackberry’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.
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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 Blackberry. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE:Write a magazine article about Blackberry. 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. BLACKBERRY POSTERMake a poster about Blackberry. 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 BLACKBERRY LESSON:Make your own English lesson on Blackberry. 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 BlackBerry. Share your findings with the class.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in the article at the top of this page.
