Click here for the PDF handout or try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Burberry. Click on the links below or see the activities below this article:
READ
Burberry is a classic, traditional fashion house founded by Thomas Burberry near London in 1856. The 21-year-old textiles trainee decided to start making and selling his own outdoor clothes. He invented the world-famous water-resistant fabric gabardine in 1888 and opened his first store in London’s fashionable Haymarket in 1891. Burberry created clothing for early explorers to the South Pole and Mount Everest. Gabardine and the traditional Burberry tartan check pattern are now company trademarks. They form part of a multi-billion-dollar company. It has branched out into perfumes, watches, sunglasses and accessories. It had some image problems in the 1980s and 1990s when it became popular with British football hooligans. However, rebranding in top fashion magazines has returned its luxury appeal.
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WORKSHEET ACTIVITIES
WARM-UPS
1. BRAINSTORM: Write all the words you can think of about Burberry on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about these words with your partner(s).
2. BURBERRY MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of Burberry. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.
3. RUMOURS:Each student writes down a pretend rumour about Burberry. They then walk around the class and talk to other students about their rumour.
4. GOOD AND BAD:Brainstorm good and bad things about Burberry and write them on the board. Students talk about these in pairs.
5. TRUE OR FALSE:Students find out several facts about Burberry. 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 Burberry. 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
Burberry is a classic, traditional fashion ______________ Thomas Burberry near London in 1856. The 21-year-old __________________ to start making and selling his own outdoor clothes. He invented the world-famous __________________ gabardine in 1888 and opened his first store in London’s fashionable Haymarket in 1891. Burberry created clothing __________________ to the South Pole and Mount Everest. Gabardine and the traditional Burberry __________________ are now company trademarks. They form part of a multi-billion-dollar company. It has __________________ perfumes, watches, sunglasses and accessories. It had __________________ in the 1980s and 1990s when it became popular with British football hooligans. However, __________________ fashion magazines has returned its luxury appeal.
CORRECT THE SPELLING
Burberry is a aicscls, traditional fashion house founded by Thomas Burberry near London in 1856. The 21-year-old textiles retnaei decided to start making and selling his own uoorodt clothes. He invented the world-famous water-resistant bfacri gabardine in 1888 and opened his first store in London’s fashionable Haymarket in 1891. Burberry created oglnhtic for early explorers to the South Pole and Mount Everest. Gabardine and the traditional Burberry tartan check pattern are now company mtaekrsadr. They form part of a multi-billion-dollar company. It has heabcdnr out into perfumes, watches, sunglasses and accessories. It had some meaig problems in the 1980s and 1990s when it became oppalru with British football hooligans. However, rebranding in top fashion magazines has returned its luxury leaapp.
UNJUMBLE THE WORDS
Burberry is a classic, traditional by founded house fashion Thomas Burberry near London in 1856. The 21-year-old textiles making start to decided trainee and selling his own outdoor clothes. He invented the world-famous fabric gabardine in 1888 and water - resistant opened his first store in London’s fashionable Haymarket in 1891. Burberry the clothing early to created for explorers South Pole and Mount Everest. Gabardine and the traditional check tartan Burberry now are pattern company trademarks. dollar part multi - form a billion They of - company. It has branched out into perfumes, watches, sunglasses and accessories. It had some image problems in the 1980s with 1990s it popular and when became British football hooligans. However, rebranding in top returned luxury fashion has its appeal magazines.
burberry is a classic traditional fashion house founded by thomas burberry near london in 1856 the 21-year-old textiles trainee decided to start making and selling his own outdoor clothes he invented the world-famous water-resistant fabric gabardine in 1888 and opened his first store in london’s fashionable haymarket in 1891 burberry created clothing for early explorers to the south pole and mount everest gabardine and the traditional burberry tartan check pattern are now company trademarks they form part of a multi-billion-dollar company it has branched out into perfumes watches sunglasses and accessories it had some image problems in the 1980s and 1990s when it became popular with british football hooligans however rebranding in top fashion magazines has returned its luxury appeal
CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE
Burberry .......... (be) a classic, traditional fashion house .......... (found) by Thomas Burberry near London in 1856. The 21-year-old textiles trainee .......... (decide) to .......... (start) making and selling his own outdoor clothes. He .......... (invent) the world-famous water-resistant fabric gabardine in 1888 and .......... (open) his first store in London’s fashionable Haymarket in 1891. Burberry .......... (create) clothing for early explorers to the South Pole and Mount Everest. Gabardine and the traditional Burberry tartan check pattern .......... (be) now company trademarks. They .......... (form) part of a multi-billion-dollar company. It has .......... (branch) out into perfumes, watches, sunglasses and accessories. It .......... (have) some image problems in the 1980s and 1990s when it .......... (become) popular with British football hooligans. However, .......... (rebrand) in top fashion magazines has .......... (return) its luxury appeal.
Burberry is a ____________, traditional fashion house founded by Thomas Burberry near London in 1856. The 21-year-old textiles ____________ decided to start making and selling his own outdoor clothes. He invented the world-famous water-____________ fabric gabardine in 1888 and opened his first store in London’s ____________ Haymarket in 1891. Burberry created clothing for ____________ explorers to the South Pole and Mount Everest. Gabardine and the traditional Burberry tartan check ____________ are now company trademarks. They form part of a ____________-billion-dollar company. It has branched out into perfumes, watches, sunglasses and accessories. It had some ____________ problems in the 1980s and 1990s when it became popular with British football hooligans. However, ____________ in top fashion magazines has returned its luxury ____________.
pattern
fashionable early
rebranding
trainee
image
appeal
classic
resistant
multi
PROJECT BURBERRY
Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of Burberry. Complete this table with your project partner(s):
Main products
How to improve them
A brand new ‘killer’ product
How Burberry 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.
BURBERRY – ROLE PLAY 1
Role A – Burberry 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 – Burberry 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 – Burberry customer
You are a customer of Burberry. 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 Burberry. 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.
BURBERRY – ROLE PLAY 2
Role A – Burberry New Products Director
You have created a new product for Burberry. 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 Burberry.
Role B – Burberry 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 – Burberry 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 – Burberry Shareholder
You know a lot about Burberry’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 Burberry. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE:Write a magazine article about Burberry. 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. BURBERRY POSTERMake a poster about Burberry. 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 BURBERRY LESSON:Make your own English lesson on Burberry. 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 Burberry. Share your findings with the class.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in the article at the top of this page.
