Click here for the PDF handout or try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Chanel. Click on the links below or see the activities below this article:
READ
Chanel is a Paris-based fashion house founded in 1909 by Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. She operated on her design maxim that "simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance". Chanel has an unrivalled reputation for quality and style. Its iconic products include haute couture, perfumes, jewellery, bags and purses, and fashion accessories. The history of the company is full of glitz, glamour, movie stars and top fashion designers. Marilyn Monroe helped make the perfume Chanel No. 5 famous in the 1950s and Hollywood actresses have contributed to the glamour since. Chanel operates over 200 boutiques across the globe, always in upmarket shopping districts or ritzy department stores. Such is Chanel’s popularity and pull, it constantly has to fight battles to stop the illegal counterfeiting of its goods.
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WORKSHEET ACTIVITIES
WARM-UPS
1. BRAINSTORM: Write all the words you can think of about Chanel on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about these words with your partner(s).
2. CHANEL MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of Chanel. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.
3. RUMOURS:Each student writes down a pretend rumour about Chanel. They then walk around the class and talk to other students about their rumour.
4. GOOD AND BAD:Brainstorm good and bad things about Chanel and write them on the board. Students talk about these in pairs.
5. TRUE OR FALSE:Students find out several facts about Chanel. 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 Chanel. 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
Chanel is a Paris-based fashion house founded in 1909 by Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. She _____________________ maxim that "_____________________ of all true elegance". Chanel has an unrivalled reputation for quality and style. Its _____________________ haute couture, perfumes, jewellery, bags and purses, and fashion accessories. The history of the company _____________________, glamour, movie stars and top fashion designers. Marilyn Monroe helped make the perfume Chanel No. 5 famous in the 1950s and Hollywood actresses _____________________ the glamour since. Chanel operates _____________________ across the globe, always in upmarket shopping districts or ritzy department stores. Such is Chanel’s _____________________, it constantly has to fight battles to stop _____________________ of its goods.
CORRECT THE SPELLING
Chanel is a Paris-based fashion house deoufdn in 1909 by Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. She operated on her design maxim that "cplitsimyi is the ntoeeky of all true elegance". Chanel has an unrivalled reputation for quality and style. Its icconi products include haute couture, perfumes, jewellery, bags and purses, and fashion accessories. The history of the company is full of ligtz, mguoarl, movie stars and top fashion designers. Marilyn Monroe helped make the perfume Chanel No. 5 famous in the 1950s and Hollywood actresses have edtinruotcb to the glamour since. Chanel operates over 200 eouisqtbu across the globe, always in upmarket shopping districts or riytz department stores. Such is Chanel’s popularity and pull, it constantly has to fight battles to stop the liaegll counterfeiting of its goods.
UNJUMBLE THE WORDS
Chanel Paris a is founded house fashion based - in 1909 by Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. She operated on her design maxim of keynote the is simplicity " that all true elegance". Chanel quality for reputation unrivalled an has and style. Its iconic products include haute couture, perfumes, jewellery, bags and purses, and fashion accessories. of the glitz company The is history full of, glamour, movie stars and top fashion designers. Marilyn helped Monroe Chanel perfume the make No. 5 famous in the 1950s and Hollywood actresses have contributed to the glamour since. boutiques over Chanel 200 operates across the globe, always in upmarket shopping districts or ritzy department stores. Such is Chanel’s popularity and pull, it stop has fight to constantly to battles the counterfeiting illegal goods its of.
chanel is a paris-based fashion house founded in 1909 by gabrielle “coco” chanel she operated on her design maxim that "simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance" chanel has an unrivalled reputation for quality and style its iconic products include haute couture perfumes jewellery bags and purses and fashion accessories the history of the company is full of glitz glamour movie stars and top fashion designers marilyn monroe helped make the perfume chanel no 5 famous in the 1950s and hollywood actresses have contributed to the glamour since chanel operates over 200 boutiques across the globe always in upmarket shopping districts or ritzy department stores such is chanel’s popularity and pull it constantly has to fight battles to stop the illegal counterfeiting of its goods
CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE
Chanel is a Paris-based fashion house .......... (found) in 1909 by Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. She .......... (operate) on her design maxim that "simplicity .......... (be) the keynote of all true elegance". Chanel .......... (have) an unrivalled reputation for quality and style. Its iconic products .......... (include) haute couture, perfumes, jewellery, bags and purses, and fashion accessories. The history of the company .......... (be) full of glitz, glamour, movie stars and top fashion designers. Marilyn Monroe helped .......... (make) the perfume Chanel No. 5 famous in the 1950s and Hollywood actresses .......... (have) contributed to the glamour since. Chanel operates over 200 boutiques across the globe, always in upmarket shopping districts or ritzy department stores. Such .......... (be) Chanel’s popularity and pull, it constantly has to fight battles to .......... (stop) the illegal counterfeiting of its goods.
Chanel is a Paris-based fashion house ____________ in 1909 by Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. She operated on her design ____________ that "simplicity is the keynote of all true ____________ ". Chanel has an unrivalled reputation for quality and style. Its ____________ products include haute couture, perfumes, jewellery, bags and ____________, and fashion accessories. The history of the company is full of ____________, glamour, movie stars and top fashion designers. Marilyn Monroe helped ____________ the perfume Chanel No. 5 famous in the 1950s and Hollywood actresses have contributed to the glamour ____________. Chanel operates over 200 boutiques across the globe, always in upmarket shopping districts or ritzy department stores. Such is Chanel’s popularity and ____________, it constantly has to fight battles to stop the ____________ counterfeiting of its goods.
iconic
glitz
since
founded
pull
elegance
make
maxim
illegal
purses
PROJECT CHANEL
Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of Chanel. Complete this table with your project partner(s):
Main products
How to improve them
A brand new ‘killer’ product
How Chanel 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.
CHANEL – ROLE PLAY 1
Role A – Chanel 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 – Chanel 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 – Chanel customer
You are a customer of Chanel. 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 Chanel. 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.
CHANEL – ROLE PLAY 2
Role A – Chanel New Products Director
You have created a new product for Chanel. 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 Chanel.
Role B – Chanel 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 – Chanel 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 – Chanel Shareholder
You know a lot about Chanel’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 Chanel. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE:Write a magazine article about Chanel. 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. CHANEL POSTERMake a poster about Chanel. 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 CHANEL LESSON:Make your own English lesson on Chanel. 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 Chanel. Share your findings with the class.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in the article at the top of this page.
