Click here for the PDF handout or try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Citibank. Click on the links below or see the activities below this article:
READ
Citibank is the banking division of the financial services giant Citigroup. It was founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York. It is one of the biggest banks in the world and one of the widest-reaching. Citibank has more than 1,400 branches in over 100 countries. Over half of these are in the USA. The bank offers many products in addition to banking. It offers customers insurance services, credit cards and investment products among other things. Citibank boasts one of the most popular online banking operations in the world, with more than 15 million customers. The bank suffered huge losses in the 2008 financial crisis and had to be bailed out by the U.S. government. Citibank says it "is committed to running our business in a manner that benefits society and the environment".
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WORKSHEET ACTIVITIES
WARM-UPS
1. BRAINSTORM: Write all the words you can think of about Citibank on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about these words with your partner(s).
2. CITIBANK MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of Citibank. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.
3. RUMOURS:Each student writes down a pretend rumour about Citibank. They then walk around the class and talk to other students about their rumour.
4. GOOD AND BAD:Brainstorm good and bad things about Citibank and write them on the board. Students talk about these in pairs.
5. TRUE OR FALSE:Students find out several facts about Citibank. 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 Citibank. 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
Citibank _________________________ the financial services giant Citigroup. It was founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York. It is one of the biggest banks in the world and _________________________. Citibank has more than 1,400 branches in over 100 countries. _________________________ the USA. The bank offers many _________________________ banking. It offers customers insurance services, credit cards and investment _________________________. Citibank boasts one of the most popular online banking operations in the world, with more than 15 million customers. The bank _________________________ in the 2008 financial crisis and _________________________ by the U.S. government. Citibank says it "is committed to running our business _________________________ benefits society and the environment".
CORRECT THE SPELLING
Citibank is the banking nsvidiio of the financial services giant Citigroup. It was dfodenu in 1812 as the City Bank of New York. It is one of the biggest banks in the world and one of the widest-reaching. Citibank has more than 1,400 chrnseab in over 100 countries. Over half of these are in the USA. The bank offers many stdorpuc in tiaoidnd to banking. It offers customers insurance services, credit cards and investment products omgna other things. Citibank boasts one of the most popular online banking nitproeaso in the world, with more than 15 million customers. The bank fuefsred huge losses in the 2008 financial crisis and had to be liadeb out by the U.S. government. Citibank says it "is committed to running our business in a manner that benefits teyocis and the environment".
UNJUMBLE THE WORDS
Citibank is banking of financial the division the services giant Citigroup. founded It City as in was Bank the 1812 of New York. It is one of the biggest banks in the world the and widest one - of reaching. Citibank has more than 1,400 branches in over 100 countries. Over half of these are in the USA. many offers bank The in products addition to banking. It offers customers insurance services , credit cards and investment products among other things. popular boasts of most Citibank one the online banking operations in the world, with more than 15 million customers. The bank suffered huge losses in the 2008 had to be bailed out financial crisis and by the U.S. government. Citibank says it "is committed to running our in business benefits that manner a society and the environment".
citibank is the banking division of the financial services giant citigroup it was founded in 1812 as the city bank of new york it is one of the biggest banks in the world and one of the widest-reaching citibank has more than 1400 branches in over 100 countries over half of these are in the usa the bank offers many products in addition to banking it offers customers insurance services credit cards and investment products among other things citibank boasts one of the most popular online banking operations in the world with more than 15 million customers the bank suffered huge losses in the 2008 financial crisis and had to be bailed out by the us government citibank says it "is committed to running our business in a manner that benefits society and the environment"
CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE
Citibank .......... (be) the banking division of the financial services giant Citigroup. It was .......... (found) in 1812 as the City Bank of New York. It is one of the biggest banks in the world and one of the widest-reaching. Citibank .......... (have) more than 1,400 branches in over 100 countries. Over half of these .......... (be) in the USA. The bank offers many products in addition to banking. It .......... (offer) customers insurance services, credit cards and investment products among other things. Citibank .......... (boast) one of the most popular online banking operations in the world, with more than 15 million customers. The bank .......... (suffer) huge losses in the 2008 financial crisis and had to be bailed out by the U.S. government. Citibank says it ".......... (be) committed to running our business in a manner that benefits society and the environment".
Citibank is the banking ____________ of the financial services giant Citigroup. It was ____________ in 1812 as the City Bank of New York. It is one of the biggest banks in the world and one of the widest-reaching. Citibank has more than 1,400 ____________ in over 100 countries. Over half of these are in the USA. The bank offers many products in ____________ to banking. It offers customers insurance services, credit cards and investment products ____________ other things. Citibank boasts one of the most popular online banking ____________ in the world, with more than 15 million customers. The bank ____________ huge ____________ in the 2008 financial crisis and had to be bailed out by the U.S. government. Citibank says it "is ____________ to running our business in a ____________ that benefits society and the environment".
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PROJECT CITIBANK
Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of Citibank. Complete this table with your project partner(s):
Main products
How to improve them
A brand new ‘killer’ product
How Citibank 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.
CITIBANK – ROLE PLAY 1
Role A – Citibank 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 – Citibank 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 – Citibank customer
You are a customer of Citibank. 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 Citibank. 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.
CITIBANK – ROLE PLAY 2
Role A – Citibank New Products Director
You have created a new product for Citibank. 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 Citibank.
Role B – Citibank 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 – Citibank 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 – Citibank Shareholder
You know a lot about Citibank’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 Citibank. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE:Write a magazine article about Citibank. 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. CITIBANK POSTERMake a poster about Citibank. 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 CITIBANK LESSON:Make your own English lesson on Citibank. 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 Citibank. Share your findings with the class.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in the article at the top of this page.
