Click here for the PDF handout or try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Honda. Click on the links below or see the activities below this article:
READ
Honda Motor Company Ltd. is a Japanese multinational company mainly known for its cars and motorcycles. It’s the sixth largest car maker in the world. The company was started by a mechanic Soichiro Honda. He made small motorbikes after WWII and by 1964 had become the world’s largest manufacturer of motorbikes. Honda also manufactures garden equipment, boat engines, power generators and jet engines. Since 1986, the company has been involved with robotics research. It developed what is today the world’s best-known robot - the ASIMO - in 2000. Honda is also heavily involved in motorsports and has racing teams in both Formula 1 and motorbike events. Honda’s slogan is “The Power of Dreams”. Its website says: “Dreams inspire us to create innovative products that enhance mobility and benefit society.”
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WORKSHEET ACTIVITIES
WARM-UPS
1. BRAINSTORM: Write all the words you can think of about Honda on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about these words with your partner(s).
2. HONDA MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of Honda. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.
3. RUMOURS:Each student writes down a pretend rumour about Honda. They then walk around the class and talk to other students about their rumour.
4. GOOD AND BAD:Brainstorm good and bad things about Honda and write them on the board. Students talk about these in pairs.
5. TRUE OR FALSE:Students find out several facts about Honda. 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 Honda. 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
Honda Motor Company Ltd. is a Japanese multinational company ___________________ cars and motorcycles. It’s the sixth largest car maker in the world. The company was ___________________ Soichiro Honda. He made small motorbikes after WWII and by 1964 had ___________________ largest manufacturer of motorbikes. Honda also manufactures garden equipment, boat engines, power ___________________ engines. Since 1986, the company has been involved with robotics research. It ___________________ today the world’s best-known robot - the ASIMO - in 2000. Honda is also ___________________ motorsports and has racing teams in both Formula 1 and motorbike events. Honda’s slogan is “The Power of Dreams”. Its website says: “Dreams ___________________ innovative products that enhance mobility ___________________.”
CORRECT THE SPELLING
Honda Motor Company Ltd. is a Japanese multinational company imlnay known for its cars and motorcycles. It’s the sixth elgrtas car maker in the world. The company was started by a cimhneac Soichiro Honda. He made small motorbikes after WWII and by 1964 had become the world’s largest manufacturer of motorbikes. Honda also manufactures garden equipment, boat ginenes, power generators and jet engines. Since 1986, the company has been dilenvvo with robotics hasererc. It developed what is today the world’s best-known robot - the ASIMO - in 2000. Honda is also vahlyie involved in motorsports and has racing teams in both Formula 1 and motorbike tevnse. Honda’s slogan is “The Power of Dreams”. Its website says: “Dreams sniepri us to create innovative products that enhance mobility and ietenbf society.”
UNJUMBLE THE WORDS
Honda Motor Company Ltd. is a Japanese multinational cars company known its and mainly for motorcycles. It’s the the sixth car in world largest maker. The company was started by a mechanic Soichiro Honda. He made small motorbikes after WWII and by 1964 had become world’s the motorbikes of manufacturer largest. Honda also manufactures garden equipment, boat engines, engines and power jet generators. Since 1986, the company has involved research with been robotics. It developed what is today the world’s best-known robot - the ASIMO - in 2000. heavily also is Honda in involved motorsports Formula has teams both and racing in 1 and motorbike events. Honda’s slogan is “The Power of Dreams”. Its website says: “Dreams inspire us to create innovative and enhance products mobility that benefit society.”
honda motor company ltd is a japanese multinational company mainly known for its cars and motorcycles it’s the sixth largest car maker in the world the company was started by a mechanic soichiro honda he made small motorbikes after wwii and by 1964 had become the world’s largest manufacturer of motorbikes honda also manufactures garden equipment boat engines power generators and jet engines since 1986 the company has been involved with robotics research it developed what is today the world’s best-known robot - the asimo - in 2000 honda is also heavily involved in motorsports and has racing teams in both formula 1 and motorbike events honda’s slogan is “the power of dreams” its website says “dreams inspire us to create innovative products that enhance mobility and benefit society”
CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE
Honda Motor Company Ltd. .......... (be) a Japanese multinational company mainly .......... (know) for its cars and motorcycles. It’s the sixth largest car maker in the world. The company was .......... (start) by a mechanic Soichiro Honda. He .......... (make) small motorbikes after WWII and by 1964 had .......... (become) the world’s largest manufacturer of motorbikes. Honda also .......... (manufacture) garden equipment, boat engines, power generators and jet engines. Since 1986, the company has been .......... (involve) with robotics research. It .......... (develop) what is today the world’s best-known robot - the ASIMO - in 2000. Honda is also heavily .......... (involve) in motorsports and has racing teams in both Formula 1 and motorbike events. Honda’s slogan is “The Power of Dreams”. Its website .......... (say): “Dreams inspire us to .......... (create) innovative products that enhance mobility and benefit society.”
Honda Motor Company Ltd. is a Japanese multinational company ____________ known for its cars and motorcycles. It’s the sixth largest car ____________ in the world. The company was started by a ____________ Soichiro Honda. He made small motorbikes after WWII and by 1964 had become the world’s largest manufacturer of motorbikes. Honda also manufactures garden ____________, boat engines, power generators and ____________ engines. Since 1986, the company has been involved with robotics ____________. It developed what is today the world’s best-known robot - the ASIMO - in 2000. Honda is also ____________ involved in motorsports and has racing teams in both Formula 1 and motorbike ____________. Honda’s slogan is “The Power of Dreams”. Its website says: “Dreams ____________ us to create innovative products that enhance mobility and ____________ society.”
maker
heavily
equipment
inspire
mainly
mechanic
benefit
research
events
jet
PROJECT HONDA
Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of Honda. Complete this table with your project partner(s):
Main products
How to improve them
A brand new ‘killer’ product
How Honda 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.
HONDA – ROLE PLAY 1
Role A – Honda 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 – Honda 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 – Honda customer
You are a customer of Honda. 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 Honda. 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.
HONDA – ROLE PLAY 2
Role A – Honda New Products Director
You have created a new product for Honda. 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 Honda.
Role B – Honda 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 – Honda 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 – Honda Shareholder
You know a lot about Honda’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 Honda. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE:Write a magazine article about Honda. 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. HONDA POSTERMake a poster about Honda. 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 HONDA LESSON:Make your own English lesson on Honda. 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 Honda. Share your findings with the class.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in the article at the top of this page.
