Click here for the PDF handout or try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on HSBC. Click on the links below or see the activities below this article:
READ
HSBC is the world's largest banking and financial services group. It was founded in 1865 as The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. Its headquarters was in Hong Kong until 1992 when it moved to London. The bank is listed on the London, New York, Hong Kong, Paris and Bermuda Stock Exchanges. Its slogan is “The World’s Local Bank.” The HSBC website says: “We have a unique international pedigree. Many of our principal companies opened for business over 100 years ago.” HSBC has 9,500 branches in nearly 90 countries. To cut costs, HSBC has opened up call centres in India, China and Brazil. The bank says it saves about $20,000 per worker for each job moved to these centres. Trade unions in the USA and UK blame these centres for job losses and salary caps in their countries.
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WORKSHEET ACTIVITIES
WARM-UPS
1. BRAINSTORM: Write all the words you can think of about HSBC on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about these words with your partner(s).
2. HSBC MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of HSBC. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.
3. RUMOURS:Each student writes down a pretend rumour about HSBC. They then walk around the class and talk to other students about their rumour.
4. GOOD AND BAD:Brainstorm good and bad things about HSBC and write them on the board. Students talk about these in pairs.
5. TRUE OR FALSE:Students find out several facts about HSBC. 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 HSBC. 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
HSBC _______________________ and financial services group. It was founded in 1865 as The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. _______________________ Hong Kong until 1992 when it moved to London. _______________________ London, New York, Hong Kong, Paris and Bermuda Stock Exchanges. Its slogan is “The World’s Local Bank.” The HSBC website says: “We ______________________ pedigree. Many of _______________________ opened for business over 100 years ago.” HSBC has 9,500 _______________________ countries. To cut costs, HSBC _______________________ centres in India, China and Brazil. The bank says it saves about $20,000 per worker for each job moved to these centres. Trade unions in the USA and UK blame these centres for job _______________________ in their countries.
CORRECT THE SPELLING
HSBC is the world's largest banking and financial ivceress group. It was nofudde in 1865 as The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. Its headquarters was in Hong Kong until 1992 when it moved to London. The bank is esdilt on the London, New York, Hong Kong, Paris and Bermuda Stock Exchanges. Its losagn is “The World’s Local Bank.” The HSBC website says: “We have a uqunei international gpediree. Many of our principal companies opened for business over 100 years ago.” HSBC has 9,500 nsrbaehc in nearly 90 countries. To cut costs, HSBC has opened up call centres in India, China and Brazil. The bank says it saves about $20,000 per owekrr for each job moved to these centres. Trade nsnoiu in the USA and UK blame these centres for job lsoses and salary caps in their countries.
UNJUMBLE THE WORDS
HSBC is and banking largest world's the financial services group. It was founded in 1865 as The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. Its headquarters was in Hong Kong until when moved London 1992 it to. The listed is bank London the on, New York, Hong Kong, Paris and Bermuda Stock Exchanges. Its slogan is “The World’s Local Bank.” The HSBC website says: “We have a unique international pedigree. Many of our principal companies years opened business 100 ago for over.” HSBC has 9,500 branches in nearly 90 countries. To cut costs, centres call up opened has HSBC India in, China and Brazil. per The bank says it saves about $20,000 worker for each job moved to these centres. Trade unions in the USA and UK blame these centres for job losses and salary caps in their countries.
hsbc is the world's largest banking and financial services group it was founded in 1865 as the hong kong and shanghai banking corporation its headquarters was in hong kong until 1992 when it moved to london the bank is listed on the london new york hong kong paris and bermuda stock exchanges its slogan is “the world’s local bank” the hsbc website says “we have a unique international pedigree many of our principal companies opened for business over 100 years ago” hsbc has 9500 branches in nearly 90 countries to cut costs hsbc has opened up call centres in india china and brazil the bank says it saves about $20000 per worker for each job moved to these centres trade unions in the usa and uk blame these centres for job losses and salary caps in their countries
CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE
HSBC .......... (be) the world's largest banking and financial services group. It was .......... (found) in 1865 as The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. Its headquarters .......... (be) in Hong Kong until 1992 when it moved to London. The bank is .......... (list) on the London, New York, Hong Kong, Paris and Bermuda Stock Exchanges. Its slogan .......... (be) “The World’s Local Bank.” The HSBC website says: “We .......... (have) a unique international pedigree. Many of our principal companies .......... (open) for business over 100 years ago.” HSBC has 9,500 branches in nearly 90 countries. To .......... (cut) costs, HSBC has opened up call centres in India, China and Brazil. The bank says it .......... (save) about $20,000 per worker for each job .......... (move) to these centres. Trade unions in the USA and UK .......... (blame) these centres for job losses and salary caps in their countries.
HSBC is the world's largest banking and ____________ services group. It was founded in 1865 as The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. Its headquarters was in Hong Kong until 1992 when it ____________ to London. The bank is ____________ on the London, New York, Hong Kong, Paris and Bermuda Stock Exchanges. Its slogan is “The World’s Local Bank.” The HSBC website says: “We have a ____________ international pedigree. Many of our ____________ companies opened for business over 100 years ago.” HSBC has 9,500 ____________ in nearly 90 countries. To ____________ costs, HSBC has opened up call centres in India, China and Brazil. The bank says it saves about $20,000 ____________ worker for each job moved to these centres. Trade unions in the USA and UK ____________ these centres for job losses and salary ____________ in their countries.
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PROJECT HSBC
Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of HSBC. Complete this table with your project partner(s):
Main products
How to improve them
A brand new ‘killer’ product
How HSBC 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.
HSBC – ROLE PLAY 1
Role A – HSBC 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 – HSBC 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 – HSBC customer
You are a customer of HSBC. 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 HSBC. 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.
HSBC – ROLE PLAY 2
Role A – HSBC New Products Director
You have created a new product for HSBC. 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 HSBC.
Role B – HSBC 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 – HSBC 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 – HSBC Shareholder
You know a lot about HSBC’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 HSBC. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE:Write a magazine article about HSBC. 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. HSBC POSTERMake a poster about HSBC. 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 HSBC LESSON:Make your own English lesson on HSBC. 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 HSBC. Share your findings with the class.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in the article at the top of this page.
