Click here for the PDF handout or try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Prada. Click on the links below or see the activities below this article:
READ
Prada is an Italian fashion brand that produces high-end luxury goods for men and women. It was started in 1913 by the Prada brothers Mario and Martino. They opened a leather goods store in Milan, Italy, specializing in handbags, suitcases and trunks. The company took off in 1979 when Mario Prada’s granddaughter Miuccia took over the company and moved from travelling trunks to fashion goods. She opened stores in fashionable areas all across Europe. In 1985, she released the iconic Prada handbag and the brand became a status symbol. Four years later, she released her first collection of clothes and the company was a global success. Prada became a household name for richer business people. Its success relies on the simplicity and functionality of its products. Miuccia often called her designs “uniforms” for women.
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WORKSHEET ACTIVITIES
WARM-UPS
1. BRAINSTORM: Write all the words you can think of about Prada on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about these words with your partner(s).
2. PRADA MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of Prada. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.
3. RUMOURS:Each student writes down a pretend rumour about Prada. They then walk around the class and talk to other students about their rumour.
4. GOOD AND BAD:Brainstorm good and bad things about Prada and write them on the board. Students talk about these in pairs.
5. TRUE OR FALSE:Students find out several facts about Prada. 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 Prada. 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
Prada is an Italian fashion brand ___________________ luxury goods for men and women. It was started in 1913 by the Prada brothers Mario and Martino. They opened a ___________________ in Milan, Italy, specializing in handbags, suitcases and trunks. The company took off in 1979 when Mario Prada’s granddaughter Miuccia took over the company and ___________________ trunks to fashion goods. She opened stores ___________________ across Europe. In 1985, she released the iconic Prada handbag and the brand ___________________. Four years later, she released her first collection of clothes and the company was a global success. Prada _____________________ for richer business people. Its success ___________________ and functionality of its products. Miuccia ___________________ “uniforms” for women.
CORRECT THE SPELLING
Prada is an Italian fashion brand that dcperuso high-end luxury goods for men and women. It was started in 1913 by the Prada brothers Mario and Martino. They opened a leather goods store in Milan, Italy, icpzanisgeli in hbnsgaad, suitcases and trunks. The company took off in 1979 when Mario Prada’s granddaughter Miuccia took over the company and doevm from travelling trunks to fashion goods. She opened stores in leafsbinhoa areas all across Europe. In 1985, she released the ccoini Prada handbag and the brand became a status bmlyos. Four years later, she sdraeeel her first collection of clothes and the company was a global success. Prada became a heusdolho name for richer business people. Its success relies on the lcmiiisypt and functionality of its products. Miuccia often called her designs “uniforms” for women.
UNJUMBLE THE WORDS
Prada is fashion - brand end that an produces Italian high luxury goods for men and women. It was started in 1913 by the Prada brothers Mario and Martino. They opened a leather goods store in Milan, Italy, specializing in handbags, suitcases and trunks. The company took off in 1979 when Mario Prada’s granddaughter Miuccia took moved from travelling trunks over the company and to fashion goods. in fashionable areas all She opened stores across Europe. In 1985, she released the iconic Prada became brand the and handbag symbol status a. Four years later, and clothes of collection first her released she the company was a global success. Prada became a people business richer for name household. Its success and simplicity the on relies its of functionality products. Miuccia “uniform”s called her for designs women often.
prada is an italian fashion brand that produces high-end luxury goods for men and women it was started in 1913 by the prada brothers mario and martino they opened a leather goods store in milan italy specializing in handbags suitcases and trunks the company took off in 1979 when mario prada’s granddaughter miuccia took over the company and moved from travelling trunks to fashion goods she opened stores in fashionable areas all across europe in 1985 she released the iconic prada handbag and the brand became a status symbol four years later she released her first collection of clothes and the company was a global success prada became a household name for richer business people its success relies on the simplicity and functionality of its products miuccia often called her designs “uniforms” for women
CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE
Prada .......... (be) an Italian fashion brand that .......... (produce) high-end luxury goods for men and women. It was .......... (start) in 1913 by the Prada brothers Mario and Martino. They .......... (open) a leather goods store in Milan, Italy, .......... (specialize) in handbags, suitcases and trunks. The company .......... (take) off in 1979 when Mario Prada’s granddaughter Miuccia .......... (take) over the company and .......... (move) from travelling trunks to fashion goods. She .......... (open) stores in fashionable areas all across Europe. In 1985, she .......... (release) the iconic Prada handbag and the brand became a status symbol. Four years later, she .......... (release) her first collection of clothes and the company .......... (be) a global success. Prada .......... (become) a household name for richer business people. Its success .......... (rely) on the simplicity and functionality of its products. Miuccia often .......... (call) her designs “uniforms” for women.
Prada is an Italian fashion brand that produces high-end ____________ goods for men and women. It was started in 1913 by the Prada brothers Mario and Martino. They ____________ a leather goods store in Milan, Italy, specializing in handbags, suitcases and trunks. The company ____________ off in 1979 when Mario Prada’s granddaughter Miuccia took over the company and moved from travelling trunks to fashion goods. She opened stores in fashionable ____________ all across Europe. In 1985, she released the ____________ Prada handbag and the brand became a ____________ symbol. Four years later, she released her first collection of clothes and the company was a global ____________. Prada became a ____________ name for richer business people. Its success ____________ on the simplicity and functionality of its products. Miuccia often called her designs “____________” for women.
household
luxury
areas
status
uniforms
opened
relies
iconic
took
success
PROJECT PRADA
Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of Prada. Complete this table with your project partner(s):
Main products
How to improve them
A brand new ‘killer’ product
How Prada 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.
PRADA – ROLE PLAY 1
Role A – Prada 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 – Prada 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 – Prada customer
You are a customer of Prada. 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 Prada. 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.
PRADA – ROLE PLAY 2
Role A – Prada New Products Director
You have created a new product for Prada. 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 Prada.
Role B – Prada 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 – Prada 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 – Prada Shareholder
You know a lot about Prada’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 Prada. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE:Write a magazine article about Prada. 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. PRADA POSTERMake a poster about Prada. 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 PRADA LESSON:Make your own English lesson on Prada. 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 Prada. Share your findings with the class.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in the article at the top of this page.
