Click here for the PDF handout or try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Visa. Click on the links below or see the activities below this article:
READ
Visa Inc. is one of the world’s largest global payments technology companies. Contrary to popular belief, it does not issue credit cards but allows financial institutions to issue cards that Visa then processes transactions on. Visa started in 1970, developing Bank of America’s BankAmericard credit card program. Visa is accepted in over 200 countries worldwide and can handle 10,000 requests per second. In 2009, it processed 62 billion transactions, worth $4.4 trillion. Its website says: Visa connects cardholders, merchants and financial institutions around the world with products and services that make payments more convenient and more secure.” It adds: “Visa payment products and services have reshaped how the world does business.” Visa says its commitment to innovation keeps it at the forefront of its industry.
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WORKSHEET ACTIVITIES
WARM-UPS
1. BRAINSTORM: Write all the words you can think of about Visa on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about these words with your partner(s).
2. VISA MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of Visa. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.
3. RUMOURS:Each student writes down a pretend rumour about Visa. They then walk around the class and talk to other students about their rumour.
4. GOOD AND BAD:Brainstorm good and bad things about Visa and write them on the board. Students talk about these in pairs.
5. TRUE OR FALSE:Students find out several facts about Visa. 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 Visa. 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
Visa Inc. is one of the world’s ____________________ technology companies. Contrary ____________________, it does not issue credit cards but allows financial institutions ____________________ Visa then processes transactions on. Visa started in 1970, developing Bank of America’s BankAmericard credit card program. Visa ____________________ 200 countries worldwide and ____________________ requests per second. In 2009, it processed 62 billion transactions, worth $4.4 trillion. Its website says: Visa connects cardholders, ____________________ institutions around the world with products and services that make payments more convenient ____________________.” It adds: “Visa payment products and services have ____________________ does business.” Visa says its commitment to innovation keeps ____________________ its industry.
CORRECT THE SPELLING
Visa Inc. is one of the world’s largest global etpsamny technology companies. Contrary to oupaplr belief, it does not issue credit cards but allows financial institutions to issue cards that Visa then osrssecpe transactions on. Visa started in 1970, developing Bank of America’s BankAmericard credit card program. Visa is ceeaptdc in over 200 countries worldwide and can aneldh 10,000 ssuetqer per second. In 2009, it processed 62 billion transactions, worth $4.4 trillion. Its website says: Visa connects cardholders, crstahemn and financial institutions around the world with products and services that make payments more nveteonnci and more secure.” It adds: “Visa payment products and services have reshaped how the world does business.” Visa says its commitment to voonnaitni keeps it at the roefntrof of its industry.
UNJUMBLE THE WORDS
Visa Inc. global largest world’s the of one is payments technology companies. Contrary to popular belief, it does not credit but financial issue cards allows institutions to issue then transactions cards Visa processes on that. Visa started in 1970, developing Bank of America’s BankAmericard credit card program. Visa is accepted in and handle 200 worldwide can over countries 10,000 requests per second. In 2009, it processed 62 billion transactions, worth $4.4 trillion. Its website says: Visa connects cardholders, merchants and financial institutions products with world the around and services that convenient more payments make more and secure.” It adds: “Visa payment products and services have business does world the how reshaped.” Visa says its commitment at it keeps innovation to of forefront the its industry.
visa inc is one of the world’s largest global payments technology companies contrary to popular belief it does not issue credit cards but allows financial institutions to issue cards that visa then processes transactions on visa started in 1970 developing bank of america’s bankamericard credit card program visa is accepted in over 200 countries worldwide and can handle 10000 requests per second in 2009 it processed 62 billion transactions worth $44 trillion its website says visa connects cardholders merchants and financial institutions around the world with products and services that make payments more convenient and more secure” it adds “visa payment products and services have reshaped how the world does business” visa says its commitment to innovation keeps it at the forefront of its industry
CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE
Visa Inc. .......... (be) one of the world’s largest global payments technology companies. Contrary to popular belief, it does not .......... (issue) credit cards but .......... (allow) financial institutions to issue cards that Visa then .......... (process) transactions on. Visa .......... (start) in 1970, developing Bank of America’s BankAmericard credit card program. Visa is .......... (accept) in over 200 countries worldwide and can .......... (handle) 10,000 requests per second. In 2009, it .......... (process) 62 billion transactions, worth $4.4 trillion. Its website .......... (say): Visa .......... (connect) cardholders, merchants and financial institutions around the world with products and services that .......... (make) payments more convenient and more secure.” It .......... (add): “Visa payment products and services have .......... (reshape) how the world .......... (do) business.” Visa says its commitment to innovation .......... (keep) it at the forefront of its industry.
Visa Inc. is one of the world’s largest ____________ payments technology companies. Contrary to popular ____________, it does not issue credit cards but allows financial institutions to issue cards that Visa then processes transactions on. Visa started in 1970, developing Bank of America’s BankAmericard credit card ____________. Visa is accepted in over 200 countries worldwide and can ____________ 10,000 ____________ per second. In 2009, it processed 62 billion transactions, worth $4.4 trillion. Its website says: Visa ____________ cardholders, ____________ and financial institutions around the world with products and services that make payments more convenient and more ____________.” It adds: “Visa payment products and services have ____________ how the world does business.” Visa says its commitment to innovation keeps it at the ____________ of its industry.
secure
program
requests
global
forefront
connects
belief
reshaped
handle
merchants
PROJECT VISA
Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of Visa. Complete this table with your project partner(s):
Main products
How to improve them
A brand new ‘killer’ product
How Visa 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.
VISA – ROLE PLAY 1
Role A – Visa 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 – Visa 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 – Visa customer
You are a customer of Visa. 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 Visa. 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.
VISA – ROLE PLAY 2
Role A – Visa New Products Director
You have created a new product for Visa. 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 Visa.
Role B – Visa 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 – Visa 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 – Visa Shareholder
You know a lot about Visa’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 Visa. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE:Write a magazine article about Visa. 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. VISA POSTERMake a poster about Visa. 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 VISA LESSON:Make your own English lesson on Visa. 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 Visa. Share your findings with the class.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in the article at the top of this page.
