Click here for the PDF handout or try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Canon. Click on the links below or see the activities below this article:
READ
Canon is one of the world’s top makers of digital imaging and photography equipment. The company was founded in Tokyo, Japan in 1937. It started life as Kwanon but changed to Canon in 1947. It has grown to become synonymous for high quality and affordable products. It has three main areas of operations: Its Office Business Unit manufactures copy machines and printers; its Consumer Business Unit produces SLR and digital cameras and lenses, and video cameras; and its Industry and Other Business Unit is responsible for semiconductor equipment, medical image recording equipment, computers, scanners and calculators. It has an annual revenue in excess of $35 billion. Canon recently topped a survey of 56 companies by the Clean Air-Cool Planet organization for climate-friendliness.
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WORKSHEET ACTIVITIES
WARM-UPS
1. BRAINSTORM: Write all the words you can think of about Canon on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about these words with your partner(s).
2. CANON MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of Canon. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.
3. RUMOURS:Each student writes down a pretend rumour about Canon. They then walk around the class and talk to other students about their rumour.
4. GOOD AND BAD:Brainstorm good and bad things about Canon and write them on the board. Students talk about these in pairs.
5. TRUE OR FALSE:Students find out several facts about Canon. 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 Canon. 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
Canon ____________________ makers of digital imaging and photography equipment. The company was founded in Tokyo, Japan in 1937. ____________________ Kwanon but changed to Canon in 1947. It has grown to ____________________ high quality and affordable products. ____________________ of operations: Its Office Business Unit manufactures copy ____________________; its Consumer Business Unit produces SLR and digital cameras and lenses, and video cameras; and its Industry and Other Business Unit ____________________ semiconductor equipment, medical image recording equipment, computers, scanners and calculators. It has ____________________ excess of $35 billion. Canon recently topped a survey of 56 companies by the Clean Air-Cool Planet organization ____________________.
CORRECT THE SPELLING
Canon is one of the world’s top mekasr of digital imaging and photography eeuntpmiq. The company was founded in Tokyo, Japan in 1937. It started life as Kwanon but changed to Canon in 1947. It has grown to become synonymous for high tqauliy and frlbfadaeo products. It has three main areas of operations: Its Office Business Unit cueatnafmsru copy machines and printers; its Consumer Business Unit odseupcr SLR and digital cameras and lenses, and video cameras; and its Industry and Other Business Unit is bolpnisesre for semiconductor equipment, medical egmia recording equipment, computers, scanners and calculators. It has an lannau revenue in excess of $35 billion. Canon recently topped a survey of 56 companies by the Clean Air-Cool Planet organization for telicma-friendliness.
UNJUMBLE THE WORDS
Canon one is of makers top world’s the of digital imaging and photography equipment. The company was founded in Tokyo, Japan in 1937. life started It but Kwanon as changed to Canon in 1947. It has grown to become affordable and quality high for synonymous products. It three has operations of areas main: Its Office Business Unit manufactures copy machines and printers; its Business Consumer and SLR produces Unit digital cameras and lenses, and video cameras; and its Industry and Other for responsible is Unit Business semiconductor equipment, medical image recording equipment, computers, scanners and calculators. It has an annual revenue in excess of $35 billion. Canon recently topped a companies the survey 56 by Clean of Air-Cool Planet organization for climate-friendliness.
canon is one of the world’s top makers of digital imaging and photography equipment the company was founded in tokyo japan in 1937 it started life as kwanon but changed to canon in 1947 it has grown to become synonymous for high quality and affordable products it has three main areas of operations its office business unit manufactures copy machines and printers its consumer business unit produces slr and digital cameras and lenses and video cameras and its industry and other business unit is responsible for semiconductor equipment medical image recording equipment computers scanners and calculators it has an annual revenue in excess of $35 billion canon recently topped a survey of 56 companies by the clean air-cool planet organization for climate-friendliness
CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE
Canon .......... (be) one of the world’s top makers of digital imaging and photography equipment. The company was .......... (found) in Tokyo, Japan in 1937. It started life as Kwanon but .......... (change) to Canon in 1947. It has .......... (grow) to .......... (become) synonymous for high quality and affordable products. It .......... (have) three main areas of operations: Its Office Business Unit manufactures copy machines and printers; its Consumer Business Unit produces SLR and digital cameras and lenses, and video cameras; and its Industry and Other Business Unit .......... (be) responsible for semiconductor equipment, medical image recording equipment, computers, scanners and calculators. It .......... (have) an annual revenue in excess of $35 billion. Canon recently topped a survey of 56 companies by the Clean Air-Cool Planet organization for climate-friendliness.
Canon is one of the world’s top ____________ of digital imaging and photography equipment. The company was ____________ in Tokyo, Japan in 1937. It started life as Kwanon but changed to Canon in 1947. It has grown to become synonymous for high ____________ and ____________ products. It has three main areas of operations: Its Office Business Unit manufactures ____________ machines and printers; its Consumer Business Unit produces SLR and digital cameras and ____________, and video cameras; and its Industry and Other Business Unit is ____________ for semiconductor equipment, medical image recording equipment, computers, scanners and calculators. It has an annual ____________ in excess of $35 billion. Canon recently topped a ____________ of 56 companies by the Clean Air-Cool Planet organization for ____________-friendliness.
affordable
climate
lenses
revenue
makers
survey
quality
copy
responsible
founded
PROJECT CANON
Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of Canon. Complete this table with your project partner(s):
Main products
How to improve them
A brand new ‘killer’ product
How Canon 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.
CANON – ROLE PLAY 1
Role A – Canon 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 – Canon 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 – Canon customer
You are a customer of Canon. 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 Canon. 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.
CANON – ROLE PLAY 2
Role A – Canon New Products Director
You have created a new product for Canon. 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 Canon.
Role B – Canon 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 – Canon 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 – Canon Shareholder
You know a lot about Canon’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 Canon. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE:Write a magazine article about Canon. 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. CANON POSTERMake a poster about Canon. 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 CANON LESSON:Make your own English lesson on Canon. 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 Canon. Share your findings with the class.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in the article at the top of this page.
