Click here for the PDF handout or try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Porsche. Click on the links below or see the activities below this article:
READ
Porsche is one of the most exciting names in the automobile industry. It has a long tradition of producing luxury, high-performance sports cars and has more recently entered the SUV and sports saloon markets. The company was founded by Ferdinand Porsche in 1931. Herr Porsche is also responsible for designing the Volkswagen Beetle, the world’s best-ever selling car. Today, Porsche is still the majority shareholder in Volkswagen. The first Porsche car was the Porsche 64, developed in 1939. Iconic cars such as the Boxster and 911 have been icons for generations and are the most popular sports cars in the world. Each Porsche car has the logo of a powerful horse and three sets of deer antlers – a reference to the coat of arms of its production base of Stuttgart.
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WORKSHEET ACTIVITIES
WARM-UPS
1. BRAINSTORM: Write all the words you can think of about Porsche on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about these words with your partner(s).
2. PORSCHE MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of Porsche. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.
3. RUMOURS:Each student writes down a pretend rumour about Porsche. They then walk around the class and talk to other students about their rumour.
4. GOOD AND BAD:Brainstorm good and bad things about Porsche and write them on the board. Students talk about these in pairs.
5. TRUE OR FALSE:Students find out several facts about Porsche. 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 Porsche. 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
Porsche is ________________________ names in the automobile industry. It has ________________________ luxury, high-performance sports cars and has ________________________ SUV and sports saloon markets. The company was founded by Ferdinand Porsche in 1931. Herr Porsche is also ________________________ the Volkswagen Beetle, the world’s best-ever selling car. Today, Porsche is still ________________________ Volkswagen. The first Porsche car was the Porsche 64, developed in 1939. Iconic cars such as the Boxster and 911 have been icons ________________________ the most popular sports cars in the world. Each Porsche car has the logo of a powerful ________________________ of deer antlers – a reference to the coat of arms ________________________ Stuttgart.
CORRECT THE SPELLING
Porsche is one of the most exciting names in the automobile ytidrsun. It has a long tradition of producing luxury, high-performance sports cars and has more enyltrec entered the SUV and sports saloon markets. The company was founded by Ferdinand Porsche in 1931. Herr Porsche is also responsible for disgingne the Volkswagen Beetle, the world’s best-ever selling car. Today, Porsche is still the itroajmy shareholder in Volkswagen. The first Porsche car was the Porsche 64, eldpeeovd in 1939. Iconic cars such as the Boxster and 911 have been icons for ogrnetsaein and are the most rplpoau sports cars in the world. Each Porsche car has the logo of a wprufeol horse and three sets of deer antlers – a rceenfere to the coat of arms of its dcorotunpi base of Stuttgart.
UNJUMBLE THE WORDS
Porsche is names one the exciting in of most the automobile industry. It has a long tradition of producing luxury, cars has - sports and high performance more recently the and saloon entered SUV sports markets. The company was founded by Ferdinand Porsche in 1931. Herr Porsche also is the designing for responsible Volkswagen Beetle, the world’s best-ever selling car. Today, Porsche is in shareholder majority the still Volkswagen. The first Porsche car was the Porsche 64, developed in 1939. Iconic cars such as the Boxster and 911 and have icons generations are been for the most popular sports cars in the world. Each Porsche car has three and horse powerful a of logo the sets of deer antlers – arms to of the its coat a of reference production base of Stuttgart.
porsche is one of the most exciting names in the automobile industry it has a long tradition of producing luxury high-performance sports cars and has more recently entered the suv and sports saloon markets the company was founded by ferdinand porsche in 1931 herr porsche is also responsible for designing the volkswagen beetle the world’s best-ever selling car today porsche is still the majority shareholder in volkswagen the first porsche car was the porsche 64 developed in 1939 iconic cars such as the boxster and 911 have been icons for generations and are the most popular sports cars in the world each porsche car has the logo of a powerful horse and three sets of deer antlers – a reference to the coat of arms of its production base of stuttgart
CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE
Porsche .......... (be) one of the most exciting names in the automobile industry. It .......... (have) a long tradition of producing luxury, high-performance sports cars and has more recently .......... (enter) the SUV and sports saloon markets. The company was .......... (found) by Ferdinand Porsche in 1931. Herr Porsche .......... (be) also responsible for .......... (design) the Volkswagen Beetle, the world’s best-ever selling car. Today, Porsche .......... (be) still the majority shareholder in Volkswagen. The first Porsche car .......... (be) the Porsche 64, .......... (develop) in 1939. Iconic cars such as the Boxster and 911 have .......... (be) icons for generations and .......... (be) the most popular sports cars in the world. Each Porsche car .......... (have) the logo of a powerful horse and three sets of deer antlers – a reference to the coat of arms of its production base of Stuttgart.
Porsche is one of the most exciting names in the automobile ____________. It has a long tradition of producing luxury, high-performance sports cars and has more recently ____________the SUV and sports saloon ____________. The company was founded by Ferdinand Porsche in 1931. Herr Porsche is also responsible for ____________the Volkswagen Beetle, the world’s best-ever selling car. Today, Porsche is still the ____________shareholder in Volkswagen. The first Porsche car was the Porsche 64, developed in 1939. ____________cars such as the Boxster and 911 have been ____________for generations and are the most popular sports cars in the world. Each Porsche car has the ____________of a powerful horse and three sets of deer antlers – a ____________to the coat of arms of its production ____________of Stuttgart.
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PROJECT PORSCHE
Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of Porsche. Complete this table with your project partner(s):
Main products
How to improve them
A brand new ‘killer’ product
How Porsche 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.
PORSCHE – ROLE PLAY 1
Role A – Porsche 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 – Porsche 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 – Porsche customer
You are a customer of Porsche. 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 Porsche. 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.
PORSCHE – ROLE PLAY 2
Role A – Porsche New Products Director
You have created a new product for Porsche. 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 Porsche.
Role B – Porsche 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 – Porsche 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 – Porsche Shareholder
You know a lot about Porsche’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 Porsche. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE:Write a magazine article about Porsche. 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. PORSCHE POSTERMake a poster about Porsche. 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 PORSCHE LESSON:Make your own English lesson on Porsche. 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 Porsche. Share your findings with the class.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in the article at the top of this page.
