Click here for the PDF handout or try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Starbucks. Click on the links below or see the activities below this article:
READ
Starbucks is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain. It is the world’s best-known brand of coffee shop and has almost 20,000 stores in around 50 countries, employing close to 150,000 people. It was formed in Seattle, Washington in 1971 by English teacher Jerry Baldwin, history teacher Zev Siegl, and writer Gordon Bowker. Its website says little has changed since then: “Every day, we go to work hoping to do two things: share great coffee with our friends and help make the world a little better. It was true when the first Starbucks opened in 1971, and it’s just as true today.” Starbucks is famous for its range of coffees and pastries, its comfortable and well-furnished shops and its free-trade coffee. Trained Starbucks staff are called Coffee Masters, while staff in training are known as baristas.
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WORKSHEET ACTIVITIES
WARM-UPS
1. BRAINSTORM: Write all the words you can think of about Starbucks on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about these words with your partner(s).
2. STARBUCKS MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of Starbucks. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.
3. RUMOURS:Each student writes down a pretend rumour about Starbucks. They then walk around the class and talk to other students about their rumour.
4. GOOD AND BAD:Brainstorm good and bad things about Starbucks and write them on the board. Students talk about these in pairs.
5. TRUE OR FALSE:Students find out several facts about Starbucks. 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 Starbucks. 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
Starbucks is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain. _______________________ brand of coffee shop and has almost 20,000 stores in around 50 countries, _______________________ people. It was formed in Seattle, Washington in 1971 by English teacher Jerry Baldwin, history teacher Zev Siegl, and writer Gordon Bowker. Its website _______________________ since then: “Every day, we go to _______________________ things: _______________________ our friends and help make the world a little better. It was true when the first Starbucks opened in 1971, and it’s just as true today.” Starbucks is _______________________ coffees and pastries, its comfortable _______________________ and its free-trade coffee. Trained Starbucks staff are called Coffee Masters, while _______________________ as baristas.
CORRECT THE SPELLING
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UNJUMBLE THE WORDS
Starbucks is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain. It brand world’s of best coffee - is known the shop and has almost 20,000 stores in around 50 countries, 150,000 people employing close to. It was formed in Seattle, Washington in 1971 by English teacher Jerry Baldwin, history teacher Zev Siegl, and writer Gordon Bowker. Its then has website changed says since little: “Every day, work things hoping we to go do to two: share with coffee great make help and friends our the world a little better. first It true the Starbucks was when opened in 1971, and it’s just as true today.” Starbucks is famous for its range of coffees and pastries, its comfortable and well its - free furnished - shops trade and coffee. Trained Starbucks staff are called Coffee Masters, while staff in are baristas known training as.
starbucks is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain it is the world’s best-known brand of coffee shop and has almost 20000 stores in around 50 countries employing close to 150000 people it was formed in seattle washington in 1971 by english teacher jerry baldwin history teacher zev siegl and writer gordon bowker its website says little has changed since then “every day we go to work hoping to do two things share great coffee with our friends and help make the world a little better it was true when the first starbucks opened in 1971 and it’s just as true today” starbucks is famous for its range of coffees and pastries its comfortable and well-furnished shops and its free-trade coffee trained starbucks staff are called coffee masters while staff in training are known as baristas
CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE
Starbucks .......... (be) an international coffee and coffeehouse chain. It .......... (be) the world’s best-known brand of coffee shop and .......... (have) almost 20,000 stores in around 50 countries, .......... (employ) close to 150,000 people. It was .......... (form) in Seattle, Washington in 1971 by English teacher Jerry Baldwin, history teacher Zev Siegl, and writer Gordon Bowker. Its website .......... (say) little has changed since then: “Every day, we .......... (go) to work hoping to do two things: .......... (share) great coffee with our friends and .......... (help) make the world a little better. It was true when the first Starbucks .......... (open) in 1971, and it’s just as true today.” Starbucks .......... (be) famous for its range of coffees and pastries, its comfortable and well-furnished shops and its free-trade coffee. Trained Starbucks staff .......... (be) called Coffee Masters, while staff in training are .......... (know) as baristas.
Starbucks is an international coffee and coffeehouse ____________. It is the world’s best-known brand of coffee shop and has ____________ 20,000 stores in around 50 countries, employing ____________ to 150,000 people. It was ____________ in Seattle, Washington in 1971 by English teacher Jerry Baldwin, history teacher Zev Siegl, and writer Gordon Bowker. Its website says little has changed ____________ then: “Every day, we go to work hoping to do two things: ____________ great coffee with our friends and help make the world a little better. It was ____________ when the first Starbucks opened in 1971, and it’s just as true today.” Starbucks is famous for its ____________ of coffees and pastries, its comfortable and well-furnished shops and its ____________ -trade coffee. Trained Starbucks staff are called Coffee Masters, while staff in ____________ are known as baristas.
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PROJECT STARBUCKS
Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of Starbucks. Complete this table with your project partner(s):
Main products
How to improve them
A brand new ‘killer’ product
How Starbucks 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.
STARBUCKS – ROLE PLAY 1
Role A – Starbucks 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 – Starbucks 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 – Starbucks customer
You are a customer of Starbucks. 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 Starbucks. 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.
STARBUCKS – ROLE PLAY 2
Role A – Starbucks New Products Director
You have created a new product for Starbucks. 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 Starbucks.
Role B – Starbucks 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 – Starbucks 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 – Starbucks Shareholder
You know a lot about Starbucks’ 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 Starbucks. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE:Write a magazine article about Starbucks. 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. STARBUCKS POSTERMake a poster about Starbucks. 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 STARBUCKS LESSON:Make your own English lesson on Starbucks. 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 Starbucks. Share your findings with the class.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in the article at the top of this page.
