Click here for the PDF handout or try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Tata. Click on the links below or see the activities below this article:
READ
The Tata Group is the largest corporation in India. It has a diverse range of business interests, including cars, steel, information technology, energy, tea and hotels. It was founded in 1868 by Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, who set up a company in Mumbai to trade in cotton. The company opened the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai in 1903 and then it invested in steel and power. Today, Tata is showing the power of Indian companies in the global marketplace. It has purchased luxury brand cars, like Jaguar and Land Rover, and foreign-owned steel makers. In 2008, it showcased the world’s cheapest car, the Tata Nano. The website says it is a value-driven company: “Our practice of returning to society what we earn evokes trust among consumers, employees, shareholders and the community.” Tata employs close to 400,000 people worldwide.
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WORKSHEET ACTIVITIES
WARM-UPS
1. BRAINSTORM: Write all the words you can think of about Tata on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about these words with your partner(s).
2. TATA MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of Tata. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.
3. RUMOURS:Each student writes down a pretend rumour about Tata. They then walk around the class and talk to other students about their rumour.
4. GOOD AND BAD:Brainstorm good and bad things about Tata and write them on the board. Students talk about these in pairs.
5. TRUE OR FALSE:Students find out several facts about Tata. 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 Tata. 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
The Tata Group is ________________________ India. It has a diverse range of business interests, including cars, steel, information technology, energy, tea and hotels. It was founded in 1868 by Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, ________________________ in Mumbai to trade in cotton. The company opened the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai in 1903 and ________________________ power. Today, Tata is showing the power of Indian companies ________________________. It has purchased luxury brand cars, like Jaguar and Land Rover, ________________________ makers. In 2008, it showcased the world’s cheapest car, the Tata Nano. The website says it ________________________: “Our practice of returning to society ________________________ among consumers, employees, ________________________.” Tata employs close to 400,000 people worldwide.
CORRECT THE SPELLING
The Tata Group is the largest corporation in India. It has a eeivsdr range of business interests, including cars, steel, information technology, neyrge, tea and hotels. It was founded in 1868 by Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, who set up a company in Mumbai to aterd in cotton. The company opened the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai in 1903 and then it eeivdnst in steel and power. Today, Tata is showing the power of Indian companies in the global marketplace. It has pcuadserh luxury brand cars, like Jaguar and Land Rover, and foreign-nodew steel makers. In 2008, it hadcewsos the world’s cheapest car, the Tata Nano. The website says it is a value-denriv company: “Our practice of returning to society what we earn kveeso trust among consumers, employees, shareholders and the toiycmunm.” Tata employs close to 400,000 people worldwide.
UNJUMBLE THE WORDS
The Tata in Group the corporation India is largest. It has a diverse range of business interests, including cars, steel, information technology, energy, tea and hotels. It was founded in 1868 by Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, who in in set Mumbai up to a trade company cotton. The company opened the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai in 1903 and power and steel in invested it then. Today, Tata is showing the power Indian in the of companies global marketplace. It has purchased luxury brand cars, like Jaguar and Land Rover, and foreign-owned steel makers. In 2008, car cheapest world’s the showcased it, the Tata Nano. The is company a website value says - it driven: “earn to Our society practice what of we returning evokes trust among consumers, employees, shareholders and the community.” 400 to close employs Tata people 000 , worldwide.
the tata group is the largest corporation in india it has a diverse range of business interests including cars steel information technology energy tea and hotels it was founded in 1868 by jamsetji nusserwanji tata who set up a company in mumbai to trade in cotton the company opened the taj mahal hotel in mumbai in 1903 and then it invested in steel and power today tata is showing the power of indian companies in the global marketplace it has purchased luxury brand cars like jaguar and land rover and foreign-owned steel makers in 2008 it showcased the world’s cheapest car the tata nano the website says it is a value-driven company “our practice of returning to society what we earn evokes trust among consumers employees shareholders and the community” tata employs close to 400000 people worldwide
CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE
The Tata Group .......... (be) the largest corporation in India. It .......... (have) a diverse range of business interests, including cars, steel, information technology, energy, tea and hotels. It was .......... (found) in 1868 by Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, who .......... (set) up a company in Mumbai to .......... (trade) in cotton. The company .......... (open) the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai in 1903 and then it invested in steel and power. Today, Tata is .......... (show) the power of Indian companies in the global marketplace. It has .......... (purchase) luxury brand cars, like Jaguar and Land Rover, and foreign-owned steel makers. In 2008, it .......... (showcase) the world’s cheapest car, the Tata Nano. The website .......... (say) it is a value-driven company: “Our practice of returning to society what we earn .......... (evoke) trust among consumers, employees, shareholders and the community.” Tata .......... (employ) close to 400,000 people worldwide.
The Tata Group is the largest corporation in India. It has a ____________ range of business interests, including cars, steel, information technology, ____________, tea and hotels. It was founded in 1868 by Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, who ____________ up a company in Mumbai to trade in cotton. The company opened the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai in 1903 and then it ____________ in steel and power. Today, Tata is showing the power of Indian companies in the ____________ marketplace. It has purchased ____________ brand cars, like Jaguar and Land Rover, and foreign-owned steel makers. In 2008, it ____________ the world’s cheapest car, the Tata Nano. The website says it is a ____________-driven company: “Our practice of returning to society what we earn ____________ trust among consumers, employees, shareholders and the community.” Tata employs ____________ to 400,000 people worldwide.
energy
luxury
evokes
diverse
global
close
value
set
showcased
invested
PROJECT TATA
Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of Tata. Complete this table with your project partner(s):
Main products
How to improve them
A brand new ‘killer’ product
How Tata 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.
TATA – ROLE PLAY 1
Role A – Tata 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 – Tata 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 – Tata customer
You are a customer of Tata. 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 Tata. 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.
TATA – ROLE PLAY 2
Role A – Tata New Products Director
You have created a new product for Tata. 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 Tata.
Role B – Tata 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 – Tata 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 – Tata Shareholder
You know a lot about Tata’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 Tata. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE:Write a magazine article about Tata. 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. TATA POSTERMake a poster about Tata. 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 TATA LESSON:Make your own English lesson on Tata. 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 Tata. Share your findings with the class.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in the article at the top of this page.
