Business English Materials.com
20-Page Handout + MP3 + 8 Online Quizzes on The Financial Times

GAMES:

• Fill-in-the-blank
• Matching
• Hangman
• Flash cards
• Sentence jumble
• Missing words
• No letters
• Crossword puzzle

The Financial Times (FT) is a respected British newspaper reporting on international business. It was founded in 1888 by James Sheridan to provide news to financiers. In 1957, it was bought by the publishing company Pearson. It is published every morning and is the only paper to provide full daily reports on the London Stock Exchange and world markets. It has a daily circulation of around half a million. The paper is as famous for its salmon-pink coloured paper as it is for its quality information. It’s also famous for the FTSE 100 index which it created with the London Stock Exchange to give an indication of the value of London stocks and shares. The biggest rival for the FT is ‘The Wall Street Journal’. The FT’s website FT.com has over 2 million registered users and more than 125,000 digital subscribers.

1. BRAINSTORM CHAT: Write all the words you can think of about Financial Times on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about these words with your partner(s).

2. FINANCIAL TIMES MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of Financial Times. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.

3. RUMOURS: Each student writes down a pretend rumour about Financial Times. They then walk around the class and talk to other students about their rumour.

4. GOOD AND BAD: Brainstorm good and bad things about Financial Times and write them on the board. Students talk about these in pairs.

5. TRUE OR FALSE: Students find out several facts about Financial Times. 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 Financial Times. 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 Financial Times (FT) is a respected British newspaper reporting on international business. _________________ 1888 by James Sheridan to provide news to financiers. In 1957, _________________ the publishing company Pearson. It is published every morning and is the only paper to provide __________________ the London Stock Exchange and world markets. It has a daily circulation of around half a million. The paper _________________ salmon-pink coloured paper _________________ quality information. It’s also famous for the FTSE 100 index which it created with the London Stock Exchange to give _________________ value of London stocks and shares. The _________________ FT is ‘The Wall Street Journal’. The FT’s website FT.com has over 2 million registered users and more than 125,000 _________________.

  CORRECT THE SPELLING

The Financial Times (FT) is a dpceteres British newspaper reporting on international business. It was founded in 1888 by James Sheridan to provide news to crafiisenn. In 1957, it was bought by the liigsnbuph company Pearson. It is published every morning and is the only paper to idvproe full daily reports on the London Stock Exchange and world markets. It has a iyald circulation of around half a million. The paper is as famous for its mlsona-pink coloured paper as it is for its lyatuiq information. It’s also famous for the FTSE 100 index which it created with the London Stock Exchange to give an indication of the uelav of London stocks and shares. The biggest ialvr for the FT is ‘The Wall Street Journal’. The FT’s website FT.com has over 2 million registered users and more than 125,000 idlatig subscribers.

  UNJUMBLE THE WORDS

The Financial Times (FT) is a respected British newspaper business international on reporting. It was founded in 1888 by James Sheridan to provide news to financiers. In 1957, the company was by publishing it bought Pearson. It is morning every published paper only the is and to provide the on reports daily full London Stock Exchange and world markets. around has daily of It a circulation half a million. The paper is as famous for its salmon-pink coloured it as paper information quality its for is. It’s also famous for the FTSE 100 index which it created with the London Stock Exchange an of value give indication the to of London stocks and shares. The biggest rival for the FT is ‘The Wall Street Journal’. The FT’s website FT.com has and over million users more 2 registered than 125,000 digital subscribers.

  INSERT THE VOWELS

Th_ F_n_nc__l T_m_s (FT) _s _ r_sp_ct_d Br_t_sh n_wsp_p_r r_p_rt_ng _n _nt_rn_t__n_l b_s_n_ss. _t w_s f__nd_d _n 1888 by J_m_s Sh_r_d_n t_ pr_v_d_ n_ws t_ f_n_nc__rs. _n 1957, _t w_s b__ght by th_ p_bl_sh_ng c_mp_ny P__rs_n. _t _s p_bl_sh_d _v_ry m_rn_ng _nd _s th_ _nly p_p_r t_ pr_v_d_ f_ll d__ly r_p_rts _n th_ L_nd_n St_ck _xch_ng_ _nd w_rld m_rk_ts. _t h_s _ d__ly c_rc_l_t__n _f _r__nd h_lf _ m_ll__n. Th_ p_p_r _s _s f_m__s f_r _ts s_lm_n-p_nk c_l__r_d p_p_r _s _t _s f_r _ts q__l_ty _nf_rm_t__n. _t’s _ls_ f_m__s f_r th_ FTS_ 100 _nd_x wh_ch _t cr__t_d w_th th_ L_nd_n St_ck _xch_ng_ t_ g_v_ _n _nd_c_t__n _f th_ v_l__ _f L_nd_n st_cks _nd sh_r_s. Th_ b_gg_st r_v_l f_r th_ FT _s ‘Th_ W_ll Str__t J__rn_l’. Th_ FT’s w_bs_t_ FT.c_m h_s _v_r 2 m_ll__n r_g_st_r_d _s_rs _nd m_r_ th_n 125,000 d_g_t_l s_bscr_b_rs.

  PUNCTUATE THE TEXT AND ADD CAPITALS

the financial times (ft) is a respected british newspaper reporting on international business it was founded in 1888 by james sheridan to provide news to financiers in 1957 it was bought by the publishing company pearson it is published every morning and is the only paper to provide full daily reports on the london stock exchange and world markets it has a daily circulation of around half a million the paper is as famous for its salmon-pink coloured paper as it is for its quality information it’s also famous for the ftse 100 index which it created with the london stock exchange to give an indication of the value of london stocks and shares the biggest rival for the ft is ‘the wall street journal’ the ft’s website ftcom has over 2 million registered users and more than 125000 digital subscribers

  CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE

The Financial Times (FT) .......... (be) a respected British newspaper reporting on international business. It .......... (be) founded in 1888 by James Sheridan to .......... (provide) news to financiers. In 1957, it was .......... (buy) by the publishing company Pearson. It is .......... (publish) every morning and is the only paper to .......... (provide) full daily reports on the London Stock Exchange and world markets. It .......... (have) a daily circulation of around half a million. The paper .......... (be) as famous for its salmon-pink coloured paper as it .......... (be) for its quality information. It’s also famous for the FTSE 100 index which it .......... (create) with the London Stock Exchange to .......... (give) an indication of the value of London stocks and shares. The biggest rival for the FT is ‘The Wall Street Journal’. The FT’s website FT.com .......... (have) over 2 million registered users and more than 125,000 digital subscribers.

  REWRITE WITH SPACES

TheFinancialTimes(FT)isarespectedBritishnewspaperreportingoninternationalbusiness.Itwas
foundedin1888byJamesSheridantoprovidenewstofinanciers.In1957,itwasboughtbythepublishing
companyPearson.Itispublishedeverymorningandistheonlypapertoprovidefulldailyreportsonthe
LondonStockExchangeandworldmarkets.Ithasadailycirculationofaroundhalfamillion.Thepaper
isasfamousforitssalmon-pinkcolouredpaperasitisforitsqualityinformation.It’salsofamousfortheFTSE100indexwhichit
createdwiththeLondonStockExchangetogiveanindicationofthevalueofLondonstocksand
shares.ThebiggestrivalfortheFTis‘TheWallStreetJournal’.TheFT’swebsiteFT.comhasover2
millionregisteredusersandmorethan125,000digitalsubscribers.

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

  CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD

  PROJECT FINANCIAL TIMES

Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of Financial Times. Complete this  table with your project partner(s):

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.

  FINANCIAL TIMES – ROLE PLAY 1

  FINANCIAL TIMES – ROLE PLAY 2

  JOB INTERVIEW ROLE PLAY

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  FINANCIAL TIMES SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about Financial Times in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

• Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.
• Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

  WRITING 1 – SPEED WRITING

Write anything about Financial Times for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

  WRITING 2 – LETTER OF COMPLAINT

Write a letter to Financial Times. Complain about one of its products. Ask for a refund. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

  WRITING 3 – LETTER OF APOLOGY

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.

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

  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 Financial Times. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Financial Times. 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. FINANCIAL TIMES POSTER Make a poster about Financial Times. 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 FINANCIAL TIMES LESSON: Make your own English lesson on Financial Times. 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 the Financial Times. Share your findings with the class.