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20-Page Handout + MP3 + 8 Online Quizzes on Visa

GAMES:

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

Visa Inc. is one of the world’s largest global payments technology companies. Contrary to popular belief, it does not issue credit cards but allows financial institutions to issue cards that Visa then processes transactions on. Visa started in 1970, developing Bank of America’s BankAmericard credit card program. Visa is accepted in over 200 countries worldwide and can handle 10,000 requests per second. In 2009, it processed 62 billion transactions, worth $4.4 trillion. Its website says: Visa connects cardholders, merchants and financial institutions around the world with products and services that make payments more convenient and more secure.” It adds: “Visa payment products and services have reshaped how the world does business.” Visa says its commitment to innovation keeps it at the forefront of its industry.

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

2. VISA MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of Visa. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.

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

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

5. TRUE OR FALSE: Students find out several facts about Visa. 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 Visa. 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

Visa Inc. is one of the world’s ____________________ technology companies. Contrary ____________________, it does not issue credit cards but allows financial institutions ____________________ Visa then processes transactions on. Visa started in 1970, developing Bank of America’s BankAmericard credit card program. Visa ____________________ 200 countries worldwide and ____________________ requests per second. In 2009, it processed 62 billion transactions, worth $4.4 trillion. Its website says: Visa connects cardholders, ____________________ institutions around the world with products and services that make payments more convenient ____________________.” It adds: “Visa payment products and services have ____________________ does business.” Visa says its commitment to innovation keeps ____________________ its industry.

  CORRECT THE SPELLING

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  UNJUMBLE THE WORDS

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  INSERT THE VOWELS

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  PUNCTUATE THE TEXT AND ADD CAPITALS

visa inc is one of the world’s largest global payments technology companies contrary to popular belief it does not issue credit cards but allows financial institutions to issue cards that visa then processes transactions on visa started in 1970 developing bank of america’s bankamericard credit card program visa is accepted in over 200 countries worldwide and can handle 10000 requests per second in 2009 it processed 62 billion transactions worth $44 trillion its website says visa connects cardholders merchants and financial institutions around the world with products and services that make payments more convenient and more secure” it adds “visa payment products and services have reshaped how the world does business” visa says its commitment to innovation keeps it at the forefront of its industry

  CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE

Visa Inc. .......... (be) one of the world’s largest global payments technology companies. Contrary to popular belief, it does not .......... (issue) credit cards but .......... (allow) financial institutions to issue cards that Visa then .......... (process) transactions on. Visa .......... (start) in 1970, developing Bank of America’s BankAmericard credit card program. Visa is .......... (accept) in over 200 countries worldwide and can .......... (handle) 10,000 requests per second. In 2009, it .......... (process) 62 billion transactions, worth $4.4 trillion. Its website .......... (say): Visa .......... (connect) cardholders, merchants and financial institutions around the world with products and services that .......... (make) payments more convenient and more secure.” It .......... (add): “Visa payment products and services have .......... (reshape) how the world .......... (do) business.” Visa says its commitment to innovation .......... (keep) it at the forefront of its industry.

  REWRITE WITH SPACES

VisaInc.isoneoftheworld’slargestglobalpaymentstechnologycompanies.Contraryto
popularbelief,itdoesnotissuecreditcardsbutallowsfinancialinstitutionstoissuecardsthat
Visathenprocessestransactionson.Visastartedin1970,developingBankofAmerica’s
BankAmericardcreditcardprogram.Visaisacceptedinover200countriesworldwideand
canhandle10,000requestspersecond.In2009,itprocessed62billiontransactions,worth
$4.4trillion.Itswebsitesays:Visaconnectscardholders,merchantsandfinancialinstitutions
aroundtheworldwithproductsandservicesthatmakepaymentsmoreconvenientandmore
secure.”Itadds:“Visapaymentproductsandserviceshavereshapedhowtheworlddoes
business.”Visasaysitscommitmenttoinnovationkeepsitattheforefrontofitsindustry.

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  CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD

  PROJECT VISA

Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of Visa. 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.

  VISA – ROLE PLAY 1

  VISA – ROLE PLAY 2

  JOB INTERVIEW ROLE PLAY

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  DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

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  VISA SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about Visa 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 Visa for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

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  WRITING 2 – LETTER OF COMPLAINT

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

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  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.

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

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Visa. 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. VISA POSTER Make a poster about Visa. 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 VISA LESSON: Make your own English lesson on Visa. 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 Germany. Share your findings with the class.