Click here for the PDF handout or try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Gap. Click on the links below or see the activities below this article:
READ
The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retail chain based in San Francisco. It was founded in 1969 by Don G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. Don Fisher said: “I created Gap with a simple idea: to make it easier to find a pair of jeans. We remain committed to that basic principle.” The company has four brands besides Gap: Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. The Gap brand includes GapKids, babyGap and gapbody. The company employs roughly 135,000 people in nearly 3,500 stores worldwide. The chain’s annual revenue is around $15 billion a year. It is currently the world’s second largest clothing retailer. The company website outlines its philosophy: “The focus at Gap Inc. is pretty simple: customers, creativity, doing what's right, and delivering results. Together, we call it ‘wearing your passion.’"
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WORKSHEET ACTIVITIES
WARM-UPS
1. BRAINSTORM: Write all the words you can think of about Gap on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about these words with your partner(s).
2. GAP MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of Gap. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.
3. RUMOURS:Each student writes down a pretend rumour about Gap. They then walk around the class and talk to other students about their rumour.
4. GOOD AND BAD:Brainstorm good and bad things about Gap and write them on the board. Students talk about these in pairs.
5. TRUE OR FALSE:Students find out several facts about Gap. 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 Gap. 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 Gap, Inc. is an American ____________________ retail chain based in San Francisco. It was founded in 1969 by Don G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. Don Fisher said: “I created Gap ____________________: to make it easier to find a pair of jeans. We ____________________ that basic principle.” The company has ____________________ Gap: Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. The Gap brand includes GapKids, babyGap and gapbody. The company employs roughly 135,000 people in nearly 3,500 stores worldwide. The ____________________ is around $15 billion a year. It is currently the world’s second largest ____________________. The company website outlines its philosophy: “The focus at Gap Inc. ____________________: customers, creativity, doing what's right, and delivering results. Together, we call it ‘____________________.’"
CORRECT THE SPELLING
The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories iltare chain based in San Francisco. It was founded in 1969 by Don G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. Don Fisher said: “I edrceat Gap with a simple idea: to make it easier to find a pair of jeans. We iramne committed to that basic principle.” The company has four brands sebised Gap: Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. The Gap brand includes GapKids, babyGap and gapbody. The company employs rgyuhlo 135,000 people in nearly 3,500 stores worldwide. The chain’s annual evurnee is around $15 billion a year. It is rnrytleuc the world’s second largest clothing retailer. The company website ieuolsnt its philosophy: “The focus at Gap Inc. is pretty simple: customers, ievyiatcrt, doing what's right, and delivering rutless. Together, we call it ‘wearing your passion.’"
UNJUMBLE THE WORDS
The Gap, Inc. is clothing an and American accessories based chain retail Francisco San in. It was founded in 1969 by Don G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. Don Fisher said: “I created Gap make simple with it to idea: a easier to find a pair of jeans. to remain that committed We basic principle.” four has company The besides brands Gap: Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. The Gap brand includes GapKids, babyGap and gapbody. people 000 , 135 roughly employs company The in nearly 3,500 stores worldwide. revenue chain’s is annual The around $15 billion a year. It is currently the world’s retailer clothing largest second. The company website outlines its philosophy: “The focus at Gap Inc. is pretty simple: customers, creativity, doing what's right, and delivering results. Together, we call it ‘wearing your passion.’"
the gap inc is an american clothing and accessories retail chain based in san francisco it was founded in 1969 by don g fisher and doris f fisher don fisher said “i created gap with a simple idea to make it easier to find a pair of jeans we remain committed to that basic principle” the company has four brands besides gap banana republic old navy piperlime and athleta the gap brand includes gapkids babygap and gapbody the company employs roughly 135000 people in nearly 3500 stores worldwide the chain’s annual revenue is around $15 billion a year it is currently the world’s second largest clothing retailer the company website outlines its philosophy “the focus at gap inc is pretty simple customers creativity doing what's right and delivering results together we call it ‘wearing your passion’"
CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE
The Gap, Inc. .......... (be) an American clothing and accessories retail chain .......... (base) in San Francisco. It was founded in 1969 by Don G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. Don Fisher .......... (say): “I .......... (create) Gap with a simple idea: to .......... (make) it easier to find a pair of jeans. We .......... (remain) committed to that basic principle.” The company .......... (have) four brands besides Gap: Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. The Gap brand .......... (include) GapKids, babyGap and gapbody. The company .......... (employ) roughly 135,000 people in nearly 3,500 stores worldwide. The chain’s annual revenue .......... (be) around $15 billion a year. It is currently the world’s second largest clothing retailer. The company website .......... (outline) its philosophy: “The focus at Gap Inc. .......... (be) pretty simple: customers, creativity, doing what's right, and delivering results. Together, we .......... (call) it ‘wearing your passion.’"
The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retail ____________ based in San Francisco. It was founded in 1969 by Don G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. Don Fisher said: “I ____________ Gap with a simple idea: to make it easier to find a pair of jeans. We ____________ committed to that basic principle.” The company has four brands ____________ Gap: Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. The Gap brand ____________ GapKids, babyGap and gapbody. The company employs ____________ 135,000 people in nearly 3,500 stores worldwide. The chain’s ____________ revenue is around $15 billion a year. It is ____________ the world’s second largest clothing retailer. The company website outlines its philosophy: “The focus at Gap Inc. is ____________ simple: customers, creativity, doing what's right, and delivering ____________. Together, we call it ‘wearing your passion.’"
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PROJECT GAP
Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of Gap. Complete this table with your project partner(s):
Main products
How to improve them
A brand new ‘killer’ product
How Gap 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.
GAP – ROLE PLAY 1
Role A – Gap 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 – Gap 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 – Gap customer
You are a customer of Gap. 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 Gap. 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.
GAP – ROLE PLAY 2
Role A – Gap New Products Director
You have created a new product for Gap. 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 Gap.
Role B – Gap 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 – Gap 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 – Gap Shareholder
You know a lot about Gap’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 Gap. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE:Write a magazine article about Gap. 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. GAP POSTERMake a poster about Gap. 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 GAP LESSON:Make your own English lesson on Gap. 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 Gap. Share your findings with the class.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in the article at the top of this page.
