Click here for the PDF handout or try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Heineken. Click on the links below or see the activities below this article:
READ
Heineken is one of the world’s most popular brands of beer. It was established in 1873 in Amsterdam by Gerard Adriaan Heineken. He saw a market to introduce a ‘beer culture’ in Amsterdam’s cafes. Today, Heineken is brewed by 40 breweries in 39 countries around the world. It’s website says: “Heineken has been able to remain one of the world’s leading consumer and corporate brands for more than 130 years. It confronts directly the challenges in many of our markets to deliver organic profit growth, but also focuses on building the long-term future of our brands and business.” Heineken is one of the world’s leading brewers in terms of sales volume and profitability. Its principal brands are Heineken and Amstel, but it also owns more than 200 international brands, including Foster’s, Strongbow cider, Kingfisher, Tiger, and Newcastle Brown Ale.
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WORKSHEET ACTIVITIES
WARM-UPS
1. BRAINSTORM: Write all the words you can think of about Heineken on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about these words with your partner(s).
2. HEINEKEN MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of Heineken. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.
3. RUMOURS:Each student writes down a pretend rumour about Heineken. They then walk around the class and talk to other students about their rumour.
4. GOOD AND BAD:Brainstorm good and bad things about Heineken and write them on the board. Students talk about these in pairs.
5. TRUE OR FALSE:Students find out several facts about Heineken. 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 Heineken. 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
Heineken is one of the world’s ___________________ of beer. It was established in 1873 in Amsterdam by Gerard Adriaan Heineken. ___________________ introduce a ‘beer culture’ in Amsterdam’s cafes. Today, Heineken is brewed ___________________ 39 countries around the world. It’s website says: “Heineken has been able to ___________________ world’s leading consumer and corporate brands for more than 130 years. It confronts ___________________ in many of our markets to deliver organic profit growth, but also focuses on building the ___________________ our brands and business.” Heineken is one of the world’s leading brewers in terms ___________________ profitability. Its principal brands are Heineken and Amstel, but ___________________ than 200 international brands, including Foster’s, Strongbow cider, Kingfisher, Tiger, and Newcastle Brown Ale.
CORRECT THE SPELLING
Heineken is one of the world’s most aplorpu brands of beer. It was established in 1873 in Amsterdam by Gerard Adriaan Heineken. He saw a kemrta to introduce a ‘beer culture’ in Amsterdam’s cafes. Today, Heineken is wbdere by 40 breweries in 39 countries around the world. It’s website says: “Heineken has been able to namrei one of the world’s aegnidl consumer and corporate brands for more than 130 years. It confronts yletricd the challenges in many of our markets to dieervl organic profit growth, but also focuses on building the long-term future of our brands and business.” Heineken is one of the world’s leading brewers in sterm of sales volume and profitability. Its rpinalipc brands are Heineken and Amstel, but it also owns more than 200 international brands, ulignicnd Foster’s, Strongbow cider, Kingfisher, Tiger, and Newcastle Brown Ale.
UNJUMBLE THE WORDS
Heineken of one is brands popular most world’s the of beer. It was established in 1873 in Amsterdam by Gerard Adriaan Heineken. introduce to market a saw He beer a culture’ in Amsterdam’s cafes. Today, Heineken is brewed by 40 39 around world in countries the breweries. It’s website says: “Heineken one has able remain of been to the world’s leading consumer and corporate brands for more than 130 years. It the confronts challenges directly in many of our markets to deliver organic profit growth, long also on the but focuses building-term future of our brands and business.” Heineken is one of the world’s leading sales of terms in brewers volume and profitability. Its principal brands are Heineken and Amstel, than but also more 200 it owns international brands, including Foster’s, Strongbow cider, Kingfisher, Tiger, and Newcastle Brown Ale.
heineken is one of the world’s most popular brands of beer it was established in 1873 in amsterdam by gerard adriaan heineken he saw a market to introduce a ‘beer culture’ in amsterdam’s cafes today heineken is brewed by 40 breweries in 39 countries around the world it’s website says “heineken has been able to remain one of the world’s leading consumer and corporate brands for more than 130 years it confronts directly the challenges in many of our markets to deliver organic profit growth but also focuses on building the long-term future of our brands and business” heineken is one of the world’s leading brewers in terms of sales volume and profitability its principal brands are heineken and amstel but it also owns more than 200 international brands including foster’s strongbow cider kingfisher tiger and newcastle brown ale
CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE
Heineken .......... (be) one of the world’s most popular brands of beer. It was .......... (establish) in 1873 in Amsterdam by Gerard Adriaan Heineken. He .......... (see) a market to introduce a ‘beer culture’ in Amsterdam’s cafes. Today, Heineken is .......... (brew) by 40 breweries in 39 countries around the world. It’s website .......... (say): “Heineken has .......... (be) able to .......... (remain) one of the world’s leading consumer and corporate brands for more than 130 years. It .......... (confront) directly the challenges in many of our markets to .......... (deliver) organic profit growth, but also focuses on building the long-term future of our brands and business.” Heineken .......... (be) one of the world’s leading brewers in terms of sales volume and profitability. Its principal brands .......... (be) Heineken and Amstel, but it also .......... (own) more than 200 international brands, including Foster’s, Strongbow cider, Kingfisher, Tiger, and Newcastle Brown Ale.
Heineken is one of the world’s most ____________ brands of beer. It was established in 1873 in Amsterdam by Gerard Adriaan Heineken. He saw a ____________ to introduce a ‘beer ____________’ in Amsterdam’s cafes. Today, Heineken is brewed by 40 breweries in 39 countries around the world. It’s website says: “Heineken has been able to ____________ one of the world’s leading consumer and ____________ brands for more than 130 years. It confronts ____________ the challenges in many of our markets to deliver ____________ profit growth, but also focuses on building the long-____________ future of our brands and business.” Heineken is one of the world’s leading brewers in ____________ of sales volume and profitability. Its principal brands are Heineken and Amstel, but it also ____________ more than 200 international brands, including Foster’s, Strongbow cider, Kingfisher, Tiger, and Newcastle Brown Ale.
culture
organic
popular
term
owns
corporate
market
remain
terms
directly
PROJECT HEINEKEN
Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of Heineken. Complete this table with your project partner(s):
Main products
How to improve them
A brand new ‘killer’ product
How Heineken 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.
HEINEKEN – ROLE PLAY 1
Role A – Heineken 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 – Heineken 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 – Heineken customer
You are a customer of Heineken. 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 Heineken. 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.
HEINEKEN – ROLE PLAY 2
Role A – Heineken New Products Director
You have created a new product for Heineken. 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 Heineken.
Role B – Heineken 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 – Heineken 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 – Heineken Shareholder
You know a lot about Heineken’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 Heineken. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE:Write a magazine article about Heineken. 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. HEINEKEN POSTERMake a poster about Heineken. 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 HEINEKEN LESSON:Make your own English lesson on Heineken. 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 Heineken. Share your findings with the class.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in the article at the top of this page.
