Click here for the PDF handout or try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Louis Vuitton. Click on the links below or see the activities below this article:
READ
"Since it was founded, Louis Vuitton has been a byword for stylish, elegant luggage." This comment from its website highlights the secret of the company’s success from its very beginnings in 1854. Louis Vuitton worked for the French royal family and developed an understanding of what made good luggage. His famous LV monogram is found on most of today’s products, ranging from trunks, bags and purses to shoes, watches and sunglasses. The company sells most of its products in classy boutiques in up-market department stores. Another cornerstone of the company’s success is the attention to craftsmanship. The website says: "The choice of the finest materials, experienced craftsmen and the extreme care devoted to all manufacturing phases of our items, perpetuate and renew our tradition of excellence."
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WORKSHEET ACTIVITIES
WARM-UPS
1. BRAINSTORM: Write all the words you can think of about Louis Vuitton on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about these words with your partner(s).
2. LOUIS VUITTON MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of Louis Vuitton. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.
3. RUMOURS:Each student writes down a pretend rumour about Louis Vuitton. They then walk around the class and talk to other students about their rumour.
4. GOOD AND BAD:Brainstorm good and bad things about Louis Vuitton and write them on the board. Students talk about these in pairs.
5. TRUE OR FALSE:Students find out several facts about Louis Vuitton. 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 Louis Vuitton. 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
"Since it was founded, Louis Vuitton _______________ for stylish, elegant luggage." This comment from its website _________________ of the company’s success from its very beginnings in 1854. Louis Vuitton worked for the French royal family and developed an understanding _________________ luggage. His famous LV monogram _________________ of today’s products, ranging from trunks, bags and purses to shoes, watches and sunglasses. The company _______________ products in classy boutiques in _______________ stores. Another cornerstone of the company’s success is the attention _______________. The website says: "The choice of the finest materials, experienced craftsmen and the extreme care devoted to all manufacturing phases of our items, ___________________ our tradition of excellence."
CORRECT THE SPELLING
"Since it was founded, Louis Vuitton has been a wdbroy for stylish, elegtna luggage." This comment from its website highlights the ceestr of the company’s success from its very beginnings in 1854. Louis Vuitton worked for the French lrayo family and developed an understanding of what made good luggage. His famous LV monogram is found on most of today’s products, rainggn from trunks, bags and purses to shoes, watches and sunglasses. The company sells most of its crostdpu in yscsla boutiques in up-market department stores. Another cornerstone of the company’s success is the tattoeinn to craftsmanship. The website says: "The choice of the sftnei materials, experienced craftsmen and the extreme care devoted to all manufacturing hapess of our items, perpetuate and renew our tradition of excellence."
UNJUMBLE THE WORDS
"Since it was founded, Louis Vuitton has been a byword for stylish, elegant luggage." This comment from its website the of company’s highlights secret the success from its very beginnings in 1854. Louis Vuitton worked and family royal French the for developed an understanding of what made good luggage. His famous LV monogram today’s is on of products found most, ranging from trunks, bags and purses to shoes, watches and sunglasses. products company most its The sells of in classy boutiques in up-market department stores. company’s the of cornerstone Another success is the attention to craftsmanship. The website says: "The choice of the finest materials, experienced craftsmen and the phases care to manufacturing extreme devoted all of our items, our of perpetuate renew tradition excellence and."
"since it was founded louis vuitton has been a byword for stylish elegant luggage" this comment from its website highlights the secret of the company’s success from its very beginnings in 1854 louis vuitton worked for the french royal family and developed an understanding of what made good luggage his famous lv monogram is found on most of today’s products ranging from trunks bags and purses to shoes watches and sunglasses the company sells most of its products in classy boutiques in up-market department stores another cornerstone of the company’s success is the attention to craftsmanship the website says "the choice of the finest materials experienced craftsmen and the extreme care devoted to all manufacturing phases of our items perpetuate and renew our tradition of excellence"
CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE
"Since it was .......... (found), Louis Vuitton has been a byword for stylish, elegant luggage." This comment from its website .......... (highlights) the secret of the company’s success from its very beginnings in 1854. Louis Vuitton .......... (work) for the French royal family and .......... (develop) an understanding of what made good luggage. His famous LV monogram is .......... (find) on most of today’s products, ranging from trunks, bags and purses to shoes, watches and sunglasses. The company .......... (sell) most of its products in classy boutiques in up-market department stores. Another cornerstone of the company’s success .......... (be) the attention to craftsmanship. The website .......... (say): "The choice of the finest materials, experienced craftsmen and the extreme care devoted to all manufacturing phases of our items, .......... (perpetuate) and .......... (renew) our tradition of excellence."
"Since it was founded, Louis Vuitton has been a byword for ____________, elegant luggage." This comment from its website highlights the secret of the company’s ____________ from its very beginnings in 1854. Louis Vuitton worked for the French royal family and developed an ____________ of what made good luggage. His famous LV monogram is found on most of today’s products, ____________ from trunks, bags and purses to shoes, watches and sunglasses. The company sells most of its products in ____________ boutiques in up-market department stores. Another cornerstone of the company’s success is the ____________ to craftsmanship. The website says: "The ____________ of the finest materials, experienced craftsmen and the ____________ care devoted to all manufacturing ____________ of our items, perpetuate and renew our ____________ of excellence."
Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of Louis Vuitton. Complete this table with your project partner(s):
Main products
How to improve them
A brand new ‘killer’ product
How Louis Vuitton 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.
LOUIS VUITTON – ROLE PLAY 1
Role A – Louis Vuitton 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 – Louis Vuitton 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 – Louis Vuitton customer
You are a customer of Louis Vuitton. 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 Louis Vuitton. 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.
LOUIS VUITTON – ROLE PLAY 2
Role A – Louis Vuitton New Products Director
You have created a new product for Louis Vuitton. 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 Louis Vuitton.
Role B – Louis Vuitton 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 – Louis Vuitton 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 – Louis Vuitton Shareholder
You know a lot about Louis Vuitton’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 Louis Vuitton. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE:Write a magazine article about Louis Vuitton. 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. LOUIS VUITTON POSTERMake a poster about Louis Vuitton. 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 LOUIS VUITTON LESSON:Make your own English lesson on Louis Vuitton. 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 Louis Vuitton. Share your findings with the class.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in the article at the top of this page.
