Click here for the PDF handout or try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Microsoft. Click on the links below or see the activities below this article:
READ
Microsoft is one of the best-known companies in the world. Almost everyone uses a Microsoft product. These include the Windows operating systems, Hotmail and MSN, MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and the Bing search engine. The Financial Times ranks it as the third largest company on the planet. It has created four billionaires and around 12,000 millionaires among its 93,000 employees. The company was founded by Bill Gates in 1975 and slowly became the number one name in computing. It generates over $50 billion a year in revenues. The company website outlines its values as follows: “As a company, and as individuals, we value integrity, honesty, openness, personal excellence, constructive self-criticism, continual self-improvement, and mutual respect.”
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WORKSHEET ACTIVITIES
WARM-UPS
1. BRAINSTORM: Write all the words you can think of about Microsoft on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about these words with your partner(s).
2. MICROSOFT MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of Microsoft. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.
3. RUMOURS:Each student writes down a pretend rumour about Microsoft. They then walk around the class and talk to other students about their rumour.
4. GOOD AND BAD:Brainstorm good and bad things about Microsoft and write them on the board. Students talk about these in pairs.
5. TRUE OR FALSE:Students find out several facts about Microsoft. 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 Microsoft. 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
Microsoft is one of the best-known companies in the world. _______________________ Microsoft product. These include the Windows operating systems, Hotmail and MSN, MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and the Bing search engine. The Financial Times _______________________ largest company on the planet. It has created four _______________________ 12,000 millionaires among its 93,000 employees. The _______________________ Bill Gates in 1975 and slowly became the number _______________________. It generates over $50 billion a year in revenues. The company website _______________________ follows: “As a company, and as individuals, _______________________, honesty, openness, personal excellence, constructive self-criticism, continual self-_______________________ respect.”
CORRECT THE SPELLING
Microsoft is one of the best-known companies in the world. Almost everyone uses a Microsoft doctupr. These include the Windows operating ssymset, Hotmail and MSN, MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and the Bing search engine. The Financial Times ranks it as the third largest company on the elptan. It has created four billionaires and around 12,000 millionaires among its 93,000 speeomley. The company was founded by Bill Gates in 1975 and slowly became the number one name in tgimncpuo. It eestagenr over $50 billion a year in revenues. The company website oelnsuit its values as follows: “As a company, and as individuals, we value integrity, steyonh, openness, personal excellence, constructive self-citcimsri, continual self-improvement, and mutual epsertc.”
UNJUMBLE THE WORDS
Microsoft known of companies the in best is - one the world. everyone Almost product Microsoft a uses. These systems Windows include operating the, Hotmail and MSN, MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and the Bing search engine. third the as it ranks Times Financial The largest company on the planet. It has created four billionaires 000 among around , its 12 and millionaires 93,000 employees. The company was founded by Bill Gates became slowly and 1975 in one number the name in computing. It generates over $50 billion a year in revenues. values The website its as company outlines follows: “As a company, and as individuals, we value integrity, honesty, openness, personal excellence, continual constructive - , self self criticism-improvement, and mutual respect.”
microsoft is one of the best-known companies in the world almost everyone uses a microsoft product these include the windows operating systems hotmail and msn ms word excel and powerpoint and the bing search engine the financial times ranks it as the third largest company on the planet it has created four billionaires and around 12000 millionaires among its 93000 employees the company was founded by bill gates in 1975 and slowly became the number one name in computing it generates over $50 billion a year in revenues the company website outlines its values as follows “as a company and as individuals we value integrity honesty openness personal excellence constructive self-criticism continual self-improvement and mutual respect”
CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE
Microsoft .......... (be) one of the best-known companies in the world. Almost everyone .......... (use) a Microsoft product. These .......... (include) the Windows operating systems, Hotmail and MSN, MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and the Bing search engine. The Financial Times .......... (rank) it as the third largest company on the planet. It has .......... (create) four billionaires and around 12,000 millionaires among its 93,000 employees. The company was .......... (found) by Bill Gates in 1975 and slowly .......... (become) the number one name in computing. It .......... (generate) over $50 billion a year in revenues. The company website .......... (outline) its values as follows: “As a company, and as individuals, we .......... (value) integrity, honesty, openness, personal excellence, constructive self-criticism, continual self-improvement, and mutual respect.”
Microsoft is one of the best-known companies in the world. Almost everyone uses a Microsoft product. These ____________ the Windows operating systems, Hotmail and MSN, MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and the Bing search ____________. The Financial Times ranks it as the third largest company on the ____________. It has created four billionaires and around 12,000 millionaires ____________ its 93,000 employees. The company was founded by Bill Gates in 1975 and slowly became the number one name in ____________. It generates over $50 billion a year in revenues. The company website ____________ its values as follows: “As a company, and as ____________, we ____________ ____________, honesty, openness, personal excellence, constructive self-criticism, continual self-improvement, and ____________ respect.”
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PROJECT MICROSOFT
Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of Microsoft. Complete this table with your project partner(s):
Main products
How to improve them
A brand new ‘killer’ product
How Microsoft 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.
MICROSOFT – ROLE PLAY 1
Role A – Microsoft 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 – Microsoft 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 – Microsoft customer
You are a customer of Microsoft. 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 Microsoft. 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.
MICROSOFT – ROLE PLAY 2
Role A – Microsoft New Products Director
You have created a new product for Microsoft. 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 Microsoft.
Role B – Microsoft 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 – Microsoft 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 – Microsoft Shareholder
You know a lot about Microsoft’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 Microsoft. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE:Write a magazine article about Microsoft. 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. MICROSOFT POSTERMake a poster about Microsoft. 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 MICROSOFT LESSON:Make your own English lesson on Microsoft. 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 Microsoft. Share your findings with the class.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in the article at the top of this page.
