Click here for the PDF handout or try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Toyota. Click on the links below or see the activities below this article:
READ
The Toyota Motor Corporation is a Japanese multinational company. The bulk of its operations is in the production and sale of cars and trucks. In 2009, it became the world’s largest maker of cars, based on sales and number of automobiles produced, for the very first time. It was founded in 1937 by Kiichiro Toyota and a whole Japanese city was built on and named after Toyota. Other brands in the Toyota umbrella include Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino (maker of trucks). It also has a financial services arm and is a key player in both the robotics and biotechnology industries. Toyota’s Just-In-Time production methods and its management philosophy, called “The Toyota Way,” have been studied by business graduates and managers worldwide. It is currently heavily committed to producing green, environmentally-friendly cars.
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WORKSHEET ACTIVITIES
WARM-UPS
1. BRAINSTORM: Write all the words you can think of about Toyota on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about these words with your partner(s).
2. TOYOTA MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of Toyota. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.
3. RUMOURS:Each student writes down a pretend rumour about Toyota. They then walk around the class and talk to other students about their rumour.
4. GOOD AND BAD:Brainstorm good and bad things about Toyota and write them on the board. Students talk about these in pairs.
5. TRUE OR FALSE:Students find out several facts about Toyota. 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 Toyota. 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 Toyota Motor Corporation is a Japanese multinational company. The ___________________ is in the production and sale of cars and trucks. In 2009, it became the world’s largest maker of cars, ___________________ number of automobiles produced, for the very first time. It was founded in 1937 by Kiichiro Toyota ___________________ city was built on and named after Toyota. Other brands in the Toyota umbrella include Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino (maker of trucks). It also has a ___________________ and is a ___________________ the robotics and biotechnology industries. Toyota’s Just-In-Time production methods and its ___________________, called “The Toyota Way,” _____________________ business graduates and managers worldwide. It is currently ___________________ producing green, environmentally-friendly cars.
CORRECT THE SPELLING
The Toyota Motor Corporation is a Japanese multinational company. The bulk of its tnasoeroip is in the production and sale of cars and trucks. In 2009, it became the world’s largest maker of cars, based on sales and mrbuen of automobiles peddrocu, for the very first time. It was founded in 1937 by Kiichiro Toyota and a whole Japanese city was built on and dmane after Toyota. Other brands in the Toyota rbellmua include Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino (maker of trucks). It also has a ainficaln services arm and is a key player in both the osicbrot and biotechnology industries. Toyota’s Just-In-Time production hdeomst and its management philosophy, called “The Toyota Way,” have been ietusdd by business graduates and managers worldwide. It is currently evyhial committed to producing green, environmentally-friendly cars.
UNJUMBLE THE WORDS
The Toyota Motor Corporation is a Japanese multinational company. operations The is bulk in of the its production and sale of cars and trucks. In 2009, it became the largest world’s on based , cars of maker sales and number of automobiles produced, for the very first time. It was and 1937 a by whole Kiichiro founded Toyota in Japanese city was named built after on Toyota and. Other brands in the Toyota umbrella include Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino (maker of trucks). It has financial arm also a services and key a is robotics the both in player and biotechnology industries. Toyota’s Just-In-Time philosophy management its and methods production, called “The Toyota Way,” have been studied by business graduates and managers worldwide. It is currently producing committed green to heavily, environmentally-friendly cars.
the toyota motor corporation is a japanese multinational company the bulk of its operations is in the production and sale of cars and trucks in 2009 it became the world’s largest maker of cars based on sales and number of automobiles produced for the very first time it was founded in 1937 by kiichiro toyota and a whole japanese city was built on and named after toyota other brands in the toyota umbrella include lexus daihatsu and hino (maker of trucks) it also has a financial services arm and is a key player in both the robotics and biotechnology industries toyota’s just-in-time production methods and its management philosophy called “the toyota way” have been studied by business graduates and managers worldwide it is currently heavily committed to producing green environmentally-friendly cars
CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE
The Toyota Motor Corporation .......... (be) a Japanese multinational company. The bulk of its operations .......... (be) in the production and sale of cars and trucks. In 2009, it .......... (become) the world’s largest maker of cars, .......... (base) on sales and number of automobiles produced, for the very first time. It was .......... (found) in 1937 by Kiichiro Toyota and a whole Japanese city was .......... (build) on and .......... (name) after Toyota. Other brands in the Toyota umbrella .......... (include) Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino (maker of trucks). It also .......... (have) a financial services arm and .......... (be) a key player in both the robotics and biotechnology industries. Toyota’s Just-In-Time production methods and its management philosophy, .......... (call) “The Toyota Way,” have been .......... (study) by business graduates and managers worldwide. It .......... (be) currently heavily .......... (commit) to producing green, environmentally-friendly cars.
The Toyota Motor Corporation is a Japanese multinational company. The ____________ of its operations is in the production and sale of cars and trucks. In 2009, it became the world’s largest maker of cars, ____________ on sales and number of automobiles produced, for the very first time. It was founded in 1937 by Kiichiro Toyota and a whole Japanese city was ____________ on and named after Toyota. Other brands in the Toyota ____________ include Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino (maker of trucks). It also has a financial services ____________ and is a ____________ player in both the robotics and biotechnology industries. Toyota’s Just-In-Time production ____________ and its management ____________, called “The Toyota Way,” have been studied by business graduates and managers worldwide. It is currently ____________ committed to producing ____________, environmentally-friendly cars.
arm key
heavily
built
bulk
philosophy
based
green
umbrella
methods
PROJECT TOYOTA
Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of Toyota. Complete this table with your project partner(s):
Main products
How to improve them
A brand new ‘killer’ product
How Toyota 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.
TOYOTA – ROLE PLAY 1
Role A – Toyota 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 – Toyota 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 – Toyota customer
You are a customer of Toyota. 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 Toyota. 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.
TOYOTA – ROLE PLAY 2
Role A – Toyota New Products Director
You have created a new product for Toyota. 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 Toyota.
Role B – Toyota 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 – Toyota 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 – Toyota Shareholder
You know a lot about Toyota’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 Toyota. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE:Write a magazine article about Toyota. 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. TOYOTA POSTERMake a poster about Toyota. 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 TOYOTA LESSON:Make your own English lesson on Toyota. 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 Toyota. Share your findings with the class.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in the article at the top of this page.
