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Reading/Speaking
Innovative products
Marjorie Rosenberg
Aims Tasks
• To find vocabulary in short descriptions of • Discuss innovation
new products • Look for vocabulary based on definitions
• To discuss and classify innovative products • Classify innovative products
• To choose an innovative product and create a • Decide which innovative product to promote
radio spot to promote it • Create a radio ad with copy and sound effects

Lead-in
Work in small groups. Answer the questions below.
• How important is innovation in the business world today?
• Do you agree with the statement that there are no truly innovative products?
• Do you think that all new products are just variations on ones we already have?
• What is the most innovative product you have seen in the last year?
• Do you think that innovation is affected by economic or political forces?

Vocabulary
Time Magazine recently published a list of the 50 best inventions of 2010. Several of these are described on
the next page. Read through the descriptions of the inventions and find the words which match the definitions
below each description.

Classifying
Work in small groups and discuss the different innovations. Classify them according to the following criteria:
Life-saving
Ecological
Practical
Fun
Expensive to produce

Decision-making
Decide which of the innovations would be the best to produce if you had the opportunity to do so.
• Which one do you think would be the most cost-efficient?
• Which would be the easiest to market?
• Which one would be the most ecological or necessary?

Creating a radio spot

When you have come to a decision, create a radio spot for the item you have chosen. Write up the copy which
should take 30 seconds to read. You can add sound effects as well as text.
Read your spot to the class. Be prepared to answer questions about the product you have chosen. Make sure
you can give reasons for your choice.

Follow-up
Go to the Time website and read about more inventions. Choose one to talk about in the next class.

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1 NeoNurture Incubator
This incubator was developed by students at US
universities. It makes use of old car parts to create
a workable incubator for premature babies. A
dashboard fan is used to circulate air, a door-chime
and signal-light are used as an alarm system to let
carers know if there is anything wrong with the
heating system. One of the most interesting features
is that a motorcycle battery is used to provide power
to the device.
a someone who looks after a person who is old or
very young
b to make something move
c babies born too early who may not yet be fully
developed
2 The (Almost) Waterless Washing Machine
In the US alone, about 1 trillion liters of water are
used just to wash clothing. This innovative machine
makes use of reusable nylon beads which absorb
stains to clean the clothes. The machine has an inner
and outer drum which mix the beads with the laundry
and when the outer drum stops spinning, the beads
are separated from the clean clothes. The machine
uses 90% less water than the standard washing
machine and should be on the market soon.
a able to be used again
b to take something in
c marks on clothing which are difficult to remove
3 Lifeguard robot
EMILY, the Emergency Integrated Lifesaving
Lanyard, is a buoy that can swim through rough
water at a speed up to 39 km/h to rescue swimmers a
lifeguard cannot reach. The robot is controlled with
a remote and has sonar technology allowing it to find
submerged objects in the water.
a a floating object on top of the sea
b a piece of equipment for controlling a machine
from a distance
c equipment which uses sound waves to discover the
position of an object in the water
d below the surface of the ocean or sea
4 The straddling bus
Engineers and traffic planners in China are constantly
looking for ways to eliminate some of the congestion
on the streets. Shenzhem Huashi Future Parking
Equipment is developing a very large bus which
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Reading/Speaking
straddles two lanes. The bus can carry up to 1,200
passengers in a carriage 2 meters above the street,
allowed cars to pass under it. Test runs of this bus
should start in Beijing in 2011.
a overcrowding
b to go across two parts of something
c a part of a train or bus where passengers sit
5 Sugru
This silicone rubber is the answer to most DIY
problems. It is a moldable substance which is strong
enough to fix most objects. As it sticks to everything
from metal to fabric it can be used to make handles
easier to grip, make shoes more comfortable, create
decorative eyeglasses and generally improve many
household objects and tools so that they work better
or are easier to use.
a able to be formed or shaped
b cloth
c to hold something tightly
6 Martin Jetpack
If you have often thought of flying like Buck Rogers,
this may be the invention for you. The Martin Jetpack
from New Zealand has been under development
for about 30 years and is now ready to be launched
(in more ways than one). The device looks like two
gigantic leaf blowers attached to a harness but the
frame made of carbon fiber has a 200-horsepower
engine and allows operators to rise 2,500 feet in the
air and stay there for about 30 minutes.
a to introduce something new – also to send
something into space
b a set of straps and belts that hold a person or
animal in place
c the basic structure of an object
7 Looxcie
This practical camera is worn over one ear and allows
the user to take hands-free photos. It can capture any
image seen by the user for up to five hours. And to
make life easy, a press of a button sends a clip of the
last 30 seconds of film to a social networking site,
YouTube or an email address.
a a picture
b a short part of a film
c a website where people share personal information
about themselves
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 Professional English Online
Innovative products
Marjorie Rosenberg
Aims
• To find vocabulary in short descriptions of
new products
• To discuss and classify innovative products
• To choose an innovative product and create a
radio spot to promote it
Level
Stronger classes (B2–C1) Some of the vocabulary
work may require a dictionary.
Timing
50 – 55 minutes depending on the size of the class.
This should include checking the answers. The
follow-up activity can be done in the next class and
should take 5 – 15 minutes depending on the size of
the class.
This activity can stand alone or be used with Units 11
and 12 of English for Business Studies, 2nd Edition,
Ian MacKenzie
Lead-in (5 minutes)
Students work in groups and answer questions about
the concept of innovation and the factors which lead
to innovation. They also give examples of innovative
products they have seen or purchased.
Vocabulary (10 minutes)
Students read the texts and search for words which
match the definitions.
Key
1 a carer, b circulate, c premature babies
2 a reusable, b absorb, c stains
3 a buoy, b remote, c sonar, d submerged
4 a congestion, b straddle, c carriage
5 a moldable, b fabric, c grip
6 a launch, b harness, c frame
7 a image, b clip, c social networking site
Professional English Online © Cambridge University Press 2010
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www.cambridge.org/elt/pro
Reading/Speaking
Tasks
• Discuss innovation
• Look for vocabulary based on definitions
• Classify innovative products
• Decide which innovative product to promote
• Create a radio ad with copy and sound effects
Classifying (5 minutes)
Students classify the products into categories.
Encourage students to discuss their reasons for their
answers.
Decision-making (10 minutes)
Students work in a small group and decide which of
the products they would like to produce and market.
Encourage them to answer the questions and also
bring in their own ideas regarding the production or
marketing of such products.
Creating a radio spot (20 minutes)
Students continue in their groups and create a
30-second radio spot for the product they have
chosen. They should write the copy based on the
information they have and can add sound effects if
they feel it is necessary to get their idea across.
Ask each group to read their spots to the class, with
sound effects if appropriate. Encourage other students
to ask questions as to why they chose the product
they did.
Follow up (5 – 15 minutes)
For homework, students go to the website below and
read about the other inventions. They then chose one
to report on for the next class.
Sources
The 50 Best Inventions of 2010 Time Magazine
November 22, 2010 http://www.time.com/time/
specials/packages/0,28757,2029497,00.html
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