2024 Cuadernillo de

trabajo IPE II/IAP II

Universidad Nacional de General
Sarmiento - IDH

Autoras: Di Gesú, María Gabriela

Engemann, Marcela
Gago, María Cecilia

Idea Original:
Barbero, Vanina
Colucci, Rosa
Di Gesú, María Gabriela
Gago, María Cecilia

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 LESSON 1

My life history

Speaking. Group discussion:

 Introduce yourself in the group. Talk about you, your city and family.
 Then a member of the group will introduce the group to the class.
o This is …… He/ She is…./ from/ lives/ he/ she has ……( brother / sister/
siblings)

2. Match the photos with these words or phrases, then check with the class.

older/ I was raised / college/ I graduated/ grandparents/ I was born /younger

Listening. Our life history (from elllo.org, adapted for didactic purposes)
Available at https://www.dropbox.com/s/1quq4veaubqxt1g/life%20history%20trim23.mp4?dl=0

1. Listen to Meg and Todd talk about their lives and write True or False next to the
following statements. Number 1 is done for you.

 Todd and Meg are talking about their life histories. True
 Meg is younger than Todd.
 Meg didn’t go to college.
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 2. Listen again and choose the right answer.
 Meg was born in a) 1974 b) 1984 c)1964
 Todd was born in a) 1975 b) 1969 c)1989
 Meg graduated from high school in a) 2003 b)2013 c)2000
 Todd graduated from …….. in 1993 a) college b) high school c) school

Talking with your classmate

Interview your classmate about their life history. Remember to start the conversation and
close it.

You Your partner

Hi! Let’s talk about our stories.

When were you born?

When did you graduate from school? / high

school?

How old were you when you graduated

from high school?

Good old time, indeed!

Life history
Read the following text extracted from a post on Quora.com. After reading it, complete
this person’s identity card.
Where were you born? Karen says….
… I was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on October 25, 1948. I lived with my
parents and my mother’s grandparents. I had a sister, Lynn, one year older. Then, three
years later my sister Gail was born and nine years later my brother, Ron was born.
…Lynn and I grew up in a wonderful time period, as did Gail and Ron. Our family taught us
love, respect and social justice.

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Life was so much simpler and easier in the 1950s and 1960s! Family was all important! I had
13 relatives living just within one block of my house…

1. Complete Karen’s card with information from the text.

 Name:
 Year of birth
 Place of birth:
 Siblings (sisters and brothers):

2. Order the siblings’ names according to their birth order.

3. --………………………. --- Karen---…………………………---……………………………..

Analyzing the text

As you analyze this text with your instructor, fill the boxes with the words in the box.

Family Birth place / birth date evaluation of the family life family memories

… I was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on October 25, 1948. I lived with my
parents and my mother’s grandparents. I had a sister, Lynn, one year older. Then, three
years later my sister Gail was born and nine years later my brother, Ron was born.
…Lynn and I grew up in a wonderful time period, as did Gail and Ron. Our family taught us
love, respect and social justice. I wouldn’t have changed it for any reason.
Life was so much simpler and easier in the 1950s and 1960s! Family was all important! I had
13 relatives living just within one block of my house…

Talking about our life history

a. When we talk about our life history, we usually start with the place or our year of
birth:

I was born in San Miguel (city/ province/ country) in 2000 (year)

I was born in 2000 (year).

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 This chart shows how to use this verb in a sentence, in a question or when we want
to say something in the negative:

I was born in Buenos

Aires.
Were you born in San Yes, I was. / No, I wasn’t
You were born in 2013. Miguel?

My brother was born two Was your father born in

years later. San Miguel? No, he wasn´t. He was
born in Chaco.
We/ They were born in
Los Polvorines.
Where was your mother
born? She was born in Muñiz.

When were you born? I was born in 2012.

1. Then, we can say the place where we grew up:

I was raised in San Martín. / I grew up in San Martin. I lived in San Martín.

What about your parents?

My mother was born…. / She was raised in……

2. We can also talk about our families, schools.

I was raised in San Martin. I lived with my parents and siblings. We went to an elementary
school and high school in my city. It was a nice place. I completed high school / graduated
from high school in 2015. And I went to/ entered the University of General Sarmiento in
2018. I took longer to start the University.

3. We can give our opinion about our history.

 Life was simpler when I was a child.

 Family was all important.
 My school was old but I felt comfortable.
 My family taught me to work hard and study.

Systematizing
To talk about past events, you can use was / were (the past tense of the verb to be)
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  I was 3 years old when my family moved to Buenos Aires.
 I was born in San Miguel, but my parents were born in Uruguay.

You can also say

 I grew up in Rosario.
 I lived in Rosario when I was a child, or I was raised in Rosario.

NOTE: Verbs in English can have regular or irregular forms in the past

Grew up is the irregular form of the verb grow up.

Lived is the regular form of the verb live.

The regular verbs form the past adding -- d or -- ed. For example

Live: lived graduate: graduated move: moved

Work: worked play: played.

Some irregular verbs that are useful to describe our early life:

go: went have: had speak: spoke.

grow up: grew up spend: spent

If we want to ask questions, we can say:

Where did you grow up? / Where did you live? / Where were you raised?

Where did you grow up? I grew up in Los I didn’t grow up in San
Polvorines Miguel.

Where were you raised? I was raised in San Martín I wasn’t raised in
Pacheco.

•Where did you live as a child? I lived in San Martín.

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 •Where did you go to elementary/high school? I went to an elementary school near
my house.
•When did you enter university? I went to university in 2020.

Practice
a. Read the following excerpt from quora.com

Excerpt 1: Place these words in the boxes. There’s an extra phrase.

1. School - birth place - - family life - opinion of the school

Excerpt 1: I was born and raised in Cornwall on a small farm half a mile from the nearest
neighbor. I went to a junior school five miles from where I lived and was transported by
minibus. It was quite an old school… ( Andrew)

Read the excerpt and answer the questions:

Excerpt 2: …I was born in Evanston, Illinois in 1984. For those who don’t know, it’s a Chicago
suburb, and the location of Northwestern University. I lived in Chicago, and Park Ridge,
Illinois, another Chicago suburb, until 1987. Around Christmas that year, my father was
promoted and transferred to the Twin Cities by the company who had just acquired his
previous employer. (Brian)

1. Where was Brian born?

2. Where did he grow up?
3. Why did he move to Twin Cities?

b. Complete the following texts with the past form of the verbs in brackets. Help: R:
regular verb / I ( Irregular)

1. John was born in Texas. He …….. ( grow up (I) in Dever, Colorado. His father …… (
be) a teacher and the family ……. ( move--R) to Denver when John…… ( be) 5. John’s
siblings….. ( be born) when he …… (be) 6. They are Jamie and Curtis, they are twins.

2. Luke was born in New York in 2005. He …… ( be raised) in Paris, where his mother
….. ( work-- R) as a translator. He …….. ( go--I ) to school in France and ............ (
speak--- I ) French at school and out of home, but English at home.
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 3. I was born in the city of Buenos Aires, but I ………( be raised) in San Martin. I ……. go-
-I) to elementary and high school to Cristo Rey, a private school ten blocks from my
house. It …… ( be) a religious school, but the place ……( be) friendly. I ….. ( have---I)
many good teachers.

4. I was born in the suburbs and I .........( live—R ) with my parents and siblings ina
pretty house. My mother …… ( be) a homemaker1, but when I ........ ( be) 10 years
old, she ………. ( start -- R) to work as a teacher in an elementary school. My father
…….. (work-R) for a multinational. He.......... ( travel—R) every week. My sisters and I
…… ( go—I) to the same school where our mother ...... ( work—R)

Language Focus. Writing your personal bio.

Your bio can be a part of your resume, a work webpage or you can send it in a video
format to a possible employer. Bios can be writhe ten in the third or in the first person.

A bio written in the third person- Rebecca Follie

“Rebecca Follie is an Administrative Assistant with eight years of experience working
alongside the executive team of a big company. Rebecca specializes in administrative
technology and is responsible for educating other employees on using progressive systems
and applications, including accounting software, mass communication procedures and
organizational apps. Rebecca is a powerful force in the workplace and uses her positive
attitude and tireless energy to encourage others to work hard and succeed. Mary is inspired
daily by her husband and their two daughters. In her free time, Rebecca likes to hike, crochet
and play video games with her grandson."

What do you know about Rebecca?

1. Work experience
2. Age:
3. Job position
4. Marital status
5. Children
6. Pastime:
7. Awards:

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homemaker: housewife. Housewife is a married person, but homemaker does not mean the person is
married.
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How does Rebecca describe herself? Read and complete the blanks.
She is a …………………….. force She has a ……………………….attitude and ................... energy.
She................. people.

A bio written in the 1st person. Martin Glew

"My name is Martin Glew and I am a Junior Web Developer for Oswald Technologies. I am
an accomplished coder and programmer, and I enjoy using my skills to contribute to the
exciting technological advances that happen every day at Oswald Tech. I graduated from
the California Institute of Technology in 2016 with a bachelor's degree in software
development. While in school, I earned the 2015 Edmund Gains Award for my exemplary
academic performance and leadership skills."

What do you know about Martin?

1. Occupation
2. Age
3. Place of work
4. Education
5. Family
6. Pastimes
7. Relevant information
How does Martin talk about himself? Read and complete the blanks.
He is an …………………. coder He had an ........................ academic performance.

Your turn
Think about your personal features and talk about this in your groups.

1. How would you describe yourself as a person?

2. Do you motivate or encourage people?
3. What is your academic performance like?

Assignment
1. Write your bio
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Remember to add a personal touch mentioning your family values or your most relevant
features. If you are not working, describe your academic performance. The following list
will help you remember the relevant data.
1. Job title or workplace.
2. University degree and other qualifications.
3. Hometown or city of residence.
4. Personal or professional goals.
5. Skills and expertise.
6. Interests and hobbies.

Then, record yourself and post your recording on https://soundcloud.com/. Share your link with
your instructor in the Moodle room.

2. Writing a short bio

Write a short bio of this person, using these facts.

Name: Marc Randolph

Age: 64
Family: Wife and 3 children
Likes to do: Get outside – Surfing, Kayaking, Mountain Biking,
Trail Running, you name it!
Dislikes to do: Argue
Favourite Netflix Show: Drive to Survive
Dream job when you were young: Advertising account
executive

Talking to your friend about your life history.

1. Have a conversation with your classmate about your life history. Remember to include
the information learned in this lesson.

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 Part 2: Biographies

Do you know this person?

Kichiro Toyoda

Do you agree with this quote?

“Before you say you can’t do something, try it.”
With your instructor’ help, think how to give your opinion about this quote.

Reading
Before reading, discuss these questions in your groups.
1. Where is Toyota Corporation from?
2. Where is it headquartered?
3. What are its most famous models?
4. Where is the company located in Argentina?
While you read, find the information to answer these questions.

 When was Kichiro born?

 What did he major in?
 Why did he travel to England and USA?
 Did he have siblings?
 What did Kichiro want to do in his family business?
 Was Model 1 a real car?
 When was Toyota Corporation registered?

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Kiichiro’ biography.
Kiichiro Toyoda led the creation of the first Toyota automobile and the founding of Toyota
Motor Corporation in 1937. Toyoda was born in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan in 1894. He was
the son of Sakichi Toyoda, a noted inventor and founder of Toyoda Automatic Loom Works
in 1926. Kiichiro attended the University of Tokyo, where he studied engineering. After
graduation, Kiichiro began working in the family business and later traveled to England and
the United States to further his education in manufacturing.
After returning to Japan, Kiichiro made improvements to many of the company’s looms and
implemented techniques for eliminating waste in manufacturing, creating what became the
Just-in-Time method. In 1933, Kiichiro convinced Risaburo, his brother-in-law and president
of the family company, to fund an automotive development program and purchased a new
Chevrolet to use as a benchmark. He then contracted some of Japan’s best engineers to
disassemble and reassemble the car to learn how the modern manufacturers were building
their vehicles.

In 1934, Kiichiro and his team unveiled an experimental gasoline engine to Toyoda
stockholders and persuaded them to fund a separate automotive division. The next year,
Kiichiro and his team produced a prototype automobile called “Model A1” passenger car.
“Model A1” borrowed numerous ideas from established automakers; the engine was based
on a Chevrolet design, the chassis was copied from Ford, and the styling was derived from
a Chrysler Airflow.
The vehicles were originally sold under the Toyoda name, but the division soon changed its
name to “Toyota”. Toyota Motor Corporation was registered independently of Toyoda
Loom Works in 1937. Toyoda was named Vice President of the Toyota Motor Company
upon its formation. He became President in 1941 and remained head of the company until
his resignation in 1950. He passed away in 1952, having laid the groundwork for Toyota
Motor Corporation’s rise to the top of the automotive industry.

Language Focus: The structure of a biography

Biographies are the account of a person’s life written by another person. It describes a a
person's experience of these life events. A biography presents a subject's life story,
highlighting various aspects of their life, including intimate details of experience, and may
include an analysis of the subject's personality.

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1. After reading the description of a biography, what information can you find? One is
not mentioned.

Name/ place of birth/ education/ family information / marital status/ personal features/
goals/ most relevant event in his life

2. Now, organize the information in the order it appears in the text.

3. How would you describe K. Toyoda’s personality?

Language Focus. Sequencing information.

Read the following examples:
1.
Toyoda was born in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan in 1894.

Place year
In English, the order of the sentence is Subject+ verb+ place+ time
2.

After graduation, Kiichiro began working in the family business and later traveled to
England and the United States to further his education in manufacturing.
After / later and time markers. They help us sequence the events in a narrative.

Event 1: graduation. Event 2: work in family business vent 3: travel to England / USA /

Speaking:

Think about your life. What did you do after finishing high school? What did you do later?

Ex. After graduating from College, I got my first job as a teacher. Later I started studying
Translation.

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 Practice

Heny Ford
Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company, put the world on wheels with his
revolutionary Model T. Ford was born in Springwells Township, Wayne County, Michigan,
on July 30, 1863, to Mary and William Ford. He was the eldest of six children in a family of
four boys and two girls. His father was a native of County Cork, Ireland, who came to
America in 1847 and settled on a farm in Wayne County.
Young Henry Ford showed an early interest in mechanics. By the time he was 12, he was
spending most of his spare time in a small machine shop he had equipped himself. There,
at 15, he constructed his first steam engine.
In July 1891, Ford was hired as an engineer at the Edison Illuminating Company of Detroit.
He became chief engineer on November 6, 1893. Thomas Edison became a lifelong mentor
and friend to Henry Ford. In 1888, Henry married Clara Jane Bryant, together they had one
child, Edsel Bryant Ford, who was born in 1893.
On August 19, 1899, Ford resigned from the Edison Illuminating Company and, with others,
organized the Detroit Automobile Company, which went into bankruptcy about 18 months
later. Meanwhile, Henry Ford designed and built several racing cars. In one of them, called
Sweepstakes, he defeated Alexander Winton on a track in Grosse Pointe, MI on October 10,
1901. One month later, Henry Ford founded his second automobile venture, the Henry Ford
Company. He left that enterprise, which later became the Cadillac Motor Car Company, in
early 1902. In another of his racing cars, the 999, he established a world record for the mile,
covering the distance in 29.4 seconds on January 12, 1904, on the winter ice of Lake St. Clair.
Henry Ford founded Ford Motor Company in 1903 with a handful of talented and dedicated
employees. In 1908, the first of some 15 million Model T Ford vehicles took to the road. The
Model T met the public’s needs perfectly: inexpensive, reliable, easy to repair, and
maneuverable on rough and muddy roads. Ford made these cars inexpensively and

14
efficiently using an automated, moving assembly line. The hard, repetitive work of the
assembly line resulted in high employee turnover that reduced productivity. Ford
responded to that situation in 1914 when he announced that he would pay his workers $5
per day for just eight hours – about twice the going rate. Job seekers applied by the
thousands and Ford became a hero to workers who now could afford to buy their own car.
In 1923, more than half of America’s cars were Model Ts.
In 1919, Henry, Clara, and Edsel Ford acquired the interest of all minority stockholders for
$105,820,894 and became the sole owners of the Company. Edsel, who succeeded his
father as president in 1919, occupied that position until his death in 1943, when Henry
returned to the post.
In September 1945, when he resigned the presidency for a second time, Henry Ford
recommended that his grandson, Henry Ford II, be elected to the position. The board of
directors followed his recommendation.
Henry Ford died at his residence, Fair Lane Estate in Dearborn, at 11:40 p.m. on Monday,
April 7, 1947, following a cerebral hemorrhage. He was 83 years old.
Activity 1:
Read this biography and answer the questions:

 When was Ford born?

 Where was he born?
 Did he have siblings?
 When did he construct his first engine?
 What was his first formal job?
 When did he found Ford Motor Company?
 How would you describe Henry Ford’s personality?
Activity 2:

Make a timeline with the most significant events in Henry Ford’s life.

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 LESSON 2

COMPANY PROFILE

Speaking. Group discussion

 Do you know this company?
 What type of company is it?
 What do they produce?

Before reading, we will learn some new vocabulary. Match the type of bread with the
correct picture:
WHITE BREAD – WHOLE-WHEAT BREAD – FRENCH BREAD - FLAT BREAD – HOT-DOG BUNS – HAMBURGER BUNS

1.
2. 3.

4.
5. 6.

In your groups, find the most popular bread, then report to the class:
 What’s your favourite type of bread?
 When do you eat bread? (for breakfast?/ lunch?/ afternoon tea time?/ dinner?)
 What type of bread do you use for a sandwich?
 Does your family make home bread?

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 Bimbo also produces other bakery products. Match the product with the
correct picture:
COOKIES – CAKES – CANDIES – CONFECTIONERY PRODUCTS – DOUGHNUTS/DONUTS – SALTED SNACKS

1. 2. 3.

4. 5. 6.

In your groups, discuss these questions and then report to the class:
 Do you eat candies?
 Do you like sweet snacks?
 How often do you eat salted snacks?
 What’s your favorite healthy snacks?

Reading
Together with your instructor, read this text on Grupo BIMBO and complete the boxes
with the following phrases or words.

CEO definition sales and financial data brands

# 1. Grupo Bimbo | Mexico

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 Grupo Bimbo, S.A.B. de C.V. (also known simply as Bimbo) is a Mexican multinational
food company with a presence in over 33 countries located in the Americas, Europe, Asia,
and Africa.[1] It has an annual sales volume of 15 billion dollars[2] and is listed2 on the
Mexican stock exchange with the ticker BIMBO.[3]
Grupo Bimbo has 134,000 employees,[4] 196 bakery plants,[5] 3 million points of sale, a
distribution network with 57 thousand routes all over the world.[6] The company has more
than 100 brands and 13 thousand products,[7] like Bimbo, Tía Rosa, Entenmann's,
Pullman, Rainbo, Nutrella, Marinela, Oroweat, Sara Lee, Thomas', Arnold and Barcel.[8] Its
strategic associations include Alicorp (Peru); Blue Label (Mexico); Fincomún, Galletas la
Moderna, Grupo Nutresa (Colombia); Mundo Dulce (Argentina); among others.[2]
As of 1997, Daniel Servitje is Grupo Bimbo's CEO, and its chairman since 2013.[9]

Corporate structure

Grupo Bimbo is composed, in a first tier, of a Shareholders' Meeting, whose task is to

appoint the members of the Board of Directors, which must be made up of a minimum of
5 directors and a maximum of 21; 25% of them should be independent agents.[68] The
following tier is the Steering Committee,[69] which is established as follows:
CEO and chairman of the Board of Directors: Daniel Javier Servitje Montull[69]
Executive Vice Presidents: Javier Augusto González Franco
Gabino Miguel Gómez Carbajal
Rafael Pamias Romero
Chief Financial Officer: Diego Gaxiola Cuevas[69]
Global People Director: Juan Muldoon Barrena[69]
Global Vice President of Information and Transformation: Raúl Ignacio Obregón
Servitje[69]
Adapted from Wikipedia g - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grupo_Bimbo

2
A company is listed when it is admitted to trade securities in a trading platform of the Exchange
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 Language focus

What is an Organizational Structure?

An organizational structure is a system that outlines how certain activities are directed in
order to achieve the goals of an organization. These activities can include rules, roles, and
responsibilities.

Read BIMBO’s company structure and complete the tiers.

Describing an organizational chart

When you describe an organizational chart, you can start top down or bottom up. You can
use a top-down approach if you want to show the most important people n the company.
If you are presenting your work, it’s better to use a bottom-up approach. You can start
with your position.

Top down: Chadwick Coleman is the Founder and CEO of CC&M, a marketing company
dedicated to market small business. Monica, Benjamin, and Charlotte report to Chadwick.
Monica is in charge of marketing, Benjamin is the head of Sales and Charlotte is responsible
for production.

Bottom up: Dudley is the Assistant Manager in the Production area. He reports to Sheila. He
is in charge of logistics.

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Look at this chart and then read a possible top-down description.

Chadwick Coleman is the Founder and CEO of CC&M, a marketing company dedicated to
market small business. Monica, Benjamin, and Charlotte report to Chadwick. Monica is in
charge of marketing, Benjamin is the head of Sales and Charlotte is responsible for
production.
In the marketing area, Monica designs the marketing strategy. Yeltsin and Mendoza report
to her. They supervise the day-to-day activities at work. They deal with customers and
suppliers.
Bejamin takes care of the Sales department. Julia and Lucas report to him. Benjamin
develops new customers and Julia and Lucas work in administration.
Charlotte is the production manager. She oversees the production of materials, the
organization of events and logistics. Sheila and Dudley work under her. Sheila supervises the
overall production process and Dudley manages the logistics.

Describing work activities

What do they do? Match the name of the position with the

A sales / marketing person Analyze products for defects

Production supervisor Answer calls
Administrative employee (admin) Oversee production
Logistician Is in charge of an area
Quality analyst Help customers
Receptionist Check account

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 Manager Give presentations
Assistant Maintain customer relationships
Handle office task
Monitor office operation
Provide support to manager/ office staff,
visitors
Help manage information, inventory,
handle material.

Your turn. Find out your job activities! Search them on the
internet.
1. What is your major? My major is ….. / I’m majoring in……………
2. What activities are you expected to do?

Electromechanical Engineer
Industrial Engineer
Business Administration
Teacher in Economics
Industrial Economist
Political Economist
Chemical Engineers

Group work:
In your groups create a new start-up company, distribute the roles, and then make a
presentation introducing your organizational chart.

1. Writing
a. Write the most appropriate form of the verbs to complete the profiles. Then check the
answers in class:
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McKee Foods | USA
McKee Foods is a family business. It................. (manufacture) snack food and granola.
McKee Foods........ (have) a strong presence in the Americas and is gradually emerging in
the Asian-Pacific region as well. Mc Kee food ......... (not have) a subsidiary in Argentina.

George Weston | Canada

George Weston Limited is a Canadian public company. It ............... ( found) in 1882. George
Weston……………(process) and ………………….(distribute) bakery foods. It ........... (not sell)
directly to customers.

b. Write a short company profile of this food company. Do they have subsidiaries in our
country?

a. Before you write, organize your ideas in the chart. If you need more information,
search it.

Company Founding Location Markets Products

Name

b. Then, write the profile.

22
Part 2: Starting a company.
What is small business?

Small business is defined as a business that has a limited number of employees, typically
fewer than 500, and operates independently of larger corporations. Small businesses are
typically privately owned and operated and have a single owner or a small group of owners.

Reading a business plan

This example business plan is provided by the Small Business Administration.

Get help starting and running your small business at SBA.gov.

1. What is a Business Plan?

2. What information can you find there?

3. Why should you write a business plan?

The following is a lean (simplified) business plan for a new company. Complete the file:

1. Name
2. Product
3. Potential customers
4. Number of employees
5. Competitors.
6. Commercialization:

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 Wooden Grain Toy Company
Identity
Wooden Grain Toys manufactures high-quality
hardwood toys for children aged 3-10.
Our solution
Our handcrafted toys are made from solid
hardwoods, and are designed with sufficient
moving parts to engage young children without
limiting imagination.
The competition
Wooden toys are part of a niche market with
companies of all sizes. Large companies
include Plastique Toys and Metal Happy Toys,
which sell internationally. Smaller companies
sell locally in shops, craft fairs, or online.
Marketing activities
Wooden Grain Toys will communicate with
customers with an email newsletter, targeted
Google and Facebook ads, social media, and
in person at craft fairs.
Team and key roles
Currently, the only team member is the owner,
Andrew Robertson. As profits increase,
Wooden Grain Toys will look to add an
employee to assist with social media and
online marketing.
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Problem
Parents and grandparents are looking for high-
quality, durable toys that will entertain kids and
foster creativity.
Target market
The target audience is adults, specifically
parents and grandparents who wish to give toys
to their children or grandchildren.
Revenue streams
Wooden Grain Toys will sell directly to
customers at craft fairs and online.
Expenses
 Materials for toys including wood, steel,
and rubber
 Craft fair fees and travel costs
 Inventory space for products
Milestones
As business grows, Wooden Grain Toys will
advertise in target markets—especially in
advance of the holiday season.
 Language focus
Analyzing a business plan:
Each part of the business plan has to be clear.

1. Read Identity:
Identity
(1. Wooden Grain Toys) (2.manufactures high-quality hardwood toys) (3. for children aged
3-10).
Write the questions for each part of the sentence.

2. Read Problem. The problem states the current situation.

Parents and grandparents are looking for high-quality, durable toys that will entertain kids
and foster creativity.
Present Continuous is used to talk current activities or plans. What is the meaning in this
sentence?
Check the structure of present continuous.

Affirmative Interrogative Negative

The company is selling Is the company selling The company is not selling
online online? online.

I am checking production Are you checking I’m not checking

production? production.
We are manufacturing 20 Are you manufacturing 30 We’re not ( We aren’t)
toys per week. toys per week? manufacturing 30 toys per
week.

You can also make questions using question words

1. What are you manufacturing?
2. What is the customer looking for?
3. Where are you importing from?

25
Read Our Solution material Material
They describe the product
Our handcrafted toys are made from solid hardwoods, and are designed with sufficient
moving parts to engage young children without limiting imagination.

Design

To talk about material, you can use:

… is/ are made of … (when there is only one material)
… is/are made from…. ( when there are more than one material)
The question is What is/are your product made of / from?
When we talk about design, you can use
Our products is/ are designed with different adjustable parts.
Vs.. We design our product with….

Our product is/ are designed to satisfy the customers’ needs.

Vs. We design our product to satisfy the customers’ needs

Read Marketing Forma Will: to talk

about plans.
Marketing activities

Wooden Grain Toys will communicate with customers with an email newsletter, targeted
Google and Facebook ads, social media, and in person at craft fairs.

Underline the plans in the business plan.

26
 Speaking. Making questions
Making questions is not an easy task. Let’s review the questions words.

Question word Use

What to ask for names / objects / activities

Ex. What does the company produce?

Where Location
Where is the company located?

When Date
dates / years / days of the week
When was the company founded?

Why cause
Why did the company expand its
operation?

Who Name of a person

Who is the CEO?

How many quantity / if you can count them ( for

example: numbers)
How many brands does the company
have?

Pair work 1.
1. ARCOR is an Argentinian food company. Write the questions to find information
about the company. You can search the answers in internet.

Possible question Possible answer

Location
Data
Year of foundation
Countries
Products
Number of employees
Brands

27
Pair work 2:

Student A: Student B:

You work for Business Review. Interview You are an entrepreneur. Student A works
Student B. Asks questions about their for an important magazine in the business
company, their role in the company and market. Answer their questions. work for
their activities. Business Review.

Part 2: The company we admire.

Group discussion

In your groups discuss:

 Do you buy food in a warehouse club?

 Do you buy market’s private labels?
 Can you name famous iconic brands in Argentina?


Language focus
New words and expressions

 A warehouse club (or wholesale club) is a retail store, usually selling a wide variety
of merchandise, in which customers may buy large, wholesale quantities of the
store's products. In Argentina, DIARCO or Vital are warehouse clubs.
 A private label is a private brand. Typically, supermarkets sell products as a private
label but they do not manufacture them. For example: TOPLINE (COTO) Carrefour /
Dia.
 An iconic brand is the most popular or famous brand of a company.

Listening. Companies we admire.

Audio: https://www.dropbox.com/s/6127yhhy5z06wq5/good%20companies%20trim.wav?dl=0

Curtis and Spencer talk about what companies they admire and would like to work for.
28
1. Listen and choose the right option.
Costco is well-known for …
a. their employees.
b. the city where it is located.
c. their private label/ brand.
Curtis likes Costco because …
a. it is from Kirkland.
b. they treat employees well.
c. it has many employees.
The difference between Costco and other companies is that …
a. they invest in research.
b. they compensate their employees well.
c. they have a lot of employees.

2. Complete the paragraph with the most suitable word. Then listen to Curtis and
Spencer to check your work.

So Curtis, what companies do you really admire?

Curtis: One company that I really ...................(admire/like) is one that is from near
where I grew up, COSCO. Many people know them for their ................... (name/brand),
Kirkland Signature. They’re from Kirkland, Washington close to Seattle and one of the
reasons I really like them is because they ......................... (treat/ pay) their employees
really well. And there are many companies that don’t compensate their employees very
well, they don’t ................... (look/take care of) them but there’s research and data now
that shows that COSCO has been getting .........................(profits/benefits) for taking care
of their employees. They have better..................... ( products/productivity) and they have
a better ...........................(bottom line/ front line) at the end of things. They invest in
their employees and their employees are able to ....................(invest/ work) their work
back into the company.

New words and expressions

1. Read Curtis’ answer again and match the parts of the sentences.

29
 If a company takes care of the employees, the most important factor.

If a company has profits, it puts money into benefits for the

employees.
If a company invest in its employees, it has financial gains.
In this text, bottom line3 means, it treats them well.

2. Complete the sentences using some of these words. There are extra words.
bottom line -- treat----compensate--- pays---- brand--politics ---- spend

1. Unilever is a transnational company. Skip is the most famous......................

2. If a company compensates their employees well, it.............. them very well.
3. The ............................ shows COSCO is making profit because the employees are
happy with the company.
4. When a company… ..... employees well, it pays good salaries.

Group discussion. Giving opinions

In your opinion, what is important in a company?
1. It offers many products.
2. It treats employees well.
3. It has good reputation.
4. It offers employees benefits.
5. It takes care of the customers.
You can give your opinion saying.
I really like companies that………… / I admire companies that… .......... / I guess it’s important
that a company ………….

Writing: Giving an opinion about companies

1. What do you know about these Argentinian firms?

Georgalos ---- Cachafaz---- La Salteña ---- Havanna

3
Bottom line can also means the final total of an account or balance sheet.
30
 2. What do they produce?

3. Do they operate only in the Argentinian market?

4. Do you consume their products?

Read this person’s opinion on Georgalos, and then put the ideas in order.
One company I really admire is Georgalos. It is an Argentinian company. It was founded by
Miguel Georgalos in 1939. Its iconic brand is Mantecol. a unique dessert made of peanut. It
also manufactures candies, sweets, snacks, and chocolate bars. During the most difficult
Argentinian crisis, Georgalos sold Mantecol to an international company. But with hard
work and good business practices, Georgalos recovered Mantecol in 2022. That’s why I
admire it. Because it is an example of resilience.

1. The person gives some facts about the company.

2. The person mentions the company.
3. The person explains some issues.
4. The person explains how the company recovered.
5. The person closes the opinion with a remark.

Complete this table with information about a company you admire.

Name
Some facts (founder/ location/ products)
An important event
A positive feature
A closing remark

Then, write a short text with your opinion.

Speaking: Pair work

Talk to your friend about the place where you work or where you would like to work. Say
why you like the company and why you admire it. Describe the company’s products/
customers/ present activities and plans. Remember to open and close the conversation.

31
 LESSON 3
COMPANY HISTORY

Reading

Before reading
Bimbo Bakeries USA is part of Grupo Bimbo. It is a leader in the baking industry. Think about these
questions.

1. What can you see in the photo?

2. Make a list of the topics you expect to find in the text.
3. Where can you read this text on the web?

Our History

Not everyone is familiar with the Bimbo Bakeries USA name. However, everyone in the U.S.
has likely enjoyed at least one of our many products at one time or another. Some of our
iconic brands and fresh products can trace their histories back to the late 1800s or early 1900s,
when our traditions of freshness and value began.
Bimbo Bakeries USA’s story begins in 1994, when Grupo Bimbo – Mexico’s largest baking
company with operations in 21 countries – purchased La Hacienda, a California-based tortilla
company. Bimbo Bakeries USA then entered the U.S. bread market in 1997 with the
acquisition of Pacific Pride Bakeries of San Diego. The
company grew again in 1998 with the purchase of Mrs. Baird’s Bakeries in Texas, which at the
time was the largest family-owned bakery in the U.S. The combined operations were
renamed Bimbo Bakeries USA (BBU).
32
In 2002, BBU acquired the Western U.S. baking business of George Weston Ltd., adding
such iconic premium brands as Oroweat , Entenmann’s , Thomas’ and Boboli . In 2009,
® ® ® ®

Grupo Bimbo purchased the remaining U.S. fresh baked goods business of George Weston
Ltd., adding brands such as Arnold , Brownberry , Freihofer’s and Stroehmann . In
® ® ® ®

2011, BBU completed its largest acquisition to date: Sara Lee’s North American Fresh
Bakery business. Adding Sara Lee’s bread business doubled BBU in size, enabling us to
better deliver on our mission, vision and values.
Today, BBU operates more than 60 bakeries, employs more than 22,000 associates and
distributes products through 11,000 sales routes throughout the United States.

Source: https://www.bimbobakeriesusa.com/about-us

After reading. The following statements are false. Correct them using the information in
the text.

1. The iconic brands are new in the market.

2. Bimbo started its operations in USA when they opened a plant in Texas.
3. Mrs. Baird Bakery bought BIMBO in 1998.
4. Oroweat was a BIMBO brand.
5. Bimbo employees 22,000 associates worldwide.

Language Focus. Company history - Structure

A [company] corporate history is a chronological recount of a business or other

cooperative organization. Usually, it is usually written text but it can also be
produced as an audiovisual.

When we talk about our life, or a biography, we usually start talking about our birthplace
and year. Then we talk about our school and significant events in our lives. These are the
stages in our life history. A company history is also structured in stages. The purpose of
the text is to give the investors, customers, and employees an idea about the company’s
growth and keep the history alive.

33
The three main stages in a company history are:

1. INTRODUCTION: a short paragraph about the company

2. FOUNDING/CREATION: who founded the company, where and when it was
founded/ when the company started operations.
3. BEGINNINGS: the early steps of the company.
4. EXPANSION: how the company increased in size and importance.

Check the stages in BIMBO’s history.

INTRODUCTION

FOUNDING

BEGINNINGS

EXPANSION

34
 Language Focus: Language resources

1. FOUNDING/CREATION

a. A verb phrase to state founders, time and place of founding

 Bimbo was founded in late 1800

Alfajores Havanna started production in Mar de Plata in 1947. The first products
were sold in January 1948.

Noun phrases to describe the company, founders, products and services

 BIMBO purchased a California-based

tortilla company
Remember that the
 Georgalos’ first product was a unique
main word in the noun
peanut dessert, called Mantecol.
phrase is a noun, for
 Arcor's history traces back to 1924, when example “company”.
a young Italian immigrant named Amos The main noun is called
Pagani decided to settle in Arroyito, a
small town in the province of Cordoba,
Argentina.

2. BEGINNINGS

a. Verbs to specify how the company started businesses.

 … purchased La Hacienda.
 … began offering candies.
 … entered the U.S. bread market in 1997.
 … acquired the plant in Victoria

35
 b. A conjunction to express the purpose of an action
The base form of a
 … They opened a plant in Turkey in order to verb is used after in
enter the European market. order to.

3. EXPANSION

a. Verbs to indicate how the company evolved.

 … expanded beyond the United States.
 … grew again in 1998 with the purchase of Mrs. Baird’s Bakeries.
 … completed its largest acquisition to date.
 Cadbury partnered with Mondelez.
 They expanded beyond Argentina.
 Their vision led to the creation of big international business.

Language Focus: Simple Past Tense

A company history is a description of past events. The verbs are written in past tense, we
use time makers and expressions to show the sequence of events.
In the following chart, we copied some phrases and expression from Bimbo’s history.
Could you say what verbs are regular or irregular?
Could you find their base form? You can use any online dictionary. We did one for you.

Phrase/ sentence Regular/ irregular Base form

…, when the traditions of irregular begin

freshness and value of the
company began.
Grupo Bimbo purchased La
Hacienda.
The company grew.

36
Bimbo Bakeries USA
entered the U.S. bread
market.
It acquired the Western
U.S. baking business of
George Weston Ltd.
It completed its largest
acquisition to date: Sara
Lee’s North American
Fresh Bakery business.

Remember: Simple Past Tense –

Regular Verbs Irregular verbs

They follow a rule: They don´t follow a rule. We need to

base form + -ed/-d study their forms
base form past form base form past form

….…. acquired begin ….….

purchase ….…. grow ….….

enter ….….

….…. completed

The pronunciation of the ending –ed of the regular verbs

depends on the sound that precedes it. For example:
/d/ claimed /t/ helped /id/ wanted

37
 Listening. The history of Bimbo
Listen to Axel talking about the history of Bimbo.
1st activity

a. Watch the video without sound and put following phrases in the order you see
them.
I can see

 children playing in the water

 a fish/a goose
 a packet of toast
 the Mexican flag
 an old building
 a photo of a city
 old trucks
 Bimbo logo
 a group of men

b. Viewing with sound

1. Write True or False next to the following sentences.

 Axel thinks Bimbo is a big company.

 Bimbo was founded in Mexico.
 Bimbo has products for adults only.
 Bimbo is present only in the three Americas.

2. Now complete the sentences with the option you hear.

 Bimbo was founded on ............... December 2nd, 1954/ on December 2nd, 1945).
 The word BIMBO can mean ......................... good luck/ success.
 The first products were ....................... (white bread/ dough bread / buns/
tortillas/ toast).
 Marinela is ........................ (another company/ a sub brand).

38
 Language Focus: Time markers and expressions. (2)

Time markers can help us sequence the events. Check:

The idea of establishing a baking company named BIMBO was born on December, 2nd, 1945.
We can use:
on + date (a date can be month+ day or month + day +year)
in + year: In 2002, BBU acquired the Western U.S. baking business of George Weston Ltd
Time expressions
a. Two years later, La Panificación BIMBO was created.
You can use this expression to signal time.
To show a period of time: During the fifties, the company distributed its products in many
created places.
You can use twenties (1920-1930), thirties (1930-1940), forties (1940-1950), etc

Practice makes perfect

Identifying time expressions and markers

1. Read the 1st paragraph and underline the time expressions and time markers.
2. Write a timeline with the events in this paragraph.

Bimbo Before the 1970s

The founder of Grupo Industrial Bimbo, Lorenzo Servitje Sendra, was born in Mexico City in
1918, the son of immigrants from Spain's Catalonian region. When his father died in 1936, he
had to abandon his studies and became patron of "El Molino," his father's cake shop. In 1938,
he opened his own bakery with his cousins, Jaime Jorba, and Jose T. Mata. Seven years later, he
started Panificadora Bimbo with Jorba, Jose Torrallardona and Alfonso Velasco, his brother
Roberto, and his uncle Jaime Sendra.

39
 Practice
Read the 2nd paragraph and fill in the blanks with the most appropriate verb tense.
Remember R: regular / I: irregular. If you don’t know the irregular verbs, check the list on
the Moodle page.

The entrepreneurs ............. (begin-I) with 38 or 39 employees, five vehicles, and four types
of bread. At the prompting of Velasco, the technical director, they............. (adopt-R) as their
symbol the Bimbo little white bear to represent the whiteness of their bread. For the first
decade, the bakery ………… (operate- R) exclusively in Mexico City. In 1956 or 1957, the
company............. (open-R) its first Productos Marinela plant to make cakes and pastries and
also ………… (begin-I) operations in Guadalajara. It …………(found-R) Bimbo, subsequently
Spain's largest baker, in 1965 and later ........... (operate- R) it as a joint venture with Dallas-
based Campbell Taggart, Inc. for several years before selling it to this firm.

Bimbo's first northern Mexico plant ............. (open-R) in 1960, in Monterrey. The company
………… (begin-I) operations in the northeast, at Hermosillo, in 1966, and in the Gulf of
Mexico region, at Veracruz, in 1970. A second Mexico City plant ………… (open R) in
1972. The company ………… (add-R) to its line by introducing a division for sweets and
chocolates in 1971.

Reading

PAIR WORK – Read Arcor’s history and identify the stages

5. FOUNDATION/CREATION (who founded the company, where and when it was

founded)
6. BEGINNINGS (the early stage of the company)
7. EXPANSION (how the company increased in size and importance)

40
Arcor was founded in 1951 by a group of pioneers, whose vision was to offer quality food
at a reasonable price to consumers all over the globe. The Company's history traces back
to 1924, when a young Italian immigrant named Amos Pagani decided to settle in Arroyito,
a small town in the province of Cordoba, Argentina. Once there, he set up a bakery just as
he had done in his native Italy. Four years later, the second of his five children was born:
Fulvio Salvador. He would be the one who, a few years later, would come to a group of
young entrepreneurs with the idea of setting up a candy factory with a significant volume
of production in order to reduce costs and increase competitiveness. The creation of Arcor
is the result of the efforts made by this group of young friends, who also had a background
in industrial work. The Group was made up of brothers Fulvio, Renzo and Elio Pagani;
brothers Modesto, Pablo and Vicente Maranzana; Mario Seveso and Enrique Brizio. In
1951, construction works for the first factory started, and on July 5th, the brand-new plant
opened and started production. This is how Arcor was born. The Group decided to name
their venture Arcor, being the combination of the first two letters of “Arroyito” and the first
three letters of “Cordoba”.
A few years later, in 1958, Arcor reached 60,000 kilograms of confectionery production per
day. At the same time, it ceased to be exclusively a candy factory as a result of their entry
into other industries with a clear goal in mind: to supply the Company with its strategic
inputs in order to offer the best quality at the best price. This would allow the Group to
sustain a unique commitment to its consumers. In the 1960s, Arcor Group already saw the
value of Latin American integration and the potential of a large common export market.
Adopting this early export policy was key to position the Company at the forefront of the
industry.

b. Put the events in the order they appear in the text.

Arcor increased production of confectionery products
Arcor decided to enter the Latin American market
They started building a new plant.
It decided to produce different products
A group of pioneers founded the company.
A young immigrant arrived in Arroyito.
Fulvio’s idea was to open a plant for the mass production of candies.

41
c. Working on vocabulary.
Do you know the meaning of the underlined verbs? Tick off the right option.

1. Subscribers chose movie and television titles from Netflix’s Web site.
a. selected
b. purchased
2. Although customers typically rented for a monthly fee as many movies per month
as they wished
a. purchased
b. paid to have it for a short time.

3. In 2010, Netflix introduced a streaming-only plan that offered unlimited streaming

service but no DVDs.
 announced
 acquired

Language Focus: Connecting ideas.

Read how you can connect the activities with a purpose or objective.

Activity

Georgalos subsequently rebought Mantecol brand and moved its production to the
Victoria plant, in order to expand the customer base.

Purpose

You can use in order

to or to + verb

42
Why did the company do some actions?

Make true sentences about the companies we studied.

BIMBO become patron of his

acquired La Hacienda family business.
Lorenzo Servitje Sendra expand its customer base.
abandoned his studies
The company added a new in order to / manufacture sweets and
production line to chocolates
Netflix started offering enter the American market.
streaming services

Practice 1
During these lessons, we learned different ways to talk about the history of a company.
Complete the blanks with the most suitable word. Many options are possible.

1. The Tia Rosa brand, also part of Grupo Bimbo, ................. in the 1970s.
2. Netflix, Inc., a video rental and distribution company, …………….. in 1997 by
American entrepreneurs Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Los Gatos, California.
3. Lee Byung-chul ..................... Samsung on March 1 in 1938.
4. Grupo Bimbo .................La Hacienda.
5. Bimbo Bakeries USA ……………. the U.S. bread market in 1997.
6. In 1999 Netflix ………………. offering an online subscription service through the
Internet.
a. The small company of only 40 employees........... as a grocery store.
7. After the war, Lee............... a sugar refinery in Busan.
8. The company ...........again in 1998 with the purchase of Mrs. Baird’s Bakeries.
9. In 2002, BBU............... the Western U.S. baking business of George Weston Ltd.,
10. In 2011, BBU.................. its largest acquisition to date.
11. In 1936, Corning ............ a glass factory in Charleroi, PA.
12. Netflix subsequently …………… manufacturers of various consumer
electronics products.
13. Netflix then....................... beyond the United States.
14. With a renewed focus in electronics, Samsung ................. in a particular technology.
i.e., LED.

43
 Practice 2
Read the different company histories again and complete the chart. You have to find the
past form of the following verbs and paste the sentence. We did one for you.
Base Verb in the text Regular/ Sentence
Irregular
found Founded regular

Practice 3 Make a similar chart with the verbs you can find in the short bios
and biographies.

Base Verb in the text Regular/ Sentence

Irregular
Be born Was born regular

44
 Systematizing
The following examples can help you find the words to talk about the different stages in
a company history

✔ Verbs to state founders, time and place of founding

● The Tia Rosa brand, also part of Grupo Bimbo, was born in the 1970s.
● Arcor started selling candies in the streets of the town.

Making good questions - Simple Past Tense

Let’s see how you can make questions in the past:
Read these examples:

A: When did BBU’s story begin?

B: It began in 1994.

A: Why did Arcor expand its business?

B: Because tit wanted to

penetrate the Latin American market.

Remember: Simple Past Tense

Regular and Irregular verbs

45
 QUESTION WORD + DID + …. + VERB (BASE FORM)?
What did the company do?
Where did the company open the first plant?
How many employees did the company have at the beginning?

Checking information
If we want to check or confirm information, we also use “did” but no question words.
Read these examples:

A: Did BBU enter the US market in 1994?

B: No, it didn’t.

A: Did Corning stop producing glass for the industrial use?

B: Yes, it did.

Remember: Simple Past Tense YES/NO - QUESTIONS

DID +.............. + VERB (BASE FORM)?

Yes + ........... + DID. No + subject + DIDN’T.

46
 You are an entrepreneur!
Entrepreneurs create companies out of ideas.
Create your company.
Design the organizational chart.
Write the profile and history of the company.
Explain why the company made some decisions.
Then present your new company to your classmates. During the presentation, the class
can ask you questions.

47
 Lesson 5
Work Environments

Class discussion
● What do you understand by “work environment”?
● What aspects can have an impact on this work environment?
● What elements would you consider when describing work environments?
● How can they impact people and things?

Let’s read a definition of the term “work environment”

What is a work environment?

A work environment is the setting (location/ situation), social features and physical
conditions in which you do your job. These elements can impact feelings of well-being,
workplace relationships, collaboration, efficiency and employee health.

The most significant aspects of the work environment are: (a) physical environment; (b)
company culture and (c) working conditions.

Adapted from https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/types-of-work-

environments

Reading

Group discussion

What three words best describe your ideal work environment? Check the
boxes below and pick up one from each group.

48
 Challenging Fast- Motivatin
Collaborative paced g Positive
Comfortable Flexible Professional
Engaging Friendly Rewarding
Exciting Fun Supportive
Family-like Innovative Teamwork
Integrity
Activity 2. Look at the photo.

● What do you think about this place?

● How would you describe it?
● Would you like to work there?

Picture source: https://www.mastandoartrip.com/news/hostile-work-environment/

49
Read the text below.

Want to create a work environment that employees love? Of course you do! But where do
you start?

We've got some interesting insights—straight from the mouths of employees—to help you
build a thriving workplace culture that your employees are passionate about.

We surveyed more than half a million employees from companies in our Best Places to Work
program. Here are the top 20 words they used to describe their cultures.

New Research: Employee Engagement Trends Report

In our Best Places to Work survey, we ask respondents the following question: What three
words best describe your work environment? Tens of thousands of survey responses from
organizations competing in America’s Best Places to Work contest helped us uncover the
top 20 elements of the best workplaces. Keep reading to learn what words employees use
to describe their ideal workplace.

QUICK WIN SUMMARY

∙ Employees want their workplace to be fun, challenging, friendly, and rewarding.

∙ Find a “sweet spot” for the above four elements: not too little, not too much.
∙ Don't assume a good work environment always increases engagement.

20 Elements of the Best Workplaces

The following words are ranked by how frequently they were mentioned and their
average rank order.

50
 1. Fun 8. Supportive 15. Innovative
2. Challenging 9. Exciting 16.Teamwork
3. Friendly 10.Caring 17. Motivating
4. Engaging 11. Family 18. Positive
5. Rewarding 12. Professional 19. Comfortable
6.Collaborative 13. Busy 20. Integrity
7. Flexible 14. Fast-paced

Adapted from: https://www.quantumworkplace.com/future-of-work/20-words-that-

describe-the-best-workplaces

Activity
After reading, say whether the following sentences are true or false:

1. Work environments are an incentive for many employees.

2. his consultancy conducted a survey to know employees’ opinions about the
workplace.

Activity 5. Read the following sentence and do the activities below:

We've got some interesting insights—straight from the mouths of employees—to help you build a
thriving workplace culture that your employees are passionate about.

a. The term “Workplace culture” probably means:

● the knowledge and experience employees have.
● the opinions about the workplace the employees have.
● the values, belief systems, attitudes, and assumptions that people in a
workplace share

b. “Thriving” possibly means:

● flourishing
● attractive
● amazing

c. Now you, can you describe a thriving workplace? Use three characteristics to
describe it.

51
 A thriving workplace culture is usually …………………………………………………………………

Speaking 1. Class discussion

Use the words in the Reading section to describe the following work environments.

52
 Speaking 2. Pair work

✔ Where do you work?

✔ Where would you like to work? Choose an industry from the list below:

 Accommodation & Food Services

 Construction
 Educational Services
 Finance & Insurance
 Health Care & Social Assistance
 Manufacturing
 Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services
 Retail Trade
 Software & Information Technology
 Transportation

✔ Give your opinion about what makes a great job or a great company. You
can go back to Lesson 2 and review the vocabulary. There is an example: hours
/ pay / work environment / job / work mates / boss / benefits

A: I’m in/ I work in Transportation. I think a safe and rewarding

environment is very important/relevant / not so important. Do you
agree?

B: Well, I agree / I don’t agree / it’s a

good point. I’m in……………………

53
 Reading Forums or blogs?
What is a discussion forum? Is it like blogging? Check the definitions and explanations
provided.

Forums: a place on the internet where people can leave messages or discuss
particular subjects with other people at the same time.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/forum

B. Hanna, J. De Nooy explains that forums are usually part of web log. They are short
texts, asynchronous, related to a topic and are publicly available. You can take part
of a forum to ask for help on a particular topic or just give your opinion. (Learning
language and cultures via public internet discussions- Palgrave Mac Millan 2009)

Before reading

Class discussion. What does your desk say about you?

1. What objects do you have on your desk?

2. Is there room for another person?
3. Do you share your working space? Your stuff?

Read the text4 and then do the activities that follow:

Post 1

41
Adapted from https://www.typologycentral.com/threads/describe-your-workplace.5977/

54
I work in a cube farm, but a reasonably pleasant one at the moment. My desk is covered
with papers and a bunch of intrays when I periodically try to get more organised. I have
technical documents stuck up around my cubicle, some postcards of bug-eyed fish, a
plastic dinosaur (gift from an ex-colleague) and a couple of my drawings, framed. I need
a lot of visual clutter.

The windows are floor to ceiling glass and there are really nice views out the windows,
apart from the main road next to us.

The actual office is a rabbit warren and after being here nearly a year, I still have to think
how to get to a couple of the meeting rooms. There is a small kitchen (cleanliness varies
from day to day). There about 30 cubicles at our end of the office. Um. I don't know how
to describe it other than typical cubicles. The manager's offices are off a dark corridor,
next to the photocopier and fax machine. The storeroom is small and hot because of the
printer and photocopier, and the store cupboard is usually missing anything useful.

Post 2

My workplace is a classroom with 24 desks. There's a wide aisle in the middle of the room,
and I have 12 desk facing 12 desks. On one end of the aisle is the chalk board, and on the
other end is the interactive whiteboard. In the middle is my cart with
laptop/projector/miscellaneous crap. In the back corner of the room is my desk, a small
teacher desk buried under papers. There's a long table beside it, also buried under papers.
My computer table is also papered up. At the beginning of the year, I manage to be
somewhat organized, but by now, I have just given up.

Activity 1. The posts above look like answers to a question. Can you think of a possible
question?

Activity 2. Choose the best word to complete the following sentences:

a) In post 1, the person is an employee/ a manager.
b) In post 2, the person is a teacher/ a student.
c) In post 1, the person has a good view/an ugly view from the windows.
d) In post 2, there’s a window/ there isn´t a window.

Analyzing the posts. Descriptions

The description of a place or a situation varies from person to person. You can start
talking about you and the surroundings, to later describe the place. But you can also

55
start describing the place, and then how you relate to the place.

Analyze Post 1:

Use of 1st Person

I work in a cube farm, but a reasonably pleasant one at the moment. My desk is covered
with papers and a bunch of intrays when I periodically try to get more organised. I have
technical documents stuck up around my cubicle, some postcards of bug-eyed fish, a
plastic dinosaur (gift from an ex-colleague) and a couple of my drawings, framed. I need
a lot of visual clutter.

The windows are floor to ceiling glass and there are really nice views out the windows,
apart from the main road next to us.

Description

of the

The actual office is a rabbit warren and after being here nearly a year, I still have to think
how to get to a couple of the meeting rooms. There is a small kitchen (cleanliness varies
from day to day). There about 30 cubicles at our end of the office. Um. I don’t know how
to describe it other than typical cubicles. The manager's offices are off a dark corridor,
next to the photocopier and fax machine. The store room is small and hot because of the
printer and photocopier, and the store cupboard is usually missing anything useful.

Giving opinions

56
 Activity 1. How does the person organize the description? Number the stages.
∙ The person describes the office.

∙ The person describes the desk.

∙ The person talks about them and the office.
Activity 2. Underline the sentence/s ...
a) describing the office or a desk
b) using first person
c) giving opinions

Activity 3. Forums are usually written using everyday vocabulary. What do these words
or expressions mean? Sometimes, it is difficult to translate them into Spanish. Find the
definitions, synonyms or the Spanish of these words.

a) I work in a cube farm...

a. “Cube farm” is ...................................................................................... b)
I need a lot of visual clutter.

a. “Clutter” is ..................................................................................... c)
The actual office is a rabbit warren.

a. A “rabbit warren” is .................................................................................

d) ...cleanliness varies from day to day...

a. “Cleanliness” means ...............................................................................

Language Focus. Describing your workplace

✔ To describe existence, you may use there is, and there are:
∙ … there are really nice views out the windows.
∙ There is a small kitchen.
∙ There are about 30 cubicles at our end of the office.
∙ There´s a wide aisle in the middle of the room.

57
 There is + singular nouns
There are + plural nouns
Interrogative forms: Is there……..? / Are there…….?
Negative forms: There isn’t ……/ There aren’t …..

✔ Also, you can use the verb have/ have got. Have got and have mean the same. Some
authors consider that have got is more informal, and so it is used abbreviated5. When
describing places, have is preferred.

∙ I have 12 desks facing 12 desks.

∙ I have technical documents stuck up around my cubicle.
∙ The kitchen has no window.

Form have have got

Affirmative I /you/ we/ they have I /you/ we/ they have

He / she /it has ( got) got I’ve got….
He / she /it has got
He’s got….

Negative I /you/ we/ they don’t I /you/ we/ they haven’t

have He / she /it doesn’t got
have
He / she /it hasn’t got

Interrogative Do I /you/ we/ they have Have I /you/ we/ they

….? Does he/she /it got……?
have…..?
Has He/she /it got….?

5 English Grammar Today © Cambridge University Press

https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/120721/have-vs-have-got-in-american-and-british-english

58
Language Focus. Describing your workplace (cont.)

✔ Describing places and objects.

∙ … the walls are yellow; the ceiling is white
∙ … they´re not really enclosed.
∙ In the corner of the room is my desk.
∙ The store room is small and hot because of the printer and the photocopier.

✔ Describing sensory experiences

∙ Windows look out over the Baltimore harbour.
∙ Outside it smells like…
∙ It looks (old)...

Describing locations
∙ … a plant next to the campus on one side, and a plant on the other. ∙ … funeral
home, next to a bakery, next to a bank… next to a school. ∙ In the middle is my
cart with laptop…
∙ In the back corner of the room is my desk.
∙ … a small teacher desk buried under papers. There´s a small table beside it.

Learning prepositions.
With the help of the group and your instructor, write the prepositions next to the
box.

59
Activity 1. Fill in these posts with the preposition in the boxes.
(Based on real post at
https://www.typologycentral.com/forums/academics-and-careers/5977-describe-workplace.html)

It's a house. The sun is shining……………………., so

I'm sometimes sat …………..the grass...other times
I'm indoors on the sofa with the laptop and my
papers, and a cat asleep ........... my feet. There's an
aquarium ………the corner... African cichlids.
Yep, I'm working from home today.

on in outside beside

Usually I work at home, .......... the couch with my TV dinner table

housing my laptop, usually with music. Other times I go to the Open Eye Cafe ..........Chapel
Hill.
However, since the kids .................. of school for the summer and, I've been staying home,
in my sunroom. It's a very pleasant space to be ............. so I plan to do this as often as
possible.
I sit ………a green chaise lounge with my laptop and papers. Across the room is a wall of
floor-to-ceiling windows with a view of the woods and pond out back. The floor is

60
bamboo, very light and bright. There are potted plants everywhere, candles (which I don't
burn), and a windchime .................. I can meditate in here. Anyway it's a very nice space
Out of In x 2 on x 2 in the corner

Writing
Group work. Describe your office.

 You can use your own picture or choose one of the pictures below.
 Complete the outline.
 Write the description.
 Share it with the rest of the class.

61
 Industry

Work Environments Your

Size

View

Furniture

Company Layout

Video Watching Jodie Fox visits Shoes of Prey factory in China.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFsfr7Yzwlk
Before watching. Tick the places you think she will visit.

 Main production building

 Service department
 Accounts department
 Help desk
 Toilet
 Warehouse
 Administrations Offices
 Marketing and Sales
 Car Park
 Company restaurant
 Wellness room

62
Watch the video without sound and check the places she shows.

Watch the video again and tick the correct answer.

Where´s the factory?

a. Around the corner

b. Next to another factory
c. Between two flats

The first room she visits is

a. The plant
b. The warehouse
c. The component room

After that she goes to

a. The warehouse
b. The component room
c. The production floor

During lunchtime, some people not only eat, they also

a. Take a nap
b. Play table tennis
c. Both

What time do they go back to work?

a. At twelve
b. At half past twelve
63
 c. At half past one

Activity 1
Use the prepositions above to describe the location of each building. For example; The
Conference centre and Training Department are next to the main gate.

Speaking
Student A is a visitor to this factory. He / she calls Student B to get information missing in
this plan. Ask him / her about the Warehouse, Marketing and Sales and Maintenance.
Student B looks at the plan in the appendix and answers the questions.

64
 A:Hello, ............! How are things going?

B: I´m very well. Thank you. How can I

help you?

A: I´m going to your factory tomorrow. But, honestly I don´t remember

much of your layout. Where´s the ............................... ?

B: It´s …………………………………………………….

Video Watching Asking for and Giving Directions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auRTQeR9IVo&t=52s

a. Before watching the video. Think about the University neighbourhood.

 What are the names of the most important train stations?

 Where is San Miguel Cathedral?

b. Watch the first part of the video (to 1:44) and number the places as they are
mentioned in the text.
 Train Station
 Cathedral
 Southgate St.
 St Clement St.

c. Watch the second part of the video (from 1:45 onwards) and match the places to
the directions.

65
  Southgate St. Go down to Smith´s and turn left

 The Cut Go up there and turn left. Straight up to

the traffic lights and then turn left.
 Parchment´s St. Along here and your first on the left

Language Focus Asking for and Giving Directions

 To ask for directions, we ask questions

 Can /Could you tell me the way to the ........................... ?

 Where´s the ...............?
 How do I find the…..... ?

 Give directions

 Go along St. Clement´s St. / Go straight.

 Turn right.
 Turn left.
 Take the first /second on your right / left.

Speaking
Roleplay 1. Watch a silent movie at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvTtYJF2YxI.

Student A works at the main entrance Student B is a visitor at the factory.

gate at Food and Beverage Solutions. Ask directions for these places; Factory
Welcome visitors and give directions. Security Check, Truck Parking and Loading
Area 2.

66
Roleplay 2. Look at the layout. Change roles. Student B works in the factory. Student A is
visiting. X needs help to go to the car park, the main plant, and the administration offices.

67
Appendix
Activity 1
Read Pyrex short history and fill in the blanks with the verbs below.

sell - return – move - bring – produce - start - use – buy

A Short History of Pyrex: The 100-Year-Old American Classic

Glassware

In 1908, Corning Glass Works ............ making Nonex, a thermally resistant “non-expansion”
glass, for railroad signal lanterns and other industrial applications. This clear glass ...........into
the kitchen when Corning employee Jesse Littleton ………. a battery jar home to his wife
Bessie, and she .......... the mold to bake a cake.
In 1915, the company ………. Pyrex pie plates, casserole dishes, and bakeware to the
housewives of America. In 1936, Corning .......... a glass factory in Charleroi, PA, just outside
of Pittsburgh, which ………. colorful opal glass. Although the colorful opalware was
discontinued in the late 1980s, the factory in Charleroi is still making Pyrex pieces. World
Kitchen took over the Pyrex brand in 1998, when Corning once again ………. its focus to
scientific glassware.
https://www.thekitchn.com/the-history-of-pyrex-the-100-year-old-glassware-company-223352
Modified for didactic purposes

Activity 2
This is an extract from Samsung history. Read about its beginnings and expansion, and fill
in the blanks with the right option.

after the war – then - on – between - in (3) – before

68
The History of Samsung
by Matthew Burris
Updated February 02, 2018

Lee Byung-chull started Samsung ….. March 1 ….. 1938, as a trading company based in
Taegu, Korea. The small company of only 40 employees started as a grocery store, trading
and exporting goods produced in and around the city, like dried Korean fish and vegetables,
as well as its own noodles.
The company grew and soon expanded to Seoul ….. 1947 but left once the Korean War
broke out. ….., Lee started a sugar refinery in Busan that was called Cheil Jedang, …..
expanding into textiles and building the (then) largest woolen mill in Korea.
The initial electronics divisions included Samsung Electronics Devices, Samsung Electro-
Mechanics, Samsung Corning, and Samsung Semiconductor & Telecommunications.
Samsung built their initial facilities in Suwon, South Korea, ….. 1970, where they started
producing black and white television sets.
….. 1972 and 1979, Samsung began selling washing machines, changed to Samsung
Petrochemical and ….. Samsung Heavy Industries, and by 1976, had sold its 1 millionth B&W
television.
https://www.lifewire.com/history-of-samsung-818809

Information gap activities

1. Staple

Student A. Complete the following card asking questions to Student B

Staples was founded in (1) ............... by (2) ................. Stemberg recognized a niche market
and Kahn invested (3) ............... to start the business. The first Staples Office Superstore
opened its doors in May 1986 in (4) ............... . It was a vast open warehouse and they sold
(5) ............... .

In June 1987 Staples opened their first store in ............. (6 city). In 1988, they launched a
marketing campaign to (7) ................... They published a special catalogue. In addition, the
company offered customers a free Staples card. The campaign was a huge success and the
company’s revenues rose to $40 million. Between 1987 and 1989, Staples opened a total of
(8) ................. in other mayor East Coast cities, including Philadelphia and Washington D.C.

Student B

1. Brighton, a suburb of Boston

2. November 1985
3. New York
4. $500,000
5. Thomas G. Stemberg and Leo Kahn
69
 6. Stationary products and candies.
7. increase their sales
8. 23 stores

2. Student A needs to complete this text.

Costco is an American multinational corporation and sells Bimbo products at their

warehouses. Ask your classmate questions to complete these blanks. They have the
information in the appendix.
Costco Wholesale Corporation is an........................ corporation which operates a chain of membership-
only warehouse clubs. Costco's worldwide headquarters are in ………………………….., and its first
warehouse was founded in Seattle ......................by James (Jim) Sinegal and Jeffrey H. Brotman. Costco
has a total of .......... warehouses: 546 in the United States (including the District of Columbia and Puerto
Rico),............. in Canada, 39 in Mexico, 29 in the United Kingdom, 26 in Japan, 16 in South Korea, 13 in
Taiwan, .......... in Australia, two in Spain, one in Iceland, one in France, and one in China. In the United
States, Costco's main competitors operating membership warehouses are ................................ Costco
employs…………… full and part-time employees worldwide. A typical Costco warehouse carries only 3,700
distinct products, while a typical Walmart Supercenter carries approximately 140,000 products. If Costco
feels the wholesale price of any individual product is too high, they will refuse to stock the product.

… ...............is Costco's private label. Costco sells Kirkland Signature

products at their website and warehouses. Its name derives from
the location of Costco's corporate headquarters, Kirkland,
Washington.

Adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costco

70
Student B has the information.

Costco Wholesale Corporation is an American multinational corporation which operates a

chain of membership-only warehouse clubs6. Costco's worldwide headquarters are in Issaquah,
Washington, a suburb east of Seattle, and its first warehouse was founded in Seattle
on September 15, 1983 by James (Jim) Sinegal and Jeffrey H. Brotman. Costco has a total of
785 warehouses: 546 in the United States (including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico),
100 in Canada, 39 in Mexico, 29 in the United Kingdom, 26 in Japan, 16 in South Korea, 13 in
Taiwan, 11 in Australia, two in Spain, one in Iceland, one in France, and one in China. In the
United States, Costco's main competitors operating membership warehouses are Sam's
Club and BJ's Wholesale Club. Costco employs 254,000 full and part-
time employees worldwide. A typical Costco warehouse carries only 3,700 distinct products,
while a typical Walmart Supercenter carries approximately 140,000 products. If Costco feels the
wholesale price of any individual product is too high, they will refuse to stock the product.

“Kirkland Signature” is Costco's private label. Costco sells

Kirkland Signature products at their website and warehouses.
Its name derives from the location of Costco's corporate
headquarters, Kirkland, Washington.

6
A warehouse club (or wholesale club) is a retail store, usually selling a wide variety
of merchandise, in which customers may buy large, wholesale quantities of the store's products.
71