Barbie

BUSINESS
ENGLISH
M A T E R I A L S .com
BARBIE
http://www.BusinessEnglishMaterials.com/barbie.html
CONTENTS
2. Listening/Reading script 12. Project
3. Warm-ups 13. Role play 1
4. Gap fill 14. Role play 2
5. Correct the spelling 15. Job interview role play
6. Unjumble the words 16. Discussion
7. Insert the vowels 17. Survey
8. Punctuate the text 18. Speed writing
9. Choose the correct tense 19. Letter of complaint
10. Rewrite with spaces 20. Letter of apology
11. Choose the correct word 21. Homework
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THE LISTENING / READING SCRIPT
From: http://www.businessenglishmaterials.com/barbie.html
The Barbie doll is one of the most successful toys in
history. It was launched in 1959 by the U.S. toy
manufacturer Mattel. It has since become a cultural icon.
American businesswoman Ruth Handler came up with the
idea of an adult doll for small girls after seeing her
daughter dressing up paper dolls. The name ‘Barbie’
comes from Handler’s own daughter Barbara. Over
350,000 dolls were sold in the first year. Over a billion
Barbies have been sold since. Clever marketing means
toy execs keep Barbie up with the times. They adjust to
every cultural challenge and change. Her waist was
recently widened to avoid stereotypes that women must
be thin. She also sports a tattoo on her back. Sales are
also boosted by a range of pets, cars and accessories –
everything the young woman might need.
2
More free lesson plans and listenings at BusinessEnglishMaterials.com
Copyright © 2010 – Sean Banville
WARM UPS
1. BRAINSTORM CHAT: Write all the words you can think of

about Barbie on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about
these words with your partner(s).
2. BARBIE MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee

of Barbie. They walk around the class and talk about the
company and their job.
3. RUMOURS: Each student writes down a pretend rumour about

Barbie. They then walk around the class and talk to other
students about their rumour.
4. GOOD AND BAD: Brainstorm good and bad things about

Barbie and write them on the board. Students talk about these in
pairs.
5. TRUE OR FALSE: Students find out several facts about Barbie.

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 Barbie. The winner is the group with the most facts.
Teacher may wish to have groups share their facts to make sure
they are real.
3
LISTENING / READING GAP FILL
The Barbie doll __________________ successful toys in
history. It __________________ 1959 by the U.S. toy
manufacturer Mattel. It has since __________________.
American businesswoman Ruth Handler
__________________ idea of an adult doll for small girls
after seeing her daughter __________________ dolls.
The name ‘Barbie’ comes from Handler’s own daughter
Barbara. Over 350,000 dolls were sold in the first year.
Over a billion Barbies have been sold since. Clever
marketing __________________ keep Barbie up with
the times. They adjust to __________________ and
change. Her waist was recently widened to avoid
stereotypes that women must be thin. She also sports a
tattoo on her back. Sales are also __________________
of pets, cars and accessories – everything the young
woman might need.
4
CORRECT THE SPELLING
The Barbie doll is one of the most successful toys in
history. It was ldchaeun in 1959 by the U.S. toy
manufacturer Mattel. It has since become a rultuacl icon.
daughter gsdnreis up paper dolls. The name ‘Barbie’
comes from Handler’s own dearuhtg Barbara. Over
Barbies have been sold since. Clever miakergnt means
toy execs keep Barbie up with the times. They jdatsu to
every cultural heleangcl and change. Her waist was
recently widened to vaido stereotypes that women must
be thin. She also sports a aottto on her back. Sales are
also eoobstd by a range of pets, cars and accessories –
5
UNJUMBLE THE WORDS
The Barbie most the of one is doll toys successful in
history. It was launched in 1959 by the U.S. toy
manufacturer Mattel. icon has become cultural It since a.
an of idea girls small for doll adult after seeing her
daughter dressing up paper dolls. The name ‘Barbie’
daughter Handler’s comes own from Barbara. Over
Barbies have sold been marketing Clever . since means
toy up execs with keep the Barbie times. They adjust to
every cultural challenge and change. Her waist was
recently avoid widened stereotypes to that women must
be thin. She also a on back sports tattoo her. Sales are
range boosted of by pets a also, cars and accessories –
might woman young the everything need.
6
INSERT THE VOWELS
Th_ B_ rb_ _ d_ ll _ s _ n_ _ f th_ m_ st s_ cc_ ssf_ l
t_ ys _ n h_ st_ ry. _ t w_ s l_ _ nch_ d _ n 1959 by th_
_ .S. t_ y m_ n_ f_ ct_ r_ r M_ tt_ l. _t h_ s s_ nc_
b_ c_ m_ _ c_ lt_ r_ l _ c_ n. _ m_ r_ c_ n
b_ s_ n_ ssw_ m_ n R_ th H_ ndl_ r c_ m_ _ p w_ th th_
_ d_ _ _ f _ n _ d_ lt d_ ll f_ r sm_ ll g_ rls _ ft_ r s_ _ _ ng
h_ r d_ _ ght_ r dr_ ss_ ng _ p p_ p_ r d_ lls. Th_ n_ m_
‘B_ rb_ _ ’ c_ m_ s fr_ m H_ ndl_ r’s _ wn d_ _ ght_ r
B_ rb_ r_ . _ v_ r 350,000 d_ lls w_ r_ s_ ld _n th_
f_ rst y_ _ r. _ v_ r _ b_ ll_ _ n B_ rb_ _ s h_ v_ b_ _ n
s_ ld s_ nc_ . Cl_ v_ r m_ rk_ t_ ng m_ _ ns t_ y _ x_ cs
k_ _ p B_ rb_ _ _ p w_ th th_ t_ m_ s. Th_ y _ dj_ st t_
_ v_ ry c_ lt_ r_ l ch_ ll_ ng_ _ nd ch_ ng_ . H_ r w_ _ st
w_ s r_ c_ ntly w_ d_ n_ d t_ _ v_ _ d st_ r_ _ typ_ s th_ t
w_ m_ n m_ st b_ th_ n. Sh_ _ ls_ sp_ rts _ t_ tt_ _ _ n
h_ r b_ ck. S_ l_ s _ r_ _ ls_ b_ _ st_ d by _ r_ ng_ _ f
p_ ts, c_ rs _ nd _ cc_ ss_ r_ _ s – _ v_ ryth_ ng th_
y_ _ ng w_ m_ n m_ ght n_ _ d.
7
PUNCTUATE THE TEXT AND ADD CAPITALS
the barbie doll is one of the most successful toys in
history it was launched in 1959 by the us toy
manufacturer mattel it has since become a cultural icon
american businesswoman ruth handler came up with the
daughter dressing up paper dolls the name ‘barbie’
comes from handler’s own daughter barbara over 350000
dolls were sold in the first year over a billion barbies have
been sold since clever marketing means toy execs keep
barbie up with the times they adjust to every cultural
challenge and change her waist was recently widened to
avoid stereotypes that women must be thin she also
sports a tattoo on her back sales are also boosted by a
range of pets cars and accessories – everything the
young woman might need
8
CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE
The Barbie doll .......... (be) one of the most successful
toys in history. It was .......... (launch) in 1959 by the
U.S. toy manufacturer Mattel. It has since ..........
(become) a cultural icon. American businesswoman Ruth
Handler .......... (come) up with the idea of an adult doll
for small girls after .......... (see) her daughter dressing
up paper dolls. The name ‘Barbie’ .......... (come) from
Handler’s own daughter Barbara. Over 350,000 dolls
were .......... (sell) in the first year. Over a billion Barbies
have been sold since. Clever marketing .......... (mean)
toy execs .......... (keep) Barbie up with the times. They
.......... (adjust) to every cultural challenge and change.
Her waist was recently .......... (widen) to avoid
stereotypes that women must be thin. She also sports a
tattoo on her back. Sales are also .......... (boost) by a
range of pets, cars and accessories – everything the
young woman might need.
9
REWRITE WITH SPACES
TheBarbiedollisoneofthemostsuccessfultoysinhistory.Itwaslaunchedin1959byt
heU.S.toymanufacturerMattel.Ithassincebecomeaculturalicon.Americanbusine
sswomanRuthHandlercameupwiththeideaofanadultdollforsmallgirlsafterseeing
herdaughterdressinguppaperdolls.Thename‘Barbie’comesfromHandler’sownd
aughterBarbara.Over350,000dollsweresoldinthefirstyear.OverabillionBarbiesh
avebeensoldsince.ClevermarketingmeanstoyexecskeepBarbieupwiththetimes.
Theyadjusttoeveryculturalchallengeandchange.Herwaistwasrecentlywidenedt
oavoidstereotypesthatwomenmustbethin.Shealsosportsatattooonherback.Sal
esarealsoboostedbyarangeofpets,carsandaccessories–
everythingtheyoungwomanmightneed.
______________________________________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________________________________
10
CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD
The Barbie doll is one of the most successful

came
toys in ____________. It was launched in 1959
avoid
by the U.S. toy manufacturer Mattel. It has since
comes
become a ____________ icon. American
execs
businesswoman Ruth Handler ____________ up
history
with the idea of an adult doll for small girls after
sports
____________ her daughter dressing up paper
cultural
dolls. The name ‘Barbie’ ____________ from range
Handler’s own daughter Barbara. Over 350,000 seeing
dolls were sold in the first year. Over a billion adjust
Barbies have been sold since. Clever marketing
means toy ____________ keep Barbie up with
the times. They ____________ to every cultural
challenge and change. Her waist was recently
widened to ____________ stereotypes that
women must be thin. She also ____________ a
tattoo on her back. Sales are also boosted by a
____________ of pets, cars and accessories –

11
PROJECT BARBIE
Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of Barbie. Complete this
table with your project partner(s):
Main products
How to improve
them
A brand new
‘killer’ product
How Barbie 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.
12
BARBIE – ROLE PLAY 1
Role A – Barbie 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 – Barbie 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 – Barbie customer

You are a customer of Barbie. 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 Barbie. 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.
13
BARBIE – ROLE PLAY 2
Role A – Barbie New Products Director

You have created a new product for Barbie. 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 Barbie.
Role B – Barbie 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 – Barbie 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 – Barbie Shareholder

You know a lot about Barbie’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.
14
JOB INTERVIEW ROLE PLAY
INTERVIEWER (Write the questions you want to ask the candidate.)
1. ________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________
4. ________________________________________________________
5. ________________________________________________________
6. ________________________________________________________
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JOB INTERVIEW ROLE PLAY

INTERVIEWEE (Write questions you want to ask the interviewer.)
1. ________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________
4. ________________________________________________________
5. ________________________________________________________
6. ________________________________________________________
15
DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1. ________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________
4. ________________________________________________________
5. ________________________________________________________
6. ________________________________________________________
Copyright © www.BusinessEnglishMaterials.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1. ________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________
4. ________________________________________________________
5. ________________________________________________________
6. ________________________________________________________
16
BARBIE SURVEY
Write five GOOD questions about Barbie in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student
must write the questions on his / her own paper.
When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.
STUDENT 1 STUDENT 2 STUDENT 3
_____________ _____________ _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.
• Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found
out. Change partners often.
• Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.
17
WRITING 1 – SPEED WRITING
Write anything about Barbie for 10 minutes. Show your

partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.
______________________________________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
18
WRITING 2 – LETTER OF COMPLAINT
Write a letter to Barbie. Complain about one of its

products. Ask for a refund. Show your partner your paper.
Correct each other’s work.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
19
WRITING 3 – LETTER OF APOLOGY
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.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
20
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 Barbie. Talk about what you discover with your
partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Barbie.

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. BARBIE POSTER Make a poster about Barbie. 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 BARBIE LESSON: Make your own English lesson on

Barbie. 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 Barbie.
Share your findings with the class.
21

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BUSINESS

Follow me: http://twitter.com/SeanBanville

The Barbie doll is one of the most successful toys in

history. It was launched in 1959 by the U.S. toy

manufacturer Mattel. It has since become a cultural icon.

American businesswoman Ruth Handler came up with the

idea of an adult doll for small girls after seeing her

daughter dressing up paper dolls. The name ‘Barbie’

comes from Handler’s own daughter Barbara. Over

350,000 dolls were sold in the first year. Over a billion

Barbies have been sold since. Clever marketing means

toy execs keep Barbie up with the times. They adjust to

every cultural challenge and change. Her waist was

recently widened to avoid stereotypes that women must

be thin. She also sports a tattoo on her back. Sales are

also boosted by a range of pets, cars and accessories –

everything the young woman might need.

1. BRAINSTORM CHAT: Write all the words you can think of

2. BARBIE MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee

3. RUMOURS: Each student writes down a pretend rumour about

4. GOOD AND BAD: Brainstorm good and bad things about

5. TRUE OR FALSE: Students find out several facts about Barbie.

6. FACTS: In groups, students write down as many facts as they

The Barbie doll __________________ successful toys in

history. It __________________ 1959 by the U.S. toy

manufacturer Mattel. It has since __________________.

American businesswoman Ruth Handler

__________________ idea of an adult doll for small girls

after seeing her daughter __________________ dolls.

The name ‘Barbie’ comes from Handler’s own daughter

Barbara. Over 350,000 dolls were sold in the first year.

Over a billion Barbies have been sold since. Clever

marketing __________________ keep Barbie up with

the times. They adjust to __________________ and

change. Her waist was recently widened to avoid

stereotypes that women must be thin. She also sports a

tattoo on her back. Sales are also __________________

of pets, cars and accessories – everything the young

woman might need.

The Barbie doll is one of the most successful toys in

history. It was ldchaeun in 1959 by the U.S. toy

manufacturer Mattel. It has since become a rultuacl icon.

American businesswoman Ruth Handler came up with the

idea of an adult doll for small girls after seeing her

daughter gsdnreis up paper dolls. The name ‘Barbie’

comes from Handler’s own dearuhtg Barbara. Over

350,000 dolls were sold in the first year. Over a billion

Barbies have been sold since. Clever miakergnt means

toy execs keep Barbie up with the times. They jdatsu to

every cultural heleangcl and change. Her waist was

recently widened to vaido stereotypes that women must

be thin. She also sports a aottto on her back. Sales are

also eoobstd by a range of pets, cars and accessories –

everything the young woman might need.

The Barbie most the of one is doll toys successful in

history. It was launched in 1959 by the U.S. toy

manufacturer Mattel. icon has become cultural It since a.

American businesswoman Ruth Handler came up with the

an of idea girls small for doll adult after seeing her

daughter dressing up paper dolls. The name ‘Barbie’