Unconventional business model

Title separator

Speaking - business models

warehouse stores vocabulary

LESSON OVERVIEW

In this lesson, students learn about furniture retailer IKEA and discuss its business model. Then, they come up with their own business idea for a shop.

B2 / Upper Intermediate
C1 / Advanced
60 minStandard LessonFree / Premium Plan

VOCABULARY & VIDEO

The lesson starts with a warm-up activity in which students look at two photos, one of a person assembling a chair at home, and one of a warehouse store, and decide how the two can be connected. Then, students learn some vocabulary useful for understanding the video. They are given six pairs of words and phrases (e.g. retailer / wholesaler, designated road / winding road) and have to decide what the difference between each two is. After that, they look back at the two photos and discuss which of the things listed in the task can be found in them (e.g. flat-packed furniture, maze). In the next exercise, students read six sentences and complete each gap with one word (e.g. layout, resembles, frustratingly). They are provided with the context, definitions, and first letters of each word. At this point students move on to the video activities. They watch the first part of the video and decide which of the ideas from the previous exercise were true, false, or not mentioned at all. While they watch the video for the second time, they need to take notes on some ideas connected with IKEA (e.g. the IKEA effect, democratic design). 

DISCUSSION & IDEAS

In this part of the lesson, students have plenty of opportunities to talk. First, they discuss what they learned from the video, share their opinions on IKEA business model, and talk in detail about ideas such as a $1 light bulb or democratic design. They also talk about their own approach to furniture assembly as potential IKEA customers. After that, students work in pairs or small groups and prepare their own business model. They choose a type of shop (e.g. confectionery shop, pet furniture shop) and use a list of questions to guide them. The questions refer to design, manufacturing and distribution, as well as the potential use of the IKEA effect or the idea of democratic design. Finally, in the last part of the lesson students revise the vocabulary learnt during the class. They have to complete seven sentences with correct forms of the words studied in the lesson (e.g. wind-winding, convention-unconventional). This task can also be used as homework and it’s only included in the Teacher’s Version of the worksheet.

WORKSHEETS

Comments

Title separator

Leave a Reply

  1. Filipe Nunes

    Great stuff! Thanks a bunch.
    filipe

    1. Ewa

      Thanks, Filipe!

  2. Ayliibear

    This is a great class my students really enjoyed it! Maybe there could be one on Costco next? 🙂
    Thanks!

    1. Ewa

      It’s really good to hear your students liked the lesson.
      And thanks for the Costco idea, we will consider it.

  3. Betty Sz

    It’s a nice lesson, but to be honest, not so new. I mean, companies like IKEA have been on the market for many years. It could be good for people who do not have a lot of knowledge about business, but my business students are well aware of them. I would like them to learn about some much more modern business models, such as subscription model, or models when the final user doesn’t actually pay a dime.

    1. Ewa

      Hi Betty! Thanks for the ideas. We might create a lesson around them 🙂

  4. mcdelreal

    Excellent lesson! Thank you.

    1. Ewa

      Thank you, that’s great to hear 🙂

Browse other materials recommended for you

Title separator
digital business vocabulary
C1 / Advanced | C2 / Proficiency
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

The digital Revolut(ion)

Business

With this lesson, students talk about online services and learn vocabulary related to the topic. They also discuss their own experiences, watch a video about a successful neobank, and discuss the features of digital businesses.

talking about work models
B2 / Upper Intermediate | C1 / Advanced
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

Office, remote or hybrid?

Business

With this up-to-date lesson, students discuss work life after lockdown and practise vocabulary to talk about workplace changes. They also watch a news video about companies changing the way they work and discuss different work models.

ESL lesson on nepotism
C1 / Advanced | C2 / Proficiency
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min
Loading

When familial meets professional

Business General

In this lesson, students reflect deeply on work-family dynamics, explore nuances of nepotism, and enrich vocabulary through engaging discussions. Students also listen to excerpts from a podcast to spark critical thinking.

collocations related to business and investment
C1 / Advanced
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

Would you invest in a franchise?

Business

With this lesson, students master key collocations to talk about business and investment, analyze the franchise business model, and enhance listening skills with an informative video about McDonald’s.

B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

As per my last email…

Business

Dive into the intriguing world of emailing and talk about what annoys people the most. With this lesson, students expand their vocabulary, express irritation, and analyze real-life situations.

vocabulary to talk about higher education
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

Is a degree worth it?

Business General

Engage your students in a discussion on the ins and outs of higher education. Explore education and career-related vocabulary and work on comprehension skills by watching a news report on the job market.

ESL lesson about work
B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

How to stand out at work

Business

Let your students share opinions on getting promoted and being noticed at work. They will discuss hypothetical situations, share experiences and comment on advice from a video.

Business English flipped lesson
C1 / Advanced
Flipped Lesson 60 min
Loading

What if we redefined ambition?

Business General

Embark on a thought-provoking exploration of ambition! This lesson encourages students to critically examine traditional notions of success and consider alternative perspectives on personal fulfilment and well-being.

ESL lesson on branding
B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

All about branding

Business

This is a perfect lesson for students who want to discuss brands and the idea of branding. Students learn and practise useful phrases, as well as improve their comprehension skills.

Show more lessons

Questions

Title separator

Is there a minimum subscription period if I choose a monthly subscription?

No, there’s no minimum required number of subscription months. You can cancel any time you want. Basically, you can sign up and then cancel your subscription the next day, which will mean you have access for 1 month and won’t be charged again.

What currencies can I pay in for my subscription?

Our default currency is USD (American dollar), but you can also pay in EUR (euro), GBP (British pound sterling) or PLN (Polish zloty). You can change the currency you want to pay in at the Pricing page before selecting a subscription plan.

How can I edit an e-lesson plan?

You can get your own editable copy of an e-lesson plan and make changes to it. To do so, either (1) make a copy of it on your Google Drive (preferable method) or (2) download it in a Powerpoint format (but formatting might be a bit off so we can’t guarantee that it will work well).

Read more FAQ
Title separator

ESL Brains

Forgot password?
or continue with