The 7 Steps May
1. CONTEXT
Mindmap
anything you
know about thetopic, including
vocabulary. Do
some research
online to help.

Patagonia

Listening Questions 1
1. When did Yvon Chouinard start selling clothing?

2. QUESTIONS.
2. What did his original company sell?
.

Read the listening
questions tocheck yourunderstanding.
Look up any new
vocabulary.

3. Why did Yvon Chouinard buy a rugby shirt for rock climbing?
.
4. What 3 countries did he buy rugby shirts from?
.
5. Other than rugby shirts, what did Patagonia sell?
.
Listening Questions 2

3. LISTEN

1. What is a B-corporation?
.

Listen and answer
the questions
using full
sentences. Circle
the number oftimes and % you
understood.

2. Why does Patagonia donate 1% of its net revenue to environmental
charities?
.
3. From 1985-2019, how much money has Patagonia donated to them?

1

Listening 1
2 3 4

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1

Listening 2
2 3 45%%%%%%.
4. How does Patagonia consider the environment in its choice of materials?
.
5. How does Patagonia try to create an enjoyable work environment?
.
Discussion Questions
1. How important do you consider CSR for a company?
2. What workplace initiatives would you like to see implemented inyour company?

4. CHECK ANSWERS

TRANSCRIPT 1
Outdoor clothing company Patagonia was founded in 1973 by Yvon Chouinard, who is an
American rock climbing and surfing enthusiast.

Read through thetranscript andunderline theanswers. Checkthem against yourown answers.

He started selling rock climbing equipment in 1957 and eventually formed a company called
Chouinard Equipment. He sold clothing for the first time in 1970. While in Scotland that year,
he bought a rugby shirt because it was durable and it had a collar that could protect his neckfrom his hardware slings.

5. CHECK VOCABULARYIn addition to rugby shirts, Patagonia sold rainproof ponchos, sleeping bags, gloves, and knit
hats.

Read thetranscript andcircle any new
vocabulary you
find. Look themup and add themto your list.

MATCH THE ANTONYMS BY DRAWING LINES BELOW:

6. READ ALOUD

Read thetranscript aloudat least 5 times,
focusing on
intonation andpronunciation.

1122334455

7. SHADOWING223344

Additional

FragileForm

Withhold

DurableLacking

RemainDestroy

DonateCease

TRANSCRIPT 2The modern Patagonia Inc. is organized as a B-corporation, or Benefit corporation, and it isheadquartered in Ventura, California, USA. A B-corporation focuses on earning profit andproviding an additional positive impact on society. In Patagonia’s case, the focus is on theenvironment.
Each year, Patagonia donates 1% of its annual net revenue to non-profit organizations that focus
on environmental conservation and sustainability. The company’s products are meant to be used
to enjoy the natural beauty of our planet and Patagonia understands that its business activities
create pollution. Therefore, it contributes a lot of money each year to reducing environmental
harm. The 1% annual donation has resulted in a total of $89 million donated in cash between
1985-2019. Additionally, the company uses recycled polyester for many of its products and it uses
only organic cotton.

Say the transcript
aloud at the sametime as the audio
without reading
it. Circle how
many times
below.

11When Chouinard returned to California, he wore his rugby shirt while climbing with his friends
and they were interested in buying the same kind of shirt. He bought rugby shirts from theEnglish sportswear maker Umbro. They sold well and he started ordering rugby shirts from New
Zealand and Argentina as well. He wanted the Chouinard Equipment brand to remain focusedon hardware so he started Patagonia as a clothing company.

55The company tries to create an enjoyable environment for its employees. There is no dress codeand employees can go surfing during lunch breaks. There is an on-site daycare center for children
and employees can have lunch with their children in the company cafeteria.