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

MattelListening Questions 1
1. Where did the name “Mattel” come from?
.

2. QUESTIONS
2. What was Ruth Handler doing when she thought of creating dolls thatlooked like women?

.

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

3. Where did she find a product similar to what she wanted to make?
.
4. Who was the Barbie doll named after?
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5. How much revenue did Mattel earn in 1965?
.
Listening Questions 2

3. LISTEN

1. What are 2 toy manufacturers that Mattel acquired?
.

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

2. What are 2 companies Mattel has licensing agreements with?
.
3. How much does an American Girl doll cost?
.
4. Which Mattel subsidiary focuses on toys for babies and infants?
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5. In 2017, what were their net sales? How was this compared to 2016?
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1

Listening 12 3 4

5%%%

1

Listening 2
2 3 45%%%%%%%Discussion Questions
1. What were some of your favorite toys when you were a child? Arethey popular today?
2. Why do you think there is a downward trend in sales recently forMattel? Is it an issue with the toy industry or business practices?

4. CHECK ANSWERS
TRANSCRIPT 1
Mattel, the toy manufacturer, was founded in 1945 in El Segundo, USA. The name Mattel is acombination of the first names of two of its founders Matt Matson and Elliot Handler. The thirdfounder was Elliot’s wife Ruth. Initially, the company sold wooden picture frames. Thecompany had its first hit toy in 1947 with a ukulele for kids called a “Uke-A-Doodle.”

Read through thetranscript andunderline theanswers. Checkthem against yourown answers.

5. CHECK VOCABULARY
Read thetranscript andcircle any new
vocabulary youfind. Look themup and add themto your list.

Barbie went on to be a hugely popular toy line with dolls that look like numerous ethnicities, avariety of accessories, and playsets.

MATCH THE SYNONYMS BY DRAWING LINES BELOW:

6. READ ALOUD

Read thetranscript aloudat least 5 times,
focusing onintonation andpronunciation.

11223344557. SHADOWING

223344

Found

EmbodyEnvision

Buy

Skyrocket

Nationality/Race

Ethnicity

Escalate

AcquireVisualize

Represent

Begin

TRANSCRIPT 2
Over the years, Mattel acquired several other toy manufacturers that gave them control of
popular toy brands, including the toy car brand Hot Wheels and doll brand American Girl. Thecompany also has licensing agreements with companies such as Disney and DC Comics, so it
can make toys of characters like Disney Princesses, Batman, and Superman.
The American Girl doll brand is quite different from the Barbie doll brand. An American Girl dollsells for $115 whereas a Barbie doll sells for $10-35. Also, American Girl dolls represent eight
to eleven-year-old girls, not adult women like Barbie.

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

11

Ruth helped create one of the company’s most successful toys ever. In the 50s, while watching
her daughter Barbara play with dolls, Ruth thought that girls might enjoy playing with dolls thatlooked like women instead of like babies. Later, while travelling with her children in Germany,she saw a doll that was similar to what she had envisioned. That doll was called Bild Lilli andshe bought 3 of the toys, 1 for her daughter and 2 to take back to Mattel. She and an engineer
at Mattel designed a similar doll and named it Barbie, after Barbara’s nickname. The company’ssales skyrocketed from $26 million in 1963 to over $100 million in 1965, partly due to thestrength of Barbie sales.

Fisher-Price, a toy company that Mattel acquired in 1993, focuses on toys for babies andinfants.
In 2017, the company’s worldwide net sales were approximately $5.5 billion, which was an 11%
decline from the year before, with a 17% decline in the North American market. Mattel reported
an operating loss of around $343 million dollars.

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