Set the Scene:
Let’s start with some questions to connect your everyday life to the subject of the activity:
- Have you ever had a job where you had to work with customers or in a fast-paced environment?
- How do you think it feels to be in a position of authority, but also to be undercover and learning from others?
- What do you think are some common challenges that employees face in the service industry, and how can companies support them?
- Have you ever had a experience where you had to adapt to a new situation or role, and how did you handle it?
- What do you think is the importance of recognizing and rewarding employees for their hard work and dedication?
Featured Image Analysis & Prediction:
Look at the featured image and answer the following questions:
- What do you see in the image?
- What do you think this activity will be about based on this image?
- How does the image relate to the topic of the activity, and what predictions can you make about the content?
Introduction:
Please read the introduction of the activity to understand the context and background of the topic.
Video Engagement:
Watch the video associated with the activity, and pause at the following points to reflect on the questions:
- Pause at 5 minutes: What are your initial impressions of the CEO’s undercover mission, and what do you think they hope to achieve?
- Pause at 10 minutes: How do you think the employees are reacting to the CEO’s presence, and what challenges are they facing in their daily work?
- Pause at 15 minutes: What innovative initiatives are being implemented by the Subway store, and how do you think they can make a positive impact on the community?
Watch the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRxN3nnVFmQ
Original post: https://maestrocursos.com.br/quizzed-esl-activities/undercover-boss-subway-s2-ep9-u-s-tv-series/
Vocabulary Quiz:
Test your understanding of the key vocabulary with the following quiz:
- What does “unsung heroes” mean in the context of the Subway company?
- A) Famous employees who are well-known for their work
- B) Employees who work behind the scenes and are not often recognized for their contributions
- C) High-ranking officials in the company
- D) Employees who have been with the company for a short period of time
- What was the goal of the CEO’s undercover mission in terms of the number of stores?
- A) To reduce the number of stores to 20,000 by 2010
- B) To maintain the current number of stores at 30,000
- C) To reach 45,000 stores by 2015
- D) To expand to 50,000 stores by 2020
- What was one of the challenges faced by the CEO during the undercover experience?
- A) Dealing with easy-going customers who were never in a hurry
- B) Working in a quiet and peaceful environment with no pressure
- C) Dealing with difficult customers who pushed employees to work efficiently and make sandwiches quickly
- D) Having too much free time with nothing to do
- What initiative was the Subway store located in a church starting?
- A) A program to reduce food waste
- B) A delivery program to serve the community
- C) A program to increase the price of sandwiches
- D) A program to reduce employee hours
- What was one of the rewards given to an employee as a result of the CEO’s undercover experience?
- A) A warning for not meeting sales targets
- B) A pay cut due to poor performance
- C) $5,000 and a trip to California to give a workshop and participate in a customer service video
- D) A termination notice for not following company policies
Answer Key:
- B
- C
- C
- B
- C
Grammar Focus:
The present perfect tense is used to describe experiences and achievements that started in the past and continue up to the present moment. Test your understanding with the following quiz:
- By the time the CEO finished the undercover mission, ____________________ with the company for over a year.
- a) he has been working
- b) he worked
- c) he was working
- d) he had worked
- The CEO ____________________ the importance of recognizing and rewarding employees before the undercover experience.
- a) has understood
- b) understood
- c) had understood
- d) was understanding
- By 2015, the company ____________________ 45,000 stores worldwide.
- a) has reached
- b) reached
- c) had reached
- d) was reaching
- Don Ferman ____________________ with Subway for 29 years by the time the CEO went undercover.
- a) has been working
- b) was working
- c) worked
- d) had been working
- The CEO ____________________ a second chance from a company after failing before becoming the CEO.
- a) has received
- b) received
- c) was receiving
- d) had received
Answer Key:
- a) he has been working
- c) had understood
- c) had reached
- d) had been working
- d) had received