The Mini is a video lesson of International Express, Oxford University Press, which is available to us through Oxford's YouTube channel.
The Mini lends itself to a nice integrated skills activity, which we can do with a friend or relative who also speaks English or on our own.
Self-study activity:
Discuss these questions with a friend, or record yourself if when answering them if you are working alone.
1 What kind of car do you own? Why did you choose that make?
2 How many makes of British car can you name?
3 Is the Mini popular in your country? Why (not)?
4 The Mini is described as a British icon, but what would be considered icons of your country?
Now watch the four-minute video on the Mini and answer the following questions below.
a Which example of British design is described as unsuccessful?
b Why did Morris want a small car to be designed?
c How long did it take Alex Issigonis to design the first Mini?
d How was the space inside the car used?
e What was the commercial problem with the Mini?
f What happened to the Mini in 2001?
You can self-correct the activity by reading the transcript here.
