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Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. a merger
    • ex. The merger of two big companies created a stronger business that could serve more customers.
  2. a memorandum of understanding
    • ex. The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding to work together on a new project.
  3. unify
    • ex. The leaders decided to unify their efforts to solve the problem and help their community grow.
  4. lag behind (someone/something)
    • ex. Our team needs to practice more so we don't lag behind other teams in the competition.
  5. a competitor
    • ex. Our shop has a new competitor that sells similar clothes at lower prices.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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Japanese car companies Honda and Nissan have announced plans for a merger. As a result of the merger, the combined company will be the world’s third-largest automaker by sales. The two companies said they signed a memorandum of understanding last December. Mitsubishi Motors, which is part of the Nissan group, also joined the talks about combining their businesses.

Honda’s president, Toshihiro Mibe, said that Honda and Nissan plan to unify their operations and manage their businesses together. Honda will be the first to lead the combined company, keeping the values and brands of both Honda and Nissan. They hope to have a formal merger agreement by June 2025 and finish the deal by August 2026, with the combined company being listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Japanese car companies have lagged behind their competitors in making electric cars. Now, they are trying to save money and catch up. The merger could create a powerful company worth more than $50 billion (about ¥7.3 trillion). Together, Honda, Nissan, and Mitsubishi would be big enough to compete with other large automakers like Toyota and Volkswagen.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Lagging Behind

  • According to the article, Japanese car companies have lagged behind their competitors in creating electric cars. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Imagine that you are a member of a large car company. What do you think your company can do to avoid lagging behind other car companies (ex. develop new car technologies)? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, in what areas is your country lagging behind other countries (ex. English education, work-life balance)? Why do you say so? Discuss.

Mergers

  • What do you think will be the impact of the merger between Nissan and Honda? Discuss.
  • Do you believe that mergers always lead to better services or products? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • What two companies in your country would you like to see enter into a merger as well? Why? Discuss.