Nvidia started in 1993 making graphics chips for video games. Today its chips power the AI boom, and it is the most valuable company in the world. This lesson tells the story of how it got there and gets students talking about business success, risk and the future of AI. This B2 version looks at how Nvidia became so powerful, and the risks it now faces, with vocabulary for business, money and change.
Level: B2 · Time: 45 to 90 minutes. Pick the activities that suit your class. They work in almost any order.
Lesson Activities
- Warmer: What Is It? – Reveal the picture tile by tile. What is it? What is it used for? Does anyone in the class have one?
- Vocabulary: Pre-teach the Key Words – Match 10 words and phrases from the article to their meanings before reading (turning point, bold, revenue, rely on, export restrictions, bubble…).
- Reading: Nvidia, the Company Powering the AI Boom – An article with 12 gaps. Choose without a word bank or with a word bank for extra support.
- Vocabulary: People, Money and Products – Sort 15 business words (founder, investor, revenue, profit, shares, chip, software…) into three groups.
- Discussion: Success, Risk and the AI Boom – 12 discussion questions on luck vs hard work, AI bubbles, relying on big customers and what makes a good CEO.
- Speaking: Ranking – What makes a company successful? Students rank nine factors, from a great product and a strong leader to luck and good timing, then compare with a partner.
Teacher Tips
- For a shorter lesson, use the warmer, the reading and the discussion cards.
- Language focus: ask students to find words and phrases for describing risk and change (a turning point, a bold bet, relies on, a bubble, could fall sharply) and use them in the discussion.
- Business English classes: ask students to compare Nvidia with their own company or industry. Who are its customers and competitors? What are the risks?
- Follow-up: students prepare a one-minute pitch for a new company idea.
Teaching a lower-level group? Try the B1 version of this lesson.