Tag: Work and Workplace

Professionals Want To Go Back To the Office

B2 – Upper Intermediate

COVID-19 has lead to more and more employees working from home. 98% of people surveyed said they would like the option to work remotely for the rest of their careers. With workers finding some challenges in this new work setup, not everything is positive.

Let’s read the article to find out what these 6 professionals shared about their experiences working from home and why they want to go back to working in the office again.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/return-to-office-work_l_60818168e4b01e14f06eb30a

Discussion Questions:

  1. Are you currently working from home? What’s your daily routine like for working?
  2. What’s your biggest struggle with working remotely?
  3. How can companies with remote workforce benefit from implementing flexible/remote working?
  4. What do you do when taking breaks and to recharge throughout the day?
  5. Are remote workers happier than office employees? Explain your point.

Payday Loans

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Life is tough and it is even tougher for people who are short of cash.

Payday loans are a form of cash advance to help people cover their expenses until their next paycheck comes in. For some, it is an easy way to have a temporary solution to their money problems.

Listen to the audio and read the transcript about payday loans.

Payday loans

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does the idiom “Give it to me straight.” mean? “What do you mean complicated? Give it to me straight. Where did you get a loan?” Use it in your own sentence and give a synonym or similar expression.
  2. What does “to run someone dry” mean? “Exactly, because they can run you dry.” Use it in your own sentence and give a synonym or similar expression.
  3. What does “quicksand” mean here? “And then people like you get locked into a vicious loan cycle that is almost impossible to escape. Like quicksand.” Use it in your own sentence and give a synonym or similar expression.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do you react/feel when someone tries to borrow money from you?
  2. Are payday loans a help to people or not? Explain your thoughts about it.
  3. Are payday loans common in your country? What is your opinion about their high interest rates?

Digital Nomad Work Visa in Caribbean Islands

B1 – Intermediate

Digital nomads are workers who often work remotely from places to places. They do not have a permanent base. Because of technology and globalization, this kind of work style and lifestyle has become more popular. 

One problem that digital nomads have is sometimes, they can’t stay for as long as they want in one place because of visa restrictions.

But, in some Caribbean Islands, this won’t be a problem anymore. They have a new visa program for digital nomads.

Know more about it from the article below.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2010/201004-digital-nomad-1.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What can you say about this work visa for digital nomads in the Caribbean?
  2. Would you like to try the digital nomad life?
  3. What do you think are the good and hard things about this kind of life?

Ways Companies Can Support Grieving Employees

B2 – Upper Intermediate

We all have different means on how to cope up with pain and grief. Some would use their work to get back up while living with their anguish. It’s called productive destruction as work itself can restore one’s purpose after dealing with loss.

Watch as Tilak Mandadi talks about the importance of culture of empathy in the workplace and how it can support grieving employees.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Discuss the 3 tips on the video. How can they be helpful for grieving employees?
  2. What was the most painful thing you had experienced? Who helped you get through it?
  3. How do you deal with grief and pain?
  4. What can you say about your work environment?
  5. What are the things that your company offers to mourning employees?

Healthcare Clowns Help Patients Laugh and Recover

B1 – Intermediate

As the old saying goes, ‘laughter is the best medicine’. Laughing reduces stress, increases energy, and it makes us feel good. Hospital clowning continues to grow around the world because they help patients focus on something other than their illness.

Let’s read the article below

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2012/201217-healthcare-clowns-4.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you think laughter is the best medicine? Why / Why not?
  2. What do you think of the idea of healthcare clowns? Elaborate.
  3. What other things could clowns do to help society?
  4. Do you think clowns are scary? Why / Why not?
  5. How has humor help you pass difficult situations in your life?
  6. What helps reduce your stress or anxiety?

No More Bosses

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Holacracy is a method of removing job titles and hierarchy. In this system, decision-making is distributed among self-managing teams. In this method, certain positions in the business hierarchy such as managers are dissolved.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are the benefits of having a boss/manager? Can you think of any disadvantages in the absence of one?
  2. Do you agree with holacracy? Are there companies in your country that practice holacracy?
  3. Describe your relationship with your former and current bosses. How helpful were they to you?

French Health Workers’ Pay Rise

B1 – Intermediate

They are clearly the heroes during this extremely difficult times. They are the health workers including doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. With all the work that they do for us, how do we repay them?

There will be an increase in its health workers’ salary in France. The pay rise is a reward for the hard work of health workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Read this lesson on health workers’ salary.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2007/200716-health-workers-1.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “applaud” mean here, “During the outbreak, millions of French people applauded nurses and doctors.“? Use it in your own sentence.
  2. What does “protest” mean, “Unions asked them to stay away as a protest.” Use it in your own sentence.
  3. What does the word “staff” mean, “The unions said the government had to do more to protect staff and keep them safe.“? Use it in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you think health workers deserved this pay rise? Why or why not?
  2. Talk about salaries and benefits of health workers in your country. Do you think they are properly compensated?
  3. How were health workers’ hard work recognized or how were they rewarded during the pandemic in your country? 

Twitter Employees Can Work at Home Forever

B1 – Intermediate

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey emailed all his employees that most of them can continue working from home for as long as they want.

A Twitter spokesperson said, “Opening offices will be our decision. When and if our employees come back, will be theirs.” Even after the coronavirus pandemic, the employees can still have the freedom to choose where they want to work.

Twitter is an online company so almost all of the employees can just converse on chats and video calls. The past few months have proven that working online is possible.

Let’s read the article below to learn more about Twitter’s decision to let their employees work at their homes forever.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2005/200515-working-at-home-1.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. Give 1-2 synonym/s of the phrase “work from home“. “Twitter has told many of it employees they can work from home forever.” Use them in your own sentences.
  2. What does the expression “to be in a good position” mean? “Twitter is in a good position for workers to work at home.” Make your own sentence using the phrase.
  3. What does the expression “to make something happen” mean? “If they want to continue to do so forever, we will make that happen.” Make your own sentence using the phrase.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What was your reaction towards Twitter letting their employees work from home forever?
  2. Do you think that this set up of working from home can still be productive for workers and the company?
  3. What are the advantages of working form home for the employees and the company?
  4. What are the disadvantages of working form home for the employees and the company?
  5. Given a chance, would you want to work from home for the rest of your life? Why?

Switching Careers

B2 – Upper Intermediate

A career transition can be challenging. Why do people change careers? Is it boredom, uncertainty, benefits, or goals that make people question their career choices? When can be the best time to change careers?

Let’s read the article about when an employee considers a career change in their life.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/08/success/switching-careers-pandemic/index.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your opinion on this statement: “the job market is a mess, but you can still switch careers”?
  2. Do you agree or disagree that big life events tend to make people question their life choices?
  3. When is the best time to change careers? Why do you think so?
  4. What job skills are the most in demand for a career change?
  5. What could make you change your current job for another one?
  6. What might be the challenges of making a sudden and big change in one’s career?

Planning an Event

B1 – Intermediate

Working with a group of people can be both challenging and advantageous. Some prefer to work by themselves while others think sharing responsibilities could be the fastest way to get the job done.

In this lesson, you will find how the team managed to delegate each task effectively in order to plan an event.

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/skills/reading/intermediate-b1/planning-an-event

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. Give 1-2 synonyms of “organise“. Use them in your own sentences.
  2. What is an “emcee“? Use this word in your own sentence.
  3. What does “book” mean in this sentence, “I can do that if someone books the speakers.”? Use this word in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. If you were part of this team, which task/s do you think you would prefer to do and why?
  2. Talk about a time when you had to organize/plan an event.
  3. What are some rewards and challenges of planning an event?
  4. How are tasks usually divided in your project teams?
  5. Why is delegating tasks important?
  6. Do you prefer to work by yourself or with others? Why?
  7. What are your thoughts on this, “Democratic leadership is one of the most popular leadership styles because it involves input from the entire team and fosters employees’ sense of ownership in their work.”?