Tag: Work and Workplace

Cope With Layoff Anxiety

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Being employed in a company is surely not all rainbows and butterflies. There’s always that fear of getting laid off or fired out of nowhere.

Read the article to learn how to deal with layoff anxiety.

https://lifehacker.com/how-to-cope-with-layoff-anxiety-1850097349

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What is a “safety net” mean, “Even if having a financial safety net isn’t feasible, coming up with a backup plan gives you some sort of control over your situation.“? Use this phrase in your own sentence.
  2. What does “cobble” mean, “According to a 2022 survey, roughly 36% of employed Americans are gig workers—cobbling an income together from multiple sources, none of which likely come with benefits.“? Use this word in your own sentence.
  3. What does “to channel something into” mean, “Channel your anxiety into learning new skills.“? Use this phrase in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why do people experience anxiety after being laid off from their jobs?
  2. What are other ways to deal with layoff anxiety?
  3. How can talking to someone about your layoff anxiety help you cope?
  4. How can employers help ease their employees’ anxiety during a period of potential layoffs?
  5. Can seeking professional help, such as counseling, be beneficial for coping with layoff anxiety?
  6. Have you experienced getting laid off? If yes, how did you deal with it? If not, how do you think will you handle this situation?

AI Anxiety: Workers Fear Losing Jobs to Artificial Intelligence

B2 – Upper Intermediate

AI is undeniably useful in many different industries and applications. With the increasing automation of jobs, many people are concerned about the security of their employment.

Read the article to learn more about the impact of AI on the workforce and how some workers fear for their jobs.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20230418-ai-anxiety-artificial-intelligence-replace-jobs

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “shy away from something” mean, “Instead of shying away from AI, employees should plan to embrace and educate.“? Use this phrase in your own sentence.
  2. What does “fluid” mean here, “It is normal to feel anxiety about the impact of AI because its evolution is fluid.“? Use “fluid” in a sentence in this context.
  3. What does “streamline” mean, “Technology advancements have shown us that, yes, technology has the potential to automate or streamline work processes.“? Use this word in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you believe that AI will ultimately create more jobs than it replaces, as some experts suggest? Why or why not?
  2. What are some potential solutions to address job displacement caused by AI?
  3. How can governments and policymakers ensure that AI is used responsibly and for the benefit of society as a whole?
  4. Do you think that there are certain jobs or industries that are more vulnerable to job displacement caused by AI than others? Why or why not?
  5. Are you concerned about the potential impact of AI on your job or industry? Why or why not?

Strengths and Weaknesses

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Imagine being asked about your strengths and weaknesses at a job interview. What would you say?

Read the article and find out some tips on how to talk about strengths and weaknesses at a job interview.

https://www.betterteam.com/strengths-and-weaknesses

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. Define “frame” here, “Use the job description to frame your answer.” Use this word in your own sentence.
  2. What does “hard skill” mean, “Your weaknesses can include a hard skill set out in the job description, provided that you emphasize your desire to acquire this skill through a course or program.“? Use this phrase in your own sentence.
  3. Define “note” here, “I struggle with negative criticism and can become obsessed with perfecting my work after receiving notes from a supervisor.” Use this word in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What should you consider when listing your weaknesses?
  2. Can your weakness affect your hiring? How can you avoid this?
  3. What are some examples of weaknesses that you can mention during an interview depending on the job profile?
  4. What should you consider when listing your strengths?
  5. What are some examples of strengths that you can mention during an interview?

Remote Work a Liability

B2 – Upper Intermediate

For small business owners, allowing staff to work from home offers several advantages. Among them include fostering employee satisfaction and lowering rent costs for offices. Despite the buzz around telecommuting, there are still possible risks to be aware of.

Watch the video on a discussion about how some companies think the remote working is a liability.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “preempt” mean? “I don’t want to preempt anything I would say to the team. So, he wouldn’t tell me what the timeline is.” Give 2 synonyms and use ‘preempt’ in your own sentence.
  2. What does “crank up” mean? “Come summer, if folks want to be working from home on Fridays, they really need to crank up the effort.” Give 2 synonyms and use ‘crank up’ in your own sentence.
  3. What is the meaning of “buzzword“? “The latest buzzword in international travel is “ecotourism”.” Kindly use the word in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think of working from home? Is remote working a liability or not? Explain.
  2. What are the pros and cons of remote working for companies?
  3. What do companies in your country think of remote work?
  4. How do you think company managers in your country would feel about workers having the flexibility to combine weeks of proper vacation and working remotely during summertime?
  5. What do you think about being able to choose to come in and out of work at time that best suits an employee during their workday? Cite the advantages and troubles with this kind of flexibility in worker schedules.

Building a Personal Brand

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Whether one has got a big online presence or not, that can still be considered as personal brand. How we shape it lies in our own hands. Going through the process of building a personal brand might be intimidating, but it can most definitely be a concrete path to not only professional, but also personal development.

It is important to know how to build a brand that encapsulates what you do, who you want to share your your talents and expertise with, and what kind of impact you wish to create in your industry.

Learn more on how to create a personal brand that you are happy about through this video.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. Define “personal brand”. “In our connected world, every single one of us has a personal brand, whether we like it or not.” Use this phrase in your own sentence.
  2. What does “stumped” mean, “If you’re stumped, think about how you can stand out from the crowd in your industry.“? Give a similar word or phrase and use ‘stumped’ in your own sentence.
  3. What does ”to stand out from the crowd” mean, “If you’re stumped, think about how you can stand out from the crowd in your industry.”? Give a similar word or phrase and use ‘to stand out from the crowd’ in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How important is personal brand important?
  2. People often think of personal branding as bragging, self-promotion, and all about yourself thing. Do you agree or disagree? Explain.
  3. What specific talents or expertise would you like to acquire and what impact do you think it will have on your career if you had them?
  4. What do you think is the biggest impact you’ve created on others so far in your years of being in your profession?
  5. Try to come up with your own mission statement containing the following: who you are, what you do, who you do it for, and the transformation you can create in people’s lives.
  6. What are your thoughts on this: “70% of hiring professionals have rejected a candidate because of something they found online.”?

Every Job Is An Opportunity

B2 – Upper Intermediate

A job is more than a paycheck. It’s a platform for learning, growth, and advancement. By seeing every job as an opportunity, individuals can unlock their full potential, extract valuable lessons, and make the most out of their career journey.

Discover 5 reasons why every job can be a stepping stone towards career dreams. Despite feeling uninspired sometimes, jobs offer growth opportunities. Don’t miss this eye-opening article by Jakob Sauppe!

https://possibilitychange.com/every-job-is-an-opportunity/

Vocabulary Questions:

1. What is the meaning of the phrase “Achilles’ heel” in a sentence “Every one of us has an Achilles’ heel in our work lives.” Use it in a sentence.

2. In a sentence “If you made a positive, memorable impression, that could be your ticket to moving up.”, explain the meaning of the word “ticket” and use it in a sentence.

3. Explain the idiom “right off the bat” in the sentence “I sincerely doubt many people turn out successful right off the bat.” Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you agree that every job is an opportunity? Why or why not?
  2. What other values did you learn from the article?
  3. How can you use your job as an opportunity to improve?
  4. How does the mindset of viewing every job as an opportunity to excel impact your approach to your work and your overall job performance?
  5. Share success stories of individuals who turned challenges into opportunities for career growth.

Unlimited Vacation

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Unlimited PTO (personal time off) is a type of employee benefit where an organization allows its employees to take as much time off work as they want or need, without a specific limit or maximum number of vacation days.

This means that employees are free to take as much time off as they want, as long as they meet their work responsibilities and performance goals. Unlimited vacation policies are usually focused on results and outcomes rather than hours worked, giving employees more autonomy and flexibility to manage their own schedules and workloads.

Watch the video about the pitfalls of unlimited PTO. Be able to answer the questions that follow.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “talent retention” mean? “Unlimited time off policies help employees with their talent retention.” Use the word in a sentence.
  2. What does “backfire” mean? “Unlimited PTO(personal time off) can backfire if the company culture looks down on taking time off.” Use the word in a sentence.
  3. What does the word “pitfall” mean? “There are potential pitfalls that can make time off with no limits too much of a good thing.” Give 2 synonyms and use the word ‘pitfall’ in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What’s your opinion on unlimited PTO (personal time off) for employees?
  2. Do see this taking off even further in your country and in the whole world? Why or why not?
  3. What do you think are the benefits and drawbacks of introducing an unlimited vacation policy in the workplace?
  4. What are your company’s vacation policies and how do you feel about them? Share some of your thoughts.
  5. Do you agree/disagree that ’employees desire for flexibility is stronger now than ever before’? Share your opinion.

Unusual Jobs You Might Not Know Exist

B2 – Upper Intermediate

It’s not unusual now to have a job that can be difficult to explain to people who are used to more common ones such as a teacher or a manager.

Read the article and learn from the stories of representatives with some unusual professions.

13 More Unusual Jobs you might not know exist

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “confidant” mean, “Friend for hire, organizer, confidant, non-complaining member of the wedding party  – if you get along well with people and want to help a bride’s wedding day run smoothly, then this could seriously be a job to consider.“? Use it in your own sentence.
  2. What does “side hustle” mean, “If you’re patient or perhaps you just enjoy people watching, and you don’t mind being out in the elements, you could make line standing a side hustle that could earn you money.”? Use it in your own sentence.
  3. What does “strike a chord” mean, “You never know what’s going to strike a chord and be the spark that ignites a career you’ll love.”? Use it in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Have you ever had an unusual job? What about your friends or relatives? Have they? Why or why not?
  2. Are there any other professions that are hard to understand or explain for you? What are they and try explaining them.
  3. What are the pros and cons of having a bizarre job?
  4. Why do you think people might choose such professions?
  5. How do you explain to others what your job is about?

Sensitivity Readers

B1 – Intermediate

Roald Dahl and Ian Fleming are famous authors. Roald Dahl wrote “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and Ian Fleming, the “James Bond” novels. Their novels are classics. 

However, many things have changed in our society since these books were written more than 50 years ago. Language that were considered acceptable then, might be offensive now.

So, some classic novels have to be edited by what we call “sensitivity readers”. Publishing companies let “sensitivity readers” check for words that might not be politically-correct now.

Read the article on sensitivity readers.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2303/230302-sensitivity-readers.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does ”upset” mean here, ”They are worried that language in older books might upset people today, especially children.”? Give two synonyms of the word ‘upset’ and use it in your own sentence.
  2. What does the expression “belong to another time” mean, “A lot of the language they check belongs to another time.” Use this idiom in your own sentence.
  3. What does “character” mean, “The recent edits of the James Bond books are because of insensitive language about black characters and women.” Use this word in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why are sensitivity readers important?
  2. What do you think of the job of sensitivity readers?
  3. Should classic novels be edited to be politically-correct? Why/why not?
  4. How would you feel reading a book that contains language that might be considered offensive now?
  5. Name one classic book that you read. Were there parts that you thought were offensive?

The Billion-Dollar eSports Industry

B2 – Upper Intermediate

More and more teenagers now prefer playing computer games to doing traditional sports. For them, it would be a dream job if they could play video games for a living.

Watch the video to know more about the billion-dollar eSports industry.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does the phrase “on the cusp” mean, “We haven’t really had our biggest victory yet, but we are really on the cusp of it and I’m certain there we’re going to have it very soon.“? Use it in your own sentence.
  2. What does “fit for a king” mean, “When they’re not on the road, most American teams go back to Los Angeles, the unofficial home of eSports in the US, where their franchises pay for them to live in mansions fit for [a] king.“? Use this idiom in your own sentence.
  3. What does the idiom “rise (up) through the ranks” mean, “I would describe it like we’re playing like the NBA or something and you rise up through the ranks.”? Use this expression in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think of eSports?
  2. What can you say about how professional egamers’ life was presented in the video?
  3. The popularity of games at times even surpasses the popularity of traditional sports. Do you see this as a problem? Explain.
  4. Do you agree that perseverance is very important in eSports? Is it true about every sport?
  5. What might be reasons parents don’t support their children getting involved in egaming?
  6. Is it possible to become a successful gamer even if you haven’t started at an early age? Explain.
  7. Why do you think the life of a pro gamer requires discipline?