Tag: work

The End of Retirement

B2 – Upper Intermediate

It is essential to perceive that retirement is a man-made process, not a step backwards or an indispensable moment in time. But given all the changes in time, retirement might not be how we perceive it anymore.

Have you contemplated on what you’re going to do after you retire from your job? Is it globe trotting? Are you spending time at home or do nothing and simply relax? Gardening? Or simply having a good time with your grandkids? Should you run your own business instead?
Is there so much more to do? What exactly would your retirement years be like?

To find out more, let’s take a moment to read the full article.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220526-is-this-the-end-of-retirement-as-we-know-it

Discussion Questions:

  1. How has retirement changed over the years? Is this happening in your country as well?
  2. What do you think of the tendency for “people to expect and need to work past traditional retirement age”?
  3. How do you picture your retirement in your head?
  4. Do you think people who retire miss working? Why or why not?
  5. What’s the best age for retirement and why?
  6. In what ways do you think retirement might be gleeful?
  7. In what ways do you think retirement might be stressful?

The Interview

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Oftentimes, we are faced with the challenge of working with a person or a group with totally opposing views or personalities whether at work or in other circumstances in life. This may cause tension and perhaps also a lot of pressure, but it may also be the push that some need to work or perform better. Working alone sounds like a great idea, but you also have to be flexible to work in pairs or teams should need arises.

Watch the video to see how this new assignment was handled.

https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/lets-learn-english-level-2-lesson-2/3960471.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does it mean to be a team player? What are the qualities of a good team player?
  2. Does your department have team projects? How does each member contribute? How does the leader manage the team?
  3. How does your company support employees’ leveling up on skills and knowledge?
  4. What soft skills do you want to hone?
  5. How do you ace an interview?
  6. What are the skills needed to be a good interviewer?
  7. Share some of your memorable interview experiences.

The People Penalized for Expressing Feelings at Work

B2 – Upper Intermediate

How we convey ourselves in the organization is kept in check by implicit ’emotional laws.’ Interestingly, not all sentimental outbursts are evaluated evenly.

According to one study, ‘feeling rules’ are administered differently depending on ethnic and gender identity.

Let us read the full text to find out more about the gender gap regarding these so-called “feeling rules”.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20211029-the-people-penalised-for-expressing-feelings-at-work

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do you deal with emotional outbursts at work?
  2. Who is responsible for emotional outbursts at work?
  3. What is your personal view on getting punished at work for expressing one’s emotions?
  4. How can this gap be bridged?
  5. Do you think that these unspoken “feeling rules” exist in the companies that you have worked for? Talk about some instances where they were displayed.

Myths about Food Bloggers

B2 – Upper Intermediate

A food blogger has already become a popular job nowadays, but some people still don’t understand how to earn money by just posting food photos, recipes, or pretty much anything that’s food-related. That’s why there are a lot of myths about this job.

Read the article to check if your vision of food blogging was correct.

What do Bloggers Really Do?: 7 Myths About Food Bloggers

Discussion Questions:

  1. Is there any information that surprised you about food blogging?  What was it?
  2. If you decided to become a food blogger, what direction would you choose? Why?
  3. What ideas for food blogs can you think of?
  4. What food blogs, if any, do you follow? What attracts you about these blogs?
  5. Share your thoughts on this statement: “Food Bloggers can’t be trusted because their food is free.”

Career Coach Finds Your Dream Job

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Just about everyone faces a moment in their professional life when they question the job that they do, when it doesn’t challenge them anymore or simply having that feeling that they should be somewhere else. However, some time after the outbreak of the pandemic, it appears that there has been a significant increase in the number of people reconsidering their career opportunities.

A vast career coaching industry has sprung up in recent years, with the goal of sustaining and enhancing a different approach in professionals’ careers, as well as gaining the skills for them to be established and eventually being able to reach their dreams.

Let’s take a look at the article below to find out how a career coach can help you find your dream job.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220103-can-a-career-coach-find-you-your–dream-job

Discussion Questions:

  1. Would you ever consider having a career coach? Why or why not?
  2. How would you go about it when the moment comes and you feel you aren’t where you want to be professionally?
  3. What are some of the worst and best jobs you can think of and why do you consider them as such?
  4. What kinds of jobs interest you the most and the least?
  5. Talk about your dream job and how you intend to land it.

Passion Exploitation

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Most likely, you have heard that once you have found the job you are most passionate about, “you will never have to work a day in your life”. But what if your passion for what you do gives people you work with the idea that they can take advantage of you?

Read the article about passion exploitation.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20190719-passion-exploitation

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think about this being practiced/done by some in certain industries?
  2. Talk about an instance when you were asked to work more, on unrelated tasks, or for free. How did that make you feel?
  3. What is the best way to refuse paying the “passion tax”?
  4. What is the best thing to say to someone who is trying to exploit you at work?
  5. Do you think passion exploitation is more likely to happen if you work in particular industries? Explain your stand.
  6. Why do you think workers in artistic and creative industries are more susceptible to this kind of exploitation?
  7. How can some exploitative actions of managers be prevented?

Working from Home Tips to Stay Motivated and Productive

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Due to the pandemic, a lot of people were constrained from going to the office and obligated to start doing work remotely.

Surely, there a lot of pros in working from home but there are cons as well. But regardless of these things, the question is, are we making the most out of this new work setup?

Here are some tips which could help ensure we get the best results while working in our homes.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are the tips to stay motivated while working from home according to the video?
  2. Which among the tips do you apply personally?
  3. What are the pros and cons of working remotely?
  4. Do you prefer working in the office or at home? Why?
  5. How long have you been working from home? How did you adjust to this work style at first?
  6. Give your personal tips on how to be productive while working remotely.

Dealing with Meeting Overload

B2 – Upper Intermediate

There is probably not a single employee in the world who’s free from meetings. The work culture nowadays is so obsessed with meetings that it takes the productivity out of the employee. Instead of focusing on essential work or projects, employees have to sit through some long hours trying to dissect some agenda that oftentimes can be dealt with by a few people in a few minutes.

Now that the digital workspace has been a generally acceptable avenue for the current situation, employees are no less immune to the demands of a meeting now and then. Being able to reach people even when they’re away from the office gives more reasons to accommodate calls for meetings because it is now more possible to do so.

So how do we alter this culture and improve productivity? It really is in our hands. Watch this video for some tips on what to do to be more in control of your calendar.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What has been your experience with meetings in the workplace?
  2. Do you agree with the tips laid out in the video? Why or why not?
  3. Which of the tips is the most effective? Why?
  4. Have you tried any of the tips mentioned in the video? How did it go?
  5. What other tips would you add to the list that would be effective in managing your schedule?

Companies Lean Harder on Non-Parents

B2 – Upper Intermediate

With work getting very demanding nowadays, certain groups of workers are affected by some work arrangements. Parents can easily get away with leaving work early, getting extra days off, or not showing up because of domestic duties. The pressure to cover certain hours or work loads now falls on workers without kids.

Little by little, non-parents feel as if their voices or needs are not as important or respected as those of the parents. They believe that they also deserve the same benefits or leeway that the companies give parents.

Read the article below to see the differences in the work setup that non-parents experience and what they yearn for from the management.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20211005-is-modern-office-culture-unfair-to-non-parents

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you think that there’s a huge tension building up between parents and non-parents in the workplace? Why?
  2. Do you believe that there are higher expectations for non-parents to work harder and perform better? Why?
  3. Why do you think it’s important for company management to take their employees’ concerns into account?
  4. What are some policies that you can propose for a good working environment?
  5. What are some countries that have some of the best working environments?

Make Applying for Jobs Less Painful

C1 – Advanced

Many companies receive a high volume of applications every day and you may be wondering if your applications are being read at all.

Watch the video as it talks about the possibilities of using algorithms that can help companies organize job applications and ensure none fall through the cracks.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do hiring algorithms have benefits for workers?
  2. Is there evidence that these algorithms work? Explain.
  3. Do you think their claim about “fairness” is convincing? Elaborate.
  4. To attract employees, should companies focus on pay and benefits instead of complicated hiring algorithms?
  5. What are your hopes about the future of hiring algorithms?