EF C1. p 12. Work. Speaking

1. Conversation: Talk about the following questions with your partner for about 5 minutes. The pictures are there to help you.

1.    Do you see any unfair labour practices in your country's workforce? Is the minimum wage enough to bring home the bacon? What should be the role of work unions? Why do you think workers might be at the end of their tether? Why do workers go on a strike normally? Why are women paid less than men for the same job?

2.    What is the best way to deal with any mistakes you make at work? What could ruin someone’s career? What could be the worst-case scenario?

3.    Do school and university prepare students for the world of work? Are they ready to face the harsh reality? Are they realistic when they map out what they hope to achieve? What advice would you give a young person today?

4.    Do you consider yourself a workaholic? Do you know someone who is a drudge? Are we slaves of our jobs? Can perks (or fringe benefits) compensate for a boring job?

5.    Have you ever suffered from ‘burnout’ at work? What aspects might lead to this situation? Do you have a gruelling work schedule? Do you set aside enough time to pursue your own interests? What helps you to ease your mind after a stressful day? How do you unwind? How do you recharge your batteries? Have you ever been snowed under? Do you think that work overload can lead to stress? Can anxiety get the better of us and make us lose our temper?

6.    Everyone wants to be recognized for a job well-done; but what does it take one to rise through the ranks? Are promotions always based on backbreaking work? Or are they based on pulling some strings? Would you like to be promoted?

7.    What is mobbing? What should be done to put an end to it?

8. Do you feel full of the joys of spring at work? Or something along those lines? How Important is job satisfaction in today's workplace?

9. Are  you a last minute deadline junkie? Have you ever had to apologise for turning in your assignments later than you were supposed to? Do you feel you spend too much time in the research phase?

10. When you have to show a new colleague the ropes, what bits and pieces do you prioritise?

11. Do your colleagues show understanding for the new employees who are still finding their feet?

12. How long did it take you to finally get the hang of your current job? Did your boss touch base with you from time to time?     

2. Monologue:Below there are some issues related to the topic. You must talk about at least two of them for 3 minutes. You may be asked further questions about the topic when you have finished.

Partner A:
•          What dream jobs would fulfil your wildest expectations? What are their benefits and drawbacks? What do you find stimulating about them? What could you do to get your foot in the door of your dream job?

•          Have you ever taken time off work? Have you ever phoned in sick when in fact you were not? Have you ever been on sick leave?

•          Why did you leave your last job- did you resign? Were you made redundant? Or were you sacked? Was it a dead-end job?

Partner B:

•          A mind-numbing but financially rewarding job or an underpaid one that makes you blissfully happy, what would you choose? Are there any jobs you would refuse to do regardless of the pay?

•          What would be the reasons why you would hand in your notice?

•          Have you ever had issues at work? (gossip, harassment, discrimination, low motivation, interpersonal conflicts)

Vocabulary

workforce: all the people who work for a particular company, organization, etc. / staff

bring home the bacon: (informal) to be successful at something; to earn money for your family to live on

unions: /ˈjuːniən/(also trade union) (British English also trades union) (North American English also labor union) [countable] an organization of workers, usually in a particular industry, that exists to protect their interests, improve conditions of work, etc.

to be at the end of your tether:  to have no more patience or strength

ruin: to damage something so badly that it loses all its value, pleasure, etc.; to spoil something.

worst-case scenario: /ˈwɜːstkeɪs/ involving the worst situation that could happen.

workaholic: /ˌwɜːkəˈhɒlɪk/ a person who works very hard and finds it difficult to stop working and do other things

harsh reality: cruel, severe and unkind reality.

map something out:to plan or arrange something in a careful or detailed way. He has his career path clearly mapped out.

drudge: /drʌdʒ/ a person who has to do long hard boring jobs. Working for that company, I was little more than a drudge.

perks: (also formal perquisite /ˈpɜːkwɪzɪt/) [usually plural] something you receive as well as your wages for doing a particular job.

fringe benefit:/ˈfrɪndʒ benɪfɪt/ extra things that an employer gives you as well as your wages

burnout: the state of being extremely tired or ill, either physically or mentally, because you have worked too hard.

ease your mind: to stop someone from worrying

to be snowed under: to have so much work that you have problems dealing with it all: I'm absolutely snowed under with work at the moment.

unwind: /ʌnˈwaɪnd/ [intransitive] to stop worrying or thinking about problems and start to relax.

set aside: to save something, usually money or time, for a special purpose.

to get the better of someone: to defeat somebody/something or gain an advantage. No one can get the better of her in an argument.

to lose/keep your temper: (with somebody)to fail/manage to control your anger

to rise through the ranks: to begin a career (with a company or institution) with little power or authority and gradually gain more power and authority. She rose through the ranks of the company to become president

backbreaking:/ˈbækbreɪkɪŋ/ (of physical work) very hard and tiring.

to pull some strings:(for somebody)(North American English also pull wires)(informal) to use your influence in order to get an advantage for somebody.

mobbing: it is a form of workplace bullying. Mobbing is harassment from a number of people, targeted at one individual.

put an end to it: to make something stop happening or existing: How can we put an end to the fighting?

phone in sick:to phone the place where you work in order to tell your employer something: She phoned in sick (= saying that she was ill) this morning.

drawback: drawback (of/to something) | drawback (of/to doing something) a disadvantage or problem that makes something a less attractive idea.

resign: /rɪˈzaɪn/ to officially tell somebody that you are leaving your job, an organization, etc.

to be sacked:(informal, especially British English) to dismiss somebody from a job. Synonym of to fire

dead-end job: a job in which there is no chance of progressing to a better, more important job

mind-numbing:/ˈmaɪndnʌmɪŋ/  very boring. E.g. mind-numbing conversation

underpaid: not paid enough for the work you do

to hand in your notice: to tell your employer that you are leaving your job, especially in a letter.

gossip: [uncountable] (disapproving) informal talk or stories about other people’s private lives, that may be unkind or not true.

harassment: the act of annoying or worrying somebody by putting pressure on them or saying or doing unpleasant things to them.

discrimination: the practice of treating somebody or a particular group in society less fairly than others

full-time: the number of hours that people usually work in a complete week.

a heavy workload: to have a lot of work to do

a high-powered job: an important or powerful job

holiday entitlement: the number of days holiday allowed

to work your fingers to the bone: to work really hard

leave: a period of time away from your job or from the armed forces.

benefits: [COUNTABLE/UNCOUNTABLE] BRITISH money or other help that the government gives people who need financial help, for example because they do not have a job. The American word is welfare. Housing/sickness/disability benefit. claim (a) benefit: There has been an increase in the number of people claiming benefit. get/receive (a) benefit: families receiving benefit. on benefit: She’s been on unemployment benefit for six years.

on the dole: unemployed