- Spot the differences - comparing pictures
- Essential Job Vocabulary
- Speak Method
- 101 ways to Learn English
- Running the Marathon
- Vocabulary - Winter Olymic Games
- CHINESE QUIZ - CHINESE CULTURE
- Macmillan Business English - resources / worksheets / presentations
- IEC - English course
- English Proficiency Test - for Readers
- Advanced Vocabulary subject lessons
- SPEAK - READ - WRITE
- Theme lesons - English Club
- Language Guide
- English for Everyone
- Learn English through Pictures - Vocab - US vocab
- Short stories & poems - British Council
- 101 Ways to Learn English
- Mentoring Ms. Montfort
- Real English practice exercises
- Charles Aznavour - Emenez Moi / Take Me Along - song
- GUESS THE CITY GAME
- Discussing the Divine Comedy with Dante
- VirtouristVirtual Tourist
- Listen a Minute
- English Club : The Learning English Video Project
- Games to learn English
- Spot the differences - game
- The Invisible Gorilla
Open Space ESL Lesson Plan: Warm-up
1) How
has the inside of offices changed since the time of your parents?
2) What
are the minimum things you need to do your work effectively? Do you have them?
3) Would
the below items affect your productivity as a worker in an office? How so?
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|
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Topic: Offices, Cubicles, & Open SpaceIn the past few decades, there has been a shift away from the traditional private offices and cubicles found in the workspaces of the 1980s. Whether for financial reasons or streamlining efficiency, many companies are adopting open space layouts where teams of workers are clustered together.
The
most glaring criticism of cubicles,
semi-private work areas surrounded by partitions, is their resemblance to
cages. They can remind the worker of confinement
and claustrophobia. Franklin Becker,
the director of a workplace studies program at Cornell University, believes
cubicles “provide pseudo-privacy at
best, and are terrible for spontaneous communication.” Becker is also against
private offices because they discourage employees from having contact outside
of their group. He believes promoting inter-group collaboration is important
for a company’s success. While Becker realizes employees need privacy at times,
he believes four to eight-person team offices are ideal because people spend
most of their time in teams. Such an environment can also generate synergy and boost employee morale.
Michael
Brill, a workplace-planning consultant in Buffalo, holds a different view.
According to Brill, the top two predictors of job performance are: 1) the
ability for teams and individuals to do work without distraction, and 2) the
ability to have easy, frequent, informal interactions. Therefore, he believes
that having a private office lends
itself to a more productive work environment.
Another
issue at question is the importance of displaying hierarchy. Some argue that
private offices promote individual status over team performance. Stripping
senior employees of their cherished offices, however, could be interpreted as
an insult.
Clearly,
designing the ideal workspace is a complex task. Employers might be better off
asking their workers what they prefer. (277)
[Sources:
http://hrpeople.monster.com/news/articles/2242-pods-or-pits-office-design-for-teamwork-productivity-and-open-communication,
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3495/is_9_47/ai_91305824/]
ESL Lesson Plan: Comprehension
Questions
1) What
does the author believe is the most obvious criticism of cubicles?
2) According
to Franklin Becker, what should companies promote?
3) True or False: Brill believes, most importantly,
workers must be able to concentrate on their job.
4) True or False: The author states that companies
should give offices to workers who earn them.
Match the words with their meaning as used in
the article.
streamline (verb) cluster (verb) glaring confinement claustrophobia pseudo- synergy morale lend itself to
(verb) |
imprisonment make a system, organization,
etc. work better obvious, striking false, not genuine fear of small
enclosed places the confidence and
enthusiasm of a group or person be suitable for
something energy/success
gained by working together come together in a
group |
Master the language: Connect the below ideas to make a
sentence. (note:
good as homework)
government / crush / uprising |
e.g.
The government crushed the uprising |
cluster / stars |
|
cubicle / pseudo-privacy |
|
confinement / claustrophobia |
|
streamline / production |
|
glaring / problem / democracy |
|
morale / boost |
|
layout / lend itself to |
|
ESL Lesson Plan: Quotations (Pair Work)
Discuss with a partner whether you agree with the below quotations.
“Open
office settings encourage office space cleanliness and organization.”
“Cleanliness
can be equated with productivity.”
“People
(workers) spend most of their time in teams.”
“Happy
workers are more productive”.
“Employers
might be better off asking their workers what they prefer.”
ESL Lesson Plan: Debate (Each student reads his/her role to him/herself)
Student
A: |
Your
company is moving to a different location next month. Due to budget concerns,
you have had to reduce the number of offices available to managers. Student B
is a senior manager at your company. She/he will lose his office. Please give
him/her the news, and try to convince him/her that it will benefit his/her
happiness and productivity. When you are ready, start the conversation. |
Student
B: |
You
have been working for Student A’s company for 15 years. You are a senior
manager. The company announced that they would be changing locations last
year. The move will take place next month. You are already unhappy about this
because you bought a home near the current location. Now, Student A says
he/she wants to talk to you about something. |
ESL Lesson Plan: Workspace
Design (Optional Pair Work)
Design
a workspace for a small IT company consisting of 1 owner, 1 team leader, 5
programmers, 3 graphic designers, and 1 receptionist. Use the space on the back
of this page. You have five minutes.
When done, present your design to the class.
ESL Lesson Plan: Discussion Questions
1) What
do you believe are the top predictors of job performance?
2) Do
people often work from home in your company? What do you think of this?
28 ESL Discussion Topics That Everyone Has Opinions On
1. Hobbies
- What are your hobbies?
- Why do you like your hobbies so much?
- How often do you do these hobbies?
- How long have you been doing these hobbies, and how did you get started?
- What hobbies did you used to have, but now do not?
- Is it important to have hobbies? Why/why not?
2. Time
- How much free time do you usually have?
- How important is time to you?
- If you had more free time, what would you do?
- “Time is money.” Do you agree or disagree? Why?
- How do you feel about time that is wasted?
3. Sleep
- How much sleep do you usually get?
- Why do some people sleep well while other people do not sleep well?
- What do you do when you have trouble sleeping?
- What time do you usually go to sleep? What time do you usually get up?
- Have you ever slept in a strange place that was not a bed?
4. Music
- What types of music do you like/dislike?
- How do certain kinds of music make you feel?
- What types of music come from your country?
- What’s your favorite song/album/artist?
- What music is popular in your country right now?
5. First Dates
- How many first dates have you had?
- How do you feel about first dates?
- What is a common first date like in your country?
- What is the best/worst first date experience you’ve ever had?
- What makes a good first date in your opinion?
6. Work
- What work do/did you do?
- How do/did you like the work?
- What is your dream job?
- What work is common in your city/area/country?
- What is your general view about work? Why?
7. Risk
- What is your definition of risk?
- Are you a risk taker? Why/why not?
- What are the advantages/disadvantages of taking risks?
- What risks do you come across in your work/life?
- What risks have you taken in your life?
8. Food
- What is your favorite food? Why?
- What food comes from your country?
- How do you feel when you eat food?
- What foods do you dislike? Why?
- Where do you usually get food from?
9. Motivation
- How motivated are you in general?
- What motivates you to do things?
- What is the best motivator to succeed?
- What do you do when you feel demotivated?
- What is a good way to motivate others?
10. Beauty
- What is “beauty”?
- What/who do you consider beautiful?
- What does “inner beauty” mean to you?
- Do you consider artificial beauty (cosmetic surgery) to still be beauty? Why/why not?
- How do you feel about the emphasis that people put on beauty these days?
- What would you tell your children about beauty?