It’s OK to hate your job, isn’t it?

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Verb patterns

LESSON OVERVIEW

In this lesson on hating your job students talk about the reasons for it and discuss some advice. Students also work with vocabulary and watch a video

B1 / Intermediate60 minStandard LessonPremium Plan

WARM-UP & VOCABULARY

The worksheet starts with students discussing some pictures. They look at people who are unhappy at work and brainstorm how they feel and why. After that, students look at the list of the words and phrases (e.g. cluttered, commute, prospects, etc.) and guess how they are connected to the reasons why people hate their jobs. Then, students read some ideas why people feel miserable at work and complete them with one of the verbs (spend, waste, take). After the exercise, teachers can ask students about the difference between the verbs and how to use them. 

VIDEO & DISCUSSION

In this part of the lesson students watch the video about disliking a job. At first, they focus on the reasons and compare their ideas to the ones mentioned in the video. Then, they watch the video again and make notes about the advice given for people who hate their job.

Students say what the advice is using the structures with ‘spend time’, ‘waste time’ and ‘take time’. Students discuss the video more, say if it’s OK to hate your job and exchange some ideas about what a person can do to enjoy it more. After that, students read two stories about people who don’t like their jobs and give them some advice. As a final activity, students work in pairs, place themselves on the scale between two options (e.g. ‘A job is just a job. I don’t have to like it.’ and ‘A job takes a lot of my time. That’s why I have to enjoy it.’) and discuss it with their partner.

HOMEWORK/REVISION

This worksheet includes an additional task to practise the vocabulary from the lesson that teachers can use as homework or revision. It’s available in the teacher’s version of the worksheet. You can print it, cut it up and hand it out to your students. It’s also included in the e-lesson plan, if you teach online.

WORKSHEETS

 

Comments

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Leave a Reply

  1. Giulshan

    Great lesson! Not sure if it’s really a 1-hour material.

    1. Olia

      Thanks! The time estimate can of course vary and depend on your students’ level and interest in the topic. You can always leave out ex. 9 or 10 and use them as a warm-up or revision next time 🙂

  2. Caroline Aparecida Vaz de Araujo Medeiros

    Great lesson plan! my students loved it!

    1. Olia

      Thanks for sharing your feedback 🙂

  3. Amber Lattimer

    The general lesson plan is good but the video and the ideas in the video are too dated. A lot has changed in the work place since 2009 when the video was originally posted

    1. Olia

      Thanks for your input! Here’s a potential discussion point you could add: Ask students whether they think the advice is still relevant today. It could spark an interesting conversation 🙂

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