It’s OK to hate your job, isn’t it?

Title separator

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

Title separator

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 🙂

Browse other materials recommended for you

Title separator
ESL lesson on quantifiers
B1 / Intermediate
Flipped Lesson 60 min
Loading

How about a little improvement?

Business Grammar

With this lesson, students practise quantifiers in various contexts. They discuss work conditions and employee feedback and watch a video about employee satisfaction.

vocabulary to talk about injuries
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

Workplace safety

Business General

Engage in talking about safety in the workplace with this lesson! Students explore vocabulary to talk about injuries, watch a video about safety at work and discuss workplace rules.

phrases to make requests
A2 / Pre‐Intermediate | B1 / Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

I was wondering if… (making requests)

Business General

With this lesson, students talk about ways to make requests. They watch a funny ad and discuss requests at work. Students also practise phrases to make requests and do a role play activity.

ESL lesson about teamwork
B1 / Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

All for one and one for all

Business

With this lesson, students engage in the exploration of teamwork. They discuss the importance of teamwork, explore vocabulary to talk about the topic, watch a video and discuss useful tips about how to create better teams.

speaking lesson about career change
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min
Loading

Changing careers

Business

With this speaking lesson, students navigate the territory of career changes. They discuss job market trends, as well as benefits and challenges of transitioning careers. They also talk about important skills and watch a video about a woman who changed careers.

talking about priorities
B1 / Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

Prioritizing and to-do lists

Business Lifestyle

With this insightful lesson, students practise vocabulary to talk about priorities, watch an explainer video about the Eisenhower Matrix and discuss time management. They also give advice on how to organize tasks.

speaking about misunderstandings
B1 / Intermediate
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min
Loading

How to deal with misunderstandings

Business General

With this speaking lesson, students discuss situations that might cause misunderstandings, watch a short and funny ad and analyse tips on how to avoid miscommunication.

vocabulary for presentations
B1 / Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

As you can see in the slide (giving presentations)

Business

Step into the world of presentations with this handy lesson! Students explore vocabulary for structuring presentations, read the text of a presentation and watch a video on how to communicate ideas clearly.

B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min
Loading

As per my last email…

Business

Dive into the intriguing world of emailing and talk about what annoys people the most. With this lesson, students expand their vocabulary, express irritation, and analyze real-life situations.

Show more lessons

Questions

Title separator

Is there a minimum subscription period if I choose a monthly subscription?

No, there's no minimum required number of subscription months. You can cancel any time you want. Basically, you can sign up and then cancel your subscription the next day, which will mean you have access for 1 month and won't be charged again.

What currencies can I pay in for my subscription?

Our default currency is USD (American dollar), but you can also pay in EUR (euro), GBP (British pound sterling) or PLN (Polish zloty). You can change the currency you want to pay in at the Pricing page before selecting a subscription plan.

How can I edit an e-lesson plan?

You can get your own editable copy of an e-lesson plan and make changes to it. To do so, either (1) make a copy of it on your Google Drive (preferable method) or (2) download it in a Powerpoint format (but formatting might be a bit off so we can’t guarantee that it will work well).
Read more FAQ
Title separator

ESL Brains

Forgot password?
or continue with