Why do we glamourise overwork more than ever

Title separator

Read at home,
talk in class

ARTICLE: https://eslbrains.com/crc004

LESSON OVERVIEW

This lesson plan about overwork is based on an article and gives students the opportunity to learn and put into practice some words and phrases related to work, while reflecting on the cult of overwork in modern society.

B2 / Upper Intermediate
C1 / Advanced
30 minCritical Reading ClubUnlimited Plan

This is a Critical Reading Club worksheet. With this format, students need to read an online article at home and do the exercises in the classroom. Learn more about how to use such worksheets and their benefits in our post.

ACTIVITIES

The lesson starts with a vocabulary exercise in which students analyse eight sentences related to work. Their task is to replace the underlined words and phrases in them with their synonyms provided in a box (e.g. hustle, work yourself ragged, perk). Afterwards, students have to summarise the article they read at home putting into practice the new language. This exercise not only helps students consolidate the language, but also allows the teacher to check if learners understand the meaning of the words and phrases and are able to use them correctly. The lesson finishes with a discussion about the problem of overwork in modern society. Students share their own opinions and experiences while still practising the new vocabulary in a less-controlled way.

ARTICLE

https://eslbrains.com/crc004

WORKSHEETS

Comments

Title separator

Leave a Reply

  1. Debbie Vaes

    Hi would it be possible to upload the article as a PDF or other file? The BBC website can’t be accessed from Vietnam where I live, it is blocked by the government I believe

    1. Stan

      Hi! We won’t upload or make this article available on our website – simply because of copyrights issues. It’s BBC’s article so you should read it on their website, as long as they make it available. If it’s the government that blocks access to BBC from Vietnam, then I suppose the only option is to use some VPN service. Sorry that I can’t help you better in this situation.

  2. Mastering Shelt

    Just here to leave a positive feedback. The Critical Reading Club lessons have been extremely useful with students who want to focus on conversation. They read the supporting material beforehand and we have amazing discussions. This topic was one of my favorite ones so far!

    1. Justa

      Thank you so much for such positive feedback! We’re thrilled to hear that Critical Reading Club worksheets work so well with your students 🙂 Yeah, we also feel that thanks to articles that students read before class, they have a chance to learn the topic of the lesson beforehand and are more eager to express their views in class.

  3. Malgorzata

    Great lesson! Thanks!

  4. Jason Senn

    Just leaving a reccomendation, I’m a 16 year old swiss student and my teacher sent me this website, it’s great to learn!

    1. Justa

      Cool! We hope it will help you learn a lot 🙂

Browse other materials recommended for you

Title separator
sensory overload at work
C1 / Advanced | C2 / Proficiency
Standard Lesson 60 min

Sensory overload at work

Business Technology

Discuss sensory overload at work. Students watch a video about working memory and mental bandwidth, review advanced vocabulary for talking about focus and evaluate practical solutions to information overload.

AI in the legal industry
B2 / Upper Intermediate | C1 / Advanced
Reading Corner 60 min

AI goes to court

Business Technology

Explore AI in the legal industry! Students read an article about the first court case won by an AI law firm and review vocabulary for discussing the risks and opportunities of AI at work.

co-operative businesses
B2 / Upper Intermediate | C1 / Advanced
Standard Lesson 60 min

The co-operative way

Business

Explore co-operative businesses! Students review vocabulary for business structure and strategy, watch a video about how co-ops are owned and run and discuss real-life examples from around the world. 

imposing tariffs
B2 / Upper Intermediate | C1 / Advanced
Standard Lesson 60 min

Imposing tariffs

Business Global Issues

Debate the impact of imposing tariffs! Students review key trade vocabulary, watch a video about Chinese EVs entering the European market and role-play as government advisors deciding on trade policy.

scaling a business
C1 / Advanced
Standard Lesson 60 min

Scaling a business

Business

Explore the strategies behind scaling a business. Students review vocabulary related to business growth, watch a video about Haribo’s global success and evaluate scaling strategies for different companies.

ESL lesson on employment contracts
C1 / Advanced
Vocabulary Lab 45 min / 60 min

It’s all in the contract

Business

Talk about job conditions with this ESL lesson on employment contracts! Students practise key vocabulary for discussing job terms, watch a short video and share their views. They also role-play an employment negotiation.

ESL lesson on public speaking
B1 / Intermediate | B2 / Upper Intermediate
Standard Lesson 60 min

Public speaking

Business General

Talk about experiences and strategies with this ESL lesson on public speaking! Students practise useful collocations, watch a video about sharing ideas and prepare a two-minute talk. They also exchange peer feedback.

ESL lesson on marriage
B2 / Upper Intermediate
Reading Corner 60 min

Marriage trends

Business Lifestyle

Discuss shifting partnership patterns with this ESL lesson on marriage! Students talk about assets, read an article about the prenup trend among US Gen Zers and Millennials and review useful vocabulary.

B2 / Upper Intermediate | C1 / Advanced
Critical Reading Club 45 min

Appeal to nature

Business

Get students reading and talking about misleading ‘natural’ product claims! In this CRC lesson, they practise vocabulary for debating marketing tactics, recall arguments from the article and discuss the ‘natural’ label’s impact.

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
Close
Title separator

ESL Brains

Forgot password?
or continue with
Title separator
Title separator