AI in the workplace: discussing ethics and using formal language

AI in the workplace β€” a C1 English lesson. Practise using formal language for speculation and expand vocabulary around the ethics of artificial intelligence.

AI in the workplace: discussing ethics and using formal language
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Summary

This ESL lesson for C1 English students explores AI ethics. Using a real audio as the basis for discussion, students develop listening comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar skills across a 90-minute class.

The grammar focus is Formal Structures: Inversion and Nominalisation. Key vocabulary includes proliferation (noun), unprecedented (adjective), algorithmic bias (noun phrase) and more, all drawn directly from the source material. The practical English section gives students useful phrases for real-life situations: You are in a professional meeting or debate. You need to agree or disagree with colleagues, but in a polite, nuanced, and constructive way..

Activities

Vocabulary focus

The vocabulary section introduces C1-level words and phrases related to AI ethics. Key terms include proliferation (noun), unprecedented (adjective), algorithmic bias (noun phrase), perpetuate (verb), human oversight (noun phrase). Students practise using these terms in context through exercises drawn from the source material.

Grammar focus

This lesson focuses on Formal Structures: Inversion and Nominalisation. In formal and academic English, we often use specific structures to sound more objective and sophisticated. Nominalisation is the process of turning verbs or adjectives into nouns (e.

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The ethics of artificial intelligence in the workplace
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