ESL lesson plan | | Will AI layoffs ultimately hurt employers?

1. Warm-up discussion

Discuss these questions:

What are your initial thoughts on the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the job market?
Have you or anyone you know experienced changes in their work due to new technologies like AI?
Do you think AI will create more jobs than it displaces, or vice versa?

2. Listening: The Impact of AI on the Workforce

Watch the video and fill in the blanks with the exact words you hear. Some blanks require more than one word.

QR Code to YouTube Video Watch on YouTube

Layoff announcements toward the end of 2025, as generative AI and economic tightening pressure corporations to . Many companies are cutting costs by and, in certain industries, eliminating entry-level roles that can be replaced by AI.

The challenge becomes, in a few years down the road, where is the to move into those really important middle ranks of your company?

Globally, nearly 40% of workers' core skills will be by 2030 due to AI and digitalization. But it may be more difficult for entry-level employees to build the skills they need due to .

3. Key vocabulary from the video

Drag the terms from the word bank to match them with their correct definitions.

Skyrocketed

Reticent

Poach

Organizational flattening

Novice-expert bond

Hinder

Increased very rapidly or suddenly.

Unwilling to do something or talk about something; hesitant.

To unfairly take employees or customers from another company, often by offering them a better job.

Reducing the number of levels of management in a company, often leading to fewer entry-level or middle management roles.

The relationship and learning process between a beginner and an experienced professional.

To create difficulties for someone or something, thereby delaying or preventing them from achieving a goal.

4. Grammar focus: Modal Verbs of Deduction (Present & Past)

We use modal verbs to express how certain we are about something. For C1 level, it's important to differentiate between present and past deductions.

Must (have): You are almost 100% certain something is true.
(Present) "The company must be facing financial difficulties."
(Past) "The stock prices must have fallen after the announcement."
Might / May / Could (have): You think something is possible, but you are not certain.
(Present) "AI might be changing the job market faster than we think."
(Past) "They could have invested more in training."
Can't (have): You are almost 100% certain something is NOT true.
(Present) "That report can't be accurate; the numbers are wrong."
(Past) "He can't have known about the layoffs in advance."

Choose the most appropriate modal verb for each sentence:

1. The company's profits _______________ significantly last quarter; they just announced massive layoffs.

might increase

must have fallen

can't rise

2. She _______________ to train new employees; she has too many senior tasks already.

must be able

can't be expected

might have time

3. The management _______________ about the long-term consequences of cutting entry-level jobs.

might not have thought

must not think

can't have realized

4. Many job roles _______________ entirely different in five years due to generative AI.

must be

could be

can't be

5. The decision to automate so many tasks _______________ easy for them; it affects many lives.

must be

might have been

can't have been

6. The company's strategy _______________ focused only on short-term gains, ignoring the future.

can't have

must have

might not have

5. Practice with workplace idioms & phrases

Complete the sentences using the appropriate idioms and phrases related to the workplace and economy.

save a buck

trim middle management

climb the corporate ladder

thin out their ranks

1. Many companies are trying to by replacing human tasks with AI.
2. In an effort to cut costs, the company decided to .
3. Without entry-level positions, it will be harder for young professionals to .
4. The challenge is what happens if employers of those early career jobs?

6. Vocabulary in context

Use the vocabulary words from exercise 3 to complete the sentences below.

skyrocketed

reticent

poach

organizational flattening

novice-expert bond

hinder

1. Due to the new AI tools, the company's productivity has .
2. The manager was to invest in new training programs, fearing competitors would just steal their skilled employees.
3. Many firms worry that if they invest heavily in training, another company will their talent.
4. One effect of AI is , where fewer middle management roles exist.
5. The video discusses how AI can break the crucial that is vital for skill development.
6. Skills gaps in the labor market are expected to organizational transformation.

7. Grammar practice: Rewriting with Modals of Deduction

Rewrite the following sentences using an appropriate modal verb of deduction (must have, might have/could have, can't have) + past participle.

1. I'm almost certain that the company reduced its workforce to adapt to new technologies.
(Rewrite)

2. It's possible that they didn't foresee the long-term consequences of these layoffs.
(Rewrite)

3. I'm sure that the management wasn't aware of the importance of the novice-expert bond.
(Rewrite)

8. Speaking practice: The future of work

Discuss these questions with a partner. Use the vocabulary and grammar from this lesson.

According to the video, the "pipeline of talent" could collapse. What do you think employers **must do** to prevent this?
The video mentions that the "novice-expert bond" is being broken. What steps **could companies take** to preserve this crucial learning relationship, even with advanced AI?
Do you think public policy and outside intermediaries **might be necessary** to address the challenges posed by AI in the labor market, as suggested in the video? Why or why not?