AI in hiring: discussing pros and cons

Summary

This 90-minute ESL lesson for B2 learners explores AI in hiring: discussing pros and cons through a real article. Across 11 interactive exercises, you'll develop reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, practical communication, speaking skills — all built around authentic English content.

What you'll practise:

• 5 key vocabulary items with definitions and usage notes
• Grammar focus: the passive voice for processes with examples and practice
• Real-world phrases for discussing the pros and cons of a new strategy
• Gap-fill and cloze exercises to test vocabulary in context
• Matching exercise to connect terms with their meanings
• Error correction to sharpen grammar awareness
• A reading passage to practise newly learned language

Lesson activities (11 exercises)

Each exercise builds on the previous one. Work through them in order for the best learning experience.

1. Warm-up — Discussion questions to activate what you already know about the topic.
2. Comprehension — Answer questions to check your understanding of the main ideas and supporting details.
3. Vocabulary — Learn key words and expressions from the article, with definitions and usage notes.
4. Matching — Connect words, phrases, or concepts to their correct counterparts.
5. Grammar — Study the passive voice for processes — explanation, examples, and key rules.
6. Error correction — Find and fix the mistake in each sentence — a great grammar workout.
7. Practical English — Learn phrases for discussing the pros and cons of a new strategy — ready to use in real conversations.
8. Cloze passage — Fill in blanks within a connected text to practise vocabulary in context.
9. Reading — Read a short passage on the topic and answer comprehension questions.
10. Discussion — Reflect on the topic and share your opinions using the language you've learned.

Vocabulary

This lesson introduces 5 key terms drawn directly from the article:

• To streamline a process — to make a system or process more effective and efficient by using simpler or faster methods.
• A double-edged sword — something that has both positive and negative effects.
• To flag something as [adjective/noun] — to mark something as important or problematic so that it will be noticed.
• Human oversight — the act of a person supervising a process or system, especially one that is automated.
• To weed out candidates — to remove or eliminate unsuitable people from a group.

Grammar

This lesson focuses on the passive voice for processes.

We use the passive voice to focus on an action or process, rather than the person or thing performing it. This is very common in professional and technical contexts, like describing how AI works in recruitment, because the focus is on the steps of the process.

Examples from the lesson:

• First, thousands of resumes are screened automatically by the software. — The focus is on the resumes and the action (screening), not the software. We use 'by' here to specify the agent.
• Qualified candidates might be overlooked if the algorithm is not programmed correctly. — The passive voice is often used with modal verbs (might, could, should) to discuss possibilities or potential problems in a process.
• Once a shortlist has been created, it is sent to the hiring manager. — This example uses the present perfect passive ('has been created') to show that one step of the process is finished before the next one begins.

Key rules:

• Form the passive with the verb 'to be' + past participle (e.g., is analyzed, were rejected, has been sent).
• Use it when the agent (the 'doer') is unknown, obvious, or less important than the action itself.
• If you need to mention the agent, add it at the end with the preposition 'by'.

Practical English

Discussing the pros and cons of a new strategy

In professional settings, you'll often need to discuss the potential benefits and drawbacks of a new idea, like adopting AI for hiring. These phrases will help you present your arguments clearly and professionally in a meeting.

Phrases you'll learn:

• "On the plus side, it could significantly..." — used to introduce a clear advantage or positive aspect.
• "My main concern revolves around..." — a polite and professional way to introduce a potential problem or risk.
• "I see the appeal of its efficiency, but I'm not entirely convinced about..." — shows you've listened to the positive argument but still have reservations.
• "To build on that point, we should also consider..." — used to add a supporting argument to what someone else has just said.
• "We need to be careful that we don't..." — a way to warn about a potential negative consequence in a non-confrontational way.