Summary
This downloadable PDF lesson plan for English teachers explores the hybrid work debate. This C1 ESL class material helps students discuss modern work culture and corporate policy through a series of engaging and practical activities based on a short video. This comprehensive lesson helps advanced students navigate the debate on hybrid work models.
Based on a thought-provoking video, activities include vocabulary matching, listening comprehension, and a grammar focus on discussing consequences. Students learn practical phrases for professional debates before participating in a structured role-play where they must decide on their company's official hybrid work policy, balancing different stakeholder interests. This is perfect for a business English class.
Activities
- Students start by discussing their ideal work model before watching a video that argues against full employee choice. They answer comprehension questions to grasp the main arguments about potential diversity crises and organizational challenges.
- The lesson introduces key terms like 'disparity' and 'unravel,' along with idiomatic phrases. A dedicated grammar section teaches students how to formally discuss consequences and hypothetical outcomes using structures like gerunds and conditionals.
- The lesson culminates in a practical role-play. Students take on roles like Head of HR and CFO to debate and decide on a company-wide hybrid work policy, applying the new vocabulary, grammar structures, and useful phrases for professional meetings.
Vocabulary focus
The lesson focuses on professional and strategic vocabulary related to work policy. Key terms include nouns like 'disparity' and 'backsliding,' and verbs like 'to unravel' and 'to abolish.' Students also practice using idiomatic phrases such as 'in the long run,' 'a free-for-all,' and 'to bank the gains' to sound more natural in business discussions.
Grammar focus
The grammar section teaches students sophisticated structures for discussing cause, effect, and potential outcomes. It covers using gerunds as subjects to state consequences (e.g., 'Letting employees choose leads to...'), using conditional clauses to explore hypotheticals, and framing potential negative outcomes with phrases like 'The risk of... is that...'
