5th February 2020

What can go wrong at work ?

Warm up: Ask students about problems at work. Encourage them to share their own stories.

Computers

The network is down (LAN or WAN)

My computer has crashed

The wifi is slow

I forgot my password

The printer is jammed / the ink has run out

I can’t access the file

Staff

We get on well together

We’re on the same wavelength (think the same thing)

He doesn’t pull his weight (doesn’t do his share of work)

My boss is a slave-driver (ironic / irony)

You’re not the boss of me !

He gets on my nerves ! (He annoys me)

General conditions

We need a pay-rise ! (we need more money for this job)

The air-con is too high / too low

It’s a great atmosphere here (it’s a nice place to work, people are friendly).

It’s not the friendliest place in the world ! (it’s not a happy or friendly office).

The commute is too long (time travelling to/from work).

Create a scenario:

What could the problems be ? Work in pairs or small groups. What would you do in these situations ? How would you feel ?

It is 11.55 am, just five minutes before lunch. You missed breakfast and are very hungry but then your supervisor comes to YOU and demands that you write some emails and check some files.

It is 16.00, you are tired and want to go home. You have to send some emails to Germany but … what could go wrong ?

The air con is on 18 degrees. You are very cold and only have a thin shirt.

You need to print out a file but the printer has jammed.

You try to send an important file to a college’s computer but the wifi is slow … and then your computer crashed.

You have some angry costumers … very angry !

An incident at work

Your colleague, John Harris, had an accident in the workplace. 

You have to report to your manager.

What was the task ?

What happened exactly ?

Were all safety procedures followed ?

What should have happened ?

Vocabulary

Idioms and expressions:

Very busy:

I’m snowed under / I’m up to my eyes in work / I’m working flat out /

Very quiet, not much work:

We are having some down time / It’s a quiet period / The place is deserted /

Time phrases– think of sentences using:

recently / nowadays / once in a while / in the long term  / a few years ago

Talk about your work-day using a time phrase and an idiom.

Talk about some problems at work. How did you solve them ?

Have you ever had an angry costumer ? How did you deal with them or handle the situation ?