5.3. Revision

 SPEAKING

Task 1. Keeping in mind the information from the previous three texts describe the issue of unemployment in the industrialized countries. Ponder on the reasons, consequences and the ways out. Be ready to present your work in class.

 WRITING

Task 2. Your teacher will read you an article in Russian about the problems some distant workers face. Listen to it twice. Then work individually and render it into English using your active vocabulary. When you are done, join your learning teams. Present and describe your versions, together with other students in the team create one variant of the rendering and present it in class.

6. Gender issues in the workplace

  READING&SPEAKING

6.1. Men vs women

Task 1. Read the following passage and answer the question that follow.

During the twentieth century, the feminist movement became more active. Women made a great deal of progress toward gaining equal opportunities in education. More and more women also entered the workforce. Both girls and boys were encouraged to choose careers they wanted and didn't feel that they had to choose careers that were traditional for their gender. At home, husbands and wives began to share household chores and caring for children.

These changes in gender roles have helped women make progress toward gaining equal rights in many areas of life. However, sociologists agree that the problem of gender inequality is still a serious issue facing society today.

Answer the following questions according to the information in the passage.

1. How did women's lives change in the twentieth century?

2. How did men's lives change in the twentieth century?

3. What do sociologists believe about gender inequality today?

Task 2. Read these questions and share your answers with a partner.

1. How have women's roles changed since your parents' or grandparents' generation?

2. How have men's roles changed since your parents' or grandparents' generation?

3. C an you think of an example from your own experience of inequality between men and women?

Task 3. Look at the chart that shows the percentages of jobs held by women in various professions in 1975 and in 2000.

Discuss the following questions with a partner:

1. In which fields did women make the most gains between 1975 and 2000?

2. What information in the chart particularly surprises or interests you?

Draw a conclusion:

1. Has anything changed in the workplace in the last decade of the 20th century?

2. Will gender issues in the workplace be a problem in the future?

 LISTENING

6.2. Gender stereotypes at work

Task 1. Read the beginning of a conversation between Jack and Sheila, a married couple. They are discussing an article Jack read about gender stereotypes.

Jack: Hey, Sheila, I just finished reading an interesting article about gender inequality in the workplace. It's by Natasha Josefowitz.

Sheila: What does she say?

Jack: Well, she talks about common situations that happen to employees who work in offices. Here are some of them:

1. The employee is going to get married.

2. The employee has a family picture on his or her desk.

3. The employee is talking with a coworker.

4. The employee is going to go on a business trip.

Then she says that coworkers react differently depending on whether the employee in the situation is a man or a woman.

Sheila: You mean that people react differently if, for example, the person getting married is a man or a woman? Tell me what the article says.

Jack: OK. Let me see what I can remember . . .

Task 2. Discuss the following question with a partner:

How do you think people react differently to the situations Jack mentions if the employee is a man or a woman? Why?

Task 3. Listen to what Jack remembers about the situations in the article. Take notes on your own paper. When the listening is over, compare your notes with your partner. Did you understand the same things?

  READING&SPEAKING