Communication skills development brainstorming

Discussion questions

1. What ratio of work to leisure would be your ideal? Answer using percentages.

2. Are the people in your country famous for working hard or for having a good social life?

3. What jobs would you most and least like to do?

4. What jobs have you done in your life and what did you like and dislike about them?

5. Which age-groups are worst affected by unemployment in your country? Should people who have never worked before be entitled to unemployment benefit?

6. What are the causes of unemployment and how is the problem solved in your country?

7. Do women in your country have equality of job opportunities? Are they paid as well as men?

8. Are there many migrant workers in your country? If so, what kind of jobs do they do? What are their working conditions like?

9. Do people leave your country to find work in other countries? Where do they go? What sort of jobs do they get? Are they made welcome?

10. Do workers in your country pay a lot of income tax to the government?

Do people with large salaries pay a much higher rate of tax than other workers? Do you think they should?

11. Do you think that every worker should have the right to join a Trade Union?

12. Do you think that every worker, (including doctors, nurses, teachers, the police, ambulance crews and fire fighters), should have the right to go on strike?

Communication round off tv interview

One of the students is to interview several people on the choice of a career. The person who conducts the interview is to prepare questions in advance. Don’t fail to ask representatives of different jobs about merits and demerits of their professions.

Optimists and pessimists

The group is divided into two teams. One student from team 1 (optimists) begins by giving a statement, e.g. “The teacher’s job is very noble.” Then one student from the other team (pessimists) gives the other point of view, e.g. “But all the teachers are underpaid.” The pessimists continue with a new – pessimistic statement, which the optimists have to react to.

After a few minutes of exchanging statements, the teacher decides what team won.

Group discussion

1. What is your idea of a good job?

a) Does it mean that it should be a plum (well-paid) job?

b) Is it more important for you that your future job could agree with your interests and talents?

c) What else do you want from your future job?

2. Do you expect further training provided by your employers so that you could make headway in your career?

3. Do you think that security, stability and financial independence are the only ad-

vantages of a good job or maybe there are some more? 4. Would you be happy with such an unfortunate blend of an interesting job (you've

always dreamt of) and peanuts as your salary?

5. Are you ready to do some messy or extremely boring work for good money?

6. How much money would you like to net in the future?

7. What do you think of job hunting abroad?

8. Is it possible for a young specialist to get a well-paid job in this country?

9. What could help you to find a decent job?