Manuals > General English > Rosetta Stone Advantage > Elementary - Book 2 > Lesson 8
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By the end of the lesson, the student should be able to talk about some different aspects of their job.
Communication strategies:
The student should be able to ask someone for information using the following strategy:
1) state where they work
2) state what they do
3) give their opinion of their job
4) state who they work with
5) state which department they work in
6) describe some of their responsibilities
e.g.
I work for C-Tech. I’m a project manager in the IT department. It's a pretty good job. I’ve worked there for about five years now. I work with people from many different countries. I’m currently managing two different projects. I spend most of my time in meetings. Also, I’m responsible for training all the new staff in the department.
Words and rules:
- The student should be able to state some different job titles e.g. banker
- The student should be able to state some different departments e.g. legal
- The student should be able to state some different industries e.g. manufacturing
- The student should be able to state their obligations e.g. have to / need to / must
Appropriateness:
Non-verbal behaviour: NA
Register: When talking about jobs we usually use a casual register.
Social rules: It's common to state your job title when talking about your job with someone, but if you don't have one you can state the industry you work in and describe what you do e.g. I'm a dress designer vs. I work in the fashion industry. I specialize in dress design.
Cultural references: You can say "business" instead of "industry" e.g. I'm in the airline business. Also, "What's your job?" is the same as "What do you do?" / "What do you do for a living?" / "Who do you work for?"
Track #19
I work in a department store. I sell men’s suits, ties, and dress shoes. I really like my job, because I love helping people look good.
Track #20
I own my own business. We sell cycling clothes and accessories on the internet. It’s a tough job, but I love being my own boss.
Track #21
I work at C-Tech as a computer programmer. I make database
software for large companies. It’s repetitive work. I want to change my job.
Because the lesson touches on the topic of departments, you are welcome to introduce some of the following vocabulary if you like.
1) marketing (n)
2) human resources (n)
3) financial (n)
4) logistics (n)
5) customer service (n)
6) research and development (n)
7) IT (n)
8) legal (n)
9) sales (n)
10) purchasing (n)
Option 1:
Difficulty ★★
Type:
Let's practice - Game - Controlled practice
Purpose:
To allow the student to practice describing and guessing different jobs.
Method:
Play a game in which one partner describes a job, and the other partner has to guess what the job is. The person describing the job isn’t allowed to say the name of the job.
e.g.
A) I work for ANA. It’s an airline. I’ve worked there for about 10 years. I’m responsible for flying planes. I have to make sure everyone is safe.
B) Are you a pilot?
A) Yes, I am.
Naruhodo Point
We can use “work” in a few different ways.
- work on + task
- work in + place
- work with + co-worker
- work for + boss
- work at + company
Extra questions you might like to ask in the lesson
- What do you do?
- How long have you worked there?
- Where are you based out of?
- What department do you work in?
- What are you working on at the moment?
- How do you like it?
A speaking hint you might like to use
AAA = Answer Add Ask
> Feel free to use this speaking hint in the “Let’s Practice” / “Let’s Speak” sections of the lesson. This is particularly useful when describing someone’s personality.
Question: What do you do?
Answer
I’m a teacher.
Add
I work at a local primary school. I teach math and science.
Ask
What do you do?
Some grammar that might come up in the lesson
present simple vs present progressive
We use present simple to talk about facts, but we use present progressive to talk about temporary situations.
Compare: “I work at Sony” VS “I’m working at Sony”.
Both of these are correct, but the first sounds like a full time job, while the second sounds like a part time job or temporary posting.
Let’s start
1) Where do you work?
I work at IPC.
2) What kind of company is that?
We are an IT company.
3) Where are you based out of?
The San Diego office.
4) What do you do there?
I oversee the sales department .
5) How do you like it?
It’s great.
I love my job.
Let’s try
Speaker #1
1) Where does she work?
She works in a department store.
2) What does she sell?
She sells suits, ties and dress shoes.
3) Does she like her job?
Yes, she does.
Speaker #2
1) Is he self-employed?
Yes, he is.
2) What does his company sell?
They sell cycling clothes and accessories.
3) Does he like his job?
Yes, he does, but it can be tough sometimes.
Speaker #3
1) Where does he work?
He works for C-tech.
2) What does he do?
He’s a computer programmer.
3) Does he want to change jobs?
Yes, he does.
Let’s practice
Content
Name: Takeshi Goto
Title: Clinical scientist
Company: Pharma-max
Kind of company: pharmaceutical company
Department: R&D department
Environment: report to the head of R&D
Responsibility: test drugs, make budgets
Expected outcome
His name is Takeshi Goto. He is a clinical scientist at Pharma-max. It’s a pharmaceutical company. He works in the R&D department. He reports to the head of R&D. He’s responsible for testing drugs and making budgets.
Let’s speak
Asking someone about their job (while you are on a plane)
A) Hey.
B) Hi.
A) Are you heading to Chicago too?
B) Yeah.
A) Business or pleasure?
B) Business.
A) Yeah, me too. So, what do you do?
B) I’m a researcher. I work for Sony. I’m flying in for some meetings. How about you?
A) I’m a marketer. I work in Chicago. I’m just coming back from a business trip. Sorry, I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Steve.
B) Hi Steve. I’m Paul. Nice to meet you.