ESL WORKSHEET - Work and society

LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS

SIDE JOBS

LinguaHouse

Oct. 24, 2024

Level: Intermediate (B1-B2)
Type of English: Business English
Tags: Innovation and Product Development; Society and Change; Problems at Work; Coronavirus (COVID 19); Challenges; Work; Article Based; Vocabulary Lesson; 13-15 Years Old; 16-18 Years Old; 18+ Years Old
Publication date: 10/24/2024

This updated lesson is about people who work full-time and also have a business, often called a side hustle. Students will read an article about the trend, which has grown significantly since the pandemic and also listen to a podcast with someone who had a side hustle which turned into their main source of income. Finally, they will discuss questions on the topic. (by Edward Alden)

• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in American English.
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in American English.
• CLICK HERE to download/listen to the audio in American English.
• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in British English.
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in British English.
• CLICK HERE to download/listen to the audio in British English.

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

Presenter: Today we’re looking at side hustles, those small businesses some people run while also working full-time. To discuss this trend, I’m talking to Maria Lanzo, who runs a successful cupcake business. Thanks for coming, Maria. How did you have the idea for a side hustle?
Maria: Thanks for having me! It was in the middle of the pandemic, and I was on furlough. I was very bored and anxious at home, so to pass the time I did a lot of baking, which I’ve always loved. There was a lot more than we could eat, so I started selling cupcakes to my neighbors. It just went from there!
Presenter: What happened afterwards?
Maria: Well, I went back to work, but from home, so it was still fairly easy to run the side business, which wasn’t very big yet. It was when I started going back to the office that it got a bit more complicated.
Presenter: Was your employer supportive?
Maria: She was a bit worried at the beginning because she thought it might have a negative impact on my performance. But after I proved to her my side business wouldn’t affect my job, she was fine with it.
Presenter: In what ways?
Maria: She would let me take calls for my cupcake business while in the office and even bring cupcakes to the office to make deliveries. She even became a good client of mine, buying all my colleagues a cupcake once a week: we called them Cupcake Fridays!
Presenter: What was the biggest challenge for you as a solopreneur?
Maria: Balancing things, I guess. Not just between my job and my side hustle, but also finding time for my personal life. Sometimes it’s hard enough to have a good work/life balance with just one job, but with a side business, it all gets too much sometimes! Luckily, my husband and kids were really supportive.
Presenter: And how are things now?
Maria: Well, my cupcake business grew a lot, and about six months ago, I had to make a decision. I was making more money from my cupcakes, and I had a lot more fun too, so it wasn’t difficult to make up my mind. My boss was a bit disappointed, but she understood - she’s still my client!

Adapted from: https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/business-english/side-jobs. Accessed on October 24, 2024. © 2008–2024 LinguaHouse.com. All rights reserved.