ESL WORKSHEET - Lexis related to work

LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS

WORK WORDS

LinguaHouse

Dec. 26, 2023

Level: Intermediate (B1-B2)
Type of language: General English
Tags: Declaring and Diagnosing a Problem; Plans and Arrangements; Work; Describing a Job; Business People; People and Places; Vocabulary Lesson; 16-18 Years Old; 18+ Years Old
Publication date: 12/26/2023

In this updated lesson plan, students will encounter a high volume of lexis related to work. They begin by ranking their priorities in choosing a job, before defining vocabulary about workers, and ways of working or reasons for not working. They listen to three people talking about their jobs and differentiate six commonly confused synonyms for jobs/work. The lesson concludes with discussion questions about work and there is an optional extension activity featuring some useful idioms and phrasal verbs containing the word work. (by Stephanie Hirschman)

• 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

ONE
Rafferty: Hi, my name is Rafferty and I enjoy my job mostly because it allows me to be very creative. I started out in the industry as an intern, fresh out of fashion college. I didn’t like that company though, so I didn’t stay long. I took up a position in the men’s department with a much larger brand, and I’ve been lucky to find permanent work there – I’m now head of department and an advisor on recycling. One thing I’m very proud of is that I shared parental leave with my partner when our twins were born seven years ago. Both of us work flexibly these days, so we can manage taking them to school and picking them up without outside help. My advice to anyone who wants this type of career would be to keep changing companies until you find one that feels right.

TWO
June: Pleased to meet you – my name is June. I always knew I’d be the type of person who follows a vocation because helping people is very important to me. At school we had lots of advice about choosing an occupation, which was really helpful because it meant we knew the right subjects to study. I did a combination of science and social studies and then went on to train at a big teaching hospital. I’m single, so I often do shift work and that’s pretty well paid, so I usually work part-time. These days, I’m actually an agency worker but the job I’m doing right now is not very exciting – patients come to see me when they need a medical note to go on sick leave. I might start looking for another post soon.

THREE
Nancy: So, I’m Nancy and I work for a big firm that specializes in property sales. This is a profession I’ve always wanted to be part of – my parents both had the same job. It’s quite interesting and very well paid. Once you become a senior partner, you can work any way you like. I’ve got colleagues who’ve bought houses in the south of France and now work remotely. In the next ten years I could either do the same and become a digital nomad or I could start my own company and see what self-employment is like – maybe even both! It is quite long hours, so most people in this line of work look forward to when they’re retired, and they can slow down a bit.

Adapted from: https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/general-english/work-words. Accessed on September 3, 2025. LinguaHouse.com © 2008–2025. All rights reserved.