LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH TEACHERSSEEING RED FLAGS
Jun. 7, 2021
Level: Intermediate (B1-B2)
Type of language: Business English
Tags: Behavior, Feelings and Emotions; Business People; Business Skills; Business Ethics; Discussing Job Candidates; Companies and Jobs; People and Places; Human Resources (HR); Meetings; Situation Based; Article Based; 16-18 Years Old; 18+ Years Old
Publication date: 01/29/2026
This lesson looks at being aware of signs that job candidates may be problematic. Students will read an article about what may indicate that an interviewee isn’t right for the company and listen to three candidates answer an interview question. Exercises focus on related vocabulary, reading and listening skills and give students the opportunity to discuss the topic and interview questions. There is an optional grammar exercise on used to/would. (by Joe Wilson)
- 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
Candidate 1
I’d just completed a project, my first one for the company, and it had gone really well. One of the guys on the team asked me to go for a drink, and I thought he meant that we were all going to go, but when I got to the bar, it was just him. He bought me a glass of wine, so I felt as though I should have it. But then he told me how well I had done in a way that I thought was a bit patronizing, as he’d only been there a year longer than me. I made my excuses after the first drink and left. After that, he used to ask me to go out for drinks all the time, even after I said no. It made me really uncomfortable. So I had to go to HR after a while and they spoke to him. He stopped talking to me directly at work completely, but often criticized my suggestions in meetings. I would just ignore it. After about six months, he left the company anyway.
Candidate 2
I had a manager in a previous company who seemed to treat me differently from the other people on the team. For example, when we had a team meeting, it was always me she asked to make the coffee and prepare the snacks, even though I was at the same level as other people in the team. When I’d done something really well, she didn’t use to acknowledge it, but she would celebrate any wins that other people had. The worst thing was when she was aware that I had something planned at a weekend, like a party or a trip I was going on with friends, she would ask me to do extra work for Monday. I find it hard to say ‘no’ to people. I ended up going to her manager to talk about it. After that, she only really communicated with me by email and she wouldn’t talk to me face-to-face in the office. I moved to a different job later, but it wasn’t a nice place to work, even after she stopped. Really, I should have talked to her about it, but she wasn’t easy to talk to.
Candidate 3
I don’t see problems, I see challenges. I’ve had a lot of experience in this industry and so I’ve gained a lot of wisdom over the years. I used to worry a lot about problems that I faced, but not any more. I ask myself if it’s going to be an issue tomorrow? Next week? Next year? A lot of the time, it’s better to let someone else deal with it. It gives them a chance to learn something that I’ve already learned. I like to help the people I work with to grow, you know? I’ve had people in the past accuse me of being egoistic, but it’s usually because they worry that I make them look bad. My results speak for themselves. A lot of people are afraid of success, but not me. It’s what drives me, you know? I wake up each morning hungry for success.
Adapted from: https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/business-english/seeing-red-flags. Accessed on February 2, 2026. LinguaHouse.com © 2008–2026. All rights reserved.
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