Intro
1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.
2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.
It’s one thing to be a hard worker and always get your work done. It’s another thing to burn the midnight oil every night at your job. Working long hours can take away from your family time, not to mention your enjoyment of life. But some people feel they have to work overtime in order to show that they’re good employees and get ahead in their company. In the US, the standard work week is supposed to be 40 hours, but many people work far more than that. Find out what Jason and Devan think about working long hours.
Dialog
1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.
2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.
Jason: I think there’s this really annoying competition among Americans to work more hours than each other.
Devan: You think so?
Jason: Yeah, have you ever noticed that?
Devan: Yeah, I guess that’s true.
Jason: People like to brag about working 60, 70, or 80 hours a week or something.
Devan: Do you think they really work that much?
Jason: No, probably not. I imagine they may sit at a desk for that much, but I don’t think they’re working the entire time. See, that’s the thing. I’m all about working efficiently for a shorter period of time, you know?
Devan: So you don’t usually put in a lot of overtime at your job?
Jason: No. I mean, the time after work is for things other than working. I don’t understand why people think that that’s a good quality to have, if you work 16 hours a day. That sounds like a bad thing to me. Like, that’s what the labor movement worked to stop from happening. So why would you volunteer for that?
Devan: That’s true. And I think it also depends on if you work for an hourly wage or if you’re on salary. Because I know a lot of companies will take advantage of people that are on a salary and force them to work more hours than they’re actually supposed to, because they get paid the same no matter what. Whereas, on the other hand, there’s also people that are, like you said, sitting at a desk for eight hours a day on a salary and really only working three of them, ‘cause they know they’re gonna get paid the same.
Jason: Right. Like I think it’s better to go above and beyond with the quality of the work rather than the quantity of it.
Devan: I understand what you’re saying. But I think I’m too much of a slacker. I kinda like the idea of just sitting at a desk for eight hours and getting paid for that, but not doing very much work.
Jason: Oh my God.
Grammar Point
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Discussion
Jason thinks it’s crazy when people put in really long hours at work. He doesn’t understand why that is not only acceptable in the US, but often encouraged, or even required. He thinks it’s better to produce quality work quickly than to work really long hours just to prove that you’re a hard worker.
Devan points out that workers who are on a salary sometimes get taken advantage of by their companies. Often they get paid the same amount no matter how many hours they work. Some companies will make their employees feel like they have to work long hours, but won’t raise their salaries or pay them overtime for it.
On the other hand, some employees who are paid on salary take advantage of their companies, too. Since they get paid the same no matter what, they might spend eight hours at work, but not actually get much done. Devan admits that she can be a pretty lazy worker sometimes.
How many hours per week do people work in your country? Do you have to work long hours at your job?
Comments
Iran, Islamic Republic Of |
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