ESL-plans

The Culture of Overwork

Level	Category	Format	Duration
B2-C1	Business English	Audio & Video	90 min

What's the "The Culture of Overwork" ESL Lesson About?

B2-C1 · Business English

Main Objectives

• Identify and analyze specific manifestations of modern overwork culture, such as competitive presenteeism, scope creep, and the "always-on" digital tether;
• Distinguish between -ed and -ing adjectives to accurately describe personal feelings versus external work conditions;
• Critically evaluate systemic workplace issues, including the "family" narrative and gamified productivity, through listening comprehension and debate.

About This Lesson

In this lesson, students begin by matching visual scenarios of an overwhelmed employee named John to key overwork concepts like meeting bloat and manufactured urgency. They then explore three additional corporate tactics — gamified productivity, lean teams, and the family narrative — and listen to speakers share their personal experiences with these pressures. The grammar focus centers on adjective endings, where students practice using -ed forms for internal emotions (e.g., exhausted, frustrated) and -ing forms for external causes (e.g., annoying, humiliating). Students consolidate this vocabulary through gap-fill exercises before engaging in a discussion about whether high-pressure environments are inspiring or depressing. Finally, they watch a video on structural inequality in consulting firms, verify true/false statements about career derailment and client demands, and read real YouTube comments reflecting global perspectives on work-life balance.

This lesson is designed to fit within a single 90 min session. Both audio and video components are included, which also works well for homework-based or asynchronous practice.

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