1 | Discuss difficult decisions • Unit 7 ©2018 Berlitz Languages, Inc.

In this lesson you will ...

Discuss difficult decisions

Vocabulary & Expressions Grammar Item

demotedto take overpay cuta bit (more)choicededicationto downsizetargetedto struggle

to jump at (an opportunity)to throw out of whackdying to (do …)to buy outto sell outgeneroustemptingto refuse

Unreal conditional with were to + verb

Greet students, review previous lesson and homework.

Review key points from previous lesson, check any assigned homework, and check for questions.

Set customized Speaking Goal. Ask questions to find out about students’ needs and experiences.

Have you ever had to make a difficult (career) choice? Were you happy with

the decision and the results? Did you get any advice and support? Who did

you turn to? 

Set a customized goal. For example: Our goal is to describe a difficult (career) decision. Write the goal on the board.

Warm up. Call on two volunteers to read the dialog aloud while the other students listen to the conversation with their books closed. Then have the other students summarize what decision Mitchell has to make. Ask students to read it silently and answer the question:

What decision does Mitchell have to make?

Present and practice vocabulary, as needed: demoted / to take over / pay cut / a bit (more) / choice

Is Mitchell getting promoted? [N] → demoted

Who will replace Mitchell at the other branches? [Ed] → take over

If he takes the job, will he get a pay raise? [N] → take a pay cut

 Warm-up

GOAL-SETTING01

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a little more / less → a bit more / less

the right to choose → choice

Why would someone at your company get demoted? Have you ever taken

over a project from someone else? Would accept a pay cut if you changed

jobs? Etc.

What “choice” does Mitchell face? 

Pre-reading. Dictate or write the following questions on the board:1. Has the decision to downsize been made yet?2. When will that be decided?3. If they decide to downsize, will only new hires be targeted?

Reading. Have students read through the memo silently for answers.

Present terms as needed, but encourage students to deduce meaning from context: dedication / to downsize / new hire (rev.) / targeted

Were managers committed to the company? Is the CEO thanking them for

this? → thanking them for their dedication

decrease the number of staff → downsize

most recently hired employees→ new hires

person or group chosen for an action → targeted

Is dedication important in your job? What effect could it have on staff if the

company downsized? How many new hires do you have in (your

department)? Etc.

Post-reading. Discussion

If you were one of the department managers, how would you decide who

stays and who goes?

If a company has had a disappointing year, is the best solution to get rid of

personnel? What other options are there?

What would your company do in this situation?

 Downsizing may be required

Present and practice: Unreal (second) conditional with were to + verb

Dictate or write on the board:If John applied for a job here, he’d get it.

If John were to apply for a job here, he’d get it.

Ask students to explain in their own words any difference they feel.

PRESENTATION

READING

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Elicit (if needed): What effect does using were to + verb have? [makes the

condition sound less certain. In the first sentence, we don’t know whether

or not John is interested in applying. In the second sentence, it sounds like

John has probably not expressed any interest in applying]

How likely is it that I will go to Australia this summer? [almost zero] → But if

I were to go to Australia, I’d see a performance at the Sydney Opera House.

Give one or two more examples, if needed.

Complete the statements

Students give full sentence responses. Encourage several different possibilities.

If Raymond Turner were to downsize the company, …

If he were to decide this, …

If Mitchell were to become the manager of the new branch, …

If he weren’t to accept the position, …

Etc.

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Pre-listening. Present and practice vocabulary, as needed: to struggle / jump at (an opportunity) / to throw out of whack / dying to (do) / to buy out / to sell out / generous / tempting / to refuse

What kinds of choices and changes do people face at work? Is it difficult to

make these choices? → struggle to make them

If you were offered a higher position, would you say “yes” immediately? →

jump at it

If you had to travel a lot, would it upset your personal life? → throw your

personal life out of whack

What is something that you would really like to do? → dying to …

Do bigger companies sometimes take over smaller ones? → buy them out

If you had your own company, would you sell out to a larger one?

if they offered a very good price? → a generous offer

if you really want to accept it, though you shouldn’t? → tempting

not accept → refuse

What tasks do you struggle with sometimes? Are you dying to travel to

Australia? Would you jump at the chance if you could take an interesting

training course? Etc.

Listening. Have students look at the SG.

 What choices are they faced with?

Track:LISTENING

PRACTICE

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Set scene: You are going to hear three people describing important career choices they’re faced with. As you listen, write down what those choices are, and why the decision is difficult.

Play the recordings, pausing after each track to give students time to write.Ask students to summarize the decision each person faces. Encourage students to add any additional details they remember. Play the tracks again, if needed.[ANSWERS: Jerome: Division will move to Dallas; he needs to decide

whether to move with the company or find a job in another part of the

company if there is one for him. The decision is difficult because he has

just bought a house, his spouse would have to find a new job.

Bridget: Has received an offer to buy her out of her own company and make

her a manager if she decides to stay on; the offer is very tempting, but her

own business was very important to her, because she liked being her own

boss.

Alyssa: Was offered a promotion with more responsibility and more travel;

not sure she wants the job as she is not too keen on the position and she is

happy with her work-life-balance at the moment.]

Post-listening. Discussion

Have students discuss in pairs and then have pairs compare their answers.1. Who do you think has the most difficult decision? Why?

2. What would you do if it were you? (Have students begin with, If I were

(Bridget), I would…)

3. What do you think each of the other two should do?

Elicit what the lesson goal was from students or point to it on the board. Set or adapt the purpose / scenario according to the customized student goal.

Pre-task. Go over the task in the SG, adapting as appropriate according to students’ lesson goal. Remind students to use the conditional form practiced before.

Task. Set task. Pairs or P1 with instructor:

Choose one of the characters from the warm-up activity (Mitchell, his boss, or Ed) or listening activity (Jerome, Bridget, or Alissa).

Think over your options and make a list of pros and cons.

Then discuss your situation with a friend and ask for his or her advice.

Post-task. For a weak performance, set up a second enactment, and have students switch roles. Focus on increasing speed, fluency, and accuracy. For a strong performance, ask: What advice did your friend give you? Do

 A tough decision to make

PERFORMANCE06

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5 | Discuss difficult decisions • Unit 7 ©2018 Berlitz Languages, Inc.

you agree or disagree? What is the toughest aspect of making the decision?

Give feedback, correction, and praise. Ask students to say how they can use the language from this unit in their work. Confirm with students that they have achieved their goal. Assign homework.

Extension 1. Discussion

What’s the most difficult decision you have ever made?

What options did you have?

What were the arguments for and against those options?

Do you think you made the right decision?

How might your life be different if you’d decided differently?

Extension 2. Complete the sentence

Have students brainstorm several endings to the following phrase: I’m

never going to …

Model an example to show what students have to do. (e.g., I’m never going

to) go to Hong Kong; start my own business; win the lottery.

Then have students make sentences with But if I were to … (e.g., But if I

were to start my own business, I’d open a restaurant.)Call on students to share their statements. After each student shares a statement, encourage others to ask questions and push for additional details.

Remind students to complete their homework activities online.ONLINE PRACTICE

CONSOLIDATE & APPLY

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