FOR INTERMEDIATE

CONVERSATION PRACTICE:

Sandra: Roy, may I use your phone? I have to call my husband and tell him that I will be working in the office tonight.

Roy: Pulling an all-nighter, huh? Why? I thought your project wasn’t due until next week?

Sandra: That’s what I thought, too, but the client just sent an e-mail saying that he wants the project done by noon tomorrow which leaves me with no choice. There are only the two us working on it right now, and if I don’t stay overnight we won’t be able to reach the client’s new deadline. I would love to take the work home, but the materials that I will need are here in the office. The project is really very important because it is going to the company a lot of money and prestige. What about you? What are you still doing here?

Roy: My computer crashed and I am trying to recover my files because I have an important presentation tomorrow. So far, I haven’t been successful. I think I’m going to have to stay overnight as well. It looks like we are in the same boat.

Questions

Why do Sandra and Roy have to stay overnight at the office?
Why did Sandra approach Roy?
Have you ever been in this kind of situation?
Would you rather work at home or in the office?
Would you still work on a project even if you know that you can’t meet the deadline?
Do you think it is better to work alone or with a team?
Would you prioritize your work over your personal life?

Key Expressions

Pull an all-nighter - To work on something overnight

We are in the same boat - We are in the same situation

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FOR INTERMEDIATE

CONVERSATION PRACTICE:

Andrea: Ben, may I have your opinion on something?

Ben: Sure, what’s up?

Andrea: Well, I have been working in my company five years now, but I have been getting a lot of other job offers. I am really happy where I am now. And to be frank the other job offers aren’t exactly making me jump for joy. The thing is, most of my friends who have worked for one company for as long as I have are starting to move on to other jobs. I don’t know if I should do the same. I am so happy with my company that I think I can work for them forever. Do you think it’s possible?

Ben: I have seen it happen. In fact now that I think about it, my grandfather worked for just one company his entire life. He was always telling us of how well his company treated him. And because he was always motivated to work his output was always excellent. Even if there were younger people applying for his position, the company decided to keep my grandfather because he proved to be such a great asset. So yes, I think it is possible.

Andrea: That’s good to hear. I am suddenly in high spirits.

Questions

What was Andrea’s dilemma?
Who was the person Ben used as an example of a loyal employee?
Would you advise Andrea to move to another company? Why or why not?
What is your opinion on working in one company until retirement?
What do you think should a company do to keep their employee loyal?
What do you think would Andrea probably do after the conversation?
What motivates you to work harder in your company?

Key Expressions

Jump for joy - feel extremely happy
High spirits - feeling of joy and pride

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