Countries like France and Australia have begun to experiment with giving employees more vacation time. They believe that there must be a balance between work and personal happiness. But the worldwide trend has progressed in the opposite direction. Employees are working longer and longer hours in recent years. The result is a new type of employee, called the "extreme employee."

The “extreme employee” or workaholic works long hours and is very dedicated to the company. He believes that he could and should always do more and often works a 70-hour week. He is available to clients and office emergencies 24-7 and takes far fewer vacation days than he is allotted, about ten days or less per year. Research has found out that most extreme employees are dissatisfied. More than half believe they would be physically healthier with less work. A lack of free time also harms the relationship with their children. Slightly less than half complained that the long hours negatively influenced spousal relations.

Experts recommend getting the seventy-hour workweek down to forty-five hours, if possible. Although corporations haven't accomplished this feat for high-impact jobs, some major corporations are trying. American Express, Johnson & Johnson, Lehman Brothers, and more than thirty other companies are working to reduce the pressure on managers to perform and produce.

EXTREME EMPLOYEES DISCUSSION

a) How many hours do your work per week?
b) How does your job affect your relationship with your family or friends?
c) Would you take a 50% salary cut if it meant working only 25 hours per week?
d) What is you dream job?
e) If parents work more and more, how will this affect future generations of children?
f) Could you do more for your company? Should you do more?
g) Do you like working?
h) Do you think that you have worked too hard in the past and not received the appropriate reward?
i) If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?
j) Who is your business idol or role model?
k) What in your life drives you to do things?
l) What it the worst job that you have ever had?

OPINIONS: agree or disagree?

1. Overtime should be banned.
2. Overtime will always be an important part of working. It will never disappear.
3. Governments should create a maximum of 40 hours a week for all workers.
4. Company profits are much more important than the health of workers.
5. Working overtime is natural. It shows a worker’s loyalty to a company.
6. Without overtime, many companies would die.
7. Workers should not complain. They should be grateful they have a job.

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There are several choices available for transportation in Korea: taxis, buses, and the subway. Almost any point in Korea can be reached using one of these modes of transportation. The basic idea behind building Seoul's transportation network was to connect the bus routes to the subway system. The average Korean uses public transportation daily. The traffic situation is very serious in Seoul, especially during rush hour, which is from 7 - 9 in the morning and from 4 - 7 in the evening. It's a good idea to avoid being out during rush hour, if possible, but buses and the subway are still very good transportation to travel around Korea because they are very inexpensive, convenient and easy to use.

Discussion

1. Do you use public transportations such as buses, trains, taxicabs?
2. How often do you use them?
3. Which one is much faster to use? the subway, buses or taxi?
4. Some say that taxicabs in Korea are dangerous because drivers drive fast? What do you think of that?
5. Which do you think is much better? take the public transportation or drive your own car?
6. How’s the traffic situation in Korea?
7. What do you do if there’s traffic and you’re in the bus? How do you feel during that time?
8. They said that subways are often crowded during rush hours. What do you think of that?
9. Compare public transportation in Korea to other countries public transportation?

WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS

1. Day by day – every day
Ex) He is very sick. Day by day, he gets weaker.

2. Come up – provide, give, make
Ex) You should come up with a new design

3. Commute – travel a long distance everyday between your home and another place.
Ex) Mike commutes to Seoul every day

4. Hail – praised publicly
Ex) US magazines hailed him as the greatest Hollywood actor.

5. Cabbie – a person who drives a taxi
Ex) On the way to the airport, the cabbie asked us where we were going

6. Got on – ride on a car or bus, get in
Ex) She got on the bus so fast

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Recent economic difficulties have worsened the chance of getting jobs around the country. College grads are having a harder time getting jobs than ever before. So, these days there are a large number of college grads enter graduate schools waiting for the “right” time to get employed. Since 70s and 80s, Korean’s high regard for education has created an overeducated work force causing higher unemployment of high-quality human resources. People no longer want to do jobs which they consider one of the “3D’s”—dirty, dangerous, and difficult.

Also, as the news of the bankruptcy of middle and small companies is announced every morning, most college grads would prefer big name companies which offer more job security. So, many more job seekers are competing for a small number of positions.

Not only the college grads suffer from low employment, but also those already working. Workers no longer feel secure as the downsizing of companies is spreading around the country. Although trade unions are protesting against a government move to allow layoffs for industrial restructuring, more and more workers are losing their jobs. High unemployment is not the problem of only today, but more than a decade.

Discussions:

1. If you are a college graduate and unemployed, what will you do to get a job?
2. High unemployment, early retirement, honorable retirement, layoffs and downsizing are inevitable because of economic crisis in Korea. Can you think of any solution to help Korea recover from this situation?
3. Since there is an oversupply of college graduates today and a shortage of factory workers, do you think that some high school students should be advised to give up plans of going to college and get factory jobs instead?
4. What do you think of college graduates entering graduate schools not for further studies but to get better jobs?
5. What factors are important in finding a good job? Why do you think so?

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Who speaks more, men or women? Most wouldn't hesitate to answer that women have a greater gift of gab. Jokes abound, and comedians have made careers out of just how much women talk. But research some may find surprising indicates that both men and women speak more or less equally.

Researchers recorded the daily conversations of 400 university students in the United States and Mexico over a period of several days. After analyzing the data, they discovered that women used a tad more than 16,000 words each day. Men, however, used just a bit less than 16,000 words. With almost no difference in the numbers, and well within any margin or error, it's safe to consider men and women in a statistical dead heat. The report does admit that, as men and women age, the numbers could change.

An expert in the field of gender studies has a slightly different opinion. She doesn't disagree with the study, but suggests that these assumptions could have originated when men and women argue. Unfortunately, the study can't shed any light on how speaking patterns change in an argument. But other studies have lent credence to the idea that guys get quiet and women talk more during an emotional conflict.

Do you agree or disagree? Why?

1. Women talk more than men.
2. Men only speak when there's something important to say.
3. Men and women love gossip equally.
4. Men talk more about relationships than women.
5. Men: Women talk too much! // Women: Men don't talk enough!

Talk about the following questions.

1. Who do you think speaks more, men or women?
2. What other stereotypes are there about men? Are they true or false? Why?
3. What other stereotypes are there about women? Are they true or false? Why?
4. What do you think of stereotypes in general? Are they good, bad, based on reality? Why do you think so?
5. Will this research change the men's and women's opinions of one another? Why/not?

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I'm a 24 year old, introspective male, taciturn as a clam. I prefer the quiet of my own thoughts to the sound of my voice, or for that matter, other's prattle. I think a garrulous person is deep-down insecure. He hides his inadequacy behind his motor of a mouth. An empty can makes a loud noise. I could tell right off the bat which of these couples sitting on the park bench are newbie and which ones are old-timers with stable relationships. The new couples are uncomfortable with silence, so they fill up all space with endless gab. Blah blah here, blah blah there, blah blah everywhere. Their chatter hides their insecurity. The stable ones enjoy moments of silence, secure in each other’s presence. Silence is golden and talk is cheap, I should tell you. My girl dumped me because she pesters me to speak up and share my thoughts, but I'm not built like a chatterbox . Can't she take me for what I am?

WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS

1. Introspective – Reflective
2. Taciturn – Silent
3. Prattle - Chatter
4. Garrulous - having the habit of talking a lot, especially about unimportant things
5. gab - to talk continuously and eagerly, especially about unimportant matters
6. Pesters - to behave in an annoying manner towards someone by doing or asking for something repeatedly

PERSONAL APPLICATION

1. Do you like talking? Why or why not?
2. Do you like listening? Why or why not?
3. Do you think that talking is more important than listening? Why?
4. What do you think of silent people? Talkative people?

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