DESCRIPTION: ESL SPEAKING LESSON ON WORKPLACE TRAITS
OVERVIEW & OBJECTIVES
This ESL lesson plan on workplace traits and likability offers engaging activities, PDF worksheets, and digital materials designed for intermediate B1-B2 students. In this lesson, students will:
Discuss workplace situations and how to make a good impression on new colleagues.
Learn and use vocabulary related to likable and unlikable traits at work.
Watch a video about workplace likability tips and answer comprehension questions.
Practice using adjectives and traits in sentences to describe colleagues and work behavior.
Role-play welcoming a new colleague and giving advice to help them succeed.
PREVIEW & DISCUSSION
Students begin by imagining a new colleague, Meg, starting a job and consider ways she can make a positive impression beyond simple gestures like bringing coffee. They discuss what traits and behaviors make someone likable at work, identify examples of people they know who are likable, and reflect on their own behaviors. Next, they categorize a list of workplace traits into likable and unlikable, and finally, they discuss what makes a workplace friendly and welcoming for new employees. This section encourages speaking, reflection, and vocabulary recognition while introducing students to the topic of workplace likability.
VIEWING ACTIVITY
Students watch a video that shares five practical tips to help new employees get colleagues and managers to like them, including asking questions, giving compliments, seeking advice, and small gestures like sharing treats. After watching, students complete a gap-fill activity to match Kara’s tips with the reasons behind them. They then answer short questions about the types of questions to ask, compliments to give, the Benjamin Franklin Effect, and a cultural custom Kara noticed in Japan.
VIEWING FOLLOW-UP
Students discuss how Kara’s likability tips could apply to people who have been in the same job for a long time and how remote workers could adapt them for virtual settings. They complete sentence exercises using adjectives for workplace traits such as reliable, proactive, approachable, and attentive, filling in the blanks in realistic work contexts. Students also read a short text about a manager named Kiran and identify which positive traits he demonstrates at work. This section reinforces vocabulary usage, reading comprehension, and contextual application of workplace traits.
STARTING OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT: ADVICE FROM A COLLEAGUE
Students role-play welcoming a new colleague. In Option A, they write the colleague’s job role and give tips for being likable and successful, then perform a role play taking turns as the experienced employee and the new employee. In Option B, they work with a partner or teacher to discuss which traits they already have, which they could improve, and which are most important for their role. They also provide real-life examples of people demonstrating these traits. This activation allows students to practice speaking naturally, apply target language, and engage in realistic workplace scenarios.
BENEFITS OF USING THIS ESL SPEAKING LESSON ON WORKPLACE TRAITS
Teachers will find this lesson effective because it develops students’ speaking and discussion skills, reinforces vocabulary through practical exercises, encourages active listening and comprehension, provides realistic workplace scenarios for role-play, and helps students understand professional behavior and social skills in English. This lesson is ready to use with PDF worksheets, structured activities, and adaptable digital formats.
VIDEO DESCRIPTION
Want to start your new job on the right foot? This video shares five practical tips to help you get colleagues and your boss to like you, from asking the right questions and giving thoughtful compliments to using small gestures like bringing treats.
LESSON ACTIVITIES
- SPEAKING: Workplace, Likability, Traits, Communication, Relationships, Professionalism
- VIEWING: Gap-fill, Matching Traits, Short answer questions
- VOCABULARY: Likable Workplace Traits, Adjectives, Behaviors, Interaction, Teamwork
- ADDITIONAL: Welcoming A New Colleague to a Workplace, Quiz & Review, Lesson Reflection
LESSON TOPICS
Workplace, Likability, Traits, Communication, Relationships, Professionalism