LESSON OVERVIEW

In this lesson students will watch a video on a four-day work week, improve their listening for details skills and and reflect on the positive and negative aspects of working four days a week.

WARM-UP & LANGUAGE INPUT

The lesson starts with a discussion in which students exchange information about a typical working week in different countries. Then, they look at a news headline about a four-day week in Iceland and speculate about what it might be. Their next task is to brainstorm the advantages and disadvantages of a four-day week. The brainstorming activity leads to a matching exercise which introduces students to some words and expressions from a video they’ll watch later in the lesson (e.g. upskill, productivity). They read seven definitions and match them with the corresponding words and phrases.

VIDEO & DISCUSSION

The second part of the lesson is based on a video about a four-day week. At first, students watch the introduction, answer two questions and comment on what they found out. Next, they watch the second part of the video and listen for gist – to  check if the speakers mention any of the advantages of a four-day week they brainstormed earlier in the lesson. Then, students practise listening for details, look at a set of seven specific questions and have to decide who (out of seven speakers in the video) these statements refer to. The listening practice is followed by a discussion in which students get an opportunity to reflect on the video and also practise the new language. Finally, they read a quote by Elon Musk and decide whether they agree or disagree with it, making a note of their reasons. They compare their ideas with their partners.