Cutting Edge Pre-Intermediate Module 3
Ask your teacher if you have about the homework, e.g. “Is this answer also possible?
What is your job? What is your daily routine? Is your routine a normal one for someone with that job?
What about your friends and family? Describe their jobs and routines and see if your partner thinks that is typical.
Choose another job and describe how you imagine their routine until your partner guesses what the job is.
Useful language
In Japan/ the developed world/ most of the world, he or she…
Do overtime
Give presentations
Have meetings
Look after…
Make…
Speak other languages
Spend (a lot of) time on the phone/ on a computer/ in meetings/ travelling
Work (very) hard
Travel
Use (special) equipment/ tools/ a computer
Wear a helmet/ a uniform/ a jacket/ a tie/ goggles/ protective clothing/ gloves
Work at weekends
Work full time/ part time/ long hours
Work in an office/ a factory/ a warehouse/ shop/ store
Work in the (early) morning/ (late) at night/ flexitime/ in shifts
Work on his or her feet
Work outside/ inside/ at a desk
Work with his or her hands
Work with people/ Meet people
Write…
Always
Almost always
Usually
Very often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Hardly ever
Almost never
Never
Do the same with jobs on the next page.
Accountant Actor
Architect Artist, e.g. painter or sculptor
Athlete (= Sportsman) Au pair/ Nanny/ Babysitter
Baker Bank clerk
Barber/ Hairdresser/ Stylist Barman/ Barmaid/ Bar tender
Broker/ Trader Bus driver
Businessman/ Entrepreneur Cameraman
Care worker Carpenter
Cleaner Cook/ Chef
Designer Door to door salesman
Estate agent (= Real estate agent) Executive (= Director = Top manager)
Factory worker Farmer
Fire fighter (= fireman) Fisherman
Flight attendant/ Cabin crew (= Air stewardess/ Air hostess)
GP (= General practitioner = Local doctor)
Help desk staff/ Call centre staff Homemaker (= Housewife/ Househusband)
Journalist Judge
Lawyer Lecturer/ Professor
Librarian Local politician, e.g. town councillor or mayor
Lorry driver (= Truck driver) Masseur/ Masseuse
Member of the royal family Middle manager
Monk/ Nun/ Priest Musician
National politician, e.g. MP or senator Newsreader
Novelist Nurse
Office worker/ Clerk Photographer
Plumber Police officer
Postal worker (= Postman = Mailman) Prime Minister/ President
PI (= Private investigator = Private detective)
Private tutor Psychiatrist/ Psychologist
Public servant (= Civil servant, e.g. taxman, diplomat or ambassador)
Receptionist Sales executive (= Salesman)
Secretary/ PA (= personal assistant) Security guard
Server (= Waiter/ Waitress) Shop assistant/ Cashier
Social worker Soldier
Spy/ Secret agent Surgeon
Tailor Taxi driver
Mechanic/ Repairman/ Service engineer/ Technician
Telesales staff Television presenter/ Television celebrity
Tour guide Traffic warden
Translator/ Interpreter Travel agent
Vet (= Veterinarian)
Which jobs from above would you recommend? Which kinds of people for? Which would you not recommend? Why?
Listen to details about four people (T3.5) and make notes so that you can recommend jobs for them.
What are the differences between the following words and expressions?
• Accountant and accounts clerk
• Announcer and television presenter
• Au pair, babysitter and nanny
• Bank clerk, bank employee and banker
• Businessman and office worker
• Chef and cook
• Engineer and technician
• Executive and sales executive
• Lecturer and professor
• Manager and executive/ top manager/ director
• PA and secretary
What is wrong with the following expressions?
• Guardman
• Casher
• Office lady
You can’t really translate these Japanese words into English. How could you explain them?
• bucho
• kacho
• kakaricho
• mama-san
• tarento
Choose a category from below and find at least five words from above that you both think that is true for, putting them in order if you can.
• Becoming more/ less important
• Companies should/ shouldn’t be allowed to outsource this job overseas
• Don’t usually do their job properly
• Foreigners should/ shouldn’t be allowed to get a visa to do this job in Japan
• Gets money from the government and shouldn’t
• High/ Low standards in Japan
• Paid too little/ too much
• Should be fewer/ more
• Should be more open to women
• Should be supported or encouraged by the government
• Should get money or more money from the government
• Shouldn’t be allowed
• Standard of service getting better/ worse
• Unfairly popular/ Unfairly get good publicity
• Unfairly unpopular/ Unfairly get bad publicity
• We could/ couldn’t live without
• Will become less common/ will disappear/ will become more common
• Would/ Wouldn’t want my children to become
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PDF version for easy printing: Jobs vocabulary speaking
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